Michael Lane gets 10 years in Uniondale holdups

A Uniondale man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison after a jury found he held up two men at gunpoint in October 2010.

Michael Lane, 21, was convicted in May of two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery and two counts of third-degree robbery.

"Mr. Lane proved his cowardice when he pulled a gun on two unarmed victims with a group of friends there to back him up," said Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

Lane's lawyer, Valerie Hawkins of Hempstead, could not be reached for comment.

Prosecutors said Lane's first victim was walking home in Uniondale when he was confronted by Lane and a group of other men on the corner of Hempstead Boulevard and Emerson Street. Lane showed a handgun and demanded the man's wallet, prosecutors said. When the man handed it over, the robbers fled, prosecutors said.

Fifteen minutes later, a second man was walking near the corner of Henry and Armond streets in Uniondale when he was surrounded by Lane and a group of other men. Again, the group fled once the man handed over his wallet.

Lane was arrested days later. He was also charged with fourth-degree tampering with a witness after prosecutors said he and a group of men tried to intimidate one of the witnesses at his home. That case is pending.