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Suffern Gang Member Admits Role In Ridgewood Cab, Hawthorne Bar Robberies

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. -- A Suffern man on Monday admitted his role in the carjacking, kidnapping and robbing a local cab driver in New Jersey after he and a group of fellow purported gang members held up a bar there.

Guillermo Carrillo-Iraheta

Guillermo Carrillo-Iraheta

Photo Credit: MUGSHOT: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF

Guillermo Carrillo-Iraheta, 19, and other members of the 18th Street Gang got into a cab in Paterson around 3 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2015 for a ride to Waldwick, authorities told Daily Voice last year.

The crew members hit the taxicab driver in the head with a beer bottle, and sliced his throat with a knife before leaving him on the side of the New York State Thruway near Woodbury, N.Y., federal authorities said

The taxicab driver survived, they said.

Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta admitted Monday that he robbed a Hawthorne bar at gunpoint hours before with his associates.

The total take from the holdup: $200, police said.

A multi-agency task force that cracked the cases was made up of agents from the FBI and ICE, investigators from the New Jersey State Police, New York State Police and Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, and members of the Ridgewood, Mahwah, Hawthorne and Waldwick.

Also arrested were Balmore Carrillo-Iraheta, also of Suffern, Jostin Vidal Reyes of Waldwick, Wilbur J. Barhona of Ridgewood and Juan Chiliseo-Vega of Suffern. Another defendant, Avalos-Cortez, drove the getaway car in the Hawthorne holdup, authorities said.

Barahona and Reyes were charged with conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, carjacking and using a firearm during a violent crime.

Balmore Carillo-Iraheta and Avalos-Cortez were charged with conspiracy.

Chiliseo-Vega pleaded guilty last Tuesday.

Charges against Barahona, Reyes, Balmore Carrillo-Iraheta, and Avalos-Cortez were still pending.

A federal judge scheduled a June 27 sentencing following Carrillo-Iraheta’s guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping.

Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, as well as the Ridgewood and Hawthorne police departments, with the investigation leading to the plea, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of his General Crimes Unit in Newark. 

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