A man is getting an 18-month prison sentence for taking part in a robbery behind an abandoned house on Broadway.
Charles Darling, 55-year-old, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon last Tuesday.
On the early evening of June 18, 2018, Darling was behind 316 Broadway, an abandoned house, with several other men.
A man with a knife initiated an alleged robbery of a third man. Darling joined in. Darling admitted to going through the victim’s pockets during the robbery.
Police arrested and charged Darling with violation of probation, robbery, and weapon possession. He accepted a plea deal that allowed him to plead guilty only on the weapon possession offense.
Passaic County Superior Court judge Justine Niccollai explained Darling was in “joint possession” of the knife with the other suspect because he benefited from its use.
On September 4, Darling was sentenced to time served. He had spent 810 days in Passaic County Jail.
Darling has 10 previous felonies on his record, authorities said during sentencing.
“You have a past, but that past does not dictate your future, only you and what’s inside of you dictate your future,” Niccollai said during sentencing.
The judge told him to rein in his addiction and mental health problems by seeking help.
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Story was updated with sentencing information on September 5, 2020.