Queens, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Aaron Smalls, 39, was arraigned on charges of grand larceny in the second and fourth degrees and four counts of grand larceny in the third degree for stealing jewelry from Queens stores valued at $170,000. Smalls, from Staten Island, also faces charges of robbery and assault for a separate incident in 2021.
If convicted, Smalls could face up to 15 years in prison. He was ordered by Queens Criminal Court Judge Diego Friere to appear in court on Friday, May 13. Smalls allegedly used a tactic of asking to view expensive jewelry in stores and fleeing with the items in hand.
The accused was apprehended at the Woodside Motel in Queens Boulevard on May 8 by members of the Queens Warrant Squad. The investigation involved multiple precincts as well as the Queens Grand Larceny Squad led by Detective William Dugan. Catherine Jahn of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau will prosecute the case.