Two men charged with murder in death of Chelsea florist

Two men were arraigned and charged with second-degree murder yesterday in the death of John Laubach, 57, the Chelsea florist who was found bound and gagged in his bedroom on March 2.

Juan Carlos Martinez-Herrera and Edwin Faulkner, both 30, had taken Laubach's jewelry to a Seventh Avenue pawn shop before his death, telling a witness they had been having sex with Laubach for money and that they planned to rob him of more valuables "when the time was right," according to papers filed by the Manhattan District Attorney.

Faulkner choked Laubach to death during sex and, with Martinez-Herrera, stole his laptop, ATM card, jewelry and other items they either pawned or attempted to pawn, according to the criminal complaint. Martinez-Herrera has been idenitified as man photographed at a Chase Bank on West 14th Street trying to use Laubach's ATM card.

Fingerprints found on a knife used at the crime scene match prints of Martinez-Herrera that are on file with the FBI, according to the documents.

Martinez-Herrera and Faulkner were arrested Thursday in Orlando, Fla.