HOLLIS MAN CONVICTED OF ROBBING TWO EMPLOYEES AT GUNPOINT AT PLACE OF FORMER EMPLOYMENT

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a Hollis man was convicted of robbing two employees at gunpoint at his former place of employment.

District Attorney Brawn identified the defendant as Bruce King, 28, of 198-04 104th Street, Hollis. He was convicted of robbery in the first and second degrees and attempted robbery in the first and second degrees after a three week jury trial before Supreme Court Justice Robert C. McGann. The defendant will be sentenced on August 11 and faces up to 25 years in prison.

District Attorney Brown stated,"This defendant committed three other robberies in addition to this one during a two week period in Manhattan and Queens and has been sentenced to serve 22-1/2 to 45 years on the three other crimes. The sentence in this case can be made consecutive to these sentences and so, he should be in prison for the rest of his life."

According to District Attorney Brown on November 28, 1995 at approximately 8:00 p.m. the defendant entered the offices of Continental Services Corporation, a concession supplier to video stores and movie theaters, formerly located at 251-57 Jericho Turnpike in Bellerose. He rang the bell and a female employee, thinking it was another office worker who had stepped out for a few minutes, opened the door without checking to see who it was. The defendant entered the premises wearing a ski mask and brandishing a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He was accompanied by a second man, Carl Dade, 45, of 189-02 64th Avenue, Fresh Meadows, who was not disguised or carrying a gun. Dade pled guilty on August 8, 1996 to first degree attempted robbery and is currently serving a 7-1/2 to 15 year prison term. King put the gun to the back of the woman's head, demanded money and threatened to kill her. He forced her to the floor and his accomplice took money from her handbag. The victim pleaded with him not to kill her as Christmas was coming and she wanted to be able to be with her family. At this point the male employee returned to the office and the defendant put the gun directly into the male victim's face demanding money from him. When the man did not respond quickly enough, the defendant fired his gun into the wall as a further threat. The two men then fled from the location and the victims notified the police. The male victim thought that he recognized the defendant's voice as someone who had worked for the company previously. On January 2, 1996 the defendant was being held at the police precinct for one of the other robberies and the male victim was called in to hear the defendant's voice and to see him in a line-up. The victim was able to positively identify the defendant and he was then charged with the robbery at Continental Service Corporation.

Assistant District Attorney Karen L. Lynch of the Queens District Attorney's Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Bureau Chief James W. Evangelou prosecuted the case.