STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A Charleston man accused of carrying out two knifepoint robberies in less than an hour has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Michael Mendez, 36, of Veterans Road West, pleaded guilty last year to first-degree robbery in connection with the 2024 crimes in Eltingville, where prosecutors say he threatened victims and stole valuables in back-to-back encounters.
Mendez, whose criminal record includes multiple felony convictions, was facing the possibility of life in prison if convicted by a jury on the top charges, according to previous reporting.
The 2024 robberies
Prosecutors alleged Mendez robbed two individuals within the span of an hour on June 2, 2024, in the relatively quiet neighborhood of Eltingville…