Man Gets 11 Years for Robbery Spree

By Forum Sta

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Reginald Williams was sentenced on Friday to more than a decade in prison for his role in an armed robbery spree in November 2022. His two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced this month.

Williams, 23, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on June 9 to two counts of robbery in the first degree before Justice Gia Morris, who sentenced him to 11 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision.

When sentenced July 10, co-defendants Calvin Scantlebury, 39, faces up to six years in prison and Dewkwan Cooper, 23, is expected to receive five years’ probation.

The three men were charged with taking part in the following robberies from Nov. 8, 2022, through Nov. 20, 2022. The dates, locations and items taken are as follows:

• Nov. 8, between 12:48 a.m. and 12:50 a.m., at 135-28 Rockaway Blvd., approximately $900-$1,000.

• Nov. 8, between 10:53 p.m. and 10:56 p.m., at 79-09 Rockaway Blvd., approximately $600 and a quantity of checks.

• Nov. 9, between 1:30 a.m. and 1:55 a.m., at 66-10 Grand Ave., approximately $3,900.

• Nov. 11, between 1:10 a.m. and 1:15 a.m., at 87-74 168th St., approximately $2,000 and a chain from a victim’s neck.

• Nov. 11, between 1:45 a.m. and 1:55 a.m., at 793 Wyckoff Ave., approximately $2,000, the cell phone of a security guard, a sum of money from the wallet of one employee, lottery tickets and 10 packs of Newport cigarettes.

• Nov. 15, between 1:55 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., at 66-20 Fresh Pond Road, approximately $1,000 from the cash register, multiple cigarette packs and a customer’s cellphone.

• Nov. 16, between 11:53 p.m. and 11:55 p.m., at 44-33 Kissena Blvd. The defendants fled empty handed.

• Nov. 17, between 12:50 a.m. and 12:55 a.m., at 17-55 Francis Lewis Blvd., approximately $2,400 and eight MetroCards.

• On Nov. 20, between 12:20 a.m. and 12:30 a.m., at 92-22 Astoria Blvd, approximately $3,000 and rolling papers.

• On Nov. 20, between 12:57 a.m. and 1:00 a.m., at 39-04 Skillman Ave., approximately $1,700 and multiple packs of Newport cigarettes.

The defendants were arrested after the robberies on Nov. 20, when police received a description of the trio fleeing in a Nissan Maxima. A cop who saw the car and suspects, pulled them over for a traffic violation and observed multiple packs of Newport cigarettes in the vehicle. The defendants were identified by the victims in both Nov. 20 incidents. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle and a loaded .40-caliber pistol was recovered from the trunk.

Each incident was captured on video surveillance and showed the three perpetrators wearing distinctive clothing and face masks. Williams was arrested wearing clothing from some of the robberies.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. We will prosecute anyone trying to take advantage of their hard-working proprietors and employees, or their customers. We can never lose sight of the fact that communities thrive when local businesses thrive,” Katz said.

Advances In Diabetes Letting Technology Help

Pharmacists share the same responsibility as doctors who need to keep reading and studying to keep up with medical advances for the good of their patients.

On of the most prominent diseases that face a majority of our patients is diabetes.

e monitoring of glucose is a critical component for these patients and as diabetes technology continues to advance, more and more tools are becoming available to patients to help them manage their disease. Glucose monitors, insulin pens or pumps are all available on the market and advances in these devices are helping patients deal with the stresses of keeping diabetes under control.

One such device introduced by Abbo in 2017 was the FreeStyle Libre Glucose Monitoring System, a cu ing edge device that uses a sensor placed on the upper arm allowing patients to trace their blood glucose levels throughout the day. Market executives expect that more patch pumps will hit the shelves over the next few years as well.

Another innovative technology is the ability to electronically track patient data. Patients and health professionals can keep diaries and logs for insulin, diet, activity and blood glucose levels through the use of wireless glucose meters which are compatible with their Smartphone’s.

Patients will be able to keep be er records through the use of smart insulin pens that track time, date and insulin doses delivered.

e role of pharmacists is expected to increase with the advent of these new technologies, helping patients navigate their way through a bevy of treatment options that can make their lives much more livable while providing safe, e ective and cost conscious options for living with diabetes.

In the future medical experts expect that their industry will advance toward what are known as closed loop systems or arti cial pancreas systems whose goal is to copy the activity of a normal, healthy body.

Technologists are working on non invasive ways to monitor glucose and Apple is included in the industry giants said to be working on this type of device, although no plans have been disclosed as of yet.

If you have questions on any of these technologies and would like to nd out how one or more of them may t into your lifestyle, you are welcome to bring your questions to us. Counting on your local pharmacist for management of your diabetes is something you should not be afraid to take advantage of.

Until next week...

For your family’s prescription needs, please call CROSS BAY CHEMIST at 718-659-9500 or 718-880-1644