RAMAPO, NY – The Rockland County District Attorney, Thomas E. Walsh II, has announced the conviction of Bernard Salas, a 46-year-old Ramapo resident. The verdict was delivered following a jury trial in the County Court of Rockland County, presided over by the Honorable Anne B. Bianchi, on May 16, 2024.
Salas was convicted of multiple charges related to two separate incidents. The first incident occurred on July 14, 2023, when Salas entered an unoccupied vehicle in Spring Valley and stole various items including keys, paperwork, an electric scooter, and expired credit cards. He also stole AirPods from another vehicle in the same driveway.
The second incident took place on December 7, 2023. Salas attempted to cash a stolen check at a local bank, which was made out for $7,500 with the victim’s forged signature. Bank staff became suspicious and refused to cash it, leading to a confrontation where Salas became irate, refused to leave, and verbally and physically assaulted bank staff and police officers. The confrontation, including Salas’s arrest, was recorded on the bank’s video surveillance.
Salas’s convictions include:
- Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (Class D Felony)
- Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (Class E Felony)
- Petit Larceny (Class A Misdemeanor)
- Resisting Arrest (Class A Misdemeanor)
- Attempted Assault in the Third Degree (Class B Misdemeanor)
- Trespass (Violation)
- Harassment in the Second Degree (Violation)
- Disorderly Conduct (Violation)
Currently held at Rockland County Jail, Salas awaits his sentencing scheduled for August 13, 2024. With four prior felony convictions and nine previous misdemeanor convictions, he faces a potential sentence as a persistent felony offender, which could range from a minimum of 15 years to life in prison.
