Archive for August 2025
Your Weekly Update – August 22, 2025
We took sweeping enforcement action against six illegal cannabis storefronts in the borough in close collaboration with the NYPD/New York City Sheriff’s cannabis task force… (continued)
Read MoreFORMER ADMINISTRATOR AT QUEENS CHARITY CHARGED WITH STEALING $872,000 MEANT TO FEED THE NEEDY FROM THE ORGANIZATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Otto Starzmann was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing $872,440 from River Fund, the Queens nonprofit where he worked as an administrator. The money was supposed to provide fresh produce to needy families. Starzmann allegedly spent $429,508 of the money to buy…
Read MoreDA KATZ ANNOUNCES PADLOCKING OF SIX ILLEGAL CANNABIS STOREFRONTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced a sweeping enforcement action against six illegal cannabis storefronts in the borough. Dubbed Operation Weed Whacker, the months-long investigation included undercover buys and resulted in the padlocking of each location, four arrests and the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illicit cannabis and tobacco products. District Attorney Katz…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 15, 2025
A squatter who unlawfully occupied a vacant single-family home in St. Albans has been sentenced to two to four years in prison this week, following a successful investigation and prosecution by my office’s Housing and Worker Protection Bureau… (continued)
Read MoreSQUATTER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING ST. ALBANS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that True Jackson was sentenced to two to four years in prison for illegally occupying a vacant single-family home in St. Albans in 2024. Jackson claimed the home was his lawful permanent residence and kept pit bulls on the property. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant thought he could…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 8, 2025
I recently announced the interception of an unlicensed interstate cannabis operation that transported thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis product from California into Queens… (continued)
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 1, 2025
Two men were charged this week with staging a motor vehicle accident, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, insurance fraud and other crimes. They stand accused of deliberately orchestrating three car crashes and then seeking insurance payouts for damages and purported injuries… (continued)
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