NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A 43-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday for a 2020 violent assault on two Modell’s workers who attempted to prevent him from shoplifting, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said.
Prior to his sentencing, John Whichard, of Williamsburg, was convicted of first- and second-degree assault on Oct. 26, according to the district attorney’s office.
Whichard’s co-defendant, Gerald Rowlett, 53, also of Williamsburg, was convicted of petit larceny and sentenced to six months in jail, officials said.
Prosecutors said that on Feb. 12, 2020, Whichard and Rowlett were in the now-closed Modell’s Sporting Goods store located at 4 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg.
The store manager approached the defendants in an attempt to retrieve items they had snuck into their bags.
Two store employees, both 20-year-old men, intervened in the situation to aid their manager, officials said.
Whichard slashed one of the employees across the back and back of the neck before slicing the other across the face, according to evidence from the district attorney’s office.
Both victims were treated at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhill.
The defendant was arrested following an investigation.
“Keeping the people of Brooklyn safe is my highest priority, and violent offenders like this defendant must face serious consequences. Today’s sentence holds him responsible for this vicious assault that injured and traumatized two young men,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.