Newark Pair Charged With Springfield Bank Robbery

A Newark man and woman arrested last week and charged in connection with a bank robbery in Parsippany-Troy Hills have also been charged with robbing Investors Bank in Springfield, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Monday. 

Quiama S. Harris, 29, and Avery Spotswood, 33, are being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility following a joint investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, Springfield Police Department, and the Newark office of the FBI. 

Spotswood was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree conspiracy, and a third-degree charge of making terroristic threats; Harris was charged with two counts of second-degree conspiracy.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 23, a man later identified as Spotswood entered the Santander Bank at 239 Littleton Road in Parsippany-Troy Hills and handed a teller a note demanding money and indicating that he was in possession of an explosive device, according to the investigation. The teller complied and Spotswood allegedly fled the area on foot with an undisclosed quantity of cash.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Detective Joseph Puso notified all law enforcement agencies in New Jersey describing the robbery, including the contents of the note and still images of the alleged robber. In response, investigators learned of a similar incident which had occurred on Dec. 18 at the Investors Bank in Springfield.

Investigators determined that Spotswood and Harris allegedly worked together to plan and carry out both robberies. They were arrested without incident, with bail for Spotswood and Harris set at $200,000 and $100,000, respectively.

Anyone with information relating to either bank robbery is being urged to contact the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department at 973-263-4300 or the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200.