Man gets life in Christmas night NJ home invasion

BLOOMFIELD — A man convicted of tying up a New Jersey woman and two girls and robbing them during a Christmas night home invasion has been sentenced to life in prison.

Sixty-year-old Roberson Burney of Newark was convicted in March of aggravated assault, robbery, burglary criminal restraint and weapons offenses in the Christmas 2015 crime in Bloomfield.

Essex County prosecutors said he had worked at the victim’s home that fall and returned Dec. 25, brandishing what appeared to be a shotgun. Authorities said he tied up the women and children and stole electronic equipment, credit cards and jewelry.

Prosecutors said Friday the sentence was appropriate given the defendant’s extensive criminal record. Officials said he was still on federal parole in a carjacking case at the time.