A Queens man was sentenced for organizing a string of armed robberies throughout New York and New Jersey.
Jordan Velez, 24, pleaded guilty to a Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and firearm charges in October 2021. On April 4, the Flushing resident was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
“Jordan Velez recruited and directed a crew of robbers that put our citizens in grave danger when they entered numerous pharmacies wielding their semi-automatic weapons. They stole drugs and money and terrorized many victims,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Today, Velez has been justly punished for these violent crimes.”
According to court documents, between February 2018 and May 2019, Velez participated in 10 separate armed robberies at different pharmacies in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey. Acting on Velez’s orders, during each robbery Velez’s co-conspirators, armed with semi-automatic weapons, put on masks and went into the pharmacies, demanding prescription pills and money from the pharmacy’s employees.
During one robbery that took place on April 3, 2018, Velez’s crew duct-taped a victim while inside a CVS in Port Jefferson Station, New York, and, alongside Velez, stole $200,000 worth of prescription pills and money during their robbery spree.
The robberies took place at the following pharmacies:
- February 17, 2018, CVS in Valley Stream, Long Island
- February 19, 2018, Walgreens in Bethpage, Long Island
- February 23, 2018, Walgreens in Linden, New Jersey
- March 7, 2018, Walgreens in South Ozone Park, Queens
- March 11, 2018, CVS in Queens Village, Queens
- March 15, 2018, CVS in Glen Cove, Long Island
- March 21, 2018, CVS in Rahway, New Jersey
- March 30, 2018, CVS in East Orange, New Jersey
- April 3, 2018, CVS in Port Jefferson Station, Long Island
- May 22, 2018, Walgreens in South Ozone Park, Queens
“Velez and his coconspirators brought violence and fear to multiple communities throughout the New York metropolitan area when they used semi-automatic weapons to rob pharmacies of money and prescription pills. As the sentence today shows, the FBI will ensure anyone willing to commit crimes of this nature faces consequences in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll.
“Defendant Jordan Velez and his associates committed numerous pharmaceutical robberies from Nassau County to New Jersey while they were armed placing the public in danger. I would like to thank all of the dedicated law enforcement professionals from numerous agencies for a job well done. Hopefully Velez will receive an appropriate punishment upon sentencing which will keep him incarcerated so he is not a threat to the public,” said NCPD Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder.
Velez’s co-defendants Ricky Torres and Steven Valenzuela previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the crimes and were sentenced to 102 months in prison and 84 months in prison, respectively.
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