I'm glad he got the max, thanks for posting a follow up to the story.

Quote:

There are many people who could be labeled as "slow," or "impulsive," it doesn't mean that they didn't know what they were doing. I disagree with taking a year off because of that.

Bingo-looting bro gets year off sentence

Saturday, November 01, 2008
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A Jersey City man was sentenced to seven years in prison yesterday for the violent armed robbery of a church bingo game in Downtown Jersey City that he committed with his brother and another accomplice, officials said.

Prosecutors sought an eight-year sentence for Victor Morales, 23, but Superior Court Judge Melvin Kracov shaved a year off the potential term in his sentence, Assistant Prosecutor Steven Dill said.

Kracov cited school records showing Morales was "slow" and a psychiatric report saying he has "poor impulse control" as reasons for the small reduction. Morales will have to serve nearly six years of the term before becoming eligible for parole.

Dill argued that any defendant, if given the resources, could produce documentation showing they are "slow" or "not the smartest person in the world."

"Every defendant has some form of (poor) impulse control, that's why they are criminals," Dill said.

Miguel Morales, 22, who also pleaded guilty in May to the Nov. 19, 2006 robbery of $6,000 from Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, was sentenced to 10 years on Sept. 30, Dill said.

On the day of the robbery two masked gunmen confronted a 58-year-old woman and she collapsed, police said. They forced the woman into the Grand Street building, where they ordered a 68-year-old woman and five others to the floor and took the money, police said.

The brothers' sentencings were postponed nine times as they tried to gather materials supporting their claims that they had disabilities that could reduce their sentences. Miguel Morales' last postponement was granted when he told the court his girlfriend went into labor.

Juan Ortiz, who was also involved in the robbery, 22, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and faces five to 10 years when sentenced on Jan. 9.

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I thought you said "there should be a special place for those who rob from old people : CHURCH! at gunpoint!

Jersey City man gets max in bingo hall armed robbery

by Paul Koepp
Tuesday September 30, 2008, 6:54 PM

One of the two Jersey City brothers who admitted robbing bingo players at a Downtown church received the maximum sentence today, 10 years in prison.

Miguel Morales, 22, pleaded guilty in May to the Nov. 19, 2006, armed robbery of $6,000 from bingo players at Our Lady of Czestochowa Church on Grand Street, according to Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Steven Dill.

He was sentenced yesterday by state Superior Court Judge Melvin Kracov and must serve at least 8 1/2 years before he will be eligible for parole.

His brother, Victor Morales, 23, also pleaded guilty in May and is being held in the Hudson County jail until his sentencing on Oct. 31. He faces up to eight years in prison, Dill said.

The brothers had their sentencings postponed a total of nine times before yesterday's hearing. Miguel Morales' last postponement, last week, was granted when he told the court his girlfriend went into labor that morning.

Several bingo players had arrived at the church grammar school on the day of the robbery when two masked gunmen confronted them, ordered them to the floor and took the money, police said.

The robbers specifically demanded a briefcase containing money that was in a closet, leading investigators to believe they had inside help, police said.

I don't know if it's just me, but I would guess these scumbags somehow heard about this bingo game (maybe from a relative or neighbor mentioning it in passing?) and must have figured out that the church had a pretty good amount of cash for the game.

I mean, I had no idea a church bingo game would involve so much cash. It almost makes it seem even worse--to premeditate and plan a robbery on a little old lady and a church.

There should be a special place in hell for people who rob from old people...at gunpoint....at a CHURCH! Stupid Booby.

Until quite recently, back in the days when the church had total power in
Jersey City, the cops used to post an on-duty officer
at the door of St. Mary's church basement, where the
ever important bingo game took place.
Neighbors complaining about a lack of police manpower
to engage in the more pressing needs of the community
sort of put a stop to the posting of cops at the church door.

On another note, I was present at the monthly police meeting a decade or so ago, when car thieves stole the
district commander's Lincoln towncar right from in
front of the St. Mary's door, whilst he was inside
telling up about how crime had gone way down. His driver was around the
corner chatting on the payphone and some kids just
jumped in the Lincoln and took off. What a delight
that evening was.
The old Jersey City was a pure hoot.

Gadzooks!!!!!

Good work by the cops--although, if you have a description and a license plate, and the thugs are stupid enough to park a few blocks away, I would expect they would be able to catch them.

Booby, indeed.

wow, downtown JC sounds safer every day!

That's my church! I feel terrible about this.It's mostly older folks that attend bingo-what a horrible thing for them to have to go through. Nothing is sacred anymore.

BINGO PREY-ERS
Cops: Thugs didn't get far with church's cash

Nov. 21 -- MICHAELANGELO CONTE -- JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Apparently nothing is sacred to two Jersey City thugs charged with stealing $6,000 from the Our Lady of Czestochowa Church bingo game at gunpoint on Sunday.

The woman setting up the game collapsed when the robbers pointed the guns at her but they dragged her off the floor and made her hand over a briefcase full of money, Police Inspector Kenneth Teschlog said yesterday.

"Certainly the people involved as the victims here, the people at bingo, we are still praying for them because this was a traumatic experience," said Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark. "We are all grateful no one was harmed and we are very pleased with the attention (police) gave this matter."

Police charged Miguel "Booby" Morales, 20, of Charles Street, and Juan Gabriel Ortiz, 19, of Montgomery Court, with robbery and weapons offenses, hours after the 4:15 p.m. heist, Teschlog said.

A handful of bingo players had already arrived at the church grammar school, at Luis Mu?oz Marin Boulevard and Grand Street, when a church worker saw two masked men approaching, police said. She ran back into the school but they followed her and drew guns on her, demanding money, police said.

After collapsing, the woman was forced to turn over the money and the pair ran down Grand Street to Van Vorst Street, police said. The woman called cops, who took a description of the pair and a third man witnesses said was watching the door during the robbery, as well as a description of the getaway car and its license plate number, police said.

Cops scoured the area and found the car parked on Bright Street, reports said.

While watching the area they saw Ortiz get into another car with a woman, later identified as Rosanna Batista, 19, of Christopher Columbus Drive, police said.

They pulled over that car because Ortiz matched the description of one of the robbers, police said. Batista wouldn't pull over at first, but when she did officers found two guns in the car and $2,338 in cash still wrapped in denominations, as they had been at the bingo hall, police said.

Police then developed information pointing to Morales, who - surprisingly enough - turned up at the police station to check on his pal, cops said. Batista was charged with eluding police, Teschlog said. Police are still searching for the man who was seen watching the door.

"Nothing is sacred to these criminals," said Teschlog.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the police tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.