Thursday, February 24, 2005

D.A. BROWN: MANHATTAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR ATTEMPTING TO STEAL LONG ISLAND RAILROAD TRAIN; FACES UP TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that a Manhattan man has pled guilty to attempted grand larceny for attempting to take a Long Island Rail Road M-7 locomotive and train from an LIRR train yard in Jamaica, Queens.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant has admitted his guilt, waived his right to appeal and will be punished for illegally entering an LIRR train yard, posing as a rail road safety consultant and asking locomotive manufacturer’s representatives how to operate an M-7 locomotive, a new railroad engine manufactured by the Bombardier Company, that had been recently delivered to the train yard. Justice has been done.”

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Darius McCollum ,39, of 130 Columbia Street in Manhattan. The defendant pled guilty today to Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice Steven W. Paynter who indicated that he would sentence the defendant to an indeterminate term of one and one half years to three years in prison at sentencing on March 28, 2005.

The District Attorney said that the defendant admitted that he was present inside the LIRR train yard at 182-30 Liberty Avenue in Jamaica, Queens and that he attempted to steal a Long Island Railroad train.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant walked out of the train yard when his identification was called into question and when apprehended had in his possession various stolen railroad keys including a key able to operate an M-7 locomotive.

Assistant District Attorney Gerard A. Brave, Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau is prosecuting the case under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.