Serial Bank Robber Sentenced In Two Ocean County Incidents

Kim Nguyen (Photo courtesy Ocean County Prosecutor's Office via Ocean County Jail)

OCEAN COUNTY – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to five years in connection with two bank robberies in Stafford and Barnegat Townships that took place earlier this year, announced Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

  On October 25, 39-year old Kim Nguyen of Newtown Square, PA, was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison for each robbery, with the prison terms running consecutively. Nguyen’s sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires he serve a minimum term of 85 percent of his total ten-year sentence. 

  On April 14, 2019, Nguyen was arrested in connection with two separate bank robberies: one at the Stafford Township Wells Fargo Bank branch March 16, 2019 and another at the Barnegat Township M & T Bank branch on March 19, 2019. 

  In both cases, Nguyen entered the bank, approached the teller, and passed a note demanding money while indicating that “this is a robbery.” 

Photo courtesy Stafford Township Police

  A review of surveillance footage from surrounding businesses and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, law enforcement officers were able to identify a vehicle with Pennsylvania plates believed to be used during the robberies. Further investigation revealed that this vehicle was registered to Nguyen’s father.

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  Police also discovered that Nguyen was on parole for a bank robbery out of Pennsylvania that occurred in 2012, which was conducted in a manner similar to the robberies out of Stafford and Barnegat. 

  Police lifted a fingerprint from one of the robbery notes, matching it to Nguyen. Nguyen was eventually located and apprehended in New York. He later confessed to the bank robberies in Ocean County.