TRENTON, N.J. – An associate of the so-called “Route 35 Crew,” which was responsible for a series of bank robberies and other robberies from August 2006 through November 2007, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to commit a home invasion robbery in Allentown, Pa., and to rob a courier on his way to make a large deposit at a Commerce Bank in Cranford, N.J., U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Andre Billups, 24, of Rahway, N.J., pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, according to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott B. McBride and Joseph G. Mack. Following the guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano set sentencing for Dec. 1.

The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the sole count of the Information.

Billups admitted that, on Aug. 15, 2006, he drove with accomplices Ruben Rosado and Sandy Hart from New Jersey to Allentown to burglarize the home of an individual who owed Hart money. Once they arrived, he admitted, they covered their faces and entered the apartment. According to Billups, Rosado pointed a gun at a woman lying in her bed, and Billups and Rosado proceeded to bind and gag her. Billups further admitted that he, Rosado and Hart stole about $300 and other items from the apartment.

Billups then admitted that, sometime in between August and November 2006, he planned a robbery with Rosado and additional accomplices Michael Green and Andria Yarborough. Billups admitted that Yarborough, who worked at the Commerce Bank in Cranford, started to complain to him about a bank customer who frequently kept her late because he brought large cash deposits for his employer right around closing time. According to Billups, he told Rosado about this bank customer, and he, Rosado and Green planned to rob the customer. Billups admitted watching and following the bank customer with Rosado and Green, in order to learn his patterns and to rob him eventually. Billups further admitted that, after learning from Yarborough that Rosado and Green had robbed the customer, he shared some of the proceeds of the robbery with Yarborough.

Billups currently has five co-defendants: Rosado, Green, Hart, Yarborough, and Brandon Thomas.

Rosado, 31, of Rahway, was indicted on April 16, 2008 for the armed robbery of the Investors Savings Bank in Piscataway, N.J., which occurred on Nov. 10, 2007. He has been ordered detained pending trial.

Green, 30, of Linden, N.J., pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2008, before Judge Pisano, to a threecount Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit 11 bank robberies and two robberies of businesses, one count of bank robbery, and one count of possessing a firearm during the commission of a violent offense. During his plea hearing, Green admitted committing 12 armed robberies with Rosado. In addition, he admitted robbing the bank customer in Cranford with Rosado and with the assistance of Yarborough and Billups. Green is detained and awaits sentencing scheduled for Nov. 18.

Hart, 29, of Rahway, pleaded guilty on Aug. 11, 2008, before Judge Pisano, to a one-count Information charging him with interstate travel in aid of racketeering in relation to the Allentown home invasion robbery. During the plea hearing, Hart admitted to committing the robbery with Rosado and Billups. Hart further admitted that, during the robbery, Rosado put a gun to a woman’s head. Hart was ordered detained and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19, 2008.

Thomas, 27, of Rahway, was charged by criminal complaint on April 18, 2008 for the receipt and possession of property stolen by Rosado and Green from the Bank of America in Edison, N.J. on Oct. 12, 2007. Thomas has been released pending trial on a $100,000 unsecured bond.

Finally, Yarborough, 24, of Roselle, pleaded guilty on May 20, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas, to a one-count Information charging her with misprision of felony for lying to police and failing to report the Cranford robbery to police. Yarborough has been released on a $50,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2008.

Under an Information, a defendant waives the right to have his case presented to a grand jury and, instead, pleads guilty to charges presented by the United States.

In determining an actual sentence, Judge Pisano will consult the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and other factors. The Judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence. Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

U.S. Attorney Christie credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun, for this successful investigation.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott B. McBride of the U.S. Attorney’s Government Fraud Unit, and Joseph G. Mack of the U.S. Attorney’s Securities and Health Care Fraud Unit.

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Defense Counsel:
Alan D. Bowman, Esq., Newark, N.J.