Man Convicted In Brooklyn Home Invasion Now Accused Of Trying To Have Witness Killed
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Brooklyn man convicted in a 2012 home invasion has now been indicted on charges of enlisting a fellow inmate at Rikers Island to "take care of a witness."
Joseph Lombardo, 55, was hit with the new charges on Wednesday after being convicted the underlying home invasion, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said in a news release.
Lombardo was charged with three new counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and 10 counts of solicitation to commit murder, prosecutors said. He was arraigned Thursday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Betty Williams.
He faces 25 years to life in prison on the new charges if convicted, prosecutors said.
Lombardo was arrested on Feb. 1, 2013, on allegations that he broke into the apartment on West 2nd Street in Brooklyn where Janna Saleh resided with her three children. All were home when Lombardo and an accomplice still at large broke into her apartment at gunpoint and after forcing a neighbor, Lyudmila Dushina, to knock on Saleh's door, prosecutors alleged.
Once inside, Lombardo and his alleged accomplice – both wearing ski masks, hoods and gloves – demanded money, prosecutors alleged.
At trial, witnesses testified that Janna Saleh's 11-year-old daughter called her father, Hussein Saleh, who was at work at the time in the family's deli, prosecutors alleged. Hussein Saleh rushed out of the deli around the corner from the family's home, and saw the suspects running off and taking off their masks, prosecutors alleged.
Hussein Saleh allegedly recognized Lombardo as "Joe," who had been coming to the deli several times a week for about a year, prosecutors alleged.
Lombardo was hit with multiple charges in the case. But prosecutors on Thursday claimed that while being held at Rikers Island, he repeatedly solicited a fellow inmate to "take care of" Hussein Saleh, since Lombardo knew the deli owner could identify him at trial, prosecutors alleged.
The inmate repeatedly refused, and told investigators from the New York City Department of Corrections about it, prosecutors alleged. The inmate said Lombardo told him, "I don't care how you do it, I just want him dead," prosecutors alleged.
An undercover detective got involved, and pretended to be a killer for hire as he talked with Lombardo over the phone at Rikers, prosecutors alleged.
Lombardo met the undercover detective at the Rikers visitors' area on Aug. 30, and Lombardo allegedly drew him a map of the deli with instructions on how to get to Hussein Saleh's apartment, prosecutors alleged. Lombardo allegedly also advised that the undercover detective steal cash and cigarettes to make it all look like a robbery gone bad, prosecutors said.
The plan did not work, and indeed Hussein Saleh did testify against Lombardo, prosecutors said. Lombardo was convicted of burglary and robbery by a jury Wednesday in connection the home invasion, and faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 17 in that case.
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