By: Yuritza Arroyo
Morris County authorities announced 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.
According to officials, on November 29, 2022, the defendant pleaded to three counts of second-degree Robbery.
Officials say on March 17, 2023, Parks was sentenced 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.
According to authorities, these charges arise from an incident that occurred on April 1, 2022, in Morris County.
Authorities say on that date, officers from the Mount Olive Police Department responded to the Walmart parking lot, located in Flanders, to assist the South Orange Police Department with an ongoing carjacking investigation.
While on the 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 car.
According to Mount Olive Police, the defendant took flight from the parking lot, and at approximately 12:24 p.m., the officers learned of an attempted bank robbery that had just occurred at the Wells Fargo Bank, located in Flanders, involving the defendant.
The investigation revealed that the defendant pretended to possess a firearm and passed a note demanding money.
Police say, however, the defendant fled the area before 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.
Following the crash, the defendant attempted to steal another vehicle but was taken into custody before being able to leave the scene.
