NEW YORK — Earlier today, Nicholas Giovatto, a New York State Court Officer, who had been assigned to the Bronx County Supreme Court, was arrested and charged with robbery conspiracy and related firearm charges by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Police Impersonation Investigation Unit.
According to the complaint, between December 2011 and March 2012, Giovatto was a member of a robbery crew that conspired to commit armed home invasion robberies of narcotics dealers on Long Island and in Queens. On December 20, 2011, Giovatto and another member of his crew entered a residence in Queens, New York, by falsely identifying themselves as police officers and claiming they had a search warrant for the premises. Upon entering the residence, Giovatto brandished a firearm, while his co-conspirator handcuffed the victim. They then ransacked the premises and stole more than $30,000 and several pieces of jewelry. Giovatto and his co-conspirator targeted this location for robbery because one of the residents was believed to be a narcotics trafficker.
Similarly, the complaint charges that, on March 10, 2012, Giovatto and another member of the robbery crew attempted to enter a residence in Queens, New York, in order to rob the occupants who they believed were involved in marijuana trafficking. Giovatto and his co-conspirator falsely identified themselves as police officers but were denied access to the residence by the intended robbery victims.
