Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Wilfredo Figueroa, 29, of Ridge, pleaded guilty to Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, after shooting a 27-year-old male in the face during a robbery.

“This defendant was so driven by greed that he brazenly shot the victim during this robbery striking him in the face, with the bullet lodging in his neck and requiring a medically induced coma. Thankfully, the victim survived this senseless and vicious attack,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Make no mistake, we will use every resource possible to find perpetrators of violence and hold them accountable for their crimes.”

According to the investigation and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, during the early morning hours of June 22, 2022, Figueroa shot a 27-year-old male in the face while robbing him of his personal belongings. After the robbery, Figueroa immediately fled the scene and went back to his residence. The victim was transported to a local hospital, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was placed in a medically induced coma.

Later that day, police pulled over Figueroa for a traffic violation, and found him in possession of two illegal loaded handguns and two high-capacity magazines. Additionally, law enforcement recovered items belonging to the 27-year-old victim inside Figueroa’s vehicle, including the victim’s identification, car keys, cellphone, and several credit cards. The defendant was then placed under arrest.

After the victim awoke from his coma, a bullet fragment that was lodged in his neck was removed and given to the Suffolk County Police Department. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted a ballistics report, which concluded that the bullet fragment recovered from the victim’s neck was fired from one of the loaded handguns recovered from Figueroa’s vehicle.

On July 25, 2023, Figueroa pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable John B. Collins, to Robbery in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony. He is due back in court on September 5, 2023, where he is expected to be sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of post- release supervision. Figueroa is being represented by Steve Politi, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick E. Fedun of the Major Crime Bureau, with investigative assistance from Suffolk County Police Detectives Brian Whitehead and Gregory Marino of the Sixth Precinct.