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Man Convicted in 2015 Fatal Hit-and-Run of Jeweler
Charles Jordan faces up to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and a felony charge of leaving the scene of an incident.
Queens, New York--A Long Island man has been convicted of manslaughter in the 2015 hit-and-run death of a Diamond District jeweler known for selling high-end pieces to celebrities.
According to a press release issued Friday by the office of Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Charles Jordan, 48, was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and felony leaving the scene of an incident in the 2015 death of Aron “Eric” Aranbayev.
He is scheduled for sentencing on March 12 and faces up to 25 years in prison.
The release said Aranbayev, a married father of four, was being dropped off on July 19, 2015 in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens. He got out of the vehicle on the street side as the defendant drove by at a high speed.
This led to a brief confrontation between Aranbayev and Jordan, who then backed up his car to confront the victim.
They argued again, after which Jordan backed up his vehicle a second time, revved the engine and struck the jeweler with his car.
The victim suffered a skull fracture and brain damage. He later died from his injuries. Jordan sped away without stopping.
“The victim’s death rose out of a petty dispute on a residential street that ended with a 40-year-old man fatally injured,” Brown said in a statement. “The defendant rammed a 1,000-plus pound vehicle into the victim and knocked him to the ground, where he hit his head. This was a senseless and violent death that could have easily been avoided.”
Aranbayev operated Rafaello & Co., a jewelry store located in Manhattan’s Diamond District that he opened in 2009 and ran with his father, Rafael Aranbayev, and cousin, Gabriel Jacobs.
The company has sold jewelry to and dressed many high-profile clients over the years, including musicians Drake, Chris Brown, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, and the Saudi royal family, according to its website.
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