Executive Summary
- Police raided a Mariners Harbor home following an alleged gunpoint robbery.
- A loaded 9mm handgun was recovered from a refrigerator and narcotics were found in an attic.
- Two suspects were arrested and charged with weapon and drug possession; one faces additional robbery charges.
- Defense attorneys have denied the allegations as the case moves to Criminal Court.
Two Staten Island residents were arrested following a police raid on a Mariners Harbor home that yielded a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of narcotics, according to criminal complaints filed by the New York Police Department.
Officers executed a search warrant at the Bush Avenue residence of Palmer Kwame, 35, and Farrah Cardona, 33, on the evening of January 23. The operation was precipitated by an incident earlier that day in which Kwame allegedly held a 45-year-old man at gunpoint, demanding approximately $1,000 in cash regarding a dispute over missing items, police reports state.
During the search, investigators discovered a 9mm Heckler & Koch VP9 semi-automatic handgun concealed inside a refrigerator. According to court filings, the weapon was found with a round in the chamber and a magazine loaded with ten bullets. Additionally, officers located multiple bags containing substances identified as cocaine, along with amphetamine and clonazepam pills, hidden in the attic and a purse.
Both defendants have been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Kwame faces additional counts of robbery and menacing. Defense attorney Louis Gelormino, representing Cardona, stated that his client “completely denies these allegations” and expects full vindication. Court records indicate both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Procedural Next Steps
As the case proceeds to the state Criminal Court in St. George, the prosecution will likely focus on the nexus between the alleged armed robbery and the contraband recovered during the execution of the search warrant. The discovery of a loaded weapon in a shared living space, combined with the volume of narcotics, elevates the severity of the possession charges under New York state law. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
