August 25, 2000

BRONX MAN CONVICTED OF KIDNAPPING IN THE FIRST DEGREE IN SPRINGFIELD GARDENS CRIME

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the conviction of a 31 year old Bronx man on kidnapping charges for holding an elderly couple and their grandson at gunpoint in their home while he and his accomplices demanded money from the couple's daughter.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Michael Aarons, 31, of 27-70 Matthew Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. He was convicted of multiple counts of kidnapping, burglary and unlawful imprisonment, among other charges after a two week jury trial before Acting Supreme Court Justice William Erlbaum. Justice Erlbaum will impose sentence on September 25th. The defendant faces consecutive life sentences on the kidnapping charges.

According to the evidence at trial on June 4, 1997, the defendant and three accomplices went to the home of the elderly Springfield Gardens couple to steal over $400,000 they believed was in the house. The money, it was believed, belonged to the couple's 31 year old daughter who was married to a man in federal custody on drug charges. When the defendant's arrived, the daughter was not at home but they held her then 62 year old father and later that day her 4 year old son and her mother at gunpoint while they ransacked the house looking for the money. Once the daughter arrived home the defendant threatened her by saying he would shoot her in the foot and put her in a tub of scalding water so she would bleed to death. Terrified for her life she told the defendants that the money was with a friend in the Bronx. Two of them took her to the Bronx and two remained at the Springfield Gardens home.

In the Bronx, it was testified, they were unsuccessful at finding the friend with the money and eventually released her at about 5:30 am on June 5, 1997.

Once they released her the defendant told her that she had one week to get the money or they would kill her entire family. During that week the defendant Aarons contacted the victim every day reminding her what he was going to do. On June 9th, however, the woman contacted the 113th precinct and the police arrested Aarons and two other defendants, Sandy Lewis and Radcliffe Llewellyn the next day.

Assistant District Attorney Claude Stuart of District Attorney Brown's Career Criminal Major Crime Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney James W. Evangelou and the overall supervision of James C. Quinn prosecuted the case.