MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a New Cassel man was convicted on all counts today for his role in the Jan. 2015 murder of a gas station attendant during an attempted robbery and a six month-long robbery spree in Nassau County that targeted gas stations and convenience stores in Westbury, Hicksville, Jericho and East Meadow.
Joshua Golson-Orelus, 24, was also convicted by a jury today of:
• 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)
The defendant is due back for sentencing before Acting Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty on March 27 for sentence life in prison without parole. The trial lasted approximately one month and the jury deliberated for one day.
“This defendant terrorized gas station employees in Nassau County for more than six months and senselessly murdered Hany Awad during a stick-up robbery in Jericho,” DA Singas said. “Joshua Golson-Orelus’ reign of terror has ended and Nassau County is safer today with him behind bars. I thank our prosecutors and the members of the Nassau County Police Department that helped put this dangerous defendant behind bars.”
DA Singas said that Golson-Orelus’ robbery spree began in the early morning hours of Dec. 20, 2014, when he robbed a Citgo gas station in Westbury. The defendant committed five more robberies in January, including robbing the Citgo station again on Jan 17 and robbing the same 7- Eleven location in Hicksville twice in a matter of five days.
On Jan. 28, 2015, at approximately 9:14 p.m., the defendant attempted to rob a BP gas station in Jericho and 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, 2014 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
Chief Michael Walsh of 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.