A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in New Jersey State Prison for his role in a violent home robbery that occurred in Brick Township in early 2023.

Vongvichit Vatthanavong, 50, was sentenced on July 18, 2025, by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to twelve and a half years behind bars following his guilty plea to a charge of Robbery. The sentence falls under the No Early Release Act (NERA), requiring Vatthanavong to serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole.

The charges stem from a January 5, 2023 incident in which Brick Township Police responded to a robbery at a home on Pershing Avenue just after midnight. Investigators say the victim was exiting his vehicle and entering his residence when he was approached by three masked individuals—one of whom appeared to be armed with a handgun. The suspects assaulted the victim, knocking him to the ground, before stealing approximately $3,000 in cash, a watch, and a cellphone.

Over the following year, an extensive investigation led detectives to identify Vatthanavong as one of the suspects. He voluntarily appeared at Brick Township Police Headquarters for questioning on February 7, 2024, at which time he was taken into custody and charged. He has remained in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.

Vatthanavong pleaded guilty to the robbery charge on May 23, 2025.

The other two individuals involved in the robbery have not yet been identified, and the investigation is ongoing.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer credited Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke for handling the case and commended the efforts of the Brick Township Police Department, the department’s Detective Bureau, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, and the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences for their coordinated efforts in bringing Vatthanavong to justice.