Belleville Armed Robber Caught on Tape, Leads to Arrest, US Attorney Says

FBI agents arrested an East Orange man Thursday morning in connection with the armed robbery of Belleville News & Food, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Bobby Dawson, 43, was charged by with one count of committing a Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Dawson allegedly entered the Belleville News & Food store on April 17 wearing a mask and carrying a gun. Once inside, he told the store clerk not to move or he would shoot, Fishman said. Dawson pointed his firearm at the store clerk’s head and demanded money, Fishman said. The store clerk complied and gave Dawson $2,000 from the cash registers, Fishman said.

The criminal complaint against Dawson alleges that surveilance cameras recorded him taking off his mask shortly before leaving the store. Law enforcement agents studying the tape said Dawson was also taped the day before, scoping out the store in preperation for the robbery, according to Fishman. Investigators said outdoor surveillance footage show the robber driving off in a car missing a hubcap, matching the description of a car Dawson rented, Fishman said.

Under the Hobbs Act robbery charge, Dawson faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The weapons charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.

Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the Belleville, Bloomfield, Kearny, Maplewood, Newark, Paramus and Verona police departments, along with the N.J. State Police and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.