Orange County News
For Immediate Release Contact: Christopher Borek
March 1, 2022 845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c
District Attorney Hoovler Announces Guilty Plea
in Car-Jacking Case
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Robbery in the First Degree and Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree for Knife-Point Theft of Car and Stealing from a Bank
Defendant to be Sentenced to 15 Years in State Prison
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Tuesday, Marcy 1, 2022, Leonard Dolson, 45, of Beekman, pleaded guilty to Orange County Court to Robbery in the First Degree, and Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, in connection with the knife-point theft of a car in the City of Newburgh, and stealing money from a bank in the Village of Goshen. Pursuant to the plea agreement placed on the record at the time that Dolson pleaded guilty, he will be sentenced to a total of fifteen years in state prison and five years post-release supervision when he is sentenced on May 2, 2022.
At the time that he pleaded guilty, Dolson admitted that on March 19, 2021, at about 3:15 PM, he forcibly stole a car from the Save-A-Lot grocery store located at 97 Lake Street, in the City of Newburgh. Prosecutors argued that Dolson approached a woman who was loading groceries into her car, threatened her with a knife as he demanded her car keys, and forced her to get out of the car. Dolson then drove away in the car. Dolson admitted that at about 4:50 pm that day, he drove the stolen car to the Rhinebeck Bank branch in the Village of Goshen, where he entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. Dolson admitted stealing $1,219.00 from the bank. Following the theft from the bank, Dolson fled in the stolen car. Dolson was apprehended in Rockland County after being chased both in the stolen vehicle and then on foot by New York State Police.
Citing the defendant’s prior convictions, the District Attorney’s Office allowed the defendant to plead guilty to the two charges in satisfaction of the indictment only upon the condition that Dolson be sentenced to fifteen years in state prison and five years post-release supervision for the robbery of the car and a concurrent sentence of two to four years in state prison for the theft from the bank.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the New York State Police, the City of Newburgh Police Department, and the Village of Goshen Police Department for their work on the case.
“One does not need to use a gun to be a dangerous criminal and a threat to the community,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “This defendant’s crime spree will likely have lasting effects on the victims that he threatened, and the community will be safer during the fifteen years that he is prison. I commend all the police who aided in his apprehension, particularly the New York State Troopers who bravely pursued him down and embankment to ensure that he could not victimize anyone else.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer.
This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.