On December 8, 2019, in the Borough of Edgewater, New Jersey, Officers responded to an armed robbery that was in progress. Two Female residents of Edgewater were assaulted and held at gunpoint in the parking garage of “The Riello” located at 99 Gorge Road, Edgewater, New Jersey.
In the Early Morning of December 8, 2019, approximately at 4:45am, the two female victims arrived in a garage located at a luxury high rise condominium complex known as “The Riello”, in Edgewater, New Jersey, where the victims usually park their vehicle to enter their residence. Upon arrival, Victim #1, who was driving at the time, heard her passenger, Victim #2, scream as a male who forcefully grabbed Victim #2 and dragged her out of the vehicle. Shortly after, two other males forcefully grabbed Victim #1. During this altercation, the victims immediately try to fight the male suspects to escape to their safety. Unfortunately, the male suspects managed to grab the victims, brutally beat them, and tased one of the victim’s eye with a cattle pod in order to gin control of them.
The male suspects further managed to restrain them with zip ties and force them to enter the backseat of the victim’s vehicle. After being thrown to the backseat of the vehicle, they attempted to search for the keys to their apartment. They managed to confiscate around five thousand dollars as well as other valuable items. Thereafter, the suspects fled the scene and the victims managed to escape and contact the authorities.
The Edgewater Police Department responded to the 911 call made by the victims and immediately arrived at the scene. During the investigation, Officers managed to photograph the zip ties and duct tape used on the victims as well as the injuries the victims sustained during the assault. Detective Walter Kumka asked for relevant facts from the victims to describe the men that may have organized this robbery. The victims were shortly taken to the hospital and treated for the injuries caused on their face and body.
The victim’s statement declared that one of the suspects were described as a light-skinned male approximately forty years old with dark bags under his eyes, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. The second suspect was described as a dark-skinned male approximately forty years old wearing a mask. Lastly, the third suspect was described as a dark-skinned male approximately forty years old wearing no mask. Detective Kumka managed to review the surveillance footage and identified a suspect’s vehicle. After the search of the vehicle’s registration, a 2015 Burgandy Kia Optima was registered to Derrick Felder of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thereafter, recent photographs of Felder were obtained and matched the victim’s description.
Afterwards, a cellular device warrant was issued for Felder’s suspected phone number, which connected to cell sites near the crime scene around the same time the incident occurred. Detective Kumka enforced another cellular device warrant for tower information and revealed three additional cellular numbers, which also showed a connection to the crime scene. The cellular numbers were registered to Aburbarka Ham,Stephen Driver, and Tarik Driver. Photographs of these suspects were obtained, which also matched the victim’s description.
After a prolonged investigation, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigation Squad arrested four male suspects in connection to this armed robbery. Derrick Felder,39, Tarik Driver,44, Stephen Driver,42, and Aburbarka Ham,42, of Philadelphia, were arrested and charged with two counts of each kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated assault by using a stun gun, along with other weapons and other charges.
In June of 2023, in the Bergen County Superior Court, Honorable Nina C Remson sentenced Derrick Felder, Tarik Driver, Stephen Driver, and Aburbarka Ham to New Jersey State Prison.
The State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Torre.
Derrick Felder was represented by attorney Michael Robbins.
Tarik Driver was represented by attorney Lily Halpern.
Stephen Driver wasrepresented by attorney Ron Bar-Nadav.
Aburbarka Ham was represented by attorney Richard Fuschino.
