A daring street crew wreaked havoc across Long Island, New York City, Westchester, and Dutchess counties, as well as locations in Florida, in a 17-day spree of brazen armed robberies, according to prosecutors.
Nine individuals, some with known ties to the Bloods gang, have been indicted on 38 charges stemming from a crime wave that included 10 burglaries of auto shops, three armed robberies, a home invasion, and the theft of multiple vehicles in both New York and Florida between July and August of last year.
“The rapid escalation of criminal activity alleged in such a short period of time is truly staggering,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney during a press conference at the H. Lee Dennisson building in Hauppauge.
The Suffolk County-based crew reportedly operated like a mobile smash-and-grab unit, targeting auto-body shops to steal cash, blank checks, keys, and license plates. They would then swap out stolen plates to evade law enforcement as they traveled upstate and down the East Coast.
The crime spree began in July when the crew allegedly drove a stolen BMW M3 from Suffolk to Westchester County and smashed through the front windows of three auto-body shops in a single night, making off with hundreds of dollars and approximately 200 blank checks.
Subsequently, the crew hit shops in Dutchess County, stealing a white Chevrolet Suburban from a Hyde Park business before burglarizing another shop in Poughkeepsie. They made off with blank checks, 48 sets of New York State license plates, and an entire safe containing $5,000 in cash.
During their journey back to Long Island, the crew attempted to steal a high-end sports car from a Nassau County Lamborghini dealership but were thwarted by the store’s alarm system.
Two members of the crew then traveled to Florida to purchase guns, as firearms are easier for criminals to acquire in the state. They obtained two guns, stole a Dodge Charger, and carjacked a BMW sedan on their return trip north.
However, their plans hit a snag when they realized the BMW was a stick-shift, prompting them to ditch the car moments later. Upon returning to New York, they broke into another auto-body shop in Sleepy Hollow before heading back to Suffolk.
Back in Suffolk, the crew, now emboldened, carried out a home invasion at an Amityville apartment complex, stealing keys to a Porsche SUV and several thousand dollars in cash. The Porsche was later abandoned in Queens.
Over the following days, the crew continued their crime spree, hitting a Deer Park auto shop and carjacking a woman outside her residence. They stole her Mercury sedan before attempting another break-in in Amityville.
The spree culminated in a gunpoint home invasion in Bay Shore on August 4. Five crew members stormed a residence, terrorizing a woman at gunpoint and stealing approximately $4,700 before police arrived and arrested two individuals involved in the incident.
Leny Cruz, one of the arrested individuals, was found in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, $2,000 in cash, and the key fob to the stolen Dodge Charger from Florida. Police also recovered the Charger in the area, along with several of the stolen New York license plates.
Authorities have linked the crew to nearly 20 separate crimes across multiple counties and states in just over two weeks.
The nine individuals charged in connection with the spree are facing a range of charges, including Robbery in the First Degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Some defendants primarily face burglary and robbery charges.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is leading the prosecution of the case, highlighting the swift and coordinated efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of the affected communities.
