Man who targeted Asian business owners with robbery crew headed to prison

A New York man who was part of a crew that targeted Asian and Asian-American small business owners for burglaries has been sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison.

James Hurt, 48, is the second person to be sentenced for his role in an operation that burglarized the homes of the business owners in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania between December 2016 and March 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey said.

Hurt and his associates stole money, valuable jewelry, and other items and then transported them to various places in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The thieves learned the travel patterns of the resident and usually tried to enter when they believed no one would be home, court papers state. They used ladders to enter the homes through second-floor windows and communicated with two-way radios.

Hurt, who previously lived in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property.

A member of the group told detectives they targeted Asian business owners “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” according to a criminal complaint.

The group operated out of a home in Elizabeth, according to court papers.

They burglarized or robbed more than 50 residences in all, including in Spotswood, Old Bridge, Sayreville, Edison and Kenilworth, according to examples provided in the charging document. A vehicle owned by a business owner was broken into in Hazlet.

Seven others were charged in the case along with Hurt in 2021.

Barr was sentenced to 50 months in state prison in August and was ordered to pay a combined $127,661 in restitution and forfeiture.

Charges are pending against the others with plea negotiations ongoing, according to court records.

“This case is sufficiently complex in that involves multiple incident and victims,” court papers filed May 1 state.