By Nathan Duke
Two Brooklyn men have been charged in the January murder of a 62-year-old livery cab driver in Long Island City, the Queens district attorney said. One of the defendants was a co-worker of the slain man.
Gregory Johnson, 32, and Auther Lattan, 22, both of whom are from Brooklyn, were arraigned last Thursday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Gene Lopez on charges of murder, attempted robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence, Queens DA Richard Brown said.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 25 years to life in prison, the DA said.
The defendants, who will return to court on May 5, were held without bail, a DA spokeswoman said.
The victim, Jaroslaw Bielawski, 62, of Brooklyn, had been at the business offices of Crosslands Corporate Transportation, at 35-44 11th St. in Long Island City, when he was killed.
“The victim in this case was a hardworking New Yorker,” Brown said. “His death was senseless and shocking, motivated by the basest of emotions — greed.”
Johnson had been one of Bielawski’s co-workers, the DA said.
On Jan. 8, the defendants allegedly drove to Crosslands in Lattan’s car as part of a pre-arranged plan, the DA said. They are accused of getting out of the vehicles wearing hoods, ski masks and gloves and approaching a vehicle driven by Bielawski, a Crosslands driver, he said.
During the course of the robbery, Johnson allegedly pulled out a revolver and fired it multiple times, striking Bielawski in the shoulder and head, killing him, the DA said. Lattan is alleged to have fled the scene on foot, discarding his mask and gloves nearby, Brown said.
Johnson is accused of fleeing in Lattan’s vehicle before returning the car and the gun to Lattan at a later time, the DA said.
Forensic analysis revealed that DNA samples recovered from the gloves and ski mask discarded near the scene allegedly matched Lattan’s DNA, Brown said. Johnson, who had been on a leave of absence from Crosslands, returned to work less than two weeks later.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
