Paterson Man Pleads Guilty in Ocean County Robbery Shooting

A Paterson man has admitted his role in a violent robbery that left a victim with multiple gunshot wounds nearly three years ago in Ocean County, bringing the case closer to resolution.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Christopher Miller, 38, pleaded guilty on Sunday, June 1 before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan to robbery charges stemming from a September 9, 2023 incident in Little Egg Harbor Township.

Prosecutors will seek a 10-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison when Miller returns for sentencing on Thursday, August 21, 2026. Under the No Early Release Act, he would be required to serve at least 85 percent of that term before becoming eligible for parole.

The violent confrontation unfolded in the early morning hours of September 9, 2023, when officers were dispatched to a residence on East Hudson Drive at approximately 4:30 a.m. following reports of shots fired. Responding officers discovered a 36-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Pomona for treatment and later released.

According to the investigation, the victim had visited Miller and co-defendant Marc Manfredonia, 34, of Little Egg Harbor, at the residence shortly before the attack. Authorities determined that Miller and Manfredonia forced the victim from the home and demanded money from him.

Prosecutors said Miller displayed a handgun and threatened to shoot the victim unless he transferred money through a mobile payment application. The victim complied, sending money to both men. When the pair made additional demands for money and the victim refused, a physical altercation erupted.

During the confrontation, Miller allegedly fired four rounds, striking the victim in the leg, groin and ear. Both men continued assaulting the victim before retreating inside the residence, prosecutors said. The wounded victim then fled to a nearby home and contacted police.

Miller and Manfredonia were arrested at the residence without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail. Miller was later released under New Jersey's bail reform guidelines, while Manfredonia remained detained.

Manfredonia previously pleaded guilty to robbery on June 17, 2024. He was sentenced on August 9, 2024, to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison under the No Early Release Act, matching the sentence prosecutors are now seeking for Miller.

The case underscores the serious consequences of violent crimes in our community and the commitment of law enforcement to hold offenders accountable. Miller's sentencing is scheduled for late August, nearly three years after the incident that forever changed the victim's life.