Suffolk County, NY – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the indictment of Frank Costa, 54, of Port Jefferson Station, and Jon Pucci, 29, of Middle Island, for a series of crimes including three arsons and nine commercial burglaries throughout Suffolk County.
The indictment follows a detailed investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department into crimes that occurred between August 20, 2023, and February 9, 2024. Costa and Pucci are accused of burglarizing nine businesses and setting fires at three PSEG Long Island substations, actions believed to be intended to cause local power outages and distract law enforcement during their burglary spree. The pair was arrested on February 10, 2024, around midnight, after detectives followed them to a PSEGLI easement in Centereach.
A search of the location revealed an ATM, reportedly stolen from a Shell Gas Station in Ridge the day before, with money from the ATM found in the defendants’ pockets.
The arsons they are accused of committing took place at PSEGLI substations throughout the county.
The series of burglaries targeted various gas stations, a food basket, a laundromat, a deli, and a car care center across Suffolk County.
Both Costa and Pucci face numerous charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, multiple counts of burglary, criminal mischief, attempted burglary, criminal possession of stolen property, and arson. District Attorney Tierney commended the police department for their thorough investigation and pledged to hold the defendants accountable for their “extremely dangerous crimes.”