Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that James Kelly was sentenced to 160 months in prison. The sentence comes after Kelly was convicted of robbing two delis in the Bronx and pointing a gun at deli workers during one of these robberies. U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods imposed the sentence after presiding over a four-day trial where Kelly was found guilty on two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky commented, "James Kelly terrorized workers at local delis in the Bronx by threatening to shoot them, pointing a gun at them, and robbing them at their workplace. As today’s sentence shows, violent offenders who commit these heinous crimes will face harsh penalties." He also expressed gratitude towards law enforcement partners for their dedication in holding offenders like Kelly accountable.
The case details reveal that on October 10, 2021, Kelly entered a deli with his hands in his pockets suggesting he had a gun. He threatened an employee working alone and demanded cash before ordering him to lie on the ground under threat of being shot. On January 15, 2023, he committed another robbery in which he pointed a gun at two employees and repeated similar threats.
In addition to his prison term, Kelly received three years of supervised release and must pay restitution totaling $1,900 while forfeiting an equivalent amount.
Podolsky praised the investigative efforts by the New York City Police Department's Bronx Violent Crimes Squad along with investigators from his office. The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Connie L. Dang, Adam Z. Margulies, Georgia V. Kostopoulos, Katherine Cheng, David R. Felton with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Olivia Sebade.