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According to trial testimony, homes on Dickens Street and Ocean Crest Boulevard were burglarized.
By Forum Staff
A persistent felon has been sentenced to 34 years to life in prison after his conviction for a series of home burglaries. Timothy West, 34, of Beach 38th Street in Far Rockaway stiole jewelry, cash, watches and electronics during a rash of robberies between November 2016 and January 2017.
District AttorneyBrown said, “The defendant in this case sought to enrich himself bystealing from others. He not only stole the victims’ property, he also violated the safety and sanctity of their homes by breaking in and rummaging through their most personal belongings looking for things of value. Under the circumstances the sentence imposed by the court is more than warranted.”
Last month, a jury convicted West of second-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny, petit larceny, fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourth-degree criminal mischief, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and possession of an unlawful imitation pistol.
Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Gene Lopez, who presided at trial, sentenced the defendant Wednesday to 34 yeas to life in prison as a persistent felon.
According to trial testimony, the defendant broke into at least four homes in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens between November 27, 2016, and January 19, 2017. Homes on Dickens Street and Ocean Crest were burglarized. Authorities say West gained entrance to the homes either by breaking a rear window or using a lock-pick to gain entry.
The defendant took expensive jewelry, furs, laptops and other valuables from one home. Another residence had jewelry, video games, electric shavers and a suitcase that contained a movie projector stolen.
On January 24, 2017, West sold the earrings from one burglary and the necklace from another to the same pawn shop, where the items were recovered by police. When Westwas shown video surveillance from the pawn shop, he identified himself and had used identification with his real namewhen he traded the jewelry for cash. Once West was identified through surveillance video and pawn shop records, investigators from the 101st Precinct executed a court-authorized search warrant on the defendant’s residence, where dozens of stolen items were recovered from a total of seven home break-ins, which all took place in Far Rockaway between November 27, 2016, and January 19, 2017. Some of the items recovered include a fur coat, jewelry, watches, a girl’s purple bicycle, a laptop, electric shavers and video games.
