Nine men have been indicted in what prosecutors describe as a Suffolk County-based organized crime ring responsible for a 17-day spree of burglaries, armed robberies, home invasions, carjackings, and stolen vehicles that stretched from Long Island to Florida.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the 38-count indictment, which alleges the defendants committed nearly 20 criminal incidents between July 19 and August 4, 2025. The alleged crimes include eight auto-body shop burglaries, two residential break-ins, three armed robberies, multiple stolen vehicles, and possession of firearms.
Authorities said the investigation was led by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County Police Department, with assistance from numerous local, state, and federal agencies across New York and Florida.
Prosecutors allege the defendants targeted auto-body shops and private residences to steal cash, vehicle keys, license plates, and vehicles. Investigators said stolen license plates were swapped onto stolen cars in an effort to evade law enforcement as the group allegedly traveled across Suffolk County, Nassau County, New York City, Westchester and Dutchess counties, and as far south as Florida.
According to the indictment, on July 19, 2025, defendants Leny Cruz, 23, of Brooklyn; Harvin Parra, 20, of Bay Shore; Noel Santelises, 21, of Brooklyn; and Edward Nunez, 28, of Brooklyn, allegedly traveled to Westchester County in a stolen BMW and broke into three auto-body shops in one night, stealing cash and approximately 200 blank checks.
Less than a week later, Cruz and Parra allegedly broke into two additional auto-body shops in Dutchess County, stealing a Chevrolet Suburban, a safe containing $5,000 in cash, blank checks, and 48 sets of New York State license plates. Authorities say they also attempted to break into a Lamborghini dealership in Nassau County before the stolen Suburban was later recovered in Melville.
Prosecutors further allege that Cruz and Parra traveled to Florida days later, where they obtained firearms and stole a Dodge Charger. They allegedly used the Charger — outfitted with stolen New York license plates — to attempt another auto-body shop burglary in Florida and to carjack a BMW. The BMW was reportedly abandoned when the defendants realized it had a manual transmission.
After returning to Suffolk County, Cruz and Parra were allegedly joined by Justin Kenny, 24, of Bohemia, and Savion Jones, 22, of Huntington Station. On August 2, 2025, the group allegedly broke into another auto-body shop in Sleepy Hollow before committing a residential burglary in Amityville, stealing keys to a Porsche SUV and thousands of dollars in cash.
Between August 3 and August 4, prosecutors allege Parra, Jose Ramos, 20, of Bay Shore, and Carlos Benitez-Montoya, 20, of Bay Shore, armed with what appeared to be firearms, burglarized another Deer Park auto-body shop, then carjacked a woman outside her residence and stole her Mercury sedan.
On August 4, Cruz, Parra, Jones, Kenny, and Robert Salters, 20, of Wyandanch, allegedly carried out a gunpoint home invasion in Bay Shore, stealing approximately $4,700 in cash.
Police responding to a 911 call arrested Cruz and Parra nearby. Authorities said Cruz was allegedly found in possession of a .45 caliber handgun, $2,000 in cash, and a key fob to the stolen Dodge Charger. The Charger was recovered with multiple stolen license plates inside.
Cruz and Parra have remained incarcerated since their arrests. On February 25, 2026, six additional defendants were arrested with assistance from the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and other agencies. Three of the defendants were already in custody on unrelated matters.
Top charges include Robbery in the First Degree for Jones, Cruz, Parra, Salters, and Kenny, each of whom faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Ramos and Benitez-Montoya face Robbery in the Second Degree, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Santelises and Nunez face Burglary in the Third Degree.
Several defendants were ordered held on cash bail or bond, while others were released under supervised conditions due to bail eligibility laws.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Sean Buckley and Matthew Laube of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. The investigation was led by Detective Matthew Messina of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Intelligence Section and Detective Investigator Jean Graf of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Gang Task Force.
All charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
