4 Stole $500K In Cash, Jewelry From Verona, NJ Homes: Authorities

VERONA, NJ — A ring of four people accused of stealing over $500,000 worth of cash, jewelry, and other valuables from homes in Verona and across New Jersey was arrested, according to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.

At least one of the robberies happened in Verona and the local police department played a key role in the investigation.

"I must applaud Verona Detective TJ Conroy and Detective Lieutenant Timothy Banta who stayed with this case from the day of the Verona burglary in early December (...) and put in countless hours researching an enormous number of cases throughout the state, identifying similarities to Verona’s burglary," said Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan, commending also the efforts of the Cedar Grove police.

The four people arrested are being linked to a total of 84 burglaries that happened between October 2020 and March 2021, in eight different New Jersey counties: Morris, Bergen, Essex, Somerset, Passaic, Monmouth, Middlesex, and Union.

The crimes were similar to each other, with burglars forcing their way in through a door, usually in the afternoon and early evening, and then stealing cash, jewelry, and other items from the master bedroom and other areas in the home.

"Their willingness to commit these crimes while homeowners were present demonstrated that they were prepared to engage in confrontation, which could easily have escalated into violence,” stated Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Patrick J. Callahan.

The four people arrested are Keith Perry, 38, of Teaneck, Porsche Brown, 29, of Lodi, Kay Brown, 23, of Paterson, and Gregory Lewis, 37, of Teaneck. They face several charges, including second-degree conspiracy and third-degree burglary. They could get five to 10 years and a fine of up to $150,000 for the former.

Perry was the last of them to be arrested, last Friday, in North Carolina, with the other three being arrested in early April.

The 38-year-old was accused of being directly involved with a burglary in Englewood last December in which he threatened the homeowner by making a motion with his hand inside a sweatshirt indicating the presence of a gun and saying "I'll shoot you," according to the office of the Attorney General.

The arrests required the collaboration between police departments in multiple towns across nearly half of New Jersey and other law enforcement agencies.