Port Jervis man sentenced in gunpoint robbery

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GOSHEN – A Port Jervis man was sentenced in Orange County Court on Thursday to 16 years in prison for the gunpoint robbery of a 67-year-old Port Jervis man who was locked in the trunk of his car.

On August 3, 2018 in the area of Jersey Avenue in Port Jervis, Justin White, 30, of Port Jervis and another man, Tranelle Drake, 31, also of Port Jervis, confronted the victim while armed with what appeared to be a pistol. They struck the victim in the face with the weapon, stolen his wallet, car keys and cellphone and locked him in the trunk of his car.

The victim was able to escape before the men drove away in his car.

Several police agencies, including Port Jervis Police, State Police and Walden Police, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office attempted to locate the car.

Sheriff’s deputies spotted and stopped it in Walden where White and Drake were arrested.

A grand jury indicted both men on armed robbery and kidnapping charges.

Drake pled guilty to robbery on October 24, 2019 and admitted to robbing the victim with what appeared to be a firearm. On February 6, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.

During the investigation of the robbery and kidnapping, police learned that White had engaged in sex with a girl under the age of 15. He was indicted on that charged and on September 17, 2019, pled guilty to rape, admitting he had sex with the child between July 1, 2018 and August 3, 2018 in Port Jervis.

White was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision on the robbery charge, and six years in prison and 10 years of post-release supervision on the rape charge. Judge Craig Stephen Brown ordered both sentences to run consecutively, for a total of 16 years in prison.

“This defendant is obviously a danger to society, irrespective of his victims’ ages,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “I admire the bravery and tenacity of the victim of this horrific robbery and hope that the survivor of the sex crime receives the help and support that she is entitled to.”




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