BRONX MAN IS SENTENCED FOR ROBBING LIVERY CAB DRIVERS

Bronx District attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 33 year-old Bronx man has been sentenced to more than 50 years imprisonment for robbing two livery cab drivers and a passenger in May 2002.

A jury last month found Edwin Maldonado, of 1481 Washington Avenue, guilty of 2 counts of Robbery in the 1st degree, and 1 count of Robbery in the 3rd degree for the gunpoint robberies of German Guzman, 38, Tanya Simpson, 28 and an unidentified cab driver.

State Supreme Court Justice Edward M. Davidowitz sentenced Maldonado, a Discretionary Persistent Felony Offender, having been convicted of two previous felonies, to consecutive terms of 25 years on each count of robbery in the 1st degree to be served concurrently with a term of 3 ½ to 7 years imprisonment on the count of robbery in the 3rd degree.

The first robbery occurred on May 3, 2002, when Maldonado rushed up to the window of a cab driven by Guzman, reached into the vehicle and snatched $90 out of the victim’s shirt pocket. A passing eyewitness testified that she observed the defendant robbing the victim.

On May 21, 2002, Maldonado approached an unidentified cab driver in which Simpson was a passenger, reached into the cab and snatched an undetermined amount of money out of the cab driver’s shirt pocket, and unlocked the doors. Maldonado jumped into the backseat with Simpson, stuck a gun in her face, snatched her necklace and took her purse which contained $250 in cash and credit cards. The defendant then held the gun to the back of the cab driver’s head and demanded more money. Maldonado, who fled on foot, and was apprehended a short time later.

Assistant District Attorney Georgia D. Barker of the Trial Division prosecuted this case.