Burlington County Man Admits To Stealing $500K In Cash, Jewelry From Elderly Couple In Cherry Hill: Prosecutor

Cherry Hill, NJ -- A Burlington County man has pled guilty to charges related to a home invasion in Cherry Hill in 2012, in which he and two other people restrained an elderly couple and made off with $500,000 in cash, as well as jewelry, authorities said Wednesday morning.

Demetrius Murphy, 29, of Willingboro, pled guilty on Monday, Oct. 31, to first-degree armed robbery and second-degree kidnapping in connection with a Cherry Hill home invasion in February 2012, Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo and Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan said.

Murphy admitted that he and two other people broke into a home and held an elderly woman hostage while they ransacked her home for four hours, looking for cash and jewelry, authorities said.

They also held the woman’s husband hostage when he came home. They forced him to surrender cash and jewelry that was in a safe, according to authorities.

They restrained the couple with zip ties and escaped with $500,000 in cash, authorities said.

An investigation revealed the couple was targeted because their family owns and operates a jewelry store in the Cherry Hill area.

Police were able to identify two of the robbers after the trio traveled to New York City where they sold thousands of dollars of the victims’ jewelry for pennies on the dollar.

Murphy faces 11 years in prison, with a minimum nine years needed to serve before he becomes eligible for parole.

The sentence would begin after he finishes serving another sentence of at least 12.5 years and maximum of 15 years on an unrelated home invasion.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12.