Paul Rojek, 56
Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man will join his father behind bars after admitting he helped steal $41,000 in chicken wings from Twin Trees Too restaurant.
Joshua Rojek, 33, pleaded guilty today to felony grand larceny and is expected to get 60 days' worth of weekends in jail and five years' probation, said prosecutor John Jensen.
The stolen food was sold at reduced price on the so-called chicken wing black market from the back of a pickup truck or from a warehouse, authorities said,.
Joshua Rojek's father, Paul Rojek, 57, was sentenced last week to one to three years in prison for his part in the thefts from February to November 2015. County Court Judge Anthony Aloi had three words for the elder Rojek at sentencing: "Expensive chicken wings."
The Rojeks were not equally involved in the thefts from the Milton Avenue restaurant, Jensen said. The elder Rojek worked at Twin Trees Too the entire period during the thefts and the younger Rojek worked there for a shorter period of time, Jensen said.
Both men admitted to taking part in stealing the food worth $41,000.
The elder Rojek had also previously been convicted of stealing food from another popular restaurant: Dominick's at 1370 Burnet Ave. Paul Rojek had paid back nearly $5,500 and promised to stay out of trouble for three years after being sentenced in September 2015 for the Dominick's restaurant thefts.
But when he was arrested again, Paul Rojek went before the same judge who had sentenced him before.
"You are not a man to be trusted," Aloi told Paul Rojek at sentencing. "You've disappointed everyone."
The younger Rojek will be sentenced Oct. 24. Joshua Rojek remains free until then.