Two Hudson County Men Admit to Gas Station Robberies and Attempted Carjacking

Wendell Bradley Jr. and Joseph Brown pleaded guilty to involvement in a series of armed robberies and an attempted carjacking.

Newark, NJ – Wendell Bradley Jr., 27, of Bayonne, and Joseph Brown, 26, of Jersey City, admitted their roles in a series of armed gas station robberies and an attempted carjacking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Bradley pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to charges including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, attempted carjacking, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Brown had previously pleaded guilty to attempted Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery on May 9, 2024.

From January 3, 2022, to February 4, 2022, Bradley, either alone or with Brown, executed multiple robberies at gas stations. Their method involved pulling up to a gas pump, asking the attendant to fill the tank, and then threatening the attendant with a gun to demand money. On January 20, 2022, in Union, Brown pointed a gun at an attendant, threatened to kill him, and Bradley attempted to restrain the attendant, who managed to escape.

Their crime spree concluded on February 4, 2022, when they robbed a gas station attendant at gunpoint in Secaucus. Following the robbery, a police chase ensued from Secaucus to Newark, ending with Bradley crashing his car.

The charges for conspiracy, robbery, and attempted robbery each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The carjacking charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a similar fine. The firearm possession charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing for Bradley is set for October 10, 2024, and for Brown on October 3, 2024.

Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with multiple local police departments, were credited with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Webman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.