Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Elijah Sumler, 31, of Newark was sentenced by Honorable Peter Ryan, J.S.C., to 15 years for second degree conspiracy to commit robbery and a weapons offense.
Second degree offenses ordinarily carry a 5 to 10 year sentence but Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab argued for an extended prison sentence, as allowed by law, because Sumler had four prior felony convictions. In addition, he had 16 prior arrests and his crimes were becoming progressively more serious.
“Second degree terms require a sentence of 5 to 10 years,” explained Assistant Prosecutor Edwab who tried the case. “However, considering the defendant’s history—including four prior convictions and the violent nature of pointing a gun at the victim—the court felt this defendant met the requirement for an extended term, which is between 10 to 20 years.”
On August 25, 2010, Sumler, armed with a gun, and two other males, broke into the second floor apartment of 700 block of South 19th Street, Newark. Inside the apartment were a 31-year-old female and her 2-year-old daughter. The men ransacked the apartment robbing the woman of her flat screen television, computer, an electronic gaming system, cell phone, money and clothing. Sumler, whom the victim identified, was found guilty of second degree conspiracy to commit robbery and fourth degree aggravated assault by pointing a firearm at the victim on March 14th.
Judge Ryan sentenced Sumler under the No Early Release Act which requires the defendant to serve 85 percent of his 15-year sentence before he is eligible for parole.
