Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of ARRIN BARBER (DOB: 6/10/1968; single; employed as a maintenance worker) of 79 Grace Street, Irvington, New Jersey and THOMAS PARKER, SR. (DOB: 1/28/1974; single; unemployed) of 2390 2ND Avenue, Apartment 2B, New York, NY on armed robbery and weapons charges. These arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (“BCPO”) Special Investigations Squad (“SIS”) under the direction of Chief Jason Love, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Mitchell McGuire, the Ridgefield Park Police Department under the direction of Chief Joseph Rella and the New York City Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Dermot Shea.
During an eleven-months-long investigation by detectives from the BCPO, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Ridgefield Park Police Department, and the New York City Police Department, ARRIN BARBER and THOMAS PARKER, SR. were identified as suspects in an armed robbery which occurred in Ridgefield Park, NJ on October 31, 2020.
On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, members of the BCPO, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ridgefield Park Police Department arrested ARRIN BARBER without incident outside his home in Irvington, New Jersey.
On Wednesday, September 15, 2021, members of the BCPO, Ridgefield Park Police Department, and the New York City Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence of THOMAS PARKER, SR. Subsequently, PARKER was taken into custody and arrested without incident.
BARBER and PARKER were each charged with: one count of first-degree armed robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1a(1); one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2a(1); one count of second-degree armed burglary of a vehicle, N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2b(1); one count of second-degree possession of a weapon (handgun) for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d; one count of second-degree possession of a weapon (handgun) without a permit, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b; one count of second-degree possession of a weapon (handgun, certain persons offense), N.J.S.A. 2C:39-7b; one count of third-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(2); and one count of fourth-degree theft, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3a.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ridgefield Park Police Department, and the New York City Police Department (Narcotics Borough Manhattan North-Violent Crimes Squad/25 Precinct) for their assistance in this investigation.