New Cassel man accused of murdering Jericho gas station attendant arraigned

Bill San Antonio

The New Cassel man accused of killing a Jericho gas station attendant in January was arraigned on Wednesday on multiple felony charges of murder and armed robbery.

Joshua Golson-Orelus, 23, faces life in prison without parole if convicted on the top charge of first-degree murder after county prosecutors said he shot Hany Awad at a BP station in Jericho during a string of armed robberies earlier this year. He is due back in court on October 5.

Prosecutors said Golson-Orelus is responsible for robbing 10 gas stations on 11 occasions from December 2014 through June 14, 2015.

Joshua Golson-Orelus has also been charged with felony charges of second-degree murder, nine counts of first-degree robbery and two counts each of first-degree attempted robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery.

“This defendant is accused of murdering an innocent man on a greed-driven armed robbery spree that terrorized 10 gas stations throughout Nassau County,” said acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas in a statement. “We will prosecute this case aggressively to ensure that this menace will never endanger communities again.” 

Golson-Orelus’ attorney, Fred Pollack of Mineola, could not immediately be reached for comment.

A Nassau County police investigation into the robberies linked two other incidents that took place about a half hour apart in New Hyde Park and Thomaston on January 26, but Golson-Orelus has been charged in connection with robberies in Westbury, Hicksville, Jericho and East Meadow.

During the Thomaston and New Hyde Park robberies, the suspect allegedly fire shots while inside the station’s convenience stores before fleeing with cash.

The suspect was described as a black or Hispanic male at 5 feet, 7 inches tall and wearing dark clothes and brandishing a black handgun.

On January 28, Awad was discovered lying behind the counter of the convenience store at 39 Jericho Turnpike with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Golson-Orelus was arrested in upstate Utica days after he allegedly robbed the Citgo station at 495 Union Avenue for the third time during the spree.

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