A 42-year-old Seaside Heights man is facing 25 years in prison after admitting he was the wheel man for a pair of violent robberies targeting Frum Yidden. Jose Diaz pleaded guilty in Superior Court to conspiracy to commit robbery and bias intimidation in connection with an incident on May 25, 2008, in Lakewood in which the victim, an Frum Yid, was attacked with a baseball bat. Diaz also pleaded guilty to robbery and bias intimidation in connection with an incident on July 8, 2008, in Lakewood in which the victim, a rabbi, was stabbed.
In entering his guilty pleas before Judge James Den Uyl Monday, Diaz acknowledged he drove the getaway vehicle in both crimes.
Diaz admitted he drove Devon Hardy, 20, of Lakewood to the lot of a convenience store on Route 9 to commit the first robbery. He acknowledged that he knew Hardy had a baseball bat and would use it to intimidate the victim, David Davidovish, who was targeted for the crime because he was Orthodox.
Davidovish, then 38, who was visiting from Israel, suffered a broken nose and required stitches when Hardy used the bat to break the windshield of the car Davidovish was using, according to First Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny. Several hundred dollars and a laptop computer were stolen from him, DeLigny said.
Diaz admitted that in the second robbery, he drove Hardy and Timothy Swift, 19, of Toms River to select another Orthodox Jewish victim, this one a rabbi, Jack Goldbaum, then 41, who was accosted in front of his home in Lakewood. Diaz said that this time, he knew Hardy was armed with a knife and planned to use it to intimidate his chosen victim.
Hardy stabbed Goldbaum twice, according to DeLigny. The victim also was punched, and his wallet stolen.
Diaz acknowledged that the Orthodox Jewish victims were selected on the premise that they would be unlikely to fight back or resist the robbery attempts.
Under a plea bargain, Diaz is facing a total of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by Den Uyl on Oct. 30, DeLigny said. Of that, 15 years is subject to the state’s No Early Release Act requiring that he serve 85 percent of the 15 years before he can be considered for parole.
Diaz could have faced up to 70 years in prison for the crimes..
Hardy is facing 30 years in prison for his role in the crimes when he is sentenced Oct. 9, under the terms of a plea agreement he reached last month.
Swift is scheduled to be sentenced Friday for his role in the second robbery. He is facing a 10-year prison term, under his plea agreement. APP