Freddies Cresporios, 21, of Newark, was convicted by a jury on Jan. 20 of robbery, aggravated assault and weapons charges
NEWARK -- After his two prior convictions on weapons charges, Freddies Cresporios was sentenced each time to a term of probation.
But Superior Court Judge Richard Sules on Monday said those sentences clearly did not deter Cresporios from committing his latest offenses in 2014, when he robbed a man at gunpoint and then chased a woman and her son down a street with a rifle.
For those two separate incidents, the judge sentenced the 21-year-old Newark resident to 16 years in state prison.
"Now Mr. Cresporios, you're a young man, but you already have established a very serious criminal record involving weapons," Sules said. "I hope that when you finish this sentence, you'll be a little older, a little wiser with respect to your conduct."
Cresporios received the sentence after having been convicted by a jury on Jan. 20 of robbery, aggravated assault and weapons charges in connection with the two incidents in Newark.
Cresporios must serve nearly 14 years before becoming eligible for parole, and he will receive credit for nearly two years of time served.
In the first incident on May 13, 2014, Cresporios, armed with a firearm, robbed a man in the 600 block of 6th Avenue in Newark, authorities said. Cresporios stole cash, a cell phone, a backpack and keys from the victim, authorities said.
About 17 hours later, Cresporios attacked a woman and her son in the 100 block of Berkeley Avenue when he chased them down the street with a rifle, authorities said.
Leading up to that incident, individuals in Cresporios's group had been threatening people in the neighborhood, according to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor David Feldman, who tried the case.
The two victims were taking pictures of the house where Cresporios and others lived and the cars parked outside in order to provide information to the police when Cresporios saw them and confronted them with the rifle, Feldman said.
During Monday's hearing, Feldman requested the 16-year prison sentence and said the three victims had been scarred mentally, saying "this incident will stay with them for the rest of their lives."
Feldman criticized Cresporios for showing "no remorse whatsoever" and said he "shows no consideration for what he did to other people."
Cresporios declined to make a statement during the hearing.
But his attorney, Robert Blumenfeld, who requested a seven-year prison sentence, said Cresporios "denies that he was the person responsible for these crimes."
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.