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Woodhaven ATM thief who lied to a grand jury about his crimes pays a stiff penalty

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A Miami man was sentenced on Monday after being convicted of forcibly removing ATMs from a Woodhaven laundromat and a Brooklyn fast food chain in 2015 and later lying to a grand jury about it.

Kenny Gonzalez, 47, was convicted of three counts of third degree grand larceny, two counts of possession of burglar’s tools, one count of criminal mischief and one count of first-degree perjury. He was sentenced to 3 2/3 years to 11 years in prison to run consecutively.

According to trial testimony, at 10:22 p.m. on June 30, 2015, Gonzalez and another man walked into a Checkers restaurant, located at 11-46 Liberty Ave. They used a hand truck to forcibly remove the restaurant’s ATM, which contained $5,000 in cash.

Earlier that day, at 9:05 p.m., Gonzalez and two other men entered the S&M Quality Laundry, located at 74-36 Jamaica Ave., with a hand truck and forcibly removed the ATM at that location.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder, who presided at trial, stated that it is usual to have a first-degree perjury charge given the crimes, but despite the shameless actions of the crimes, it is important to remember the “bold and brazen perjury” was not only in the grand jury but before the trial jury.

“The sentence imposed by the court is a just resolution of the matter that took into account both the audacious manner in which the defendant stole from the businesses and his arrogance in perjuring himself before the grand jury and trial jury,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement.