2 Men Sentenced In Fatal Somerset Barbershop Shooting

SOMERSET, NJ — Two men were sentenced in connection with a fatal barbershop shooting in the Somerset section of Franklin Township in 2020, according to Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.

Tayyab A. Ware, 31, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced by Somerset County Judge Peter Tober to 35 years in New Jersey State Prison, with 30 years to be served without parole eligibility on May 10. He was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) for expenses paid to the victim’s family.

Todd C. Smith, 32, of Truman Drive, Edison, was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison with 85 percent of that term to be served without parole pursuant to the No Early Release Act.

Ware was previously convicted on Feb. 15 by a Somerset County Jury of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun.

Ware received the 35-year sentence on the murder charge with other sentences for the lesser crimes either merging or running concurrent to the top charge. Smith pled guilty to robbery for his role in the incident.

On Nov. 2 at around 8:40 p.m., numerous 911 calls reported a shooting at a barbershop on Hamilton Street in the Somerset Section of Franklin Township where a dice game had taken place, according to facts at the trial.

Police found a man, later identified as Denny Sanchez, 34, from Franklin Park, suffering from a gunshot wound inside the barbershop and immediately began to administer lifesaving measures, said authorities.

Sanchez was taken to an area trauma center where he was later pronounced dead.

The initial investigation determined that two men entered the shop, one armed with a gun, and told everyone to get down stating, "You know what time it is." Money was taken from the room before Sanchez was fatally shot, said authorities.

Following a two-month investigation, Smith and Ware were arrested and charged in December 2020.

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