Man Sentenced 5 Years for Role in High-Speed Stolen Vehicle Pursuit in Montville

Nasir Moses, 20, received concurrent state prison terms following a 2023 incident involving a stolen BMW and a multi-agency police pursuit on Route 287.

Nasir Moses, 20, of Jersey City, has been sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison following his guilty plea related to a 2023 stolen vehicle pursuit in Montville, according to an announcement from Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano.

Moses pled guilty on March 17, 2025, to one count of second-degree Eluding and one count of third-degree Receiving Stolen Property. On April 25, 2025, the Honorable Judge Robert Hanna imposed concurrent sentences of five years and three years for the respective offenses.

The incident began on July 9, 2023, when a Lincoln Park Police officer identified a suspected stolen BMW traveling on Route 202 and attempted a motor vehicle stop in Montville. The vehicle failed to stop and accelerated at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour, leading to a high-speed pursuit that ended on Route 287 North when the BMW spun out. All five occupants fled on foot, crossing highway lanes and entering nearby woods. Law enforcement apprehended four individuals at the scene, while Moses, later identified as the driver, initially evaded capture.

The BMW had been reported stolen out of New York, and investigators recovered multiple pieces of stolen property from the vehicle. Moses was ultimately arrested on an unrelated charge in Bergen County in September 2024 and transferred to the Morris County Correctional Facility.

Two adult passengers—Diyana Graham, 21, and Nashawn Holmes, 18, both of Newark—were also charged. Graham pled guilty to fourth-degree Resisting Arrest and was sentenced on October 6, 2023, to 60 days of jail credit, 18 months of probation, and 50 hours of community service. Holmes pled guilty to third-degree Receiving Stolen Property and received a sentence on December 15, 2023, of 10 days of jail credit, 18 months of probation, and 50 hours of community service.

Two additional occupants were juveniles and have not been publicly identified. Both were charged with offenses including Unlawful Taking of a Means of Conveyance, Resisting Arrest by Flight, and Conspiracy to Receive Stolen Property.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant Prosecutor Matthew W. Kelly of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities credited the Montville and Lincoln Park Police Departments, along with the MCPO Special Operations Division and former Detective Joseph Ellis, for their coordinated efforts in the investigation and case resolution.