Press Releases
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO UP TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON FOR TRAFFICKING TEEN GIRL AND WEAPON POSSESSION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Troy Siddons was sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty in April 2025 to sex trafficking and weapon possession charges. Siddons admitted that he paid a 14-year-old girl $300 for sex and then threatened and coerced her to engage in sex acts with…
MARRIED COUPLE PLEADS GUILTY IN WAGE THEFT CASE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that married couple Christian Perez and Ines Perez Miranda, along with their two cleaning companies, pleaded guilty to failing to pay wages for company employees. The defendants were ordered to make restitution to 30 victims totaling over $28,000. District Attorney Katz said: “These defendants failed to pay their…
JAMAICA RESIDENT INDICTED ON VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE FOR EARLY MORNING COLLISION THAT KILLED SCOOTER OPERATOR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ryan Rampersaud was indicted on charges of vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence for a January 2026 collision that killed Blanca Arias-Miranda in Astoria, who was operating a scooter. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendant was driving while intoxicated, barreled into a…
VIRGINIA MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR 1992 COLD CASE MURDER OF FAR ROCKAWAY TEEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerry Lewis was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after being convicted at trial for the murder of 15-year-old Nadine Slade, who was strangled to death in May 1992. The victim was found dead inside a bathroom her family shared with an adjacent unit at…
NINE DEFENDANTS PLEAD GUILTY IN DISASTER RELIEF SCHEME; ORDERED TO MAKE RESTITUTION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced that nine defendants pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars in pandemic relief funds intended to help small business owners suffering hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the plea, the defendants have been ordered to make restitution payments…
KEW GARDENS MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSING ARSENAL OF WEAPONS, INCLUDING ASSAULT WEAPONS, AND BULLETPROOF VESTS INSIDE APARTMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Charles Foehner was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty in November to criminal possession of a weapon stemming from charges in which the defendant was in possession of unlicensed and unregistered firearms, including four assault weapons, inside his Kew Gardens apartment. The defendant was accosted…
TWO DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR STABBING DEATH OF 17-YEAR-OLD IN WOODHAVEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 18-year-old Derek Trejo and a 17-year-old co-defendant have been charged with murder and weapon possession for the stabbing death of 17-year-old Josue Argudo in Woodhaven on Friday. The two defendants argued with the victim, who was returning home from school, and allegedly acted in concert to punch and…
GLENDALE RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO ASSAULT FOR ATTACK ON 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND OFF-DUTY POLICE SERGEANT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Feliz Enrique pleaded guilty to multiple assault charges for attacking a 9-year-old girl who was playing on a Glendale street. The defendant forcefully struck the child with his hand on May 10. When a nearby off-duty police sergeant intervened to apprehend him, Enrique bit off the top segment…
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN INDICTED ON CHARGES OF GANG ASSAULT AND RIOT FOR BEATING MALBA HOMEOWNER AT VIOLENT CAR MEETUP; FACES UP TO 25 YEARS IF CONVICTED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Justin Aguilera was indicted by a grand jury on charges of gang assault, riot and other related crimes in connection with an illegal car meetup in November in Malba which devolved into a violent assault. Aguilera allegedly attacked a homeowner and his wife as the couple attempted to…
SOUTH CAROLINA MAN INDICTED FOR EXECUTION-STYLE MURDER OF 21-YEAR-OLD DASHANNA DONOVAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that De’Ovryion Elijha Ray was indicted for murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Dashanna Donovan in Elmhurst on September 12. The defendant allegedly fled New York immediately following the murder. He was apprehended October 8 in South Carolina and refused to waive…
ROSEDALE MAN INDICTED FOR MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS AS A HATE CRIME; DEFENDANT THREATENED TO KILL ‘JEWS,’ ‘ISRAELIS,’ ‘NYPD,’ AND ‘FEDS’
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Nathan White was arraigned on grand jury indictment charges of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime and related crimes for posting threatening messages on his X account in November. The messages threatened the murder of Jewish and Israeli residents of New York City, as well as…
HOWARD BEACH MAN SENTENCED TO 23 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATAL OZONE PARK SHOOTING OF TAROT CARD READER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Giuseppe Canzani was sentenced to 23 years in prison for fatally shooting 51-year-old Anna Torres shortly after she opened the door to her Ozone Park home in May 2022. The victim was a tarot card reader and Canzani believed she was a witch who had put a curse…
OPERATION SELF CHECKOUT: THIRTEEN DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR STEALING MORE THAN $2.2 MILLION IN MERCHANDISE FROM HOME DEPOT LOCATIONS IN NINE STATES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that 13 defendants were charged in a 780-count indictment with grand larceny, conspiracy and criminal possession of stolen property for operating a stolen goods and fencing ring that targeted Home Depot locations in New York and eight other states. Members of the Queens-based theft…
JURY CONVICTS ASTORIA MAN OF ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOVING HIS MOTHER OUT OF THIRD FLOOR WINDOW
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that George Tsintzelis was convicted of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for shoving his 64-year-old mother¸ Paraskevi Tsintzelis, out of their third-floor apartment window in 2024. District Attorney Katz said: “Paraskevi Tsintzelis was seriously injured but fortunately survived the fall and then made the difficult decision to testify…
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN CHARGED WITH GANG ASSAULT AND RIOT FOR BEATING MALBA HOMEOWNER AT VIOLENT CAR MEETUP; FACES UP TO 25 YEARS IF CONVICTED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Justin Aguilera was arraigned today on charges of gang assault, riot and other related charges for attacking a Malba man and his wife after the victims told the defendant and a group of others to disperse from in front of their property. The incident took place during a…
QUEENS UNCLE WHO KILLED NEPHEW AT FAMILY BARBECUE CONVICTED OF MURDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Durran Morgan was convicted of murder in the shooting death of his 25-year-old nephew during a family barbecue in St. Albans during Memorial Day weekend in 2023. Morgan argued with his nephew, 25-year-old Chevaughn Millings, over payment for the chicken served at the gathering. The defendant was also…
JOHN DOE DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR STEALING THREE QUEENS COUNTY HOMES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a John Doe defendant – who has used multiple aliases – was sentenced to 4 ½ years to nine years in prison for stealing three homes in Queens. The defendant was arrested in March under the name of Carl Avinger for his role in an ongoing deed fraud…
FAR ROCKAWAY WOMAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STRIKING MAN ON SIDEWALK IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kiani Phoenix was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the death of 59-year-old Milton Storch in Far Rockaway in 2022. Phoenix, who had been arguing with another woman outside a deli, entered her car and accelerated toward the woman but instead hit…
ROSEDALE MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF GHOST GUN CACHE FOUND AT HIS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lianu Luis Brown Delgado has been charged with weapons possession and other crimes after an investigation led to the recovery of eight guns, including seven ghost guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition, at the defendant’s Rosedale home. The guns were allegedly made on a 3D printer…
DA KATZ HOSTS FIRST MISSING PERSONS DAY IN QUEENS WITH NYC OCME AND US REP GRACE MENG
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the first Queens Missing Persons Day, hosted in partnership with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng on October 24. The free event provided one-on-one assistance for families of loved ones who have been missing for 60 days or more. Attendees…
Meet the DA
