A one-man crime wave who robbed 40 businesses at knifepoint in Queens and Long Island over a 17-month period will be spending the next decade in a federal penitentiary, prosecutors announced on Thursday.
Khalif House, 24, of Hempstead pleaded guilty last December to committing the stickup string in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties between February 2015 and June 2016, targeting businesses including Carvel, Dunkin Donuts, Subway and 7-Eleven stores.
In nearly every instance, federal prosecutors said, House wore mismatched gloves and threatened store employees with a knife while demanding money. He got away with a combined $18,700 in cash during the robbery pattern.
Of the 40 stores targeted, law enforcement sources noted, House hit the following 11 Queens locations:
- Crown Fried Chicken located at 145-72 Brewer Blvd., in Springfield Gardens;
- Subway located at 271-06 Union Tpke., in New Hyde Park;
- Subway located at 219-25 North Conduit Ave., in Laurelton;
- Subway located at 217-06 Merrick Blvd., in Springfield Gardens;
- Carvel located at 103-21 Metropolitan Ave., in Forest Hills;
- Dunkin Donuts located at 146-36 45th Ave., in Flushing;
- Dunkin Donuts located at 163-02 Cross Bay Blvd., in Howard Beach;
- Subway located at 205-12 Northern Blvd., in Bayside;
- Subway located at 64-29 108th St., in Forest Hills;
- Subway located at 61-13 Springfield Blvd., in Oakland Gardens; and
- Subway located at 233 Beach 20th St., in Far Rockaway.
House’s crime wave finally came to an end on June 8, 2016 after he attempted to rob a Dollar Tree store in Floral Park and was caught by police as he attempted to hide in a parked van following a manhunt conducted by the FBI, the NYPD and the Nassau County Police Department.
“House stole from dozens of businesses in a number of our communities, terrorizing hard-working employees by threatening their lives during his crime spree,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde said in a statement. “Thanks to the tireless work and collaboration of our federal and local law enforcement partners, House has been held accountable for his crimes.”
