Pair allegedly robbed couple on Christmas Eve while posing as cops

Two men posing as police officers and equipped with police vests, badges, handcuffs and pistols allegedly terrorized a family during the early morning hours of Christmas Eve by tying up the mother and father and stealing Christmas presents, jewelry and approximately $4,000 in cash while the couple’s four children - seven years old and under - slept.
The two defendants have been identified as Constantino Christo, 43, and Nicholas Papaleo, 33, both of Brooklyn. The two defendants were arraigned on December 24, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Pauline A. Mullings on a criminal complaint charging each of them with the crimes of first- and second-degree burglary, second-degree robbery, second-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree assault, first-degree criminal impersonation and endangering the welfare of a child. Judge Mullings ordered Papaleo to be held without bail and set bail at $1 million for Christo. The defendants face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
According to the charges, Robert Kapovic was checking on a second property he owned on 169th Street at approximately 10:20 p.m. on the evening of December 23, when Christo and Papaleo knocked on the door and identified themselves as police officers and said they had a warrant and that they were looking for drugs and money. At the time, the defendants were allegedly both wearing police vests and displaying what appeared to be police badges, as well as handcuffs and pistols. It is alleged that Christo and Papaleo took Kapovic to his primary residence on 20th Road in Whitestone and when his wife, Deidre Capone, answered the door, pushed their way in and took the couple upstairs.
It is further alleged that the defendants kept the couple zip-tied for approximately three and one-half hours and that while one of the defendants stood guard over them the other ransacked the house, taking numerous items - including a diamond bracelet, diamond earrings, wedding rings, leather jackets, iPods, digital cameras, bottles of alcohol, a coin collection and approximately $4,000 in cash. During the incident, it is alleged that Kapovic was pistol-whipped, while his wife was pushed around.