LI Man Sentenced To More Than 15 Years For Armed Robbery Spree

A Hempstead man was sentenced today to more than 15 years in jail for a robbery spree the conducted in 2015 in multiple locations across Long Island.

James Rogers, 49, committed 15 different robberies across 11 towns in Nassau and Suffolk counties between Aug. 10 and Dec. 21, 2015. He pleaded guilty to the charges in April 2017, including brandishing a firearm during the robbery of a Petco store in Hicksville on Aug. 20, 2015. He was sentenced to 184 months in jail for his crimes.

Rogers admitted to the robberies, which included women's clothing stores, the Petco and a Babies R' Us. He would usually commit the robberies at or near closing time, while wearing a mask and brandishing a gun. He would threaten employees and customers, and then restrain them using toy handcuffs or plastic zip-ties.

He stole cash, jewelry and other possessions from the victims before fleeing in a car, driven by his co-conspirator.

“The defendant terrorized his victims during a violent crime spree, fully justifying today’s lengthy prison sentence. Our communities are safer as a result of his incarceration,” said United States Attorney Richard Donoghue.