A Flushing man has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for his organizing role in the armed robberies of 10 pharmacies—including three in Queens—in 2018, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Jordan Velez, 24, pleaded guilty to a Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and firearm charges in October 2021.
Between February 2018 and May 2019, Velez participated in 10 separate armed robberies of pharmacies. During each robbery, acting on Velez’s orders, Velez’s co-conspirators donned masks and entered pharmacies in Long Island, Queens and New Jersey armed with semi-automatic weapons. They demanded prescription pills and money from the pharmacy’s employees. During a robbery that took place in April 2018, Velez’s crew duct-taped a victim inside a CVS pharmacy in Port Jefferson Station, New York. Velez and his crew stole more than $200,000 worth of prescription pills and money during their robbery spree. Co-defendants Ricky Torres and Steven Valenzuela previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Joanna Seybert to 102 months’ imprisonment and 84 months’ imprisonment, respectively.
The robberies:
Feb. 17, 2018, CVS in Valley Stream, Long Island
Feb. 19, 2018, Walgreens in Bethpage, Long Island
Feb. 23, 2018, Walgreens in Linden, New Jersey
March 7, 2018, Walgreens in South Ozone Park
March 11, 2018, CVS in Queens Village
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
“Today, Velez has been justly punished for these violent crimes,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.
Tags: Arrests Pharmacy Crime Pharmacy Robbery Weapons Involved
