WOODBURY MAN SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS FOR HERITAGE’S ROBBERIES
WOODBURY MAN SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS FOR HERITAGE’S ROBBERIES
Michael J. Otis age 50, of Woodbury was sentenced on Friday, March 17th to ten years in New Jersey state prison for taking part with a codefendant in the armed robberies of three Heritage’s convenience stores in February 2015. Otis pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery on 12/12/16.
Although he agreed in a negotiated plea to accept the 10-year sentence, with no parole eligibility for 85 percent of the term, Otis and his lawyer made a last-minute request today for less prison time, which Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Michael Mellon opposed and which Superior Court Judge Kevin T. Smith rejected.
Judge Smith said he was concerned that it has never been explained why Otis participated as a driver in the shotgun-wielding theft of cash and cigarettes from stores in Woodbury, Woodbury Heights and West Deptford. ‘Otis must have known what his codefendant’s intentions were,’ the judge added.
Sentenced in June, 2016 to 10 ½ years for the armed robberies was Sean P. Allen age 50, of Woodbury. Otis has been in jail since he and Allen were arrested in connection with the robberies on 3/4/15.