By Robert Florida
Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II announced that an Essex County jury convicted Esau Grant, 29, of Newark, of robbing the Capital One Bank in Newark.
On July 3, 2021, Grant was captured on video inside the Springfield Avenue bank robbing a teller by handing him a threatening note that read: “I have a gun, give me all the money from the register please and no one will get hurt.” The teller gave Grant $2,300. Two days later, he was found and arrested by police.
After a one-day trial before Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Arre, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of second-degree robbery.
Assistant Prosecutor Ruddy A. Adames, who tried the case, thanked the jury for their service and for returning a just verdict.
“Fortunately, no one was physically harmed in this case,” Adames said. “This verdict would not have been possible if not for the teller who came to court and faced the defendant. I hope the verdict brings a sense of security to him and to the community at large.”
The sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2024, before Judge Arre. Grant faces a sentence of up to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
