Edison man, Georgia man sentenced in fatal Franklin barber shop shooting
SOMERVILLE - Two men, one from Edison and the other from Georgia, have been sentenced to prison in connection with the 2020 fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man at a Franklin barber shop.
Tayyab A. Ware, 31, of Augusta Georgia was sentenced May 10 by Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober to 35 years in state prison. He must serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole, Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart and Franklin Township Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather announced.
Ware also was ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office for expenses paid to victim Denny Sanchez' family.
Ware's co-defendant Todd C. Smith, 32, of Edison was sentenced to 10 years in state prison. He must serve 85 percent of that sentence without parole under the state's No Early Release Act.
In February a Somerset County jury convicted Ware of murder, felony murder, and robbery, all first degree charges as well as conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun, Taggart said.
The 35-year prison term was imposed on the murder charge. The sentences for the lesser crimes were merged or run concurrent to that charge.
Smith pleaded guilty to robbery, Taggart said.
The state was represented by Assistant Prosecutors William A. Guhl and Ryan Quinones. Ware was represented by attorney William Fetky and Smith was represented by attorney Marsha Munoz.
Earlier: Franklin barber shop shooting victim ‘got along with everybody’
Around 8:41 p.m. Nov. 2, 2020 Franklin Township police responded to 911 calls reporting a shooting victim inside a Hamilton Street barber shop in the Somerset section of town. When police arrived they found a man inside the business suffering from a gunshot wound. Franklin police along with emergency medical personnel administered life saving measures but the victim, Denny Sanchez, 34, of Franklin Park died after being transported to an area trauma center, Taggart said.
Detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Crime Scene Investigations Unit responded to conduct the investigation. Meanwhile an autopsy performed by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Sanchez’s death a homicide.
Following a two month homicide investigation in which numerous interviews were conducted, Smith was arrested by detectives after being spotted in a shopping area in Clark. Smith was in possession of a firearm at the time of his arrest. He was charged with murder and robbery, both first degree crimes, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The investigation also led detectives to Augusta, Georgia where Ware was apprehended at a residence around 7:50 p.m. Dec. 30, 2020 by members of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Atlanta Field Office. Ware was charged with murder, robbery and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and later extradited back to New Jersey by Somerset County authorities, Taggart said.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Franklin NJ shooting: Edison man sentenced for killing
