Ocean County, NJ, Man Pleads Guilty to Six Counts of Robbery

Authorities in Ocean County say a man from Beachwood has pleaded guilty to six counts of burglary in connection to a string of incidents that happened between July and December of last year.

34-year-old Thomas Jann of Beachwood pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of second-degree robbery, and one count of burglary on Tuesday, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.

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Billhimer says an investigation between multiple police departments resulted in Jann being identified a the person responsible for numerous robberies, including,

• December 19th: Jann attacked a Wawa gas station attendant on Route 9 in Toms River and stole money from a cash register.
• December 24th: Jann entered a convenience store in Beachwood and brandished what appeared to be a box cutter; he stole money from a register.
• December 26th: Jann entered the Shoprite in Bayville, stole money from a register, and pushed a woman as he fled.
• Also on December 26th: Jann entered a convenience store on Hooper Avenue in Toms River, attacked the cashier, and fled with cigarettes.
• December 30th: Jann entered the 7-11 on Route 166 in Toms River, grabbed the cashier around the neck, held a rock to his head, and stole money from the register.
• December 31st: Jann entered the Exxon Tiger Mart on Route 37 in Toms River, threw hot coffee at the attendant, and stole money from the register.

An investigation also revealed that Jann broke into a home in Beachwood on July 27, 2020, and stole cash from the house.

Jann was arrested by Toms River Police on New Years Day and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since.

Billhimer says when Jann is sentenced in January,

"the State will be seeking a term of sixteen years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) as to the First Degree Robbery charges, and eight years NJSP as to the Second Degree Robbery charges ... Additionally, the State will be seeking a term of four years NJSP as to the Burglary charge. All sentences are to run concurrently."