By: Richard L. Smith
Four Essex County men have been charged in connection with the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Mr. Troy D. Corbett Jr., 28, Mr. Williams, 28, and Mr. Antwuan Brown, 24, all residents of Newark, face charges of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
Corbett and Williams are also charged with assaulting or impeding a federal officer using a deadly weapon.
Additionally, Brown and Mr. Karieem Stamps, 25, also of Newark, face charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Corbett is further charged with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Stamps is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The arrests were made on August 1, 2024. Corbett, Williams, and Stamps were apprehended in Newark and subsequently appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court, where they were detained.
Brown was arrested in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler in North Carolina federal court, where he was also detained.
According to court documents and statements, the incident dates back to November 2023, when Corbett, Williams, and another individual allegedly robbed a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint in Newark.
The robbers took the victim’s cell phone, keys, and wallet, including credit and debit cards, hindering the victim’s ability to deliver mail and thereby interfering with interstate commerce. Shortly after the robbery,
Stamps and Brown used the stolen debit card for purchases, with both transactions processed through servers located outside New Jersey.
Further charges against Corbett stem from an incident on January 18, 2024, when he was found in possession of a distribution quantity of suspected methamphetamine and a loaded pistol, despite his previous felony conviction in 2018.
On the same date, Stamps, convicted of a felony in 2020, was found in possession of a Glock 29 Gen5 handgun with an extended magazine and approximately 25 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition.