George N. Marx was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 1993.
A man sentenced to 60 years in prison for robbing a bank while threatening an employee with what he said was an HIV-infected hypodermic needle will not get a break on his term of parole ineligibility.
George N. Marx (N.J. Department of Corrections)George N. Marx, 78, appealed a decision by the state parole board, which extended the period he must serve before he is eligible for parole by five years, but appellate court judges ruled in favor of the board, according to legal papers.
He remains in prison following convictions in 1993 and 1994 on kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated assault and drug offenses. The bank robbery occurred in Camden County, while some of the drug charges stemmed from a Gloucester County case.
Marx, who was on parole at the time of the November 1991 bank robbery, accosted a female employee in the parking lot of Chemical Bank on the Black Horse Pike in Gloucester Township, threatened her with the needle and forced her into the bank, according to court documents.
When police officers entered the bank as the robbery was underway, Marx pointed a handgun at them. The officers fired, hitting Marx nine times, according to a Star-Ledger report at the time.
His 60-year sentence, imposed in 1993, included 20 years of parole ineligibility. Twenty years later, a parole panel imposed a 60-month future eligibility term, extending the time he must serve until he is eligible for parole.
The parole board found a substantial likelihood that Marx would commit a crime if released on parole, according to the appellate ruling.
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His past criminal record includes convictions for murder and armed robbery and he served two "lengthy" terms before his 1993 sentence, appellate judges noted. Those stints in prison included three convictions for attempted escapes.
The parole board found that Marx's responses to questions demonstrated his "insufficient problem resolution, specifically that he lacked insight into and minimized his criminal behavior" and that he tried to deflect responsibility for his past criminal activity.
Marx appealed that decision as arbitrary.
He argued that he presented an adequate parole plan that included the promise of work in construction after his release and a transition to a half-way house. The plan did not, however, include a long-term housing solution. The board determined that he required a "stable and supportive living arrangement."
The appellate panel found that the parole board acted appropriately in imposing the 60-month period.
Marx is serving his sentence in East Jersey State Prison.
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.