A Brooklyn man on Monday was sentenced to five years in prison for robbing a Crown Heights bodega where he was a regular customer.
Michael Bellevue, 26, of Crown Heights, was sentenced to prison followed by five years’ post-release supervision, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
On January 15, 2024, the defendant purchased multiple items, including a black ski mask, from a bodega at 401 Schenectady Ave. in Crown Heights, where he was recognized by the victim as a regular, everyday customer. Roughly 20 minutes later, the defendant re-entered the bodega armed with a loaded black firearm and wearing the black ski mask, according to prosecutors.
He pointed the firearm at the victim — the same bodega employee from whom he had purchased the ski mask — and demanded cash from the register, saying “Give me the money or I’m going to kill you.”
The defendant then pointed the firearm at the victim’s head, but the victim was able to grab the firearm, which then discharged, prosecutors said. The victim dove out of the way, narrowly escaping being struck by a bullet. As the victim dove, the defendant reached over the counter, grabbed cash out of the open register, and fled.
The defendant was apprehended on January 19, 2024, following an investigation, according to Gonzalez.
“This brazen defendant not only robbed a business that had just provided him a service, but he also put a hard-working employee in grave danger," Gonzalez said in a statement. "We have zero tolerance for gun crimes in Brooklyn, where shootings and homicides continue to reach record lows, and will continue to vigorously prosecute those who use firearms and threaten our communities.”
