Burglar Hit 2 Livingston Homes During Multi-Million Spree: AG

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A Brooklyn man was sentenced Tuesday in connection with a multi-million dollar, multi-state burglary spree that included two Livingston homes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Anthony “T.J.” Hanks, 37 was convicted in November 2015 of one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and three counts of interstate transportation of stolen property; his cousin, Daniel “Tokyo” Gatson, 44, was also convicted of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and 11 counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.

District Judge William J. Martini sentenced Hanks to one year and one day in prison on Tuesday following a three-week trial in Newark federal court.

The burglary spree, led by Gatson, included 27 burglaries and attempted burglaries in six states, including Essex County, New Jersey, and stealing $3.4 million in cash and valuables, according to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial.

According to prosecutors, the following Essex County burglaries took place:

• On or about Jan. 18, 2013, Gatson and others burglarized a home on Mountain Ridge Drive in Livingston, stealing more than $15,000 in jewelry and other property.
• On or about Jan. 18, 2013, Gatson and others burglarized a home on Lafayette Drive in Livingston, stealing about $17,000 in jewelry and other property.

Burglaries also occurred across New Jersey in affluent neighborhoods in Bergen, Middlesex, Morris, and Monmouth counties, prosecutors said.

Hanks, Gatson and others would pick out homes in affluent residential neighborhoods and conduct surveillance of the target residences, looking for indications that no one was home, according to court documents.

They would then cut wires running to and from the home — including phone, cable, and alarm connections — then, while wearing masks and gloves, they would forcibly break in, usually by smashing through the front door, while a getaway driver remained nearby in a rented minivan, often maintaining contact with one of the burglars inside the target residence by cell phone, according to court documents.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Hanks to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution. Gatson was sentenced in June 2016 to 25 years in prison.

Reporting by Alexis Tarazzi

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