FORT LEE, NJ — The man serving 30 years for the 2018 armed robbery of rapper Safaree Samuels in Fort Lee has cleared an initial hurdle in his federal challenge to his conviction and sentence.

Tacuma Ashman, 43, is seeking federal review of his case after arguing that constitutional errors occurred during his Bergen County trial and sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo ruled Thursday that Ashman's federal habeas corpus petition can remain active while he completes post-conviction proceedings in New Jersey state court. She granted Ashman's request to stay the federal case rather than dismissing it while those state proceedings continue.

The ruling does not overturn Ashman's conviction or sentence, and the judge did not rule on the merits of his claims. It simply allows the federal case to remain pending while Ashman exhausts his available state remedies.

Ashman argues that he was denied a fair trial after a mistrial was declared for co-defendant Shawn Harewood while Ashman's case continued before the same jury. He also challenges aspects of his sentencing, including the court's consideration of dismissed charges and sentencing factors.

The case stems from the April 2018 robbery of Samuels, then known for his music career and appearances on VH1's "Love & Hip Hop."

Prosecutors said Ashman and two other men spent weeks planning the robbery, monitoring Samuels' social media for photos of his expensive jewelry and placing a GPS tracking device under his vehicle.

Samuels was targeted as he returned to The Modern, a luxury apartment complex on Park Avenue. Prosecutors said two men approached him, with Ashman holding a gun as they stole roughly $180,000 worth of jewelry before fleeing in a black Cadillac Escalade.

The getaway quickly turned into a high-speed chase across the George Washington Bridge. The Escalade eventually crashed in Manhattan, where three suspects fled on foot. Ashman was arrested weeks later in Newark.

A Bergen County jury ultimately convicted Ashman of two counts of first-degree robbery and weapons offenses. He received a 30-year sentence, subject to New Jersey's No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve 85 percent of the term before becoming eligible for parole.

Ashman's conviction was largely upheld by the New Jersey Appellate Division in 2025, with the case remanded for additional sentencing proceedings. The New Jersey Supreme Court later declined to hear the appeal.

His federal challenge will now remain on hold while the state post-conviction proceedings move forward.

For now, Ashman remains convicted and remains subject to his 30-year sentence. The federal court has simply preserved his ability to pursue his constitutional claims after the state proceedings conclude.