Man Tricked Into Meeting Woman, Surrounded & Robbed At Gunpoint In Somerset Co: Prosecutor

FRANKLIN, NJ — A man and a woman were charged in connection with the robbery of another man in Franklin in July 2025.

On July 27, 2025, at around 1 a.m., the Franklin Township Police Department went to an apartment complex in the area of Franklin Boulevard for a report of a robbery.

Officers met with an adult man who reported that he had planned to meet a woman at the apartment complex, said Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.

The victim met with the woman and was then surrounded by three unidentified men carrying guns and forced to turn over his belongings, including cash, jewelry, sunglasses, and a quantity of marijuana, said McDonald.

The victim was no injured.

An investigation led to the identification of the woman involved in the robbery as Sierra Manfredi, 26, of Milltown and one of the men as Jamaal Williams, 24, of Somerset.

On July 28, 2025, Manfredi was arrested without incident in Franklin Township. Manfredi was taken to the Franklin Township Police Department, where she was processed on charges of first-degree armed robbery and second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery.

Williams was still on the loose.

On Dec. 4, 2025, Williams and Manfredi were indicted by a Somerset County Grand Jury on charges of first-degree armed robbery, first-degree carjacking, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, and second-degree conspiracy to commit carjacking.

Williams was also indicted for second-degree certain persons not to have weapons.

On Jan. 5, detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office found Williams in Edison but he ran away, said McDonald.

During the foot chase, Williams stopped behind a parked vehicle in a parking lot and did not initially show his hands. Detectives placed Williams under arrest and took him to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, where he was processed on the indicted charges.

Williams was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing on this matter.

Later in the day on Jan. 5, Edison Township Police Officers found a handgun in the area of a parking lot close to where Williams was arrested after he fled from the police, said McDonald.

On Jan. 8, Williams was charged with an additional count of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, third-degree hindering apprehension, and fourth-degree resisting arrest by flight.

Williams was also charged with an additional count of second-degree, certain persons not to have weapons. Williams was served with his additional charges while he was lodged in the Morris County Jail.

McDonald thanked the members of the Edison Township Police Department and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Newark – Branchburg RA for their help in this investigation.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at 732-873-5533 or via the STOPit app.

Information can also be provided through Somerset County Communication at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or through the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office website at somersetprosnj.gov. All anonymous STOPit reports and tips will be kept confidential.

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