Uniondale man charged in theft of nearly $11,000 worth of cigarettes from Nassau convenience stores
A Uniondale man was arrested Sunday just hours after he stole more than $4,000 worth of cigarettes from a Valley Stream 7-Eleven — ending a string of cigarette thefts that detectives said amounted to almost $11,000 worth of smokes from seven Nassau County 7-Eleven stores during a three-week spree that began in mid-November.
Nassau County police said Fifth Squad detectives arrested Andre Christmas, 55, outside an apartment complex on West Columbia Street in Hempstead at about 6 p.m. Sunday, charging him with multiple counts of robbery, grand larceny and petit larceny.
Police said the spree began Nov. 19 at the 7-Eleven at 552 Franklin Ave. in Franklin Square, with the theft of $1,300 in cigarettes. On Nov. 21, police said Christmas stole $678 worth of smokes from the 7-Eleven at 310 Hempstead Ave. in Hempstead. A second theft at that store, on Nov. 27, netted just $44 worth of cigarettes, police said.
But later that day, police said Christmas also stole $2,900 worth of cigarettes from the 7-Eleven at 83 Franklin Ave. in Valley Stream.
The next theft was at the 7-Eleven at 2259 Jerusalem Ave. in North Bellmore on Dec. 3, when police said Christmas stole $1,143 worth of cigarettes, followed by a theft from the 7-Eleven at 2663 Jerusalem Ave. in North Bellmore on Dec. 8, when he stole $549 worth of smokes.
The final theft was on Saturday, when police said Christmas returned to the 7-Eleven on Franklin Avenue in Valley Stream — and this time stole $4,374 worth of cigarettes.
The total for the seven thefts came to $10,988.
Bail was set Monday at his arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead at $100,000 cash or $200,000 insured bond or $100,000 partially secured surety bond. Christmas is represented by Legal Aid, which generally does not comment on individual cases.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
