Jordan Behling, of Wheatley Heights, charged in PlayStation scam set up on Facebook Marketplace

A Wheatley Heights man stole cash from a prospective buyer of a Sony PlayStation 5 in a deal arranged through Facebook Marketplace last summer and then drove away while the victim was hanging onto his car window, Suffolk County prosecutors said.

Jordan Behling, 23, was arraigned in Riverhead Tuesday on two counts first-degree robbery; one count each of first- and second-degree assault; leaving the scene of an incident resulting in serious physical injury; second-degree reckless endangerment and two counts of petit larceny. State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei held Behling on $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.

“This defendant’s alleged decision to steal from the victim is bad enough, but to take off and drive recklessly down the road with the victim hanging onto the car is unconscionable,” said Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney. “My office will seek justice for the victim and hold the defendant accountable for his actions.”

Matthew Tuohy, Behling's Huntington-based defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.

On the evening of June 16, the victim, whose name was not disclosed, made arrangements to purchase a PlayStation 5 from Behling in a deal set up through Facebook Marketplace, investigators said.

Behling then pulled up to the home of the victim, who handed him $280 in cash through the car window, prosecutors said. The defendant then grabbed the cash and sped off, while the victim was still partially inside Behling's 2020 Chevy Equinox.

Behling drove for two blocks while weaving to shake the victim off his vehicle before sideswiping a parked car, officials said. The victim then fell from the car window and Behling fled the scene without checking on him or reporting the incident to police, investigators said.

The victim was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center where he was treated for serious injuries. He is currently using a wheelchair, prosecutors said.

At the scene of the crash, police found car parts belonging to a Chevy Equinox, authorities said. A Suffolk police investigation determined that the Chevy had been rented by a member of Behling’s family and used by the defendant at the time of the crash, officials said.

Officers found the vehicle at the home of a member of Behling’s family and impounded it as evidence, prosecutors said.

Investigators later determined that Behling conducted a similar scam on two other people. In both cases the victims made arrangements to purchase a PlayStation 5 from Behling through Facebook Marketplace and both times he stole the money without delivering the gaming console.

Behling is due back in court on Feb. 12.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.