Unlawful immigrants held guards at gunpoint, locked them in freezing truck and stole $1.2M in tech exterior Long Island mall: Feds

Three unlawful immigrants allegedly made off with over one million {dollars} value of stolen Apple devices after a brazen, armed, broad day hijacking of a supply truck exterior a Nassau County mall in January.

Michael Mejia-Nunez, 29, Alan Christhofer Cedeno-Ferrer, 27, and Ennait Alexis Sirett-Padilla, 24, all allegedly took half in an 8 a.m. theft exterior of the upscale Americana Manhasset mall at the beginning of the 12 months — taking two guards hostage.

They then allegedly compelled one in all their hostages to drive to a close-by location, zip-tying and locking them behind the truck in sub-freezing temperatures and unloading the greater than $1.2 million value of Apple merchandise right into a rented van earlier than taking off to New Jersey, the place they transferred the products to a different rental truck, prosecutors stated.

One of the guards fortunately broke free after the alleged thieves left and was capable of name for assist, however prosecutors stated the scenario might’ve simply turned deadly because of the freezing temperatures had they not damaged free.

“As alleged, these defendants committed a violent and brazen daytime robbery that terrorized the victims and endangered the public at one of the most popular shopping centers on Long Island,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. stated.

“The defendants allegedly held two innocent employees at gunpoint before hijacking and robbing their delivery truck out of selfish greed,” he added.

Prosecutors detailed that they allegedly have a trove of proof in opposition to them, together with an online of surveillance footage, cellular phone location information, fingerprints, the pretend IDs used to lease the vans, stolen Apple merchandise, and even their very own “unique” clothes police recovered that they stated tracks them by means of almost each step of the heist.

The trio — all unlawful immigrants from the Dominican Republic — have been arrested and hauled earlier than a federal decide in Central Islip on Thursday, the place all three pleaded not responsible.

Judge Anne Shields instructed the court docket that the proof in opposition to the three is “very strong,” and the crime was a “well planned and violent attack” in broad daylight earlier than remanding them with out bail after prosecutors argued they posed each a hazard to the group and a severe flight threat.

And regardless of the intense fees in opposition to them — dealing with deportation and as much as 30 years in federal jail if convicted on the highest rely — Mejia-Nunez didn’t appear too frightened about his predicament.

As his legal professional and an interpreter have been explaining the case to him earlier than the decide took the bench, the 29-year-old was barely listening and saved his eyes educated on his spouse within the gallery — blowing her kisses, smiling, winking and seductively elevating his eyebrows at her whereas his legal professional spoke.

The lady was later noticed laughing within the courtroom in any case three have been remanded.

Family members of the three alleged thieves later threatened reporters exterior of court docket.