Three men were yesterday arraigned for the high profile robbery of an armored truck in western New Providence nearly two weeks ago.
Ishmael Knowles, 30, of Lincoln Blvd., Sergio Williams, 31 of Palm Beach Street and Ravano Lightbourn, 23, of All Saints Road were arraigned before Magistrate Jeanine Weech-Gomez for the July 12 robbery of an I.C.S. Security Concepts armored truck at Hoffer's Plaza on West Bay Street.
The men were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and three counts of armed robbery.
Police claim the men stole at least $60,000 in cash and checks during the robbery, which occurred around 8 p.m.
Police previously reported that after the truck pulled up to the plaza, one guard went inside a business to pick up a deposit and another stayed behind to guard the truck.
A man with a handgun then reportedly approached the armed guard at the truck and accosted him.
Police said as the gunman held the guard up, a second man jumped into the driver's seat and the gunman followed him into the truck.
They then reportedly pulled off with the money.
According to yesterday's court dockets, the men made off with $35,568 in cash that belongs to the Registrar General's Department; $24,663 in cash that belongs to the Meyers Group of Companies and an undisclosed amount of cash and checks that belong to the Road Traffic Department.
The men, who were not required to enter a plea, claimed to have been beaten and tortured by police while in custody.
Through their attorney, Stanley Rolle, the men claimed they were beaten with baseball bats and cutlasses, then placed in body bags and threatened with being "dumped in a hole".
He also claimed police placed plastic bags over his clients' heads and threatened to suffocate them unless they signed police statements.
Rolle also claimed his clients signed confessions under duress.
Weech-Gomez ordered that a doctor examine the men, who were remanded to Her Majesty's Prisons.
The matter will continue in the Supreme Court by way of voluntary bill of indictment on November 30.

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