Attendant steals from Hempstead gas station, flees to JFK, cops say
Muzaffer Aktas, 49, of Uniondale, was arraigned Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, on a larceny charge, police said. Credit: NCPD
A Hempstead gas station attendant stole money from two cash boxes at work, but was arrested at Kennedy Airport after the business owner went there to track him down, Nassau police said Monday.
Muzaffer Aktas, 49, of Park Avenue in Uniondale, was arraigned Monday on a charge of third-degree larceny and held on bail of $10,000.
“I took the money because my boss, he owes me money,” the employee told investigators, according to court papers. “I haven’t paid my rent, I’ve been working for free.”
Aktas broke open cash boxes at about 10 p.m. Sunday at the Star Gas Station convenience store on Fulton Avenue and took off with $10,549.30, according to the complaint filed against him.
The gas station owner was notified of the theft and suspected Aktas was going to leave the country with the money, so he drove to Kennedy Airport and asked the Port Authority police for help, Nassau police said.
After contacting Nassau authorities, Port Authority police found Aktas and arrested him without incident, officials said. Police recovered $7,557, the complaint said.
The gas station owner could not be immediately reached Monday night. Investigators said they have surveillance video and Aktas’ confession as evidence.
At his arraignment, Aktas was represented by Legal Aid, which has a policy of not commenting in the early stages of a case.
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