An Atlantic City man has pleaded guilty to a series of crimes across Ocean County, including eluding police, vehicle break-ins, and credit card fraud, officials announced.
Andrew Williams, 45, admitted in court Monday to charges stemming from multiple incidents that took place in late 2021 in Brick Township and Stafford Township. His guilty plea was entered before Judge David M. Fritch at the Ocean County Superior Court.
Williams’ most serious offense took place on December 16, 2021, when police responded to an active car alarm in the parking lot of LA Fitness on Chambers Bridge Road in Brick. An off-duty officer spotted two people near the vehicle, prompting a large police response. Officers attempted to pull over a van seen leaving the scene, but the driver—later identified as Williams—sped away recklessly down Route 70.
The chase ended when the van crashed at the intersection of Burnt Tavern Road and Maple Avenue. Williams attempted to carjack a nearby driver but failed. He then jumped into a responding police vehicle before being forcibly removed and arrested. Investigators later determined he had broken into two cars in the gym’s parking lot just before the chase.
In a separate case from October 25, 2021, also in the same gym parking lot, another car was broken into and a wallet was stolen. Investigators later linked that crime to Williams as well.
Williams was also connected to two incidents in Stafford Township, where he fraudulently used a stolen credit card at a Best Buy store on December 10 and again on December 14, 2021. In both cases, employees recognized him and reported the thefts to police. He had already fled by the time officers arrived, but further investigation tied him to the crimes.
Williams has been in custody at the Ocean County Jail since his December 16 arrest. He is expected to be sentenced on June 13. Prosecutors say they will seek a 10-year prison sentence for the eluding charge, eight years for one of the burglaries, and five years for each of the other offenses. The proposed sentences would be served at the same time.