Genovese Family associate pleads guilty in Orange County break-in

WHITE PLAINS – An alleged associate of the Genovese Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra pled guilty Friday to robbery, extortion and firearms charges.

Among John Melicharek’s crimes was the October 2003 home invasion in Orange County.

Melicharek orchestrated the break-in, targeting the cash proceeds of the business owned by one of the home’s occupants. He helped plan the robbery, recruited a break-in team, and procured guns used during the robbery. He then drove the team to the victim’s home.

The defendants entered he hope, tied up and assaulted a victim, and searched for cash and other valuables.

Melicharek, who was an associate in the crew of Genovese Family capo Angelo Prisco, was also involved in a home invasion robbery in Morris County, New Jersey and the extortion of a small business owner in Manhattan.

When sentenced in September, he faces up to life in federal prison.