Malcolm Koonce: Father fighting to erase conviction
Las Vegas Raiders Player Malcolm Koonce’s Father Seeks Justice in 1981 Robbery Conviction
Before Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce was born, his father Jeffrey Koonce spent time in prison for an armed robbery conviction that is now being questioned due to tainted evidence and questionable police tactics.
Jeffrey Koonce, now 67, is seeking to have his 1981 robbery conviction vacated for a robbery at Vernon Stars Rod and Gun Club in Mount Vernon. The case involved a robbery where three people were injured by shotgun pellets while being robbed of cash and jewelry.
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah is supporting Koonce’s request after her office uncovered troubling issues with the case. The Conviction Review Unit found that Mount Vernon police used highly suggestive photo identification techniques and pressured a witness to implicate Koonce.
A detective involved in the case later admitted to lying about the photo arrays used in the investigation. Rocah’s office found that Koonce’s conviction was tainted by questionable investigatory practices.
Koonce, along with his lawyer Karen Newirth, will appear before a judge to request the vacating of his convictions and dismissal of the indictment.
Malcolm Koonce, born in 1998, went on to be drafted by the NFL’s Raiders in 2021. His father’s conviction has cast a shadow over their family for over four decades.
The robbery at Vernon Stars club involved Koonce and his brother Paul being accused of being among the perpetrators. Paul was acquitted, while Jeffrey was sentenced to prison and served nearly eight years before being released on parole.
The case against Jeffrey Koonce was marred by suggestive identification tactics and failure to interview alibi witnesses who could have corroborated his innocence. The victim-witness who identified Koonce later admitted that he felt pressured to do so.
Rocah’s office also found that detectives failed to follow up on alibi witnesses, including a retired NYPD detective who could place Koonce in New York City at the time of the robbery.
The fight for justice in Koonce’s case highlights the need for fair and unbiased investigatory practices to ensure that innocent individuals are not wrongfully convicted.
