RONKONKOMA MAN INDICTED FOR DOUBLE MURDER

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Brian Cordovano, 48, of Ronkonkoma, for allegedly murdering two men in order to steal property belonging to one of the victims.

“This was an alleged cold-blooded execution of two men who made the unfortunately fatal decision to befriend this defendant,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will vigorously prosecute this defendant for the two brutal murders he allegedly committed and hopefully provide closure for the victims and their families.”

According to the investigation, Ian Saalfield, 45, of Lake Grove, was reported missing by his wife on April 26, 2022. She advised police that she last saw her husband leave their house with Brian Cordovano, Saalfied’s longtime friend, in Saalfield’s 2015 Lexus. Saalfield never returned home. A few days later, on May 2, 2022, police found Saalfield’s Lexus in Holtsville.

On that same day police found Saalfield’s car, police were called to the Rodeway Inn motel to assess Cordovano who was suffering from an apparent cocaine overdose. While Cordovano was being brought to the hospital, motel staff alerted police to a 2004 Toyota in the parking lot, which allegedly had been used by Cordovano. A registration check revealed that the car belonged to Robert Julian, 59, of Selden. Police then responded to Julian’s home and found the bodies of Saalfield and Julian inside, each dead due to a gunshot wound to the head.

On February 16, 2023, Cordovano was arraigned on the indictment by County Court Judge, the Honorable Stephen L. Braslow for the crimes of Murder in the First Degree, a Class A felony, Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, Robbery in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony. Cordovano was held without bail and is due back in court on March 22, 2023.

Cordovano was also arraigned today by the District Court Judge, the Honorable Rosann Orlando on an unrelated charge of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony, and bail was set at $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, or $5,000,000 partially secured bond. Regarding that case, Cordovano was arrested on February 15, 2023, where he was allegedly found in possession of fentanyl and cocaine after a traffic stop. That case was adjourned to February 21, 2023, and Cordovano is being represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq. on both cases.

The homicide case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Frank Schroeder of the Homicide Bureau. The narcotics case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Willian Nash of the Narcotics Bureau.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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