Serial Knifepoint Robber Pleads Guilty to 40 Robberies Across Long Island, Queens

A Hempstead man pleaded guilty in Federal Court on Tuesday to 40 knifepoint robberies that plagued Long Island and Queens for more than a year.

Khalif House, 24, of Hempstead, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit armed robberies in connection with 40 knife-point robberies that he and his co-conspirators committed between Feb. 9, 2015 and June 7, 2016.

As part of the plea, House admitted his role in each of the robberies which occurred in Nassau, Queens and Suffolk counties, including at Carvel, Dunkin' Donuts, Subway and 7-Eleven stores. On almost every occasion, House robbed stores wearing mismatched gloves, with his face covered, while brandishing a knife.

During one of the robberies, House chased down a fleeing employee, dragging her back into the store to prevent her escape. On another occasion, in order to avoid being caught, House cut an employee, who attempted to disarm him during a robbery.

House was ultimately apprehended in Floral Park on June 8, 2016, following the attempted robbery of a Dollar Tree store in Queens. When the Floral Park Police located him, House was hiding in a stranger’s van, and in possession of, among other things, mismatched gloves.

House’s arrest and conviction were the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Long Island Gang Task Force, the Nassau County Police Department, the New York City Police Department and the Suffolk County Police Department. Additionally, a number of other law enforcement agencies assisted the investigation, including the Floral Park Police Department.

“The defendant engaged in a widespread and dangerous pattern of knife-point commercial robberies, which terrorized the communities and jeopardized the safety of the employees of more than three-dozen local businesses," said United States Attorney Robert Capers said. "As a result of the diligent work and collaboration of federal and local law enforcement authorities, the defendant will now be held accountable for his actions."

House will face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.