Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that three alleged members of a burglary crew operating in New York and New Jersey were indicted on burglary, grand larceny, and weapons charges for a string of attempted and successful break-ins in Lake Success, Roslyn Heights, Woodmere, and several other Nassau County communities in 2023 and early 2024. 

Jawaun Whitted, 22, of Newark, New Jersey, was arraigned today before Judge Terrence Murphy on five counts of Burglary in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); five counts of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); five counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony); three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a D violent felony); and Criminal Possession of a Rapid-Fire Modification Device (an A Misdemeanor).

Whitted’s bail was set at $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond, and $2.5 million partially secured bond. He is due back in court on September 12, 2024. 

Fazon Farrington, 19, of Newark, New Jersey was arraigned before Judge Murphy on June 26, 2024, on five counts of Burglary in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); four counts of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); four counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony); three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a D violent felony); and Criminal Possession of a Rapid-Fire Modification Device (an A Misdemeanor).

The defendant’s bail was continued at $1 million dollars bond. Farrington is due back in court on July 26, 2024.

Raquil Hayes, 21, of Newark, New Jersey, was arraigned before Judge Murphy on June 26, 2024, on  two counts of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a D violent felony); and Criminal Possession of a Rapid-Fire Modification Device (an A Misdemeanor).

The defendant’s bail was continued at $100,000 bond. Hayes is due back in court on July 24, 2024.

“Over three weeks during the holiday season these defendants allegedly went on a burglary spree, targeting more than a dozen homes in Nassau County communities and making off with cash and cars. The defendants are allegedly part of a burglary crew that breaks into homes hunting for key fobs to steal luxury vehicles that can then be stripped of their GPS devices and resold overseas,” said DA Donnelly. “We are seeing more break-ins taking place in our neighborhoods while residents are home. It is important to take steps to protect your home, including ensuring that all windows and doors are closed and locked when you turn in for the night. Together with our partners in the multi-jurisdictional Burglary & Stolen Car Task Force we will continue to arrest and prosecute these crews for violating our residents’ safety and security.”  

DA Donnelly said that, between December 20, 2023, and January 13, 2024, the defendants allegedly attempted to burglarize more than a dozen homes in the Nassau County communities of Lake Success, Woodmere, Valley Stream, Roslyn, Roslyn Heights, New Hyde Park, Lawrence, Syosset, Mineola, and Franklin Square. 

The defendants allegedly attempted to gain entry to the homes using a crowbar to pry open doors and windows around the properties. Many of the alleged attempted burglaries happened after midnight. 

During several of the alleged attempted break-ins, the defendants were unable to gain access to the homes, tripped alarm systems, or were seen by victims in the home and fled.

Defendants Farrington and Whitted are also charged with several burglaries: 

• On December 23, 2023, at approximately 5:10 a.m. at a residence on Magnolia Drive in Franklin Square, the victim woke up to find his front door unlocked and the window to his son’s room open with the screen missing and the wooden frame broken. Whitted and Farrington allegedly stole the victim’s 2024 BMW, valued at $130,000, and 2019 Mercedes Benz, valued at $88,000.
   
• On December 26, 2023, at approximately 3:00 a.m. at a residence on Church Street in Syosset, Farrington allegedly broke into the home and stole a pocketbook and child’s bookbag. Later that morning, at approximately 4:00 a.m., Farrington also allegedly broke into a home on Saville Road in Mineola through a first-floor bathroom window. The defendant allegedly took a key fob and stole a BMW X7 from the front of the house. The defendant also allegedly stole a Louis Vuitton handbag from the home, credit cards, and $180 cash. The handbag stolen from the Church Street address earlier that morning was recovered approximately a mile away from Saville Road. 
   
• On January 2, 2024, at approximately 3:30 a.m. at a Falmouth Avenue residence in North New Hyde Park, Farrington allegedly entered the home through a first-floor door that opened onto the backyard of the residence, took a key fob to a 2024 BMW X7, and stole the car from the driveway.
   
• On January 4, 2024, at approximately 3:48 a.m. at a residence on Ocean Avenue in Lawrence, Whitted allegedly gained access to the home through an open rear sliding door and removed the victim’s car keys. The defendant allegedly stole the victim’s white BMW X7 SUV, which had a value of more than $50,000. The defendant also allegedly removed several other personal items from the home and a Range Rover SUV which was parked in the driveway. 
   
• On January 8, 2024, at approximately 2:50 a.m. at a Park Lane residence in Woodmere, Whitted and Farrington allegedly entered the residence through a kitchen window, took a key fob for a BMW 760, and stole the vehicle, valued at $130,000.
   
• On July 14, 2023, at approximately 5:30 a.m., defendant Whitted and a co-defendant allegedly gained access to a residence on Pepperidge Road in Hewlett Harbor through an unlocked rear sliding door. The defendant allegedly stole $500 cash, an Audi key fob and other items. While inside the home, the victim confronted Whitted, who allegedly ran out of the rear door and fled in the victim’s white 2023 Audi RS6, valued at approximately $170,000 and another red Jeep Cherokee. 

After an alleged attempted burglary on January 13, 2024, in Lake Success, Whitted and Hayes allegedly fled in a 2021 BMW sedan and crashed into a Lake Success Police Department vehicle. 

The defendants took off on foot and were apprehended.

Police executed a search warrant on the BMW sedan allegedly used as the defendants’ getaway vehicle where a fully loaded black Glock firearm was recovered. A “Glock switch,” a device that allows the weapon to become fully automatic, was affixed to the firearm’s slide.

The defendants are allegedly members of a burglary crew that operates in New York and New Jersey that break into homes while armed, search for key fobs, and steal vehicles.

Whitted and Hayes were arrested on January 13, 2024, by members of the Lake Success Police Department and the Nassau County Police Department’s Burglary Pattern Squad.

Farrington was arrested on March 14, 2024, by detectives of the NCPD’s Burglary Pattern Squad.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Stefanie Palma under the supervision of Bureau Chief Jared Rosenblatt of the Major Offense/Homicide Bureau and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Kevin Higgins. Whitted is represented by Adam Neal, Esq. Farrington is represented by Cheryl Bartow, Esq. Hayes is represented by Peter Menondakis, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.