On February 13th, 2026 at approximately 8:40 p.m., officers responded to the area of South Main Street following a 911 call reporting a robbery involving a firearm. Upon arrival, officers immediately secured the scene and identified three victims.

 

The victims reported that two masked individuals approached them while they were sitting in their vehicle, brandished a black pistol, and forcibly removed jewelry valued at more than $3,000 before fleeing on foot toward Church Street.

 

Officers and investigators promptly launched an extensive investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible.

 

As part of the investigation, on February 14th, 2026 officers took Francisco Gonzalez, 18, of Liberty into custody at the Liberty Police Department. Through the investigation, officers determined that Gonzalez, who initially had reported being a victim of the robbery, had conspired with the other assailants to facilitate the robbery of the two actual victims.

 

Later that evening, officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle involved in the robbery and took Manuel Gonzalez-Ramirez, 25, of

Liberty, and Rafael Cleto-Morales, 24, of Liberty, into custody without incident.

 

That same night, officers responded to a location on Champlin Avenue and arrested a fourth suspect, identified as Albert Toribio-Novas, 22, of Liberty, who allegedly acted as the getaway driver.

 

During the investigation, officers recovered a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol believed to have been used in the robbery.

 

All four suspects have been charged with:

• Robbery in the First Degree (Class B Felony)

• Criminal Possession of a Loaded Firearm in the Second Degree (Class C Felony)

• Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (Class D Felony)

Additionally, Francisco Gonzalez was charged with Falsely Reporting an Incident (Class A Misdemeanor).

 

Chief Steve D’Agata stated, “I want to commend the hard work of the officers and detectives that worked around the clock to ensure that these dangerous offenders were held accountable. This case was solved  quickly due to a combination of old fashioned detective work and leveraging advanced technology, including newly installed main street surveillance cameras. The manner in which the suspects orchestrated this robbery with pre-meditation and by attempting to manipulate law enforcement is especially despicable, as it diminishes the integrity of claims made by individuals who have been truly harmed. Falsely portraying oneself as a victim in a serious criminal matter detracts from the legitimacy of individuals who are truly seeking justice and protection”

 

The Village of Liberty Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the New York State Police, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office.

 

Criminal charges are merely allegations that a defendant has committed violations of the criminal law, and as such they are not evidence of guilt. All defendants have a presumption of innocence and are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the burden of the State of New York to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.