DA SINI: ST. JAMES MAN INDICTED FOR ALLEGED STRING OF COMMERCIAL BURGLARIES; DEFENDANT, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED FOR ATTEMPTED ATM THEFT
(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini today announced the indictment of a St. James man for allegedly committing a string of commercial burglaries in November 2020. The defendant and an accomplice are also indicted in connection with the alleged attempted theft of an ATM.
“These two individuals are alleged serial burglars who were targeting businesses and driving crime in our community,” District Attorney Sini said. “This was excellent work by our Major Crime Unit and the Suffolk County Police Department to apprehend these defendants and bring significant charges against them.”
Kieran Fichtner, 27, of St. James, is charged with three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony; two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony; six counts of Burglary in the Third Degree, a class D felony; Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony; four counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a class D felony; Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, a class D felony; Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, a class D felony; five counts of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class E felony; Attempted Burglary in the Third Degree, a class E felony; two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, a class E felony; two counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; two counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, a class A misdemeanor; two counts of Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor; and two counts of Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree, a class B misdemeanor.
Michael Parise, 46, of Stony Brook, is charged with Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a class D felony; and Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class E felony.
Throughout November 2020, Fichtner is alleged to have committed numerous commercial burglaries while on supervised release with GPS monitoring for an unrelated pending charge for criminal possession of a weapon. The alleged burglaries took place on:
· Nov. 4, 2020, at St. James Jewelry, located at 483 Lake Avenue in St. James
· Nov. 19, 2020, at Center Gold East, located at 151 Route 25a in Sound Beach
· Nov. 19, 2020, at Pattern Finders, located at 128 E. Main Street in Port Jefferson Station
· Nov. 23, 2020, at R&S Jewelry, located at 285 Route 25a in Rocky Point
· Nov. 24, 2020, at Raan Thai, located at 203 Terry Road in Nesconset
· Nov. 25, 2020, at Subway, located at 43 Railroad Avenue in Ronkonkoma
On Nov. 28, 2020, Suffolk County Police Department Major Case detectives observed Fichtner and Parise allegedly attempt to steal an ATM from Chase Bank located at 705 Smithtown Bypass in Smithtown. Fichtner and Parise fled in a vehicle. The detectives initiated a pursuit with assistance from the Suffolk County Police Electronic Investigations Unit, Aviation Unit and K-9 Unit and apprehended Fichtner.
On Nov. 28, 2020, detectives executed a search warrant on Fichtner’s vehicle and recovered a loaded 9mm pistol, approximately one gram of cocaine, and a New York State Corrections jacket that the suspect had been observed wearing during several of the burglaries. A forensic analysis conducted by the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory concluded that the 9mm pistol had been used in two shootings in November in residential neighborhoods. No victims were injured in the shootings.
Detectives also executed a search warrant at Fichtner’s residence and recovered jewelry, art, two shotguns, trailers, motorcycles, and one Mercedes, which had all been reported as stolen. Police also recovered an eagle statue that had been reported as stolen from a World War II memorial at Washington Memorial Park Cemetery in Mount Sinai.
Parise was arrested last week on unrelated charges in connection with numerous alleged commercial burglaries, at which time he made admissions to police regarding his involvement in the November ATM theft. Parise also made admissions to detectives that Fichtner would fire the pistol in residential neighborhoods to distract police in order to commit burglaries nearby.
Fichtner was arraigned on the indictment in front of Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Stephen Braslow on March 5 and bail was set at $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond or $500,000 partially-secured bond. Fichtner is being represented by George Duncan and is due back in court on April 9. Parise was arraigned today and bail was set at $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond or $400,000 partially-secured bond. Parise is being represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County and is due back in court on April 14.
If convicted of the top count, Fichtner faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. If convicted of the top count, Parise faces a maximum sentence of 3 ½ to 7 years in prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Scahill, of the Felony Offense Bureau’s Major Crime Unit.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.