FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Robbery Defendant Who Pointed Gun at Child’s Head
Sentenced To 24 Years to Life in Prison
Defendant Threatened 4-Year-Old Girl While Robbing Her Father of Jewelry
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Brooklyn man who was convicted last month of first-degree robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial has been sentenced to 24 years to life in prison.
District Attorney Thompson said, “Pointing a gun at an innocent child’s head was an outrageous and cowardly act. This defendant, who has a long criminal history, including for violent crimes, must remain in prison for the rest of his life to protect the public. There’s no question about that.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as William Hogue, 46, of Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Cassandra Mullen to 24 years to life in prison. He was convicted of one count of first-degree robbery and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on October 27, 2015, following a jury trial. The defendant has a criminal history dating back to 1988 and is therefore deemed by law to be a mandatory persistent violent felony offender.
The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on May 13, 2014, at approximately 8 p.m., in the vicinity of East 35th Street and Avenue I, in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, the defendant approached Raymond Muscat, who was with his two daughters, ages 3 and 4, near his home and demanded his jewelry, including a Rolex watch. When the victim hesitated, the defendant pointed a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol at the older child’s head and threatened to shoot her.
The District Attorney said that, according to information presented at sentencing, the defendant is a mandatory persistent violent felony offender who has spent 20 of the last 26 years in prison. During his six years out of prison, the defendant continued his life of crime, earning nine convictions, four of which were for violent felonies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Katherine Fernandez, also of the Red Zone.
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