Georgia Man Convicted Of Murdering Township Resident

A 31-year-old Georgia man was convicted February 15 of shooting to death a township resident in 2020 in the back of a township barber shop.

Tayyab A. Ware of Augusta, Ga. was convicted for November 2, 2020 murder of 34-year-old Denny Sanchez of Franklin. Sanchez was shot in the back room of a Hamilton Street barber shop where a dice game was being held, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Ware was convicted of all charges in the indictment against him, including 1^st Degree Murder, 1^st Degree Felony Murder, 1^st Degree Armed Robbery, 2^nd Degree Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, 2^nd Degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, and 2^nd Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.

Ware’s co-defendant in the case, Tod Smith, 32, of Edison, plead guilty to 1^st Degree Robbery on January 7. His sentencing is scheduled for March.

Police responded to the barber shop at about 8:41 p.m. November 2, 2020 after receiving numerous 9-1-1 calls reporting a shooting victim in the back of the shop.

Officers found Sanchez suffering a gunshot wound and immediately began lifesaving efforts, according to the press release.

Sanchez was taken to an area trauma center where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, and the Crime Scene Investigations Unit conducted the investigation.

The initial investigation showed that two men entered the barber shop, told everyone to get down and said, “You know what time it is.”

Sanchez was shot after money was taken from the people in the room, police said.

A two-month investigation resulted in the December 22, 2020 arrest of Smith. Ware was arrested on December 30, 2020 in Georgia, and was extradited to New Jersey.

Ware is scheduled to be sentenced April 18.

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