NEWARK, N.J. – Reginald H. Ware, of Newark, admitted today to participating in four armed pharmacy robberies in Jersey City and Union City, N.J., between July and October 2010, and a Jersey City carjacking in October 2010, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Ware, 41, a/k/a “Ronell Wilson,” a/k/a “Kyiis M. Justice,” a/k/a “Kyyiis Justice,” pleaded guilty today to three counts of the Indictment filed against him in March 2011: conspiracy to commit the pharmacy robberies (Count One), brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (Count Six), and carjacking (Count Seven). Ware entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Ware and separately charged co-conspirator Rahoo Drew, 31, of Newark, robbed four New Jersey pharmacies: the Wisdom Pharmacy in Jersey City, on July 27, 2010; the Welcome Pharmacy in Jersey City, August 4, 2010; the Americas Pharmacy in Union City, on October 14, 2010; and Carry Drugs in Jersey City, on October 16, 2010. In each robbery, the two men walked into the pharmacies with firearms in hand and ordered everyone to lie on the floor facing down. The victims were threatened with death if they did not comply. After securing the victims inside the pharmacy, the two men seized controlled substances and took cash from the pharmacies and individual victims, as well as jewelry.
On October 12, 2010, Ware carjacked a livery cab driver from New York after being taken to Jersey City. Ware and Drew used the carjacked car as the getaway vehicle in the October pharmacy robberies.
Ware and Drew were arrested on November 11 and 9, 2010, respectively, and were held in state custody prior to case being brought to Newark federal court following the Indictment. Drew previously entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy to commit the four armed robberies and is awaiting sentencing, scheduled for August 9, 2011.
The robbery conspiracy count to which Ware pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the carjacking count carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and the brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of the armed robbery count carries a sentence of seven years – which must run consecutively to the sentence for the robbery conspiracy. Ware is currently scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2011.
