Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Jordan Behling, a 23-year-old resident of Wheatley Heights, has pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and other related charges. The charges stem from an incident involving the theft of cash from a prospective buyer on Facebook Marketplace.
"We will not tolerate theft in Suffolk County," stated District Attorney Tierney. "Worse still, this defendant coupled his theft with violence. That equation equals prison."
According to court documents and Behling's statements during his guilty plea, the events unfolded on June 16, 2023, at approximately 7:17 p.m. The victim had arranged to purchase a PlayStation 5 from Behling through Facebook Marketplace. When Behling arrived at the victim's home driving a 2020 Chevy Equinox, the victim handed him $280 in cash through the car window in exchange for the console. Instead of completing the transaction, Behling took the money and sped off while the victim was partially inside the vehicle.
Behling drove for two blocks through intersections, weaving through traffic in an attempt to dislodge the victim from his car. Some parts of this event were captured on video surveillance. The situation escalated when Behling sideswiped a parked car, causing the victim to be thrown from the vehicle. Behling then fled without checking on the victim or reporting the incident to authorities.