Court Cases
MAN ARRAIGNED IN SCOOTER SHOOTING SPREE THAT LEFT ONE DEAD AND TWO OTHERS WOUNDED IN QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Thomas Abreu was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with murder and five counts of attempted murder after allegedly going on a shooting spree while riding a scooter and killing an 86-year-old man and wounding two others in Queens. District Attorney Katz said: “This is a chilling…
BOYFRIEND OF WOMAN KILLED AND STUFFED IN CAR TRUNK PLEADS GUILTY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kareem Flake pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing the 26-year-old mother of his two children in November 2020. The victim’s remains were discovered four months later in the trunk of an abandoned car belonging to the defendant. District Attorney Katz said: “This young mother was brutally murdered and…
MAN CHARGED WITH RAPE AND ASSAULT IN ATTACK ON WOMAN
Allegedly Took Victim on Motorcycle Ride, Then Attacked Her Faces Up to 25 Years in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tony Kempsey was arraigned for allegedly raping a 49-year-old woman on an Elmhurst street after giving her a ride on his motorcycle and then beating her. District Attorney Katz said: “This kind…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSING ARSENAL OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS, INCLUDING GHOST GUNS AND AMMUNITION
Faces up to 15 Years in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zhili Song of Flushing was arraigned on weapons possession and other charges after a search warrant executed at his basement apartment in his parent’s home uncovered a cache of firearms, including ghost guns, and ammunition. District Attorney Katz said: “The arsenal…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN SHOOTING OF NYPD OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Devin Spraggins was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on two counts of attempted murder in the first degree and other charges in connection with the April 5 confrontation with NYPD officers in which rookie Officer Brett Boller was shot. District Attorney Katz said: “The brazen…
VIRGINIA MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE IN 31-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE KILLING OF FAR ROCKAWAY TEEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jerry Lewis was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on a charge of murder in the second degree for the 1992 death of 15-year-old Nadine Slade, who was found naked and strangled with her own bra in her Far Rockaway home. District Attorney Katz said: “Any…
QUEENS MEN SENTENCED FOR DEADLY RICHMOND HILL SHOOTING
Defendants Killed Guyanese Man and Shot Brother During Richmond Hill Robbery Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shakim Allen and Dreshaun Smith were sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for killing a man visiting from Guyana and shooting his brother during a Richmond Hill robbery in January 2017. District Attorney Katz said:…
MAN SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON IN SHOOTING DEATH OF DELI WORKER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Steven Cohen has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for the shooting death of a 26-year-old deli worker after a brief verbal altercation. District Attorney Katz said: “The callous actions of this defendant cost the life of an innocent man who was simply doing his job. I…
BRONX MAN SENTENCED FOR SHOOTING INTO MTA BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melvin Adams was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for opening fire on a busy thoroughfare intending to hit a stranger and instead shooting at an MTA bus and striking two passengers. District Attorney Katz said: “A dangerous man is now off our streets and will serve…
COUPLE INDICTED FOR BASEBALL BAT AND KNIFE ATTACK ON NEIGHBORS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Arturo Cuevas and Daisy Barrera were indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today for attempted murder and other crimes for a brutal attack on their neighbors, allegedly as revenge for a previous fight over a parking spot. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the husband stabbed the…
GRANDMOTHER CONVICTED IN DEATH OF DAUGHTER’S BOYFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Suzette Olin was convicted of manslaughter for her role in the death of Shaka Ifil, her daughter’s boyfriend and the father of her daughter’s newborn. Ifil was shot once in the back while in his Woodhaven home. District Attorney Katz said: “The jury convicted this defendant in the…
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ LAUNCHES STATE’S FIRST PROSECUTION OF INTERNATIONAL GHOST GUN TRAFFICKING OPERATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the indictment of a Queens man and his associate in Texas, charging them with assembling ghost guns and selling the untraceable firearms in New York City and Trinidad. The case is the first prosecution in New York State of an international ghost gun trafficking operation. The investigation was conducted…
LONG ISLAND MAN INDICTED ON SEX TRAFFICKING CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Cleveland Sterling was arraigned on charges of sex trafficking, robbery and other crimes for allegedly forcing two victims to engage in prostitution and assaulting and robbing them. District Attorney Katz said: “Traffickers use violence, intimidation and claims of financial debt to force victims into sex work. We are…
DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH HATE CRIMES FOR MULTIPLE SWASTIKA INCIDENTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Antoine Blount was charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment for allegedly drawing swastikas on the sidewalk in front of the Reform Temple of Forest Hills, a day care center and a residential building. District Attorney Katz said: “Cowardly acts of hate, especially in…
16-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME IN FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK ATTACK OF JEWISH MAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 16-year-old male was charged today with assault as a hate crime for an attack in Flushing Meadows Corona Park during which the defendant is accused of yelling anti-Semitic slurs while he and others kicked a Jewish man after knocking him to the ground. District Attorney Katz said:…
DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MANSLAUGHTER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Atekel Donaldson was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the death of a 15-year-old getting off of a city bus in Far Rockaway in February 2018. District Attorney Katz said: “A teenager’s life was senselessly cut short by gun violence, which continues to steal family, friends, and…
33 REPUTED GANG MEMBERS INDICTED ON MURDER, GUN VIOLENCE CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell, announced one of the largest gang takedowns in the history of the office, a 151-count indictment brought against 33 alleged gang members, five of whom are charged with murder. The murder charges are for the shooting death of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin, gunned down in…
SON CHARGED IN STABBING DEATH OF MOTHER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dennis Cho was arraigned today, accused of murder in the stabbing death of his 59-year-old mother inside their Flushing home. According to the charges against him, Cho stabbed his mother multiple times in the back. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant is charged with the gruesome, cold-blooded stabbing…
MAN INDICTED FOR KIDNAPPING, RAPING AND ASSAULTING THREE YOUNG WOMEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Andres Portilla was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with kidnapping and sexually assaulting three young women whom he kept captive in his car. District Attorney Katz said: “The brutality inflicted upon these vulnerable young women is unspeakable. This indictment is the first step toward providing some…
NEW JERSEY MAN INDICTED FOR EXECUTION-STYLE MURDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ron Reeder was indicted for an execution-style murder in broad daylight in September 2021. Wearing a mask and garments typically worn by Hasidic Jewish men, Reeder ran up behind the victim, who was entering a car parked on a South Ozone Park street, and shot him in the…
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