St. Albans Ex-Con Who Shot Deli Owner, Stored Heroin, Convicted: DA

QUEENS — An ex-convict from St. Albans who shot a deli owner in Jamaica nearly two years ago was convicted of attempted murder, prosecutors said.

Jurors found James Fraley, 73, guilty of shooting Jamaica deli owner Rufino Rojas-Flores in the chest on Aug. 12, 2021, prosecutors said.

He was also convicted of drug and weapon possession charges after police found a firearm and heroin in his home, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Friday.

Fraley, who was on lifetime parole for a 1989 murder conviction, is scheduled to come back to court June 16, and he faces up to 55 years in prison, Katz said.

The St. Albans man entered the Rojas Deli at 146-10 Hillside Ave., ordered a sandwich and then shot Rojas-Flores about 2 p.m. before then turned to the deli owner's daughter, who was working behind the counter, and demanded money, the district attorney said.

The daughter handed Fraley between $100 and $200 in cash before he fled, prosecutors said.

Authorities released a wanted poster, and an officer recognized Fraley five days after the shooting and pulled him over for a traffic violation, Katz said.

Police searched Fraley’s home, where they found a .357 caliber revolver, a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition, and over 12 ounces of heroin, the district attorney said.

The deli owner was treated at the hospital for injuries to his liver from the gunshot wound, prosecutors said.