Dustin Friedland, Basim Henry, Kevin Roberts, Hanif Thompson and Karif Ford
By H. Nelson Goodson
December 21, 2013
Newark, NJ - On Saturday, police arrested and charged four men in connection with the fatal carjacking murder of Attorney Dustin Friedland, 30, of Hoboken. The four suspects, Basim Henry, 32, Karif Ford, 31, Kevin Roberts, 33, all from Newark and Hanif Thompson, 29, from Irvington were charged with felony murder, carjacking conspiracy resulting in murder, weapon possession and unlawful possession of a weapon. A $2M bail was set for each suspect, according to Carolyn Murray, the Essex County District Attorney.
A $41,000 dollar reward had been offered by donors for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.
A state-federal task force began tracking and arresting the suspects on Friday and the last arrest was on early Saturday, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. The task force works was created to combat carjackings in Essex County.
According to the criminal complaint, on Saturday, Friedland and his wife, Jamie Schare Friedland, 27, had left the Short Hills Mall in Millburn after it closed and were at the second level parking section where their 2012 silver Range Rover was parked. Friedland had just let his wife into the SUV when two suspects confronted him as he walked to the driver's side. Friedland and the suspects scuffled and was shot in the head.
The suspects forced Friedland's wife out of the SUV at gunpoint and took the Range Rover and Christmas shopping purchases. Another green SUV with several other accomplices followed the Range Rover, according to witnesses.
Friedland's wife was not injured, but Friedland succumbed to his injury and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Police found the Range Rover at an abandoned lot on Renner St. on Monday.
Friedland's widow released a statement, thanking police and all the authorities involved for "pursuing this so vigorously" in arresting and charging the four suspects.
In 2013, their have been 450 carjackings including Friedland's in Essex County compared to 422 carjackings in 2012 and 227 in 2011.
