Man Sentenced in Connection with April 1, 2022 Crime Spree
Published on March 20, 2023
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert M. McNally, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Mount Olive Police Chief Stephen Beecher, Randolph Police Chief William Harzula, and Roxbury Chief Dean Adone announce that Howard Parks, age 55, formerly of East Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced in connection with an incident that occurred on April 1, 2022 in Morris County.
On November 29, 2022, the defendant appeared before the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C., and entered pleas of guilty to three counts of second-degree Robbery. On March 17, 2023, Judge Amirata sentenced the defendant to an aggregate sentence of 21 years imprisonment subject to the No Early Release Act, which mandates that the defendant serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The defendant was also sentenced to three years of parole supervision upon release.
These charges arise from an incident that occurred on April 1, 2022 in Morris County. On that date, officers from the Mount Olive Police Department responded to the Walmart parking lot, located in Flanders, NJ, to assist the South Orange Police Department with an ongoing carjacking investigation. While on scene, at approximately 12:04 p.m., the investigation revealed that the defendant stole a motor vehicle, during which he made a threat to kill the owner of the vehicle.
The defendant took flight from the parking lot and at approximately 12:24 p.m., the Mount Olive Police Department learned of an attempted bank robbery that had just occurred at the Wells Fargo Bank, located in Flanders, NJ, involving the defendant. The investigation revealed that the defendant pretended to possess a firearm and passed a note demanding money. However, the defendant fled the area prior to obtaining any money from the bank.
At approximately 12:33 p.m., after leaving the bank, the defendant was involved in a motor vehicle crash near the intersection of Dover-Chester Road and Route 10 in Randolph, NJ. Following the crash, the defendant attempted to steal another vehicle, but was taken into custody prior to being able to leave the scene.
Prosecutor Carroll commended the excellent inter-agency teamwork that was required to bring this defendant to justice, including members of the Mount Olive Police Department, the Randolph Township Police Department, the Roxbury Township Police Department, the South Orange Police Department, the West Orange Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, and especially recognized Roxbury Police Patrolman Brad Keyes, who courageously stopped the second carjacking in progress prior to arrival of back up.
Media inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to mknab@co.morris.nj.us.