Posts by Renea Henry
RICHMOND HILL MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF 8-YEAR-OLD STEPSON; BOY’S MOTHER INDICTED FOR ASSAULT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Davien Reid Sr. was indicted for attempted murder, assault, witness intimidation and other crimes for the brutal beating of his 8-year-stepson after the boy was accused of eating brownies intended for Reid. Reid allegedly hit the child, picked him up, threw him to the ground and then…
Read MoreKEW GARDENS HILLS WOMAN CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY FOR SCAMMING ELDERLY VICTIMS OUT OF SAVINGS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Lise Rossopoulos has been charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for scamming senior citizens out of more than $500,000 in a nationwide elder fraud scheme. The victims received phone calls from a co-conspirator who pretended to be a government official and convinced them…
Read MoreQUEENS GANG LEADER SENTENCED TO 28 YEARS TO LIFE FOR MURDER IN SHOOTING DEATH OF BRONX MAN AT RUFUS KING PARK IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chance Goode was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison after being found guilty of murder in the second degree for the death of a 22-year-old Bronx man in October 2020. The broad daylight shooting in Rufus King Park stemmed from a marijuana deal gone wrong.…
Read MoreCYBERCRIME CREW CHARGED WITH STEALING AND RESELLING CONCERT TICKETS, INCLUDING FOR TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERAS TOUR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that two individuals were arrested and arraigned for their role in the cybercrime theft of more than 900 concert tickets, the majority of which were for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The ticket URLs were allegedly stolen by two individuals working at a third-party contractor for StubHub in Kingston,…
Read MoreDRIVER CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AND DWI FOR PRE-DAWN COLLISION THAT KILLED MOTORIST IN CORONA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Michael Pena was arraigned on charges of manslaughter and related charges for allegedly driving at a high rate of speed and slamming his Mercedes-Benz into another motorist at the intersection of 107th Street and Northern Boulevard in East Elmhurst on Wednesday. The victim, 23-year-old Justin Diaz, was driving…
Read MoreASTORIA RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STRAY BULLET SLAY OF NYCHA WORKER IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerald Bethea has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty last month to manslaughter in the first degree. The defendant killed a 25-year-old NYCHA employee who was working on the grounds of the Astoria Houses when he was hit by a stray bullet fired…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF WOMAN ON ROOFTOP IN 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerson Vasquez was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape, attempted murder and another charge for the violent sexual assault of a woman on a Jamaica rooftop in August 2023. The defendant answered an online prostitution advertisement and lured the victim to the location. District Attorney…
Read MoreLONG ISLAND MAN WHO LURED TWO VICTIMS TO LOCATIONS FOR SEX FACES 20 YEARS IN PRISON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Gil Iphael pleaded guilty to kidnapping, robbery and promoting prostitution for three incidents in which he enticed victims to go to a location for sex, then detained, assaulted and robbed them with the help of a female co-defendant. In one instance, he beat a victim and threatened…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN INDICTED AND IN CUSTODY FOR 2021 FATAL GUNPOINT ROBBERY IN ASTORIA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jordan Hannah, an FDNY EMT, was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on first-degree murder and other charges for the fatal gunpoint robbery of 22-year-old Kyle Griffin in April 2021. Griffin was seated in his white Range Rover near the corner of 41st Street and 30th…
Read MoreSUNNYSIDE COUPLE SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NEIGHBOR AFTER FIGHT OVER PARKING SPOT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that married couple Arturo Cuevas and Daisy Barrera have been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the stabbing and baseball bat attack of their neighbor, a 28-year-old man, in March 2023. The assault stemmed from a previous dispute between the couple…
Read MoreQUEENS GANG LEADER CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF BRONX MAN AT RUFUS KING PARK IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chance Goode has been found guilty of murder in the second degree for the death of a 22-year-old Bronx man during a broad daylight shooting in Rufus King Park in Jamaica in October 2020. The murder stemmed from a marijuana deal gone wrong. District Attorney Katz said:…
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN CHARGED IN BURGLARY PATTERN FOR BREAKING INTO HOMES THROUGHOUT QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Zengguo Chen has been charged with burglary, grand larceny, assault and other crimes in connection with a pattern of home burglaries that took place between October and February. Chen is alleged to have entered homes through windows and taken jewelry and other items. District Attorney Katz said:…
Read MoreDRIVER OF U-HAUL TRUCK INDICTED FOR HIT-AND-RUN CRASH THAT KILLED PEDESTRIAN ON SIDEWALK IN AUGUST 2024
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jamie Ferreira and Jennifer Sablan have been indicted for various crimes related to the August 2024 hit-and-run death of 56-year-old David Opiela. Ferreira is alleged to have been speeding in a U-Haul truck on Horace Harding Expressway when she struck the victim, who was standing on the sidewalk,…
Read MoreFLUSHING COSMETOLOGIST CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR PROVIDING PURPORTED BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Fei Min has been charged with assault, unauthorized practice and reckless endangerment for repeatedly injecting unknown substances during multiple visits into the face, neck and breasts of a client and purported that she was providing Botox, collagen and other treatments. Min lacked a license to provide such treatments.…
Read MoreBRONX WOMAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DEATH OF UBER PASSENGER IN HIGH-SPEED WHITESTONE EXPRESSWAY CRASH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Rodriguez-Lopez was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for killing a 62-year-old Uber passenger in May 2023. Rodriguez-Lopez sped at 123 miles per hour while racing with others on the Whitestone Expressway, caused a fatal roadway crash then fled the scene with another racer and reported…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR DAYLIGHT ROOFTOP ATTACK ON WOMAN IN 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jerson Vasquez pleaded guilty to rape, attempted murder and another charge for the violent sexual assault of a woman on a rooftop in August 2023. The defendant answered an online prostitution advertisement and lured the victim to the location. District Attorney Katz said: “This was a brazen and…
Read MoreQUEENS VILLAGE MAN CHARGED WITH WEAPON POSSESSION AFTER GHOST GUN CACHE FOUND AT HIS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jonathan Diaz was charged with weapon possession and other crimes after an investigation led to the discovery of four ghost guns and ammunition at his Queens Village home. The guns were allegedly made on a 3D printer at the defendant’s residence. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant,…
Read MoreTENANT CHARGED WITH MURDER OF BUILDING SUPERINTENDENT WHO WAS TRYING TO COLLECT UNPAID RENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Sandra Coto-Navarro has been charged with murder for allegedly killing her building’s superintendent, 55-year-old Jose Portillo, inside her apartment in Kew Gardens Hills. The victim reportedly entered the defendant’s apartment around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday to collect unpaid rent on behalf of the landlord. The super’s coworkers called the…
Read MoreFORMER MANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR EXECUTION-STYLE MURDER IN 1990
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kevin Smith was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following a trial conviction for murder. The defendant killed a long-time acquaintance with a gunshot to the back of the head while seated in the back seat of a vehicle in February 1990. Smith was previously…
Read MoreDEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR APRIL 2020 STRAY BULLET SHOOTING OF NYCHA WORKER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerald Bethea has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Darrian Ramdial of Mount Vernon in April 2020. The victim was an innocent bystander at work in the Astoria Houses when he was hit by a bullet that the defendant…
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