Getaway driver in home invasion convicted

A Queens man was convicted of robbery and burglary charges Tuesday after prosecutors said he drove the getaway car in a 2010 Woodbury home invasion.

The Mineola jury deliberated for one day before convicting Aadam Yusuf, 30, of South Ozone Park, of first- and second-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and other charges. He faces up to 25 years in prison when Nassau County Judge David Ayres sentences him March 1.

"The jury spoke, but I do believe there are legal issues that should be dealt with in an appellate court," said Yusuf's lawyer, Donald Rollock of Mineola. Yusuf was acquitted on one count of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree burglary, lawyers said.

Prosecutor Michael Walsh said in court that the crime occurred in November 2010 when a man pretending to be a flower deliveryman knocked on the door of an Orchard Drive home and pointed a handgun at the 26-year-old woman who answered the door. The gunman, identified as Randolph Chase, 32, of Brooklyn, then told the woman to lie down on the floor before letting three other men into the home, Walsh said.

The men stole a small amount of cash, most of which was recovered, authorities said.

Yusuf acted as one of two drivers for the intruders, prosecutors said.

Four of the five men arrested in the case, including Chase, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime, prosecutors said. One defendant is awaiting trial.

"People deserve to feel safe in their own homes without worrying that a band of armed thugs is going to barge in and destroy that sense of calm," Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.