Press Releases
HOLLIS MAN CHARGED WITH WEAPON POSSESSION AFTER GUN, AMMUNITION, KNIVES FOUND IN CAR AFTER TRAFFIC STOP
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Judd Sanson was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes after he was stopped by police in East Elmhurst for having a covering over his license plate. Police officers allegedly discovered an arsenal of weapons in the car including a loaded 9 mm…
NEARLY 100 ILLEGALLY PARKED SCOOTERS SEIZED BY DA’S OFFICE AND NYPD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the seizure of 99 scooters parked illegally on the sidewalk and in the street in South Jamaica, South Ozone Park, South Richmond Hill, Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. One unregistered motorcycle and one unregistered dirt bike parked on a sidewalk were also confiscated. The vast majority of the parked…
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ WELCOMES SUMMER INTERNS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz welcomed 64 law school and college students for the start of an enriching nine-week summer internship program. District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “We are happy to bring on board this bright and diverse group of interns to spend the summer gaining invaluable experience learning about the inner workings of the…
ALABAMA MAN CHARGED AFTER ELDERLY WOMAN KILLED IN 2021 HIT-AND-RUN NEAR THE SHOPS AT ATLAS PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edward Garzon was arraigned on charges of leaving the scene of a deadly December 2021 hit-and-run near the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale that killed an elderly woman. The charges were brought after District Attorney Katz formed a Vehicular Homicide Unit to not only investigate current cases…
SUBWAY ATTACKER PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR BRUTAL ASSAULT THAT LEFT WOMAN BLIND IN ONE EYE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Waheed Foster has pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the violent, unprovoked assault of a subway rider in September 2022 at the Howard Beach/JFK station. The victim, who was on her way to work at the time of the attack, underwent emergency surgery for her injuries which resulted…
MOTORCYCLE RIDER CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE FOR SHOOTING TWO POLICE OFFICERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Bernardo Raul Castro Mata has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in the first and second degrees and other related crimes for allegedly shooting two NYPD officers who tried to pull him over early Monday morning for driving the wrong way on an unregistered motorcycle in…
FLORIDA MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE IN 2009 COLD CASE KILLING OF HIS UNCLE IN RIDGEWOOD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Anthony Scalici was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on a charge of second-degree murder in the 2009 stabbing death of his 64-year-old uncle, Rosario Prestigiacomo, inside the victim’s Ridgewood home. The 15-year-old case was solved through forensic genetic genealogy, making it the first time a…
CHARGES FOR BOTH LIQUOR STORE OWNER AND TWO ALLEGED SHOPLIFTERS AFTER INCIDENTS ON WYCKOFF AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edwin Poaquiza and Kevin Pullatasi are charged with petit larceny for allegedly stealing two bottles of liquor from Franja Wine and Liquors on Wyckoff Avenue. Separately, store owner Franscisco Valerio is charged with assault for allegedly discharging his weapon when attempting to pistol-whip a man on the sidewalk…
TWO MEN INDICTED FOR FATAL SHOOTING IN MIDDLE VILLAGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dante Hunter and Shamel Capers were arraigned on an indictment charging Hunter with murder and Capers with attempted murder in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Joshua Taylor in Middle Village on July 23, 2023. Evidence uncovered during the investigation of the incident indicated that the round which struck…
CAB DRIVER INDICTED FOR CRASH THAT KILLED ASTORIA MAN ON SCOOTER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mohammad Bhuiyan was arraigned today on grand jury indictment charges for allegedly driving the wrong way on Northern Boulevard and striking and killing a 59-year-old Astoria man riding a scooter in November 2023. District Attorney Katz said: “It is the moral obligation of every single driver to ensure…
ALLEGED SQUATTER INDICTED FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING JAMAICA HOME, PROVIDING FORGED DOCUMENTS TO AUTHORITIES INCLUDING CIVIL COURT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lance White-Hunt was arraigned on an indictment charging him with burglary, identity theft, attempted grand larceny and other crimes for illegally occupying a home in Jamaica and forging leasing documents in an effort to stake his claim as a legal tenant. The defendant went as far as filing…
SERIAL SHOPLIFTER CHARGED WITH STEALING $170,000 WORTH OF JEWELRY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Aaron Smalls was arraigned on charges of grand larceny and other crimes for stealing expensive pieces of jewelry from stores throughout Queens. The defendant allegedly hit six shops between December 2023 and February 2024, stealing merchandise valued at more than $50,000. DNA evidence tied Smalls to another theft…
MORE THAN 90 ILLEGAL SCOOTERS SEIZED BY DA’S OFFICE AND NYPD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the seizure of 95 scooters from the streets of Corona, Elmhurst and Long Island City. The crackdown is part of an ongoing joint operation involving the District Attorney’s office and local police precincts to address the persistent use of scooters in crimes such as drive-by shootings and robberies. A…
RIDGEWOOD BOUTIQUE RAIDED IN FENCING OPERATION; TWO ARRESTED FOR POSSESSING STOLEN MERCHANDISE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the recovery of more than $500,000 in stolen items from Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Lululemon and other major retailers that were openly displayed and re-sold at less than half their retail value inside the McKlain Collection Boutique in Ridgewood. Two defendants are charged with criminal possession of stolen property for…
WOODSIDE MAN INDICTED ON FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR FATAL SHOOTING OF NYPD DETECTIVE JONATHAN DILLER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Guy Rivera was arraigned today on an indictment secured by her office charging him with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire at an NYPD sergeant in Far Rockaway on March 25. Rivera, along with codefendant…
NEW JERSEY MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATENING TO ‘SHOOT UP’ JFK AIRPORT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Darnell King was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, making terroristic threats and other related crimes after he sent a video to his estranged wife in which a gun is visible and threatened a mass shooting at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where she had…
SOUTH OZONE PARK COUPLE PLEAD GUILTY IN DEED FRAUD SCHEME TO STEAL HOMES IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Justin Joseph pleaded guilty to a deed fraud scheme that resulted in five properties being stolen from their rightful owners. His wife, Latoya Hewitt, pleaded guilty in connection with the theft of one of the homes. As part of the plea, Joseph and Hewitt agreed to pay restitution…
UNLICENSED DRIVER INDICTED ON MANSLAUGHTER, DWI CHARGES IN DEADLY ASTORIA CRASH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ray Perez was indicted on charges of manslaughter, drunk driving and other crimes for a deadly collision in February that killed his long-time girlfriend who was the mother of his child. Perez allegedly sped through a stop sign, collided with another vehicle and several parked cars, then drove…
TEEN INDICTED FOR SHOVING ELDERLY WOMAN DOWN CHURCH STEPS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 16-year-old has been indicted for first-degree assault and first-degree robbery for shoving a 68-year-old woman down the steps of a Briarwood church on April 7, leaving the seriously injured victim on the sidewalk and then stealing her purse and car. He was also indicted for a separate…
UNCLE ORDERED TO PAY RESTITUTION FOR STEALING SHARE OF FAMILY HOME WILLED TO NIECE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Wagner Recio was sentenced today for filing fraudulent paperwork to claim he fully owned a Queens Village home when his niece had actually inherited half of it from her father, Recio’s brother. In 2021, Recio obtained a mortgage against the value of the property and kept the financial…
Meet the DA
