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March 28, 2014 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that three defendants were convicted today after a jury trial for the May 21, 2013 armed robbery of the Suds Car Wash on McLean Avenue in Yonkers.
Joseph Pleasant (DOB 08/13/79) of 12 East 116 Street, New York, New York was convicted of:
- four counts of Robbery in the First Degree, class “B” Violent Felonies,
- two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, class “E” Felonies,
- one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
- two counts of Petit Larceny, class “A” Misdemeanors,
- one count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
- one count of Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in the Third Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
- one count of Reckless Driving, a class “A” Misdemeanor in Violation of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law,
- one count of Operating a Motor Vehicle in excess of the maximum speed limit, a Violation of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law,
- one count of Resisting Arrest, a class “A” Misdemeanor.
Marc Rispers (DOB 07/14/83) of 361 East 178 Street, Bronx, New York was convicted of:
- four counts of Robbery in the First Degree, class “B” Violent Felonies,
- two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, class “E” Felonies,
- one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
- two counts of Petit Larceny, class “A” Misdemeanors,
- one count of Resisting Arrest, a class “A” Misdemeanor.
Michael Jordan (DOB 09/12/83) of 1990 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York was convicted of:
- one count of Robbery in the Second Degree, a class “C” Violent Felony,
- two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, class “E” Felonies,
- one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor,
- two counts of Petit Larceny, class “A” Misdemeanors,
- one count of Resisting Arrest, a class “A” Misdemeanor.
On May 21, 2013 at approximately 4:50 p.m., in the vicinity of 866 McLean Avenue, in Yonkers, two of the defendants, Rispers and Pleasant, while aiding and abetting and acting in concert with each other, entered the Suds Car Wash, displaying a Tec-9 semi-automatic pistol and a .380 cal. semi-automatic pistol. The third defendant, Jordan, aided and abetted in the robbery.
They proceeded to rob the owner of the car wash of two credit cards, cash, a portable phone and a laptop computer.
The defendants fled the scene in their vehicle, and within minutes, were spotted by Yonkers Police on McLean Avenue.
At the time of the chase, both McLean Avenue and Central Avenue had heavy rush hour traffic.
The defendants’ vehicle accelerated to over 70 mph on Central Avenue in Yonkers, a speed well in excess of the posted speed limit.
The defendants then entered the New York State Thruway wherein they accelerated to well over 100 mph. At times the defendants drove on the right shoulder of the road and sped through the Ardsley toll barrier while other motorists were in the plaza.
The defendants exited the Thruway at the Ardsley exit but due to the car’s speed they could not negotiate the exit, sped through a stop sign, drove through the intersection with Route 9-A in Ardsley, and crashed into a guardrail.
Each of the three defendants fled from the car and ran into the Saw Mill River as police were ordering them to stop.
Jordan continued through the river and up the opposite bank.
Pleasant ran into the river and into an aqueduct that went under the Thruway. In an effort to further elude being caught he sat down in the water exposing only a bit of his face.
Rispers ran into the river but was quickly caught.
After brief periods of resistance, all were subsequently arrested by responding officers.
“The defendants held up a car wash, two of them armed with semi-automatic weapons, then led police on a high speed chase during the afternoon rush hour and were finally apprehended after jumping into the Saw Mill River to evade arrest. In their flight to elude capture, they endangered the public and the police with their wanton disregard of the consequences, the consequences of which they will now face,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
Sentencing will be on July 29, 2014.
Pleasant and Rispers each face a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison.
Jordan faces a maximum of 15 years in state prison.
Assistant District Attorney Timothy Ward, Chief of the Career Criminal Bureau, is prosecuting the case.
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| Michael Jordan | Marc Rispers | Joseph Pleasant |
