Brooklyn man sentenced to prison for burglary at Williamsburg matzah factory

January 2, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

423 Broadway in Williamsburg, the site of the Satmar Matzah Bakery.
Screenshot via Google Earth

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Muntaquim Durant, a 44-year-old Prospect Heights resident, was sentenced last month to two-and-a-half to five years in prison for burglarizing a matzah factory in Williamsburg.

The theft, involving over $94,000 in cash and checks, occurred just weeks before Passover.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the sentence and emphasized that the crime was a bold infringement on a religious establishment preparing for an important Jewish holiday.

“This defendant brazenly broke into a religious institution that was gearing up to make matzahs before the start of a Jewish holiday,” Gonzalez said. “He was caught red handed and will now be held responsible. My office will continue to protect the property of everyone in Brooklyn and to hold offenders to account.”

The incident took place on Feb. 28, 2023, at approximately 9:50 a.m. at the Satmar matzah bakery located at 423 Broadway. Durant was captured on surveillance video entering the bakery, where he rifled through jackets, helped himself to coffee, and forcefully entered the bakery’s second-floor office. He was then seen leaving the premises with a considerable amount of cash and checks.

An employee later discovered the burglary after noticing disarray in the office and the absence of significant sums of money. The stolen checks and cash amounted to over $34,000 and $60,000, respectively. After he reported the incident to the police, they created a wanted poster using footage from the surveillance cameras.

Detectives identified Durant, a suspect in other burglaries, and arrested him on March 15, 2023, during a routine traffic stop. He later pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary in October and was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Raymond Rodriguez.