Montgomery Man Charged As Leader Of Organized Armed Robbery Conspiracy With Six Other Defendants

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging PATRICK CHELLEL in a conspiracy to commit multiple armed robberies of suspected drug dealers and drug runners in Orange County, New York, the Bronx, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut. CHELLEL was arrested today and was presented before Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “As alleged, Patrick Chellel organized and directed a violent conspiracy to rob suspected drug dealers and associates at gunpoint. Chellel and his robbery crew allegedly engaged in serious acts of violence and sophisticated methods to track their victims, including with a hidden Apple Watch on a victim’s car. Today’s arrest is part of our continued commitment with our law enforcement partners to root out gun violence in our communities.”

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today and in other filings[1]:

From at least in or about November 2019 and continuing through at least in or about January 2020, PATRICK CHELLEL, a/k/a “Pat,” DARREN LINDSAY, a/k/a “DJ,” ANTOINE KOEN, a/k/a “Twon,” ROBERT OJEDA, a/k/a “Mini,” ONITAYO ARE, a/k/a “Oni,” INDIGO GRANT, and PATRICIA KONCO, a/k/a “Flacca,” conspired to rob suspected drug dealers and associates of drugs and drug proceeds. As part of the conspiracy, on or about November 14, 2019, CHELLEL organized a plan with LINDSAY to rob suspected drug dealers at their residence in the vicinity of Mount Hope, New York, where the victims were assaulted at gunpoint. Furthermore, on or about December 15, 2019, LINDSAY, KOEN, and OJEDA robbed at gunpoint suspected drug dealers of marijuana at a residence in the Bronx. Finally, on or about January 19, 2020, LINDSAY, KOEN, ARE, GRANT, and KONCO, acting at CHELLEL’s direction, committed a violent gunpoint robbery of a drug runner in a hotel parking garage after surreptitiously tracking the victim’s location with a hidden Apple Watch, resulting in approximately $500,000 in drug proceeds stolen.

CHELLEL, 31, LINDSAY, 31, KOEN, 30, OJEDA, 31, ARE, 29, GRANT, 30, and KONCO, 32, are each charged in the following counts in the Superseding Indictment:

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

The charges in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department, the Town of Crawford Police Department, and the City of Middletown Police Department.

Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing.  Mr. Williams requests that any individuals with relevant information should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (800)-CALL-FBI.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jennifer N. Ong are in charge of the prosecution.