Man sentenced for armed robbery An Aberdeen Township man has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison for the armed robbery of a taxi driver. Fernando Vasquez Volano, 26, of Aberdeen Township, was sentenced April 11 to a 12-year state prison term for the crimes of first-degree armed robbery, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The sentence, which was imposed by state Superior Court Judge Ira E. Kreizman, follows a March jury verdict. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which means that Volano must serve 85 percent of that sentence, or approximately 10 years, two months and 13 days, before he can be considered for release on parole. Evidence presented during the weeklong trial revealed that on May 26, 2007, at approximately 11 p.m., officers from the Aberdeen Township Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a taxi driver possibly being stabbed. Upon arrival, the responding police officers found Volano being detained by the taxi driver. The taxi driver advised the responding officers that he had picked up Volano at the UpTown bar in Keyport and had then taken him to the Ken Gardens apartment complex in Aberdeen. When the ride was completed, the driver requested payment and Volano reached for his pocket. The driver believed that Volano was reaching for money to pay for the ride. Without speaking a word, Volano then attacked the driver from behind and attempted to stab him with a pocketknife. The driver was able to block the knife, but not before he sustained a laceration to his face. The driver quickly exited the taxi and Volano chased after him swinging the knife. An intense struggle for the knife ensued. The driver was able to subdue Volano, while calling for help. A passerby heard the driver's cries for help and called police. The knife was found approximately 20 feet away from the cab.