FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County grand jury returned a 15-count indictment Monday charging three people for their respective roles in three 2011 home invasion robberies, including one that led to the murder of a Freehold Township man, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Ellis W. Goodson, 38, of Newgate Lane in Neptune, Ranu Sinha, 36, of Precedent Place in Manalapan and Richard Busby, 58 of Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark are charged under this superseding indictment. A fourth defendant, Jeffrey Mayhue, 52, of Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark was charged under separate indictment.
The allegations which are the subject of this indictment come in connection with three home invasion robberies at residences in Howell, Freehold and Neptune townships between May 14, 2011 and Sept. 8, 2011, and the murder of Michael Conway at his Jackson Mills Road residence in Freehold Township. Goodson and Sinha are charged with Conspiracy in the second degree covering all three offenses.
The first home invasion robbery occurred on May 14, 2011 at a residence on Brickyard Road in Howell. Mayhue entered the residence with a handgun, bound the occupants and stole a large sum of money. In connection with this offense, Goodson and Sinha have been indicted as accomplices for the following offenses: Armed Robbery in the first degree and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in the second degree and Possession of Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in the second degree.
The second event occurred on July 31, 2011, when Sinha, Goodson, Mayhue and Busby committed the home invasion robbery turned murder of Michael Conway at his Jackson Mills Road residence in Freehold Township. Mayhue and Busby were armed with a handgun and looking for money when they entered Conway’s home and discovered it was occupied by their would-be victim and his girlfriend during the early morning hours of July 31, 2011. A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Freehold Township Police Department revealed Mayhue and Busby killed Conway, set fire to the house and fled the scene. Conway’s girlfriend was able to escape from the burning house through a window, ran to a neighbor’s house, and requested the neighbor call 911.
In connection with this offense, Goodson, Sinha and Busby have been indicted for the following offenses: Conspiracy in the Second Degree, Armed Robbery in the first degree, Felony Murder in the first degree, Unlawful Posession of a Weapon in the second degree, and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in the second degree. Additionally, Busby is charged with: Aggravated Arson in the second degree and Attempted Murder in the first degree and Certain Persons not to Possess Firearm in the second degree.
A third robbery occurred on Sept. 8, 2011, when Mayhue forcibly entered a residence on Drummond Avenue in Neptune Township brandishing what appeared to be a handgun. The robbery was thwarted by the victims who held Mayhue until police arrived on scene. In connection with this offense, Goodson and Sinha have been indicted as accomplices for the following offenses: Armed Robbery in the first degree and Possession of an Imitation Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose in the fourth degree.
On December 15, 2015, Mayhue pled guilty to charges of Felony Murder in the first degree and Armed Robbery in the first degree before the Honorable Ronald L. Reisner, J.S.C. As part of the plea agreement, the State will recommend an aggregate sentence of 30 years in a state prison, 30 years to be served without the possibility of parole.
A conviction for Felony Murder carries a minimum sentence of 30 years in state prison without parole and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, subject to the provisions of NERA. A conviction for Armed Robbery in the first degree carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring them to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. A conviction for Attempted Murder carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in a state prison subject to the provisions of NERA. A conviction for Conspiracy in the second degree carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in a New Jersey state prison. A conviction for Aggravated Arson carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in a state prison subject to the provisions of NERA. A conviction for Certain Persons not to Possess Firearm in the second degree carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in a state prison with 5 years to be served without the possibility of parole. A conviction for the remaining second degree offenses carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in a state prison. A conviction for the fourth degree offense carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in a state prison.
Sinha and Goodson are each being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $1.5 million cash only bail, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen. Busby and Mayhue are also being held in the county jail on $1.5 million bail each.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Senior Litigation Counsel Thomas C. Huth and Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Sean J. Brennan.
The next court event will be an arraignment; no date for the arraignment has been set at the time of this press release.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
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