New York Man Gets 12 Years in Prison for Attacking, Robbing Brick Resident in Driveway

Vongvichit Vatthanavong (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

A New York man has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for following a Brick Township resident home, then assaulting and robbing the resident in their driveway.

Vongvichit Vatthanavong, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer on July 18 following Vatthanavong’s admission to the crime. He pleaded guilty in May to a robbery charge related to the January 2023 incident. Court records show Vatthanavong was also being held on an ICE detainer.

According to a statement from prosecutors, Brick police officers were called to a residence on Pershing Avenue for a report of a robbery at about 12:20 a.m. the night of the attack. An investigation revealed that as the victim – the homeowner where the incident took place – was exiting his vehicle and entering his residence, he was approached by three masked individuals, one of whom was armed with what appeared to be a handgun. One of the suspects “struck the victim in the head, knocking him to the ground,” the statement said, as the three suspects stole approximately $3,000 in cash, a watch, and a mobile phone from the victim before fleeing the scene.

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A year-long investigation by the Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau resulted in Vatthanavong being identified as one of the individuals responsible for the robbery. He voluntarily appeared at Brick Township police headquarters for questioning on Feb. 7, 2024, and was taken into custody and charged. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been detained since that date. The other two suspects in the robbery have yet to be identified.

Jail records show Vatthanavong is also being held on a detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as the New York State court system. The details of those detainers were not available.