Man Who Hid In Target's Rooftop Air Conditioner Pleads Guilty

SMITHFIELD, RI — One of the men who hid inside a rooftop air conditioning unit at the Smithfield Target to elude police has pleaded guilty to burglary and robbery charges. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Epirot Krasniqi, 27, an Albanian national living in Brooklyn, admitted he cut a hole in the store's roof to reach an automatic teller machine inside the Target and then grabbed more than $14,000. Then he went through the wall to the next door CVS to steal drugs.

He entered the guilt plea in Providence federal court on Friday. Krasniqi was indicted Nov. 7 on these charges: "Conspiracy to commit larceny from a financial institution, bank larceny, conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, and burglary involving controlled substances," the U.S. Attorney's office said. There is no plea deal.

According to court papers, Krasniqi and an accomplice broke into the store "sometime after the Target store closed on October 9, and in the early morning hours of October 10, 2017." The alleged accomplice, Liridon Gashi, 32, also an Albanian national living in The Bronx, used hand tools to cut through the roof. However, Gashi has not yet been tried on any charges in connection with the case.

The U.S. Attorney's office alleges they stole more than $14,000 from the ATM and then cut through a wall to the CVS where they "broke open a locked cabinet holding controlled substances and stole a prescription package of Oxycodone. The two men then fled to the roof of the store."

At that point, the burglar alarm alerted Smithfield police.

"After discovering the hole in the roof, officers began searching approximately 30 air conditioning units located on the roof," the U.S. Attorney's office said. "The two men were found hiding inside separate air conditioning units. Also discovered inside the store and various air conditioning units on the roof were the tools used in the break-in of the store and the ATM, the cash stolen from the ATM, and the drugs stolen from the pharmacy. Krasniqi and Gashi were charged and arraigned in Rhode Island state court and released on bail. Federal arrest warrants were issued for both men following the return of the federal indictment on November 7, 2017. Krasniqi was arrested by FBI agents in New York that same day. Liridon Gashi was located and arrested by FBI agents in San Francisco, CA, on March 7, 2018."

Krasniqi is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 22.

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