Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Robert Smith, also known as “Robbie,” a 20-year-old from New Haven, was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for his involvement in the armed robbery of a North Haven gas station and subsequent carjacking in 2022. U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley also mandated three years of supervised release following his prison term.

Court documents reveal that Smith played a significant role in a crime spree orchestrated by Christian Borrero, which included multiple gunpoint robberies and a carjacking during late June and early July 2022. Specifically, on July 6, 2022, Smith assisted in the armed robbery at a Shell Gas Station at 195 State Street in North Haven. Post-robbery, he drove Borrero and a juvenile accomplice to Meriden, where they carjacked a woman in her driveway.

Smith has been in custody since January 3, 2023, and pleaded guilty on September 28, 2023, to aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a violent crime.

His co-defendant, Borrero, received a 14-year prison sentence on April 1, 2024, after also pleading guilty to related charges.

The extensive investigation leading to these convictions was carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with cooperation from multiple local police departments including New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, and North Haven. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard prosecuted the case.

U.S. Attorney Avery expressed gratitude towards the State’s Attorneys of the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Ansonia/Milford for their collaborative efforts in this case, which is part of the broader Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative aimed at reducing violent crime.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.