Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of HUSEM NASRI, 24, of Elmwood Park, NJ on charges of armed robbery, weapon possession, and other related offenses. The arrest is the result of a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck.
On Monday, February 5, 2024, officers from the Hasbrouck Heights Police Department responded to a gas station located at 404 Route 17 North on the report of an attempted armed robbery. Police discovered that a suspect attempted to rob the gas station attendant, struck him with a firearm, and fled the scene. Accordingly, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad was notified, responded, and initiated an investigation.
While law enforcement was on scene in Hasbrouck Heights, it was discovered that another attempted armed robbery occurred at a gas station located at 1201 Van Houten Avenue in Clifton, NJ. In that incident, the suspect pointed a firearm at the gas station attendant. The attendant was able to secure himself in the gas station building, and the suspect fled the scene. Officers from the Clifton Police Department responded to that incident and began investigating.
Later that same afternoon, the Paterson Police Department responded to an armed robbery at a grocery store located at 54 North 3rd Street. According to store employees, the suspect pointed a firearm at them, demanded money, and threatened to kill them. Approximately $400 was turned over to the suspect, who then fled the scene.
Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office coordinated with the Clifton and Paterson Police Departments, and a thorough review of surveillance video from the three robbery scenes revealed that the suspect in all the incidents was wearing similar clothing and utilized a similar vehicle. Detectives were able to identify the suspect’s vehicle, a black Dodge Challenger stolen in New York City on February 2, 2024 – which was just days before the pattern of robberies emerged. Over the course of several months as the investigation continued, detectives identified HUSEM NASRI as the suspect responsible for all three armed robberies.
As a result of the investigation, on May 15, 2024, HUSEM NASRI was charged with four counts of first-degree armed robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1a(1); three counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1); three counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a(1); one count of third-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(2); two counts of third-degree terroristic threats, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3b; third degree theft, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7a; and three counts of fourth-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(4).
On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad located and apprehended HUSEM NASRI in Alexandria, Virginia, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) North Jersey Violent Crimes Task Force and the FBI North Virginia Resident Agency, Washington Field Office. NASRI is currently incarcerated at the Alexandria City, VA detention center, where he will remain pending extradition to New Jersey. The prosecution of NASRI for all three armed robberies is being coordinated through the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Musella thanks the Hasbrouck Heights Police Department, Paterson Police Department, Clifton Police Department, Fairfax County, VA Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance with this investigation.
