STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Plagued by a series of setbacks over the years, Joseph Codd had admittedly lived his life as a victim even after his arrest last year for an armed carjacking in Eltingville.
But in a recent letter to a federal judge, the Annadale resident said he now realizes who the true victims were in the harrowing episode: The terrified women whose auto he snatched.
“As bad as it may be to be in the situation I am currently in, the real people who suffer are the two women that I encountered and took their car,” Codd, who awaits sentencing in the case, told Brooklyn federal court Judge Brian M. Cogan. “I changed their lives forever. Nothing I say or do will ever fix that.
“… It keeps me up at night thinking about the damage to their lives I enflicted. (sic). … I ask God for forgiveness every night, and I realize that it is my actions, not words and thoughts, that will pave the way to redemption.”
In a neatly printed five-page missive, Codd told the judge he feels “shame, guilt, and many other emotions” over the Oct. 24 episode.
“For once in my life it is me that wants change and help, me alone that is willing to do the work necessary to move forward and learn to be a better man,” wrote the defendant. “… I am willing to accept whatever decision you make on how much time I serve, but I want you to know that every day will be spent on transforming myself, through action, into a better human being.”
Codd, 34, will soon find out whether Cogan believes he’s sincere. He is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.
Federal sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of between 41 and 57 months, defense lawyer Patrick J. Brackley has said.
Judges, however, are not bound by those guidelines. They can dole out a stiffer sentence or more lenient one if they choose.
As of Friday evening, Brooklyn federal prosecutors had not submitted their sentencing memorandum.
Authorities said the events unfolded around 6:30 p.m. at the Stop & Shop supermarket at 4343 Amboy Road.
Garbed in a black hat, sunglasses and a black surgical mask, Codd approached the manager, displayed a black handgun and demanded cash from the registers, a criminal complaint said.
The manager brought him over to the registers where cashiers turned over about $5,800, said the complaint.
Codd also grabbed two cartons of Newport cigarettes, the complaint said.
The defendant ran across the street to a shopping-plaza parking lot.
No longer wearing the mask, he approached a black 2014 Honda Civic at about 6:50 p.m., said the complaint.
Codd displayed and “racked” a black handgun and ordered the unsuspecting 29-year-old woman inside the auto to “get the f--- out of the car,” said the complaint.
Codd then grabbed the woman and pulled her out of the vehicle, the complaint said.
The victim’s sister was just about to enter the car before the defendant sped off in it, said the complaint.
The women called police, who accessed a GPS tracking device on the sister’s phone, which was still inside the car, the complaint said.
They tracked the phone to Codd’s home on the 5000 block of Amboy Road, less than two miles away, said authorities.
Shortly after arrival, officers saw Codd leave the residence carrying two bags.
The $5,800 in cash was in one bag, while the two cartons of cigarettes were in the other, court documents allege.
A large, black air gun was found in plain view sticking out from beneath the Honda’s driver’s seat, said the complaint.
Both women identified the defendant, the complaint said.
Codd was indicted on federal charges of robbery and carjacking.
In March, Codd pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to the carjacking charge to resolve the case.
According to a report submitted by the defense, Codd has endured his share of tough times over the years.
He became addicted to painkillers over a decade ago after breaking his back in a dirt bike crash at age 21.
In 2012, he suffered a terrible emotional shock when his best friend was killed on the street, said the report.
And, previously, when he was just 15, Codd was charged in connection with the brutal beating of another teen at the Annadale train station.
Prosecutors dropped all charges against Codd two years later based on the statements of co-defendants and witnesses who said he was not present during the attack.
Codd was severely traumatized by the allegations and resulting backlash, said the report.
As a result, he became “defensive, withdrawn, nervous, fearful (and) apprehensive,” the report said.
Just over a year later, in August 2006, the defendant was arrested for assault, also near the Annadale train station, and later sentenced to jail time, according to the report and Advance archives.
A harsh sentence would delay Codd’s access to treatment and hamper his efforts to put his life back on track, the report contended.
In his letter to the judge, Codd said he plans to put the past behind him and contribute positively to society.
“I cannot dwell on the years lost and opportunities lost,” he wrote. “What I can do is thank God I have a chance to start anew and be the man I truly can be. … From this day forward, I vow to you, those two innocent women and myself to continue to strive towards the goal of righteousness and to try to help the next person that may be going down the road that led me here.”
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