PLAINFIELD, NJ — Three men charged with shooting at a Plainfield man in April 2021 pleaded guilty and are facing state prison sentences, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Plainfield Police Director James T. Abney jointly announced on Thursday, Jan. 12. One of those men additionally pleaded guilty to a series of strong-arm robberies that occurred throughout the city that same year, Daniel and Abney confirmed.
Raheim Morgan, 20, of Dunellen; Ja’Son Spann, 20, of Plainfield; and Demetrius Stephens, 20, of Piscataway, all entered pleas to second-degree aggravated assault in relation to the shooting.
On April 26, 2021, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Plainfield police units responded to the area of Liberty and West Fourth streets after multiple calls of shots fired, according to Assistant Prosecutor Nicole M. Siano, the prosecutor on the case. Once on the scene, officers located numerous spent shell casings and discovered that several homes and vehicles had been struck by gunfire. Detectives soon determined that three gunmen, in a stolen vehicle, fired a total of 35 rounds at their intended victim, a Plainfield man, who was able to take cover during the attack and was unharmed, Siano added.
Additionally, Morgan entered a plea to second-degree robbery in relation to a series of strong-arm robberies that he committed in Plainfield in December 2021.
On Dec. 17, 2021, four separate males each reported being robbed within the city. The first victim reported that, at approximately 6:30 a.m., he was walking in the area of East Front and Church streets when he was punched in the face and a suspect took his wallet. About 15 minutes later, another victim was riding his bicycle in the area of Cleveland Avenue and East Sixth Street when a suspect approached, knocked him off his bike, punched him several times and took his wallet. Approximately 10 minutes after the second attack, a man was walking on the 600 block of Arlington Place when he was approached and assaulted before a suspect forcefully removed cash from his person. Lastly, just before 7 a.m., a lone male was on the 1300 block of Front Street when he was approached and assaulted by a suspect who made off with his wallet.
The three men are tentatively scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, Feb. 23, before Union County Superior Court Judge Regina Caulfield. Spann and Stephens each face between five and 10 years in state prison pursuant to the No Early Release Act, which requires persons convicted of certain violent crimes to serve 85 percent of their sentence before being eligible for parole. Morgan faces a term of between 10 and 20 years in state prison, also subject to the No Early Release Act.