February 4, 1999

"SILVER GUN RAPIST" CONVICTED IN SERIES OF SEVEN ROBBERIES AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced the conviction of a Queens man for a series of seven robberies three of which included sexual assaults that occurred over a seven week period during the summer of 1996 in St. Albans, Springfield Gardens and Cambria Heights.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Tyrone Rolle, who is also known as Tyrone Spain, 28, of 115-19 170th St. He was convicted of robbing or attempting to rob four people and with robbing and sexually assaulting an additional three. All but one of his victims were women and ranged in age from 17 to 43. He faces a life sentence when Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Kohm, who presided over the two week trial, imposes sentence on March 4, 1999. He is already serving 25 years to life in prison as a result of an October 1997 conviction for conspiring to murder one of the victims in the series of robberies and sexual assaults.

District Attorney Brown also said, "Crimes such as those for which the defendant has been convicted wreak havoc in the neighborhoods of this county. Women become prisoners in their homes. They are in constant fear of the most violent, degrading and humiliating violation that any woman can imagine. For some in South Queens, their worst nightmare became a reality. Hopefully, today's conviction will bring a measure of peace to the victims of this vicious criminal".

According to the District Attorney, the defendant would approach his victims late at night on the street, display a silver hand gun and demand their money and jewelry. In three instances he sexually attacked his victim.

Assistant District Attorney Frank DeGaetano of District Attorney Brown's Special Victims Bureau which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Marjory D. Fisher and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak, prosecuted the case.

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