An Essex County man was sentenced on Mar. 31 to 149 months in prison and five years of supervised release for robbing pharmacy employees at gunpoint, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court.
The case centers on Nariq Petes, age 27, of Newark, who was convicted after a jury trial in October 2025 of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Petes and Xavier Reyes entered a pharmacy in Livingston, New Jersey on December 30, 2023 while wearing black masks and carrying guns. Inside the store, they brandished handguns and demanded prescription drugs from employees before taking at least six bottles of medication. Authorities arrested Petes three days later at his apartment in Newark where he was found with stolen medication from the pharmacy.
In May 2025, Reyes pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery charges; he was later sentenced to 111 months’ imprisonment along with three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents and task force officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; members of the Livingston Police Department under Gary Marshuetz; as well as members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office under Theodore N. Stephens II for their work leading to these convictions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. O’Leary from the Narcotics/International Trafficking Unit handled prosecution for the government.
