ATTORNEY ON CALL · 24/7
212 300 5196
FROM THE DEFENSE DESK / NEW YORK PENAL LAW
6 MAR 2026 · 1 MIN READ · BY TODD A. SPODEK
THE BRIEF · FILED UNDER: NEW YORK PENAL LAW · VIOLENT CRIMES
DOCKET NO. 269 · THE DEFENSE DESK

NY Penal Law § 160.15: Robbery in the First Degree.

Learn what constitutes Robbery in the First Degree under NY Penal Law § 160.15, including definitions of deadly weapon and dangerous instrument, example cases, possible defenses, related offenses, and sentencing guidelines. Find out how New York classifies and prosecutes this serious felony charge.

Todd A. Spodek
Todd A. Spodek
MANAGING PARTNER · 6 MAR 2026 · 1 MIN READ
★★★★★1,100+ FIVE-STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS
SUPER LAWYERS · 2020-25AVVO · “SUPERB”SECOND GENERATION · SINCE 1976
AS SEEN ON NETFLIX · CNN · FOX NEWS · NY POST

If you are accused of a robbery offense, that means you have been accused of more than just stealing. To be accused of robbery means you also used force or the threat of violence to accomplish the theft. Because of the added element of force or violence, law enforcement classifies robbery as a particularly serious crime. Among the three degrees of the crime of robbery, robbery in the first degree is the most heinous.

What Constitutes Robbery in the First Degree

You will face this charge pursuant to New York Penal Code § 160.15 if you steal from someone while you are armed with a deadly weapon, you use a dangerous instrument, you cause the victim or another person to sustain a serious physical injury, or you display a gun or firearm.

Deadly Weapon Defined

New York Penal Code § 10.00(12) delineates a "deadly weapon" as any loaded weapon such as a gun, or other weapons, including but not limited to:

  • switchblade knife
  • gravity knife
  • pilum or ballistic knife
  • metal knuckle knife
  • dagger
  • billy knife
  • blackjack knife
  • plastic knuckles, or
  • metal/brass knuckles
LEGAL INFORMATION, NOT LEGAL ADVICE · STATUTES CHANGE - VERIFY CURRENT LAW · ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
THE AUTHOR'S RECORD · PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME
Acquitted.
$26M MONEY LAUNDERING
Dismissed.
RICO · 10-YEAR MINIMUM FACED
Six months.
$12M PONZI · YEARS ASKED
ALL RESULTS →
★★★★★VERIFIED CLIENT · FEDERAL CASE · 2022 · VIA GOOGLE REVIEWS
"By the time our free consultation was over, we left at ease."
1,100+ FIVE-STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS →
RISK FREE · CONFIDENTIAL · 24/7

Reading is good. Calling is better.

Answered within 24 hours, guaranteed. Some stories are better told out loud -

212 300 5196
AFTER YOU REACH OUT
01A person answers - not a service. Day or night. 02Free, confidential consultation - ask us anything, regardless of how long it takes. 03Strategy starts the same day - and you hold the senior partner's cell number.
★★★★★1,100+ FIVE-STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS
READ THEM →
INTAKE · PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
24/7
01
02
03
04
05
ANSWERED WITHIN 24 HOURS, GUARANTEED OR CALL 212 300 5196
EVERYTHING YOU SHARE IS PROTECTED BY ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE FROM THE FIRST WORD.