Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Riverdale Police Chief Charles Quant Jr. announce the sentencing of Melvin Banks, 37, of Somerset, New Jersey in connection with the armed robbery of a high-end luxury car rental business on December 4, 2021 and subsequent tampering with a witness.
On April 12, 2024, the Honorable Claudia Jones, JSC imposed an aggregate sentence of 50 years in New Jersey State Prison, with 25.5 years of parole ineligibility. Specifically, defendant received 30 years for the 2nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Robbery and 1st degree Robbery counts, in accordance with NJSA 43-7(a)2, consecutive to 20 years on the 1st degree Witness Tampering charge. Banks was also sentenced to a concurrent 5 year term for 3rd degree Theft of a Motor Vehicle.
Banks had been found guilty by a jury on February 9, 2024, of first-degree Armed Robbery; one count of second-degree Conspiracy; third-degree Theft of a Motor Vehicle and first-degree Witness Tampering. He was held at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending sentencing.
The State presented evidence that Banks targeted the owner of a high-end luxury car rental business in a conspiracy to rob the individual of jewelry and other items. On December 4, 2021, Banks was scheduled to return a rented Mercedes S580 to the victim and coordinated its return for 9 p.m. that same evening. At 9:31 p.m., the victim was instead robbed at gunpoint by co-defendant Daniel Lind. Lind fired a handgun, mere feet from where the victim sat, and took approximately $100,000 in jewelry and cell phones. Lind then fled the business and entered the waiting rental vehicle, driven by Melvin Banks. In the hours leading up to the robbery, Banks and Lind were captured on surveillance purchasing black gloves and cable ties at a local Home Depot and returning to the scene of the robbery to await the victim’s arrival. In the months after the robbery, during the subsequent investigation of the crime by Riverdale Police, Banks sent messages threatening harm to the victim and the victim’s family if the victim did not drop the charges.
Prior to trial, Daniel Lind pled guilty to first-degree Robbery and second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and was sentenced to 8 years in New Jersey State Prison.
Prosecutor Carroll credited the Trial Team of Assistant Prosecutor Alexandra Pecora, Assistant Prosecutor Bridget Carr, Detective Supervisor Mary Falzarano, Detective Nicholas Jung and Support Staff members Nina Tenten and Natalie Marzalik. The Prosecutor would like to thank and acknowledge the agencies that participated in the investigation which led to the successful prosecution, including the Riverdale Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office General Investigation Unit.
