December 7, 1999

SECOND MAN CONVICTED IN 1996 MURDERS OF OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER AND CORONA CHECK CASHING STOREOWNER

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the conviction of a second individual in the attempted robbery and murder of off-duty Police Officer Charles Davis and Ira Epstein, the owner of a Corona check cashing store in December 1996.

District Attorney Brown said that Gary Johnson, 25, of 101-06 32^nd Avenue was convicted last night of Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, Burglary in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree after a 2 week jury trial before Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Cooperman. Justice Cooperman will impose sentence on January 3, 2000.

The defendant faces 50 years to life in prison at the time of sentence. The defendant is the second of five men charged in the case. George Davis Bell, 22, of 98-07 Northern Boulevard, was previously convicted of Murder in the First Degree and sentenced to a term of life without parole last summer for the crime. Two other defendants are awaiting trial: Rohan Bolt, 38, of 10-18 32^nd Avenue, and Jason Ligon, 33, of 94-20 Astoria Boulevard. Mark Bigweh, 23, of 15-05 Ocean Avenue, Brooklyn has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentence.

According to the trial testimony, the defendants Bell and Johnson, allegedly accompanied by the other three defendants, went to the check cashing store at 94-21 Astoria Boulevard at about 7 am on the morning of December 21, 1996. George Bell and another defendant approached the victims on the street as they were opening the store, forced the victims inside the store and announced a robbery. Before the victims could comply with the demands for money, Bell shot and killed Officer Davis and Mr. Epstein. The defendant Johnson who, along with another defendant, was acting as a lookout then entered the store. The fifth defendant stayed behind the wheel of the getaway car.

District Attorney Brown said, "By this verdict the jury has found that Gary Johnson, acting in concert with George Davis Bell and three other men, is guilty of these two brutal murders. It is a just verdict arrived at carefully. The evidence of the defendant's guilt was overwhelming."

The case was tried by Assistant District Attorney Brad Leventhal of the District Attorney's Homicide Trial Bureau which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Daniel J. Saunders and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak.

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