Hempstead Man Admits to 40 Armed Robberies

Khalif House, 24, of Hempstead, New York, admitted today to executing 40 knife-point armed robberies across Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk Counties between February 9, 2015, and June 7, 2016. Appearing before U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack in Central Islip, House pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery, marking the end of a violent crime spree that left local businesses shattered and employees traumatized.

Armed with a knife and wearing mismatched gloves, House targeted convenience stores and fast-food outlets—including Carvel, Dunkin Donuts, Subway, and 7-Eleven—striking with precision and menace. He routinely covered his face, brandished the weapon, and demanded cash, often escalating violence when met with resistance. During one robbery, he chased a fleeing employee, dragged her back inside, and forced her to comply. In another, he slashed an employee who tried to disarm him.

The spree ended June 8, 2016, after House attempted to rob a Dollar Tree in Queens. He fled the scene and was later found hiding in a stranger’s van in Floral Park. Police recovered the telltale mismatched gloves and other evidence linking him to the string of robberies. His capture triggered a sweeping federal indictment under E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-370 (JMA).

The investigation was led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, with critical support from the Nassau County Police Department, NYPD, Suffolk County Police Department, and the Floral Park Police. The collaboration dismantled a pattern of brazen, high-risk robberies that terrorized small business owners and workers across three counties.

“The defendant engaged in a widespread and dangerous pattern of knife-point commercial robberies, which terrorized the communities and jeopardized the safety of the employees of more than three-dozen local businesses,” said United States Attorney Robert L. Capers, who announced the guilty plea. “As a result of the diligent work and collaboration of federal and local law enforcement authorities, the defendant will now be held accountable for his actions.”

House now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Misorek of the Eastern District of New York’s Long Island Criminal Section. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date before Judge Azrack.