2 men accused of hiring a woman for sex, then robbing her at Sussex County apartment
SPARTA TOWNSHIP, NJ (Sussex County) – Two men are accused of robbing a woman using imitation guns at a Sparta Township apartment after they had arranged to pay her for sex, according to police.
On Jan. 28, a woman contacted police and informed officers that she was robbed by two men and that the accused were in possession of weapons, specifically a gun and knife, authorities said.
Officers attempted to contact the accused men who were reported to be in an apartment in the above area, but the accused men would not come to the door for the officers, police said.
During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that the victim was hired by the men to perform sexual intercourse in exchange for a predetermined amount of money, police said.
The victim reported that when she arrived at the apartment the two men were highly intoxicated and doing illicit drugs. She said that she told both males she was leaving, and the males took her bag away from her and stole her money, police said.
The victim stated that there was a brief argument and that one of the males pulled out a handgun and pointed it at her. When the handgun was pointed at her the male stated that he was going to “kill her”. She said that the other man came out of the kitchen holding a kitchen knife. She was eventually given her bag back without the currency and fled the apartment, authorities said.
A further investigative measures were taken by the Sparta Police detective bureau, and a warrant was executed on the accused’s apartment by the New Jersey State Police TEAMS unit. The TEAMS unit was utilized in accordance with Attorney General guidelines and the fact that weapons were reported to be used by the accused men during the robbery, police said.
The accused men were located inside the apartment and were identified as Jeremy Barcoski, 47 of Sparta Township and Zarko Tamburin, 46 of Morristown, police said.
During the search of the apartment the following weapons were seized; an imitation revolver, an imitation semi-automatic style handgun, two sets of throwing knives, and a sword, police said.
During the time of the robbery the victim was unaware that the above imitation firearm used during the incident was not a real handgun. She explained to the investigators that she believed that she was confronted with a real firearm and that she was fearful that she would be harmed, police said.
Both were arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, fourht-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and fourth-degree possession of an Imitation firearms for unlawful purposes.
Both were then lodged in the Morris County Jail.
“We would like to thank the New Jersey State Police, Newton Police, The Sussex County Prosecutors office and the Sussex County Sherrif’s Office for the assistance with this investigation,” police said.
