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‘Brains’ behind robbery of East Rutherford Papa John’s in Muslim clothes gets 9 years

ONLY ON CVP: A woman who authorities called the brains behind the robbery of an East Rutherford Papa John’s by three people in Muslim garb is headed to state prison for at least eight years.

Photo Credit: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter

Whendy Laurencio-Blanco, 24, of Elizabeth admitted during a March plea hearing that she cased the restaurant before her three co-defendants went inside, armed with a BB-gun and two knives, and robbed two employees and a customer.

She also took the others to Newark to pick out their hijabs and had the proceeds of the holdup — which amounted to only $300 in cash and an iPhone — in her home, Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Nicole Eiszner said Friday.

As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed not to pursue a Little Ferry nail salon robbery that Laurencio-Blanco was charged with. Once she is released, she’ll remain on parole supervision for five years.

She also pleaded guilty to two armed robberies in Union County in exchange for sentences that will run at the same time as the nine-year term handed down in Hackensack on Friday.

Defense attorney John P. Pieroni sought leniency, telling Superior Court Judge Edward A. Jerejian that Laurencio-Blanco has a small child at home and “did no serious harm.”

To which the judge told his client: “Hopefully when you get out, you’ll never involve yourself in something like this again.”

“I don’t agree you don’t cause serious harm when you terrorize people,” Jerejian added. “You pleaded guilty to other robberies as well — at least two robberies in Union, one in Bergen. At a minimum you could have faced 30 years, 15 midrange, had you been convicted at trial.”

Laurencio-Blanco’s three co-defendants all pleaded guilty to armed robbery.

Michael Gomez-Polanco, an undocumented immigrant illegally living in Hillside, was sentenced to 10 years in state prison in February after admitting that he and Laurencio-Blanco took two 17-year-old girls to the Paterson Avenue Papa John’s in East Rutherford after stopping in Newark to buy their disguises (SEE: Convicted robber admits holding up East Rutherford Papa John’s with women dressed as Muslims).

Gomezpolanco said he was carrying a BB gun and sisters Jessica and Vanessa Morales each had knives when they entered the restaurant, threatened two employees and a customer and took everything they could — including cash from the register and an iPhone.

He said he sold the personal property and shared the proceeds with the Morales sisters but not with Laurencio-Blanco, who stayed in the car.

Gomezpolanco, who already had an extensive criminal record, was also being sentenced to 12 years for robbery out of Union County, which will run concurrently. He’ll then be deported, authorities said..

The Morales sisters got seven to eight years each.

STORY / PHOTO: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter

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