Ernest James was offered a plea deal of 12 years in prison during a hearing in Somerset County Superior Court on May 20, 2016.
FRANKLIN -- A Highland Park man, who authorities say allegedly committed a 2015 robbery of a Chinese food delivery man, has been offered a plea deal that would see him get a 12-year prison sentence.
James Ernest (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)Under the agreement, Ernest James, 32, of Highland Park, who has been charged with first-degree robbery, would have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He allegedly committed the robbery with a 13-year-old teen who brandished a fake handgun, it was previously reported.
During a bail motion hearing on Friday in Somerset County Superior Court, James told Somerset County Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Jones that he and his attorney, New Brunswick-based Joel Friedman, are discussing whether or not to take the plea deal.
James' bail reduction motion was denied. He is being held in the Somerset County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bail and was seeking to get it reduced to $50,000 cash or bond.
Assistant prosecutor William Guhl, who made the plea offer, opposed the bail reduction. He argued that the $100,000 bail is at the low end of the bail range for the first-degree crime, a range that tops out at $250,000.
Jones set June 10 as the next court date, at which time Ernest must inform the court if he's going to take the plea deal or go to trial. He is facing 20 years on the first-degree robbery charge.
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James has also been indicted on first-degree use of a minor to commit a criminal offense and fourth-degree possession of an imitation weapon for an unlawful purpose.
On June 12, 2015 at 9:37 p.m., Franklin police responded to the area of Canterbury Circle for a report of an armed robbery. According to authorities, the victim told police that while making a delivery at an address on Canterbury Circle he was confronted by two people.
One of the alleged assailants, later identified as the juvenile, was reportedly wearing a mask and pointed what appeared to be handgun at him. The second, later identified as James, reportedly had a bandana around his neck, authorities stated.
State Police dogs were able to track them to a residence on Cranberry Circle where a homeowner consented to a search and the pair were taken into custody, it was previously reported.
Detectives allegedly found the imitation handgun, mask, bandana and the Chinese food that the delivery driver had left behind, according to authorities.
The juvenile, remanded to the Middlesex County Detention Center, has been charged with first-degree robbery and possession of an imitation weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.