TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to more than a decade in New Jersey State Prison for his role in a violent home robbery in Brick Township that left a resident injured and thousands in property stolen.
Vongvichit Vatthanavong, 50, was sentenced Friday to 12½ years by Ocean County Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer, according to Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Vatthanavong had pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery on May 23.
Vatthanavong has an active ICE detainer and a warrant out of New York State.
The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Vatthanavong must serve at least 85 percent of the term — more than 10 years — before being eligible for parole.
The charges stem from a January 5, 2023 incident around 12:20 a.m., when police responded to a robbery at a home on Pershing Avenue. Authorities said the homeowner was assaulted as he exited his vehicle and was confronted by three masked men, one of whom appeared to be armed.
The suspects struck the man in the head, knocking him to the ground before stealing about $3,000 in cash, a watch, and a cellphone.
Following a yearlong investigation, detectives identified Vatthanavong as a suspect. He voluntarily appeared at Brick Township Police Headquarters on February 7, 2024, where he was taken into custody. He has remained in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.
The two other individuals involved in the robbery have not been identified.
“A Brooklyn man has been sentenced…to twelve and one-half years New Jersey State Prison,” the prosecutor’s office stated Friday.
The case remains open as police continue to search for the remaining suspects.
Vatthanavong will serve most of his sentence behind bars before becoming eligible for parole under state law.