Long Island Pawn Shop Robber Convicted After Jury Trial

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By Christina Carrega

A Queens man was found guilty on Thursday for attempting to rob a pawn shop in Melville, Long Island with another man while wearing disguises but failing to cover the license plate of their getaway car.

Frank Alexander participated with Sykim Johnson to rob the GEM Pawnbrokers located at 708 Walt Whitman Rd. on Aug. 4, 2017 with a gun and used a sledgehammer to break open the display cases that contained jewelry, said Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini in a statement issued on Friday.

Alexander, 49 and Johnson, 35 both of Queens, dressed up with wigs, large hats and gloves when entering the shop. Their disguises in the middle of the summer made a witness suspicious and take a picture of their license plate.

The police were able to track the getaway car to Westbury and collect DNA evidence that matched the pair.

Alexander was convicted of first- and second-degree robbery charges and faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice William Condon on December 3.

Johnson pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree robbery charges and is expected to get sentenced on October 29.