Michael Conley, the prime suspect in a terrifying home invasion in December, was seen being led into the 120th Precinct in St. George by NYPD officers on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Conley, who is accused of being part of this disturbing event at a Mid-Island residence during the night, has admitted guilt. A 29-year-old resident of the 500 block of Bay Street in Stapleton, Conley’s conviction date has been set for February 24, with a prison term of 10 years proposed for his part in the incident that occurred on December 18, 2023.
The agreement to plead guilty was delivered to Judge Alexander Jeong on Thursday by Conley, alleviating the charges of first-degree burglary and attempted possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Meanwhile, his three associates, also implicated in the intensely distressing armed intrusion, are currently in custody awaiting trial on Rikers Island. They are now facing multiple serious charges in the state Supreme Court in St. George.
Conley’s accomplices included Roland Knight, 32, another resident of the 500 block of Bay Street in Stapleton, along with Elliot Knight, 29, of Boyd Street in Stapleton, and Luthman Sefu, 32, of Stanley Avenue in New Brighton. The chilling event unfolded as four men, their faces hidden by masks and dressed in dark attire, forcefully breached the front door of the house right after midnight, seen by the home security camera.
The assailants frighteningly prowled the upstairs hallway and bedrooms, where a 33-year-old mother, her daughter aged 5, her 4-year-old son, and their 54-year-old nanny had been peacefully sleeping. The intruders made demands for cash and precious jewelry, with authorities detailing the incident as a premeditated robbery. The mother found herself alone with the intruders, as her husband was not present at home during this terrifying ordeal.
According to the prosecution, one of the intruders ruthlessly struck the mother with a handgun as they frantically searched the house for valuables. In an equally arresting scene, another intruder dragged the daughter – who, according to the authorities, sustained head injuries – and the nanny into the very same room. Creating immense stress and fear, this marked one of the most alarming incidents unfolding in the neighborhood.
Post this disquieting incident, the Shmira, a neighborhood watch group of Jewish origin, maintained an around-the-clock surveillance for the family. The fact that Conley has quite a few violent, felony convictions under his name only heightens the severity of the entire situation. In addition to this case, at the time of Conley’s guilty plea, he was facing charges in seven other cases in Staten Island.
The charges in these cases come from numerous incident reports and comprise possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl with an intention to distribute, assault, and the illegal usage of a motor vehicle. Coincidentally, Luthman, one of the co-defendants, had pleaded guilty to charges just a few weeks before the home invasion. This plea relates to a 2022 operation aimed at rooting out members of a local Bloods set in the New Brighton vicinity.
Court documents indicated that Elliot Knight had been dealing with another case regarding drug-related charges. The city has seen instances over time where local sects of national gangs and factions of youths in various neighborhoods have connections to armed robberies and drug syndicates on Staten Island.
Upon the guilty plea of Conley, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon issued an official statement. McMahon acknowledged the impact of the incident that shook the community, labeling it as tense and harrowing, and noted it as a worse-case scenario for any resident of Staten Island.
In McMahon’s firm and uncompromising words, he stated that Conley was part of a violent home invasion that resulted in multiple victims and traumatized the locale. As cameras recorded and people watched, McMahon didn’t hold back on Conley’s past.
He emphasized Conley’s unexcusable and chronic criminal behavior, stating that it demanded nothing less than a prison sentence spanning a complete decade. Simultaneously, he extended gratitude to their partners in the NYPD for their meticulous work in this concerning case.
Calling the investigation thorough and commendable, McMahon expressed relief that it led to the apprehension of this dangerous defendant. It was under these cooperative and resolute efforts of law enforcement, he noted, they were able to bring justice to the table, limiting the potential risk to community safety.
The case of this grave home invasion came to a pivotal point with Conley’s admittance of guilt. The balance now shifts to a place of anticipation, awaiting the fates that are to be handed down to those implicated in this case on Staten Island.
As the community continues the path to recovery after this unsettling incident, hope persists for justice to prevail. Families and individuals across Staten Island remain watchful, hopeful that such a horrific incident won’t repeat in their vicinity.