A Yonkers man is criminally charged with felony armed robbery for taking $250,000 in cash from a gambler who was held at gunpoint by a second man in front of the New York LaGuardia Marriott in East Elmhurst in June. Via Google Maps
Oct. 2, 2024 By Bill Parry
Members of the NYPD’s warrant squad arrested a Yonkers man and delivered him to the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights on Sept. 23, where he was booked in connection to an armed robbery of an out-of-town gambler who was in the borough for a high-stakes poker game in Flushing, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.
Gianni Cardona, 26, of Yonker Avenue in Westchester County, was arraigned that evening in Queens Criminal Court, where he was charged with robbery in the first degree, an armed felony offense, and other related crimes.
The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, when the 41-year-old victim was heading to his car in front of the New York LaGuardia Marriott located at 102-05 Ditmars Ave. in East Elmhurst.
Cardona and his accomplice, who remains at large, approached the victim near his car, and Cardona’s partner pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the gambler’s head.
While the victim was held at gunpoint, Cardona went inside the man’s vehicle and removed a black bag containing $250,000 in cash, according to the criminal complaint.
Cardona and his accomplice sped away from the crime scene in a gray Mercedes-Benz sedan heading toward the Grand Central Parkway.
In addition to felony armed robbery, Cardona was also charged with grand larceny and menacing.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Julieta Lozano set bail at $20,000 cash and $60,000 bond. The victim was not injured during the armed robbery, police said.
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