MORRISTOWN, NJ (Morris County) – An Essex County man has entered a guilty plea to theft and resisting arrest charges, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.
On December 15, 2020, a resident of Harding Township reported their 2018 Black Porsche Macan Turbo had been stolen from their residence overnight. As a result of an investigation by the Harding Township Police Department, along with the Morris County Auto Theft Task Force, Malik Carter, 21, of Newark was identified through digital forensics as having committed these crimes in Harding Township and in jurisdictions in surrounding counties, Carroll said.
Then on December 16, 2020, Carter was also identified and apprehended by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office upon Carter exiting the stolen 2018 Black Porsche Macan Turbo and fleeing from police, Carroll said.
On November 16, 2021, the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C., accepted Carter’s pleas of guilt to third-degree auto theft and fourth-degree resisting arrest, Carroll said.
The State is recommending that Carter be sentenced to three years prison on the theft charge concurrent to eighteen months prison on the resisting arrest charge. Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2022, Carroll said.
“This arrest was the result of police collaboration between multiple agencies and counties resulting in a prosecution led by Morris County Auto Theft Task Force,” Carroll said.
Prosecutor Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, and Harding Township Police Chief Erik Heller all credited police teamwork, new technologies and enhanced communication enabled via the Task Force approach to advances in combatting the rising number of auto thefts and other related criminal activity.
