Port Washington Grand Larceny Arrests Have Syosset Ties

Two suspects were arrested on Tuesday in connection to a grand larceny that occurred on Dec. 16, 2009, in Port Washington, according to the Nassau County Police Department's Crimes Against Property Squad.

According to detectives, defendant Starasi James, 21, of 526 Pennsylvania Ave. in Brooklyn, and defendant Willie Petteway, 33, of 237 Nassau St. in Brooklyn, cashed counterfeit checks totaling in excess of $12,000 at the Citibank at 830 Port Washington Blvd. in Port Washington while working in concert with two other suspects, who have not yet been arrested. Police said the checks were drawn on a company account from Syosset.

The defendants were each charged with one count of grand larceny in the third degree and one count of possession of a forged instrument in the second degree. They will be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Wednesday.

Any charges reported are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.