Willingboro, New Jersey Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Pennsauken Bank Robbery

CAMDEN, NJ—Tarrell Matthews was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for robbing the Beneficial Savings Bank in Pennsauken, N.J., United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Matthews, 21, of Willingboro, pleaded guilty on September 16, 2010, to one count of bank robbery before United States District Judge Noel L. Hillman. Judge Hillman also imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

During the winter of 2008, Tarik Mackins—who had a history of robbing banks—and Eric Williams approached Matthews and told him that it was his turn to rob a bank. Mackins and Williams told Matthews to retrieve a .357 revolver that Williams had given him and use it for the robbery. On March 17, 2009, Mackins gave Matthews clothes to wear during the robbery and drove him to the area of the Beneficial Savings Bank, located at

2501 Merchantville Avenue, Pennsauken, N.J.

After parking the vehicle, Mackins tore the sleeve from his shirt and gave it to Matthews to cover his face. Mackins also gave Matthews a small book bag and advised how the tellers kept cash in the top and bottom drawers at their teller stations. Matthews entered the bank with the revolver, approached the teller window, and demanded the tellers place cash in the bag, which they did. Matthews admitted he stole approximately $37,350 from the bank.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman ordered Matthews to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $37,350 in restitution. Matthews has been detained without bail since his arrest on July 28, 2010.

Mackins previously pleaded guilty to robbing three banks and to using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On December 14, 2010, Judge Hillman sentenced Mackins to10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $64,917. Judge Hillman sentenced Williams to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release on January 11, 2010. Williams had previously pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Trenton and South Jersey Resident Agencies, under the direction of Special Agents in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark and George C. Venizelos in Philadelphia, respectively; investigators with the Offices of the Burlington County and Camden County Prosecutors, under the direction of Prosecutors Robert D. Bernardi and Warren W. Faulk, respectively; and police officers with the Willingboro and Pennsauken police departments.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Division in Camden.