A Jamaica man this week remained on Rikers Island on $1.75 million bail after he was arraigned last Wednesday on seven indictments charging him with criminal possession of stolen property, insurance fraud, criminal sale of a firearm, criminal possession of marijuana, criminal sale of marijuana and other charges, for allegedly selling stolen vehicles, weapons and marijuana over the Internet. Six other individuals, including three borough residents, were also indicted for their alleged participation in the overall scheme, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
The main defendant, Conrad Hall, 43, of 132nd Avenue, faces a maximum of more than 200 years in prison if convicted of all charges. Jermaine Edwards, 19, also of Jamaica, is charged with third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. If convicted, Edwards faces up to seven years in prison. Shane Carter, 30, of Laurelton is charged with third-degree insurance fraud and first-degree falsifying business records. If convicted, Carter faces up to seven years in prison. And Carlton Young, 34, of Springfield Gardens, is charged with second- and third-degree criminal sale of marijuana. If convicted, Young faces up to 14 years in prison. He is still being sought.
According to the charges, Hall advertised the sale of stolen auto parts on Craigslist and frequently set up meetings with buyers in his home dating back to October 2012. Hall allegedly later progressed to selling whole vehicles—many of which were stolen from Queens and Long Island. In total, the stolen vehicles—such as a 2011 Mercedes, a 2011 Lexus, various Honda models and a 2014 Kia Sorrento—and the auto parts are valued at approximately $500,000.
Additionally, Hall is charged with selling two stolen motorcycles—a Ducati and a Suzuki—and, on several occasions, a total of approximately five pounds of marijuana valued at about $12,500. Hall is also charged with selling weapons—namely, a .22 caliber Jimenez, a 9mm Glock, a .357 Smith and Wesson and a 12-gauge shotgun.
By Michael V. Cusenza
