Joseph Borelli charged with 9 commercial burglaries including jewelry stores; more burglaries currently being investigated
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas and Acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter announced the arrests of a Brooklyn man and two alleged co-conspirators from Long Island in an ongoing investigation of at least nine commercial burglaries in Nassau County, including numerous jewelry stores at which more than $200,000 worth of merchandise was stolen.
“The main defendant in this case has been charged with and is still being investigated for his role in a string of commercial burglaries all over Nassau County and possibly even in Suffolk and Queens,” Acting DA Singas said. “We are lucky that no one was hurt in these overnight smash-and-grab burglaries, and will continue our close partnership with the Nassau County
Police Department on this case to make sure that we deliver justice for the hardworking victims.”
“I would like to praise the efforts of the Nassau County Police Department's District Attorney Squad, Third Squad and the District Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts to bring this band of serial burglars to justice," Acting Commissioner Krumpter said.
Joseph Borelli, 42, of Brooklyn, was arrested on June 19 and charged with nine counts of Burglary in the 3rd Degree (a D felony) and nine counts of Criminal Mischief in the 3rdDegree (an E felony), in connection with nine commercial burglaries in Nassau County since January. He faces a maximum sentence of 3-1/2 to seven years in prison on each top count. At his arraignment on June 20, Nassau District Court Judge Joseph Girardi set bail at $450,000 cash or bond. Borelli is due back in court on July 2.
Rotem Balila, 25, of Great Neck, was arrested on June 23 and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree (a B felony), Burglary in the 3rd Degree (a D felony) and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree (an E felony), in connection with an April 15 burglary in which he is charged
with acting as a look-out for Borelli. He faces a maximum sentence of 8-1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count. At his arraignment yesterday, Nassau District Court Supervising Judge Norman St. George set bail at $200,000 bond or $75,000 cash. Balila is due back in court on June 26.
Edan Balila, 27, of Great Neck, was arrested June 24 and charged with Burglary
in the 3rdDegree (a D felony), Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree (an E felony), Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 4thDegree (an E felony), and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 5thDegree (an A misdemeanor), in connection with a Jan. 7 burglary in which he is charged with entering Kardesh Jewelers in Bellmore with Borelli. He faces a maximum sentence of 3-1/2 to seven years in prison if convicted of the top count. At his arraignment yesterday, Nassau District Court Judge Martin Massell set bail at $42,000 bond or $21,000 cash. Balila is due back in court on June 29.
Borelli is charged with conducting overnight ‘smash-and-grab’ burglaries at the following nine locations on or about the following dates:
Jan. 10, 2015
Cookshop Deli, 374 Great Neck Rd., Great Neck
Stolen: approx. $500 cash and lottery tickets
Jan. 31, 2015
Loucri Jewelers, 55 Northern Blvd., Greenvale
Stolen: approx. $75,000 worth of jewelry
Feb. 13, 2015
Messina Market, 6255 Northern Blvd., East Norwich
Stolen: approx. $3,000 cash
Feb. 28, 2015
Westbury Jewelry Exchange, 1083 Old Country Rd., New Cassel
Stolen: approx. $100,000 worth of jewelry
April 21, 2015
Lana’s Jewelry Store, 29 Hicksville Rd., Massapequa
Stolen: unknown at this time
May 11, 2015
Shoe Repair, 521 W. Merrick Rd., Valley Stream
Stolen: approx. $7,000 worth of jewelry
May 19, 2015
Maddy Fine Jewelers, 113 Jackson Ave., Syosset
Stolen: approx. $30,000 worth of jewelry
May 25, 2015
Bagelman of Great Neck, 491 Great Neck Rd., Great Neck
Stolen: approx. $200 cash
June 16, 2015
B&D Deli, 667 Old Country Road, Plainview
Stolen: loose change
The possible role of Borelli and his co-defendants in at least seven other burglaries in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens following similar patterns, including those on or about the following dates, is also being investigated:
Jan. 7, 2015
Kardesh Jewelers, 2370 Merrick Rd., Bellmore
Feb. 26, 2015
GTO Deli, 814 N. Broadway, North Massapequa
March 27, 2015
Ritz Jewelers, 3574 Long Beach Rd., Oceanside
March 31, 2015
Herricks Jewelers, 2449 Jericho Tpke., Garden City Park
April 15, 2015
Bolila Jewelry, 2014 North Jerusalem Rd., North Bellmore
May 23, 2015
Card Smart Store, 578 Stewart Ave., Bethpage
June 1, 2015
Swan Cleaners, 634 Wantagh Ave., Levittown
After a burglary pattern was identified by the NCPD’s 3rd Squad, the NCPD DA Squad and the NCDA Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau assisted in the six-month-long, still-ongoing investigation, obtaining warrants and helping to track and arrest Borelli and his co-defendants. Video surveillance and court-authorized GPS tracking helped bring the arrests.
Deputy Bureau Chief Anne Donnelly of Acting DA Singas’s Organized Crime
and Rackets Bureau is prosecuting the case. All three defendants were represented by Legal Aid at arraignment.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
