NEW CITY – A New Hempstead man was convicted by a Rockland County Court jury in connection with a rash of car larcenies in Hillcrest, Monsey and other parts of the Town of Ramapo. The spate of break-ins involved 75 to 100 parked vehicles over several months.

Winifred Fortune, 38, was a suspect in at least 40 separate car larcenies, according to District Attorney Thomas Zugibe.

Fortune was found guilty on six counts of felony criminal possession of stolen property and one count of misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property.

Undercover police patrolling for suspects in the break-ins first had contact with Fortune on February 11, 2011 when he was fund wearing dark clothing and two pairs of gloves – a pair of winter gloves and a pair of latex, surgical gloves. He was not found in possession of stolen property and was allowed to leave.

During a second interview three days later, Fortune consented to allow police to search his apartment and they found several cell phones, GPS units and radar detectors in his bedroom. They also discovered a case with 10 additional GPS units, 10 cell phones, 10 radar detectors, 10 pairs of ear buds and other items consisted with those reported missing from the recent car larcenies.

Police also found other evidence in his room including burglars’ tools, specifically tin snips, wire cutters, pliers, screwdrivers and broken chips of porcelain, used to shatter car windows.  Also found in his bedroom were four stolen credit cards and two stolen debit cards.

When sentenced in April, Fortune faces a possible four years in state prison plus restitution to the victims.