WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2005

TWO PLEAD GUILTY TO THEFTS OF WOMEN’S PURSES AT CEMETERIES AND OTHER LOCATIONS

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that two Queens men have pled guilty to stealing purses belonging to four women at two cemeteries, a gas station and a fast food restaurant.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendants have admitted their guilt, waived their right to appeal and acknowledged that they acted in preying on vulnerable and unwary women by stealing their purses and using their credit cards to make numerous fraudulent purchases at various stores totaling over $3,000. Fortunately, the defendants have been stopped so they can no longer damage the credit and reputations of others.”

District Attorney Brown identified the defendants as Roberto Melchor, 37, and Carlos Carpio, 27, both of 105-30 Otis Avenue in Corona, Queens, construction workers. Both defendants pled guilty earlier today to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Pauline A. Mullings. Defendant Melchor is expected to be sentenced to one and one-third to four years in prison and defendant Carpio is expected to be sentenced to three months in jail and five years’ probation, both on September 28, 2005.

According to District Attorney Brown, the defendants admitted that they stole more than $3,000 in four separate incidents involving female victims aged 23 to 75 between April 8th and July 13th 2005. After each theft, the defendants would pick up a female who could pose as the credit card holder and go on shopping sprees in Long Island City and College Point.

The District Attorney said that an investigation began last April when the New York City Police Department Organized Theft Squad detectives were notified about a series of purse thefts which appeared to be organized and began a joint investigation with detectives in the 104 Precinct Detective Squad and the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Denis P. Broderick of the New York City Police Department’s 104th Precinct Detective Squad and Detectives David Hoey and Mirtha Cruz of the NYPD’s Organized Theft Squad under the supervision of Sergeant Scott Guginsky. The store managers of Babies-R-Us and Modell’s and investigators from Citibank and American Express assisted in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Diane M. Peress, Deputy Chief, with the assistance of Phylesia A. Lang, Investigative Auditor of the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gregory C. Pavlides, Bureau Chief, and assisted by Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Friedman, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau under the supervision of Wilbert J. LeMelle, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.