10 MAY 10, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
POLICE BEAT
Four sentenced for stealing millions in Rego Park bank burglary
BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@R_KELLEY6
Four men have been sentenced
in federal court to several years
behind bars for their roles in the
2016 burglary of the Maspeth Federal
Savings Bank branch in Rego Park and
a similar bank heist in Brooklyn that
netted them millions of dollars.
In April and May of 2016, Michael
Mazzara, Charles Kerrigan, Anthony
Mascuzzio and Christopher Kerrigan
formed the crew that stole more than $20
million worth of cash, jewelry, collectibles
and other valuables from the banks’ safe
deposit boxes and vaults. The daring
thieves used blow torches to cut into the
top of the banks’ vaults through the roof of
the buildings and took unique measures
to stay out of sight during the crimes, according
to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“These defendants deprived hundreds
of unsuspecting victims of
their valuables, priceless heirlooms
and cherished keepsakes,” said U.S.
Attorney Geoff rey S. Berman. “As a
result, the defendants will serve serious
prison sentences. We will now
be able to reunite many of the stolen
items, including religious artifacts,
jewelry, baseball cards and coins, with
their rightful owners.”
According to the criminal complaints
and indictments filed in
Manhattan federal court, the four
men broke into an HSBC Bank on 13th
Avenue in Brooklyn on the weekend
of April 8-10, 2016, and then hit the
Maspeth Federal on Woodhaven
Boulevard on the weekend of May 19-
22, 2016. The burglars used acetylene
blowtorches to get inside in both cases,
but at Maspeth Federal they also
built a plywood shed on the roof of the
bank to shield themselves from view.
Once the crooks entered the vaults
from above, they stole bundles of cash
belonging to the banks and broke open
customers’ safe deposit boxes. In
total, the crew got away with more
than $600,000 in cash and more
than $20 million in valuables from
the safe deposit boxes in both banks.
During the investigation, surveillance
footage captured some of the
men preparing for and executing
the crime, and financial records and
additional video footage also showed
Mazzara and Mascuzzio purchasing
some of the supplies that appeared
to be used in the Maspeth incident.
The FBI and NYPD worked together
to execute multiple search warrants
in Brooklyn, Long Island and Pennsylvania
and recovered many items
that had been stolen from safe deposit
boxes during the heists. As part of
their plea deals, Mazzara and Mascuzzio
agreed to return other items
that had been stolen from the boxes.
In total, more than 200 items stolen
from safe deposit boxes have been recovered
as a result of the investigation.
Mascuzzio, 38, of Brooklyn, was
sentenced on May 4 to seven years in
prison and three years of supervised
release.
Christopher Kerrigan, 41, of Staten
Island, was sentenced on March 30 to
a total prison term of more than seven
years.
Mazzara, 46, of Brooklyn, was
sentenced on April 13 to a total term
of over 11 years in prison.
Charles Kerrigan, 42, of Brooklyn,
was sentenced to the most time on
April 11 after also pleading guilty
to one count of witness retaliation
for assaulting an individual while
on pre-trial release who he believed
had provided information about the
burglaries to the FBI and NYPD. He
was given a total term of more than 16
years in prison.
In addition to the sentences, the
judge also ordered the men to forfeit
more than $20 million while adjourning
an order of restitution to the
victims until June 28 so that a fi nal
determination of the victims’ losses
can be made.
Photo courtesy of Gary Colter
The pickup truck that crashed into the side of a building in Middle
Village on May 7.
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File photo/RIDGEWOOD TIMES
Maspeth Federal Savings Bank on
Woodhaven Boulevard remained
closed on May 31, 2016, more than
a week after it was burglarized for
millions in valuables.
Driver seriously injured in Midville crash
BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@R_KELLEY6
A truck crashed into the side of
a building in Middle Village
on Monday, May 7, leaving the
driver in serious condition.
Offi cers from the 104th Precinct
and FDNY offi cials responded to
the scene at approximately 1:16 p.m.
on May 7 near Juniper Boulevard
North and 78th Street, where a
pickup truck lost control, jumped
the curb and made contact with the
building, police said.
According to sources familiar
with the incident, the driver was taken
to Elmhurst Hospital in serious
but non-life-threatening condition.
There were no other injuries
reported and the investigation is
ongoing.
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