Morris Prosecutor: Essex County Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery in Morristown Hospital Parking Lot
Published on January 20, 2017
Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp announces that Tyhan Lighty, 45, last known to reside in Orange, has been sentenced to 10 years in State Prison with 85 percent parole ineligibility following his guilty plea to a 2014 armed robbery in the parking garage of the Morristown Medical Center complex on Madison Avenue in Morristown.
Lighty was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Critchley during a hearing today in Morristown. The state was represented at the sentencing by Morris County Assistant Prosecutors Christopher Schellhorn and Sean Gaynor.
Prosecutor Knapp stated: This case was solved by outstanding police work performed by several different agencies. We thank all of them for their cooperation. All are to be commended.
Prosecutor Fredric A. Knapp
The investigation originated from a May 18, 2014, report of an armed robbery in the parking garage of the Morristown Medical Center. Information revealed that a male who was armed with a handgun entered a parking lot complex office and demanded money from an employee. The suspect then fled the location.
During the robbery, the suspect used plastic zip ties to attempt to bind the victim's wrists. Several of these zip ties were recovered from the scene by investigators and were submitted to the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences for examination.
Forensic scientists identified DNA on a zip tie from the scene and concluded that Tyhan Lighty was the source of the DNA. On June 18, 2015, Lighty was arrested on an outstanding complaint-warrant related to this incident and was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility, where he remained on bail until sentencing.
On Dec. 6, 2016, Lighty pled guilty to armed robbery before Judge Critchley. At the time of his plea, Lighty admitted that he went to the parking garage, demanded money from the victim, and showed the victim a silver handgun to place her in fear.
Prosecutor Knapp would like to acknowledge the Morristown Bureau of Police, the Morris County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Section, the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Victim/Witness Unit for their collective efforts in securing this conviction.
Any inquiries may be directed to Public Information Officer Paul Merkler at 973-285-6200 or pmerkler@co.morris.nj.us.