By Mark Hallum
Khalif House, who was arrested Wednesday in Floral Park by a joint fugitive task force after a botched heist in College Point, is facing robbery charges, federal prosecutors said.
House, 24, of West Hempstead is suspected of conducting a hold-up spree that targeted 25 businesses in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk countries, according to police and law enforcement officials.
Between Feb. 1 and June 7, the knife-wielding suspect is accusing of robbing a series of Subway stores, Dunkin Donuts, a Carvel and a Dollar Tree in College, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District’s office said.
After a failed attempted robbery at a Dollar Tree in College Point at 132-23 14th Ave. around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, police began pursuing the hooded suspect, the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. attorney said. K9 and Aviation units responded and he was taken into custody hours later in a Floral Park back yard by Nassau police after a chase.
His mode of operation was entering businesses during closing hours and threatening employees with a knife before leaving with whatever could be taken from the cash drawer, according to prosecutors.
Lisette Veltri, a co-defendant, drove the getaway car, a gray 2015 Honda Accord, the criminal complaint said.
Veltri late identified House to investigators and said she had known him for more than 15 years as she described between seven to 10 sites she had driven him to, the complaint said. She told law enforcement officials that she later learned commercial robberies had taken place at the sites.
House and Veltri were both charged with robbery, the U.S. attorney said.
Since Feb. 1 the FBI, the U.S. marshals and other law enforcement authorities had been investigating the robbery spree, which targeted chain stores.
Prior to the foiled robbery at the College Point Dollar Tree, a knife-point holdup took place at a Subway restaurant at 233 Beach 20th St. Monday when a man believed to be the suspect who brandished knife took about $300 from the register and left, police said.
On Sunday an Oakland Gardens Subway store at 61-13 Springfield Blvd. was the target of a robbery at around 4 p.m. and $500 was taken from the 50-year-old male employee at the register. The suspect then fled on foot in an unknown direction, said police.
At about 8:55 p.m. last Friday, a man believed to be the same person took $300 from a 20-year-old male employee at a Subway location in Forest Hills at 64-29 108th St., police said.
Ted Anagnostos, owner of the Subway located at 205-12 Northern Blvd. in Bayside, said the suspect was not in the shop any longer than two minutes when $360 was stolen from the register at 9:25 p.m. June 2.
The Robbery Squad from the 111th Precinct responded.
“I was very happy about the procedure the employees followed. They were trained to give the robber the tray and to lock the door—make sure they’re safe first—and call 911. There were no customers in the store at the time, which I’m happy about. Nobody was hurt,” Anagnostos said.
Five patrolmen and three undercover officers initially responded to the call, according to the owner.
Police searched the neighborhood looking for the discarded cash drawer but did not find it.
Other Queens robberies the suspect is believed to have carried out occurred within the confines of the 106th 109th and 112th precincts and included two Dunkin Donuts and a Carvel, the NYPD said.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
