⚖️ Freehold Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Attempted Sexual Assault & Armed Robbery
A judge sentenced Anthony Burke of Freehold to 40 years in state prison for a 2023 armed robbery and attempted sexual assault in Manalapan Township. The 48-year-old repeat offender must serve at least 85% of his term before becoming eligible for parole.
FREEHOLD, N.J. — A 48-year-old Freehold Borough man has been sentenced to 40 years in New Jersey State Prison for his role in a 2023 armed robbery and attempted sexual assault in Manalapan Township, authorities announced Tuesday.
Anthony Burke, 48, was sentenced Monday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon.
Burke was convicted in February of first-degree Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault, first-degree Armed Robbery, second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
The sentence is subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA), requiring Burke to serve 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Authorities said Burke was also found by a jury to be a Repeat Violent Offender based on prior violent convictions. That designation subjected him to a mandatory prison term ranging from 20 years to life.
📍 The 2023 Incident
On August 14, 2023, at approximately 9:48 p.m., Manalapan Township police responded to Thompson Grove Park following a report of an armed robbery.
Investigators determined that the suspect forced his way into the vehicle of a 19-year-old woman, robbed her at gunpoint and attempted to sexually assault her.
The victim’s phone, keys and cash were taken. She was eventually able to escape and ran to a nearby residence to seek help. 🚨
The subsequent investigation included witness interviews, a composite sketch, law enforcement surveillance, cellular telephone analysis, digital forensic examination and vehicle location analysis. Those efforts ultimately led investigators to identify Burke as the suspect.
The investigation was led by the Manalapan Township Police Department, with assistance from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes, Special Victims and High Tech Bureaus, as well as the Freehold Township Police Department, Freehold Borough Police Department, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and New Jersey State Police Forensic Imaging Unit.
⚖️ Burke has been convicted of the charges and sentenced to 40 years in state prison.
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