October 6, 1999

BROOKLYN MAN CONVICTED IN 1995 ROBBERY MURDER OF JAMAICA BAKERY MANAGER

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the conviction of a Brooklyn man on charges of murdering a bakery manager during a robbery in St. Albans in January, 1995.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Anthony Ault, 31, of 2513 Newkirk Avenue, Brooklyn. He was convicted on October 5, 1999, of murder and robbery after a week-long jury trial before Supreme Court Justice Timothy Flaherty. A co-defendant in the murder, Andrew Martin, 33, of 500 Herzl Street, Brooklyn was convicted after trial and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on May 15, 1998. Justice Flaherty will impose sentence on the defendant Ault on October 27, 1999.

District Attorney Brown said, "This was a cold-blooded and calculated crime that was planned when the defendants learned from the victim's employee that the victim would be carrying a large sum of money. The victim was taking the money to a real estate office at Linden Boulevard and 205^th Street in order to purchase a home for his wife and two children".

According to the trial testimony, the defendant and Andrew Martin were informed by Audrey Rickets, who worked at the bakery, that on March 4, 1995, Leon Hurlock, her employer, would be going to a real estate agent to make a deposit of approximately $17,000 in cash as a down payment on a house. Ault, who apparently knew Mr. Hurlock, and Martin drove to the real estate office and waited for Mr. Hurlock to arrive. When he did, Ault pointed him out to Martin and stayed in the car while Martin confronted the victim and attempted to rob him of a briefcase. The victim resisted and was fatally shot. Martin grabbed the briefcase and he and the defendant Ault fled in the automobile. A witness called 911 and a high speed chase ensued during which the car hit a curb, causing a tire to blow out. Martin fled from the car and was caught by police in a nearby yard. Ault was pulled from the front passenger seat of the car by police. A subsequent search of the car led to the recovery of a loaded 22 caliber revolver found underneath the seat and the briefcase containing approximately $17,000 in cash.

Senior Trial Attorney Debra Pomodore of the District Attorney's Homicide Trials Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Daniel A. Saunders, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak, was in charge of the prosecution of both cases.