TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Barnegat man has pleaded guilty to robbery and shoplifting in connection with multiple incidents in Stafford Township last year, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Nicholas Santiago, 39, entered his guilty plea on January 27 before Superior Court Judge Kimmarie Rahill. Prosecutors will seek a five-year prison term under the No Early Release Act for the robbery charge and a four-year term for shoplifting, to be served concurrently.
Authorities say Santiago robbed a convenience store on Route 72 in Stafford Township on May 27, 2024, brandishing a knife and demanding cash, cigarettes, and other items before fleeing. Investigators later identified him as the suspect in a series of shoplifting incidents at the Stafford ShopRite in May and June 2024. He was also linked to a separate robbery at a convenience store in New Gretna, Burlington County, on May 31, 2024.
Santiago was arrested without incident at his Barnegat residence on June 18, 2024, and initially held at the Burlington County Jail on charges related to the New Gretna robbery. He was later transferred to the Ocean County Jail, where he has remained since June 22, 2024.
Santiago is scheduled for sentencing on March 28, 2025, while the charges in Burlington County remain pending.