Middletown Man Admits Stealing Man's Wallet, Beating Him Up: DA

MIDDLETOWN, NY — A guilty plea to robbery likely means that a Middletown man will be going to prison for six years.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said that, on Friday, David Johnson, 47 of Middletown, pleaded guilty in court to second-degree robbery.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors said it is expected he will be sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by five years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced May 7.

According to law enforcement, on March 12, 2023, Johnson approached a man who was entering a grocery store in the city of Middletown and demanded money.

After the man gave him money, he walked away, only to have Johnson pursue him.

Johnson grabbed the man by the throat and knocked him to the ground, where he repeatedly punched the man in the face until he was unconscious.

Johnson then took the man’s wallet from his pocket and fled to a nearby apartment building.

The police observed part of the robbery on a street camera and responded, locating Johnson in a common area closet in the apartment.

He was arrested, and police recovered the victim’s wallet inside the closet.

Hoovler said the rapid response of the police ensured not only that the victim received immediate medical attention, but that Johnson was promptly located and taken into custody.

“This brazen violence, committed in broad daylight, underscores the need to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions,” he said.