Ocean County, NJ man sentenced for string of robberies in Toms River, NJ, Beachwood, NJ, and Berkeley, NJ

A Beachwood man who committed a rash of robberies in the borough as well as in neighboring Toms River and Berkeley in 2020, will head to prison until he's about 50-years old.

Thomas Jann, 34, was sentenced to 16-years in New Jersey State Prison, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of First-Degree Robbery, 8-years after previously pleading guilty to four counts of Second-Degree Robbery, and 4-years after previously pleading guilty to Burglary, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced on Friday, and he must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentences before he may be considered for parole eligibility.

All sentences will run concurrently, Prosecutor Billhimer said.

The string of heists occurred over the course of two weeks in December of 2020 starting when Jann ventured into the Wawa on Route 9 in Toms River on the 19th of that month and stole money from the cash register and he attacked a gas station attendant as well.

His Christmas Eve robbery occurred at the Robins convenience store in Beachwood where police said he brandished what looked like a box cutter towards the attendant, stole money from the cash register, and then took off.

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Two days later, Jann went into the Shoprite on Route 9 in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township, stole money from one of their cash registers, pushed a woman out of the way, and then took off.

Later on that day, Jann went to Krauszers on Hooper Avenue in Toms River, and similarly attacked the cashier here as well, and after taking money from the register, he took off.

Then, on December 30, Jann aggressively went after the cashier at the Exxon Tiger Mart on Route 37 in Toms River by grabbing his neck and holding a rock to his head and then stole the money and took off.

On New Year's Eve 2020, Jann went back to the Exxon Tiger Mart on Route 37 where he threw hot coffee at the attendant and then stole money from the register, and again, took off.

As Toms River Police, Berkeley Police, Beachwood Police, and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office worked on the investigation into these crimes, Jann was identified as the suspect and he was arrested by TRPD on January 1, 2021 and later brought to the Ocean County Jail where he remains to this day.

Prosecutor Billhimer said that Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veni handled the case on behalf of the State.