A Jamaica man admitted in federal court on Thursday to wigging out during a string of armed robberies at six gas stations and convenience stores across Queens last year.
Sean Jack, 36, pleaded guilty on July 12 to federal robbery conspiracy, robbery and weapons possession charges. He faces a prison term of seven years to life, according to U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue.
“As he has now admitted, Sean Jack participated in numerous armed robberies, including one in which an employee of a gas station was pistol-whipped,” Donoghue said. “Combatting gun-related crime is a priority of this office and, together with our law enforcement partners, we will work tirelessly to prosecute criminals like the defendant who terrorize hard-working citizens of our community.”
Jack’s guilty plea primarily focused on two of the six robberies in the pattern: the Sept. 24, 2017 holdup at a Mobil gas station located at 69-08 Eliot Ave. in Middle Village, and the Oct. 1, 2017 stickup at a Sunoco station located at 234-02 South Conduit Ave. in Springfield Gardens.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Jack had also admitted to participating in the four other robberies in the pattern that were not included in the charges against him.
In each of the robberies, prosecutors said, Jack and an accomplice entered the gas station or mini-mart and shopped for various items. When they brought their selections to the counter, one of the suspects then pulled out a firearm and pointed it at a store employee. The other suspect then removed money from the cash register.
Jack and/or his cohort wore a wig during each of the capers in an apparent attempt to conceal their identities, law enforcement sources said.
During the Springfield Gardens robbery, authorities said, one of the suspects tried to rob an employee as he was counting cash at the register. When the employee resisted, he was pistolwhipped by a perpetrator numerous times. The other crook managed to steal $1,300 from the register.
Federal agents and the NYPD, in the course of their investigation, identified the getaway vehicle that the suspects used as a Ford Expedition with a large sticker on the rear windshield and a possibly stolen license plate.
Two days after the Springfield Gardens stickup, on Oct. 3, 2017, law enforcement agents located the Expedition and spotted Jack entering it. Moments later, they took him into custody and brought him in for questioning, during which Jack confessed to his role in the Middle Village and Springfield Gardens capers.
