FBI Thanks Cranford Police For Armed Bank Robbery Police Work

From the Cranford Police Dept.: 

Cranford Police Department detectives have been recognized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their efforts in solving a series of armed bank robberies that occurred between November 2012 and September 2013, and spanned four counties.

The robberies included the August 10, 2013 robbery of Garden State Community Bank in Cranford and the September 11, 2013 robbery of Lusitania Savings Bank in Hillside NJ.  The investigation culminated in the arrest of Andrew Thomas and Jennifer Pinto following the Hillside robbery. 

At a ceremony held on February 12, 2014 at the Newark Field Office of the FBI, Special Agent in Charge Aaron Ford presented certificates of appreciation to members of the Cranford Police Department Investigative and Traffic Divisions.  The United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman, was in attendance, as was Cranford Police Chief Eric G. Mason.

The following officers received certificates and letters of recognition from the FBI:

• D/Lt. Edward Davenport
• D/Sgt. Gerard Quinn
• D/Sgt. Christopher Polito
• Det. John Swandrak
• Det. Robert Montague
• Det. Ryan Greco
• Det. Russell Luedecker

Current Cranford Chief of Police James Wozniak cited the interagency cooperation that led to the arrests.  

He said, “Crime doesn’t always recognize municipal and county borders, and to ensure our continued success we need to constantly develop and maintain working relationships with our neighboring agencies.”

Also recognized in the ceremony were investigators from Clark, Woodbridge, Hillside, Watchung, Edison, Newark, and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.