'Guilty,' Jury Convicts Rockland Man Of Hobbs Act Robbery, Gun Charge

CHESTNUT RIDGE, NY — A jury has convicted a Rockland man in federal court for his part in a brutal home invasion armed robbery.

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced on Thursday the conviction of Thierry Antoine for robbing the home of a marijuana dealer in Chestnut Ridge, in December 2019, and for using a firearm in connection with that robbery. Antoine was convicted by a jury on Wednesday after a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román.

"A unanimous jury has found that Thierry Antoine engaged in a violent gunpoint robbery, which included the beating of an innocent victim," Williams said. "Thanks to the hard work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, Antoine is now held accountable for his conduct."

According to court documents, on December 16, 2019, Antoine and five others agreed to rob the home of a known marijuana dealer in Chestnut Ridge. Later that day, Antoine and the others drove to the home, bringing weapons along with them, including a mini-bat, a knife, and a firearm.

Once at the home, Antoine and the others ran into a young man who was at the residence to meet a friend. They beat the young man up, including shoving the firearm in his mouth with such force that it broke one of his teeth, and tied him up as they broke into the home and stole cash, marijuana, and high-end clothes and shoes.

The 34-year-old from Spring Valley was convicted by a jury of one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison; one count of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison; and one count of use, carrying, and possession of a firearm, in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a sentence from five years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed to a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Antoine is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Román on April 4.

Williams praised the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.