A New Jersey man was convicted Friday of all counts for robbing and extorting $15,000 from a Lancaster County business owner, targeted at random, while beating and threatening to kill the victim and his family.
A local jury convicted 33-year-old Decee Karngbaye of three counts of robbery, conspiracy, and two counts of theft by extortion. Five of the six charges are felonies.
Following three days of testimony, the jury deliberated over six hours before deciding the case Friday about 5:50 pm.
Karngbaye will be sentenced after a background check is completed in a couple months. He is at Lancaster County Prison on $2 million bail.
“It’s obvious the jury put a lot of effort into rendering a verdict,” First Assistant District Attorney Christopher P. Larsen said after winning the conviction. “In the end, they delivered a just verdict.”
Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright, who presided over the trial, will order sentence.
Karngbaye beat and bound the restaurant owner on three separate days in May 2015, all the while threatening to kill the man and his family if he didn’t hand over money.
In one instance, Karngbaye showed the victim a photo of a person being beheaded and warned that would happen to his family if he didn’t comply with demands.
Karngbaye ultimately took about $15,000 from the victim.
The victim operates a restaurant in Lancaster city. He testified during the trial; Karngbaye did not take the stand.
Karngbaye’s co-defendant, 35-year-old Cole Williams of Willingboro, N.J., is charged but remains on the lam.
There was no relationship between the victim and the defendants prior to the robberies.
Lancaster city police Officer Jason Drouillard filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us