A man arrested in June for killing a Jericho gas station clerk in a botched robbery has been indicted on 17 counts including first-degree murder, according to Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.
Joshua Golson-Orelus, 23, faces life in prison without the possibiity of parole if found guilty of the top charge in the murder of Hany Awad, a Levittown man working at the BP gas station on Jericho Turnpike in January. Singas said that incident is just one of Golson-Orelus’ hits during a six month-long robbery spree in which he targeted gas stations and convenience stores in Westbury, Hicksville, Jericho and East Meadow.
“This defendant is accused of murdering an innocent man on a greed-driven armed robbery spree that terrorized 10 gas stations throughout Nassau County,” said Singas. “We will prosecute this case aggressively to ensure that this menace will never endanger our communities again. I commend our partners in law enforcement—the Nassau County Police Department, the Utica Police Department and the U.S. Marshals—for their outstanding work.”
Golson-Orelus was arrested in upstate New York after an investigation spanning five months. Singas said that Golson-Orelus’ robbery spree began in the early morning hours of Dec. 20, when he robbed a Citgo gas station in Westbury. The defendant committed five more robberies in January including robbing the Citgo station again on Jan. 17 and robbing the same 7-Eleven location in Hicksville twice in a matter of five days. On Jan. 28 at approximately 9:14 p.m., the defendant attempted to rob a BP gas station in Jericho and allegedly murdered station employee Awad, 56, in the incident.
Golson-Orelus robbed two more gas stations in February and another station in March. The defendant’s last robbery occurred on June 14, when he attacked a Westbury Citgo that he had robbed on two previous occasions.
Golson-Orelus is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, nine counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree attempted robbery, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of second-degree robbery. He is due back in court on Oct. 5.
