Three Arraigned in Bergen for Monroe Township Burglary, Conspiracy
By Mary K. Miraglia
HACKENSACK, N.J. (April 3, 2017) — Two county men and a co defendant from Woodbridge were arraigned in Superior Court Monday, April 3 on third and fourth degree charges of burglary and hindering.
Jerry Montgomery, 36, of Kansas St., Hackensack, Darrius J. Brown, 37, of Johnson Drive in Woodbridge, and Louis C. Lucas, 34, of South Dean St., Englewood, were arraigned before Judge Christopher Kazlau and charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary on Aug. 9, 2016 in Monroe Township. Lucas alone is charged with fourth degree hindering for lying to investigators in Paramus last Aug. 10.
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor David Calviello of the Special Investigations Unit formally presented charges against the defendants. Attorneys for each waived reading of the indictment and entered “not guilty” pleas. Montgomery is represented by Defense Lawyer Landry Belizaire of Bloomfield, Brown by Lawyer Ian Silvera of the Bergen County Public Defender, Hackensack, and Lucas by Lawyer Aishaah Rasul of Englewood.
Calviello told the judge he wants to negotiate a plea offer, but will be looking for five years in state prison for each of the defendants. He objected to an attempt by Silvera to have Brown’s $100,000 bail reduced to $25,000 with a 10 percent option, saying he has an extensive criminal record that includes 14 arrests and nine felony convictions. That makes Brown extended term eligible, Calviello said, “So the case against him is in fact a second degree case.
“Furthermore,” the prosecutor said, “They — Montgomery and Brown — committed this crime while on probation.”
Montgomery also has a criminal record, has been linked to the original “James Bond” burglary gang, and was convicted by a jury in July, 2013 of burglarizing a Hodge Dr., Bridgewater house in 2011 after less than two hours of deliberations.
“No change in the bail,” Kazlau said, noting that Brown has priors for aggravated assault and child endangerment and “incurred new charges shortly after release.”
All three defendants will be back before the judge May 8.
The indictment charges that all three men entered a home at 9 Dancer Court in Monroe Township to burglarize it, and caused damages in excess of $2,000 while doing so, both third degree offenses. They are further charged with engaging in a conspiracy to commit that burglary, as follows:
On Aug. 9, 2016 in Hackensack they conducted an online search for residential properties that were likely targets of burglary.
Later that same day, one or more of the conspirators drove to Englewood to pick up Lucas to participate in the burglary;
Also on Aug. 9, one or more of the men were in possession of a black backpack filled with burglary tools, including two pairs of gloves, two black hooded face masks, and a pair of wire cutters.
The three men drove to Monroe Township, where they cut the electrical supply lines to the house.
Once power was cut, they broke into the home by breaking open the front door.
While still in Monroe Township, Brown and Lucas “engaged in an open line cellular telephone call” while committing the burglary.
A statement issued by the Bergen County Prosecutor at the time said Montgomery and Brown were arrested after a month-long joint investigation by the prosecutor’s Special Investigations Squad, the Bergen County sheriff, and several local police departments, including Monroe Township.
