Nicholas Kiriakakis, Accused of Double Murder, Free on Bail

By on March 14, 2010 in East Coast, News

3333Nicholas Kiriakakis, a 25-year-old (foto) Queens restaurant/lounge owner, was released on bail on Friday following charges of double homicide and one count of criminal possession of a handgun. Bail was set at $2 million.
A Queens bar owner pleaded not guilty on Monday in the shooting deaths of two New York City men on a Teaneck street last month.
Kiriakakis, was brought to state court in Hackensack to be arraigned on two murder charges and one count of criminal possession of a handgun.
“We ask the media not to rush to judgment on this case until it is determined what happened on that day,” Elias Fillas, one of Kiriakakis’ lawyers, said after the hearing.
Authorities found the bullet-riddled bodies of Queens residents Jonathan Beneduce, 28, and Michael Mirasola, 27, in a 2007 Ford Explorer on Oakdene Avenue on the morning of Feb. 18, with the passenger door open and the engine still running.
The two men were good friends and knew Kiriakakis, Bergen County prosecutors said. The three met in Queens on the evening of Feb. 17 and headed for Teaneck – with Beneduce and Mirasola in the SUV and Kiriakakis following in another car, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors did not offer any details other than saying the killings were drug-related.
Kiriakakis – who co-owns Pearl Nightlife, a bar in the Bayside section of Queens – was arrested in New York City a few days after the shooting. His return to Bergen County was delayed when he challenged his extradition to New Jersey.
He later agreed to be brought back and was transferred to the Bergen County Jail late last week.
Kiriakakis said nothing at the brief hearing on Monday besides answering yes-or-no questions from Judge Harry G. Carroll, who kept Kiriakakis’ bail at $3 million.
Four of his family members who attended the hearing left without commenting.
“The family is very distraught over this matter,” said Samuel DiMeglio, Jr., another attorney for Kiriakakis.



  • http://www.mail.com POS!

    This guy and Vorrias are in the Greek Mob. They are laundering money and drugs through the Pearl and Vorrias is abusing his dog who is guarding the cash in his home. Both of these guys need to go up river.

  • jack smith

    Burn in hell nick. You will not get away with your crimes. Rest in Peace Mike

  • Jack

    Lets wait and see. The burden of proof is upon the state of new jersey. If the evedence is strong he will get convicted. If there is no evidence like no weapon, no drugs and such, then the jury will deadlock or aquit him of the charges. On the other hand if he gets convicted with the current NJ law, he is facing life in prison with or without parole. In a possible sentence, he is facing at least 44 years in state prison. It all depends on the rules of evidence and how his attorneys are going to defend the case. If he pleads guilty and choses not to go on trial he might get half the years in jail from 18 to 22 years. Trials are very costly. But i believe he will choose to go on trial so that if he gets convicted he will have the right to an appeal. Lets see. The trial will not be anyy time soon i believe. They are very smart up here in bergen county. It will be later in the year or may be next year. We all hope its not him and that from now until the trial they find the real killer. But if he is the one, he will certainly go to jail for a long long time. They don't play games in bergen county and thats a good thing about the state of new jersey. All other stuff is just opinions on these public boards.

  • alex

    if bergen county knew 100% that my boy nick did it there wouldnt have been any bail at all. especially for a double 1st degree homicide!!!! before you tell someone to burn in hell let the case play out. its a total shame and a tragedy what happened to those 2 kids.im sure their family's are going through undesribable pain. So whoever did this WILL pay for it one day no matter what.

  • Gus

    You are totally stupid my friend Alex. I will refer to Jack above as correct. The burden of proof is upon the state. Yes its tragic to what happened to those two kids and we are all sorry for their families for going through this. It will all be played out in court. Anybody can get bail. In this case, Nick's bail was set too high because Nick might have been a flight risk or a danger to the community. Bail is never denied to any defendant. Being out on bail means nothing. I hope Nick DOES NOT get indicted by the grand jury so that he goes free. Then he is right to sue the State of NJ for millions of dollars for what he is going through. Now, the reason bail was granded was because his attorneys lowered the bail down from $3 million down to whatever $2 million or whatever. They might have put 10% of that. However if they have put 10% of that (because that Judge had said no 10%), the family loses the money i.e. the 10%. Only when they put the total bail amount the family gets all the money back. Again, Alex…yes anybody can get out of jail, however he is being monitored until the trial takes place (may be they have put electronic monitoring on his arm or leg), he cannot travel and he was probably ordered to surrender his passport. All this is done until the investigation is complete by bergen county, a grand jury of 23 people is called in to vote on indictment or no, and then trial date is being set on a regular jury of 12 people or a possible plea agreement among defendant and prosecutors. A trial will take place around next year as far as i can see. The grand jury indicts a case like this. Its double murder. They don't play games. Its up to his lawyers to find a way to prove him not guilty. Its not up to the State once he gets indicted. So the State has the burden of proof, thats how its called in the law books (criminal law).The State says that he is guilty but also has to prove this guilt. Yes the State is not 100% sure but can proceed with the motive. Again, it will all be played out in court but yes it a serious case. They need a strong defense.