A Medford couple allegedly worked together to commit more than a dozen armed robberies across Suffolk County over the past six weeks to pay for heroin until their arrest on Wednesday, authorities said.
Christopher Marino and Jamie Greco pleaded not guilty Thursday to 15 counts of robbery during their arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip. Marino, 29, and Greco, 23, were held on $1.5 million cash bail or $3 million bond.
Police said they arrested the pair after a lengthy investigation into a pattern of armed robberies that targeted 15 businesses across Suffolk, including six Subway restaurants, a KFC, 7-Eleven and several gas stations.
Marino, police said, was armed when he allegedly robbed the businesses for cash. Greco is accused of waiting in a vehicle and driving Marino away from the scene, police said.
A source familiar with the investigation said the pair used the stolen cash to pay for heroin.
“One of the suspects cited a four-to-six bag a day habit,” the source told the Press.
Greco’s Port Jefferson-based attorney, Steve Fondulis, said none of the documents he was presented with in court Thursday made mention of his client’s presence during the string of robberies.
“None of them mentioned a female, a woman being present,” Fondulis said by phone. “None of them saw a woman.”
One of the victims actually said he saw Marino walk into a vehicle and drive away himself, Fondulis said.
He said he doesn’t know if Marino and Greco are a couple.
Fondulis also noted that he hasn’t seen anything to support accusations that his client is a heroin user.
“[I] haven’t been presented with any evidence against my client except for a supposed statement,” from Greco telling police that stolen cash was used for drugs, he said.
Attorney information for Marino was not listed.
List of businesses police said were robbed:
KFC, 800 Montauk Highway, Shirley, on January 7
Mobil on the Run, located at 3239 Sunrise Highway, Islip Terrace, on January 7
Subway, located at 600-7 Portion Road, Lake Ronkonkoma, on January 5
Subway, located at 173 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset, on January 3
7-Eleven, located at 2810 Route 112, Medford, on January 3
Royal Market, located 451 Glen Drive, Shirley, on January 2
Carvel, located at 536 Main St., Center Moriches, on January 1
Hess, located at 1801 North Ocean Ave., Medford, on December 31
Subway, located at 600 Portion Road, Ronkonkoma, on December 29
Subway, located at 402 Route 112, North Patchogue, on December 28
Hess Express, located at 440 Portion Road, Ronkonkoma, on December 26
Sunoco, located at 3423 Route 112, Coram, on December 25
Hess, located at 3203 Route 112, Medford, December 15
Subway, located at 2920 Route 112, Medford, on December 11
Subway, located at 2920 Route 112, Medford, on December 9
