Suspects in Wilson Gas Station Armed Robbery Case Named



Dionte Powell



Tahir Sutton

Two juveniles from Phillipsburg, NJ, were the culprits in an armed robbery of the Wilson Borough Exxon Square One on Northampton Street earlier this year in which a female clerk was pistol whipped, authorities announced late this afternoon.

Wilson Police say Tahir Sutton, 17, of the 600 block of South Main Street in Phillipsburg, NJ, and Dionte Powell, 17, from the 200 block of Sitgreaves Street, also in  Phillipsburg, NJ, robbed the gas station convenience store at gunpoint at 3:30 a.m. on March 11, threatening to kill and tying up the two clerks working at the time.

Both will be charged as adults, police said.

Powell and Sutton are currently incarcerated in the Morris County New Jersey Juvenile Detention Center on unrelated charges and will be extradited to Pennsylvania as soon as possible, they added.

Police say Sutton and Powell entered the Square One Exxon that night wearing masks and gloves. Sutton allegedly jumped the counter and pointed a black handgun at the cashier and forced her open the cash register before tying her up.

Powell chased down the other store employee and struck her over the head with a black handgun, then tied her up, put a gun to the back of her head and threatened her life, police said.

They added Powell then put the gun to the back of the cashier's head and threatened her life as well.

Police charge that Powell and Sutton stole money and cigarettes valued in excess of $398.

One of the employees suffered minor injuries from the assault and was later treated at
an area hospital, authorities said.

The Wilson Police Department said Sutton and Powell are each being charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, possessing instruments of a crime, making terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, theft, and receiving stolen property.

The Wilson Police were assisted by the Phillipsburg NJ Police Department, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Pohatcong NJ Police Department.

Local police were able to identify Powell and Sutton by comparing clothing worn during the robbery to clothing and other evidence found during a search of Powell’s residence, the Wilson Police Detective Chris Meehan said.