United States Prosecutor Philip R. Sellinger publicized charges against four individuals hailing from Essex County in New Jersey, attributed to their involvement in a violent theft involving a U.S. Postal Service worker, in addition to other correlated criminal acts. Those indicted include Troy D. Corbett Jr., age 28, Dyshawn Williams, also 28, and Antwuan Brown, age 24, all of whom live in Newark, New Jersey. They have been accused of conspiring to execute a Hobbs Act robbery, a federal crime under U.S. law. Furthermore, Corbett and Williams have also been confronted with charges of attacking or obstructing a government officer utilizing a lethal instrument.
In addition to these serious accusations, Brown and another individual, Karieem Stamps, 25 years old, are facing charges of executing wire fraud and committing aggravated identity theft. The list of charges against Corbett continues, with an indictment for having ammunition as a felon, intent to distribute methamphetamine, and owning a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Similarly, Stamps faced the court with an additional charge of possession of a firearm, being a previously convicted felon. The unsettling chain of events began in November of 2023. As per the report, Corbett and Williams, in the company of another person, embarked on the robbery of a postal delivery person in a Newark neighborhood. During this incident, they forcefully acquired personal belongings which included a credit card and a debit card.
The stolen cards were later illicitly used by Stamps and Brown, who engaged in unauthorized transactions using servers located outside the state of New Jersey. Such actions constituted wire fraud, one of the other crimes they are currently facing charges for. A turning point in this case occurred on January 18, 2024, when authorities discovered Corbett in possession of a noteworthy amount of Methamphetamine, as well as a firearm.
Adding more to the complications of the case, on August 1, 2024, the same day the arrests were made, law enforcement uncovered a firearm and ammunition in the possession of Stamps. The suspects were arraigned before the court, with Corbett, Williams, and Stamps appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark.
Brown was presented for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler in North Carolina. Each of the four accused men have since been placed into remand, awaiting the proceedings of their trial.
The legal implications of these charges are indeed grave, with the potential maximum penalties for the various counts they are facing falling between a span of 15 to 30 years in prison. This includes a compulsory five-year sentence for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug-related crime, which is subject to consecutive serving after any other imposed sentence.
This case, with its myriad of charges and severe implications, underscores the continuous and determined effort by U.S. law enforcement agencies to tackle violent criminal conduct and to maintain the safety of federal employees.