Court Cases
MAN SENTENCED TO UP TO 29 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR THE STRANGULATION DEATH OF A TRANSGENDER WOMAN IN 2010
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rasheen Everett has been sentenced to up to 29 years to life in prison for the murder of a 29-year-old transgender woman inside the victim’s Glendale apartment in 2010. Everett strangled the victim and poured bleach over her body in an attempt to hide evidence before stealing…
ELEVEN REPUTED GANG MEMBERS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER, ATTEMPTED ASSAULT, RECKLESS ENGAGEMENT AND GUN POSSESSION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a three-and-a-half-year investigation into gang violence in Southeast Queens led to the indictment of 11 alleged members of “Whole Blocc Boys” and “Score On Anything” – two subsets of the “8 Trey Movin Crips” street gang. The defendants are variously charged with conspiracy, attempted murder, attempted assault, reckless…
QUEENS HUSBAND AND WIFE CHARGED WITH OPERATING INTERNATIONAL STOLEN MERCHANDISE RING OUT OF KEW GARDENS HILLS HOME AND STOREFRONT IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that married couple Cristopher Guzman and Yvelisse Guzman Batista, as well as three co-defendants, were charged with operating a large-scale retail theft and fencing operation. The pair sold stolen merchandise including high-end makeup, perfume, beauty products, designer clothing and accessories, locally and abroad under…
QUEENS WOMAN INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING TRANSGENDER VICTIM ON ROOSEVELT AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Valezka Echeverrias was arraigned on an indictment charging her with sex trafficking and other crimes for allegedly forcing a transgender woman to engage in prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue and to pay the defendant a weekly sum of money. After the victim stated that she wanted to stop engaging…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM OF MORE THAN $240,000 WITH BOGUS CLAIMS OF ECONOMIC HARM DUE TO COVID-19
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Humayun Kabir has been charged with grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in pandemic relief funds intended to help workers and small business owners suffering hardship due to COVID-19. The defendant allegedly applied for a federal Payroll Protection Program loan and an Economic…
THREE ALLEGED SQUATTERS INDICTED FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING ST. ALBANS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that True Jackson, Saliam Sudler, and Shania Outar have been indicted on charges of burglary, criminal trespass and other crimes for illegally occupying a single-family home in St. Albans. The rightful owner’s family noticed unauthorized activity in the home this spring after the property was vacated in early 2024….
QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN ARSON FIRE THAT SERIOUSLY INJURED TWO OCCUPANTS OF SOUTH OZONE PARK HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Evan Person pleaded guilty to arson in the second degree for setting fire to cars in South Ozone Park and entering a home where he set a blaze that critically injured two of its occupants. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant is a serial arsonist who set fire…
DA KATZ ANNOUNCES TAKEDOWN OF MAJOR NETWORK CABLE THEFT OPERATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kong Gao has been charged with fraudulent making of an electronic access device and criminal possession of forgery devices in connection to a large-scale theft of network cable streaming and Wi-Fi services in Flushing and Whitestone. Gao is accused of manufacturing approximately 200 fraudulent modem devices embedded with…
DA KATZ, NYPD AND SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHUTTER UNLICENSED CANNABIS SHOP IN SUNNYSIDE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the closure of an unlicensed cannabis shop that operated near the Thomas A. Noonan Playground on Greenpoint Avenue in Sunnyside. A woman working at the shop was charged with criminal sale of cannabis and criminal possession of a controlled substance. District Attorney Katz said: “This shop, which was located…
FORMER PTA PRESIDENT ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING MORE THAN $41,000 FROM ASTORIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Athena Gonzalez, the former parent teacher association president at P.S. 166 in Astoria, has been charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly stealing more than $41,000 from the school’s PTA. District Attorney Katz said: District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant, as PTA president…
FOURTH PERSON INDICTED FOR DOUGLASTON HOME INVASION BURGLARY AND KIDNAPPING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a fourth person has been indicted and arraigned on charges of kidnapping, robbery and burglary following a violent home invasion in Douglaston in August. The defendant, Oneil Thompson, is alleged to have acted as a getaway driver for three men – Jone Smith and brothers Ryan and Brandon…
LONG ISLAND MAN INDICTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER IN FATAL ROAD RAGE CRASH ON THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Shaqeem Douglas was arraigned on an indictment charging him with manslaughter and related crimes for the death of 41-year-old Pradeppa Desai, who was a passenger in a for-hire Lyft SUV that Douglas cut off while both cars were traveling on the Long Island Expressway on August 14….
TEENAGE ALLEGED GANG MEMBER INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF QUEENS MOTORIST IN ST. ALBANS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 15-year-old male has been indicted on charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes for allegedly shooting and killing a motorist in St. Albans on September 16. The defendant, an alleged gang member, is accused of discharging a 9 mm handgun multiple times following…
ALLEGED SQUATTER INDICTED FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING HOWARD BEACH HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Laurel Bay has been indicted on charges of burglary, criminal trespass and other crimes for illegally occupying a single-family home in Howard Beach. The property had been vacant since 2012, with the homeowner managing the property from out of state. Observant neighbors spotted the defendant allegedly moving items…
DA KATZ INTRODUCES FACILITY DOG NAMED KIMI TO ASSIST IN SPECIAL VICTIM AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kimi, a 2-year-old golden retriever/Labrador retriever mix, has been appointed to the District Attorney’s Office as a facility dog to provide comfort and companionship to crime victims and witnesses. The service animal was provided free of charge by Canine Companions and is the only facility dog working…
SQUATTER WHO ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED JAMAICA HOME AND PROVIDED FORGED DOCUMENTS TO AUTHORITIES PLEADS GUILTY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lance White-Hunt has pleaded guilty to identity theft, offering a false instrument for filing and tampering with physical evidence after illegally occupying a home in Jamaica and forging leasing documents to stake his claim to the property as a legal tenant. As part of the plea, the defendant…
THREE MEN INDICTED FOR DOUGLASTON HOME INVASION BURGLARY AND KIDNAPPING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that three men – Jone Smith and brothers Ryan and Brandon Dash – have been indicted by a Queens grand jury on 41 charges including kidnapping, robbery and burglary. The trio allegedly strong-armed their way into a Douglaston residence last month and held a family – including children and…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON PREDATORY SEXUAL ASSAULT, RAPE, KIDNAPPING AND OTHER CHARGES FOR HORRIFIC ATTACK ON 13-YEAR-OLD IN KISSENA PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Christian Inga has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and is now charged with predatory sexual assault, rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree and numerous other crimes for a June attack on a 13-year-old girl and her friend. District…
HUSBAND INDICTED FOR FATALLY STABBING WIFE INSIDE FLUSHING SPA WHERE SHE WORKED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jiahai Ma has been indicted by a grand jury on murder and weapon charges for allegedly stabbing his wife to death inside of her place of employment at a Flushing spa on Kissena Boulevard on September 3. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendant carried out a…
APPROXIMATELY $10 MILLION WORTH OF ILLEGAL CANNABIS PRODUCT SEIZED FROM WAREHOUSE IN FLORAL PARK; TWO DEFENDANTS ARRAIGNED ON DRUG CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the seizure of approximately four tons of illegal cannabis and cannabis product from a storage facility in Floral Park following the execution of a search warrant at the location on Tuesday, September 17, in partnership with the NYPD and the NYC Sheriff’s Office. A smaller quantity of crystal meth…
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