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The original item was published from 10/2/2015 10:54:24 AM to 10/11/2018 12:50:00 PM.

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District Attorney

Posted on: October 2, 2015

[ARCHIVED] Baldwin Man Indicted For Crashing Car into Church

Sherif Wheeler, 22, accused of driving more than 100 miles an hour on residential street

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced the arraignment today of a Baldwin man on a 10-count indictment related to a March 8 crash, in which the defendant allegedly drove a 2008 Infiniti G35 into the Second Baptist Church in Baldwin.

Sherif Wheeler, 22, was arraigned today before Acting Nassau Supreme Court Justice Alan Honorof on the following charges:

• Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree (a D felony)
• Driving While Ability Impaired by the Combined Influence of Drugs or of Alcohol and Any Drugs or Drug (an unclassified misdemeanor)• Reckless Driving (an unclassified misdemeanor)
• Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree (an A misdemeanor)• Assault in the 3rd Degree (an A misdemeanor)
• Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the 2nd Degree (an unclassified misdemeanor) • Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the 3rd Degree (an unclassified misdemeanor)
• Leaving the Scene of an Incident With Injury Without Reporting (an A misdemeanor)• Leaving the Scene of an Incident With Property Damage Without Reporting (a violation)
• Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle (a violation)

Judge Honorof set bail at $25,000 cash or bond. If convicted of the top charge, Wheeler faces up to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison. He is due back in court on October 19.

“This defendant was the first person in church on Sunday, March 8, when he allegedly crashed a 2008 Infiniti into the Second Baptist Church while impaired,” Acting DA Singas said. “Wheeler was allegedly driving more than 100 miles an hour on a residential street and, had the incident happened just a few hours later, the result could have been much worse than physical damage to the house of worship.”

Acting DA Singas said that at approximately 4:25 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, Wheeler was traveling southbound at allegedly more than 100 miles per hour on Grand Avenue in Baldwin when he lost control of a blue 2008 Infiniti G35, striking a tree, a fence and crashing the car into the Second Baptist Church. A passenger in in the car was injured in the crash. Wheeler fled the scene and later surrendered to Nassau County Police Department 1st Precinct Detectives. The defendant did not have a license and his privileges to operate a motor vehicle in NY were suspended at the time of the incident.

Assistant District Attorney Stefanie Palma of Acting DA Singas’ Vehicular Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case. Wheeler is represented by Mark Silverman, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

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