Joshua Golson-Orelus Indicted on 17 counts, including First Degree Murder
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced the arraignment today of Joshua Golson-Orelus on 17 indictment charges connected to a six month-long robbery spree in which he targeted gas stations and convenience stores in Westbury, Hicksville, Jericho and East Meadow.
Joshua Golson-Orelus, 23, of New Cassel, was arraigned today before Acting Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty on the following charges:
• Murder in the 1st Degree (an A-I felony)• Murder in the 2nd Degree (an A-I felony)
• Nine counts of Robbery in the 1st Degree (a B violent felony) • Two counts of Attempted Robbery in the 1st Degree (a C violent felony)
• Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree (a C violent felony)• Two counts of Robbery in the 2nd Degree (a C violent felony)
Judge Gugerty remanded the defendant. If convicted of the top charge, Golson-Orelus faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is due back in court on October 5 before Judge Gugerty.
“This defendant is accused of murdering an innocent man on a greed-driven armed robbery spree that terrorized 10 gas stations throughout Nassau County,” said Acting DA Singas. “We will prosecute this case aggressively to ensure that this menace will never endanger our communities again. I commend our partners in law enforcement – the Nassau County Police Department, the Utica Police Department and the U.S. Marshals – for their outstanding work.”
Acting DA Singas said that Golson-Orelus’ robbery spree began in the early morning hours of December 20, when he robbed a Citgo gas station in Westbury. The defendant committed five more robberies in January including robbing the Citgo station again on January 17 and robbing the same 7- Eleven location in Hicksville twice in a matter of five days.
On January 28 at approximately 9:14 p.m., the defendant attempted to rob a BP gas station in Jericho and allegedly murdered station employee Hany Awad, 56, in the incident.
Golson-Orelus robbed two more gas stations in February and another station in March.
The defendant’s last robbery occurred on June 14, when he attacked a Westbury Citgo that he had robbed on two previous occasions.
After Golson-Orelus fled the location, he was spotted by a Nassau County Police Department officer who pursued him and recorded the license number on the vehicle the defendant was using. Golson-Orelus was arrested on June 17, in Utica, NY.
Dates and Locations of the Robberies and Homicide Include:
• 12/20/2014 – Citgo – 495 Union Avenue, Westbury
• 1/8/2015 – 7-Eleven – 384 West John Street, Hicksville• 1/12/2015 – Mobil – 79 Old Country Road, Westbury
• 1/13/2015 – 7-Eleven – 384 West John Street, Hicksville• 1/17/2015 – Citgo – 495 Union Avenue, Westbury
• 1/19/2015 – Hess – 880 Old Country Road, Westbury• 1/28/2015 – BP – 39 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho – *location of homicide*
• 2/6/2015 – Hess – 800 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury• 2/18/2015 – Sunoco – 2475 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow
• 3/15/2015 – Apple Green – 118 Newbridge Road, Hicksville • 6/14/2015 – Citgo – 495 Union Avenue, Westbury
Assistant District Attorney Michael Walsh of Acting DA Singas’ Major Offense Bureau and District Court Bureau Deputy Chief Anna Acquafredda are prosecuting the case. Golson-Orelus is represented by Fred Pollack, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.