Press Releases
FLUSHING PAIR CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF MORE THAN $600,000 WORTH OF DRUGS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Amanda Chen and Sheng Lin were charged with 17 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal use of drug paraphernalia after a search of their Flushing penthouse apartment uncovered $654,000 worth of drugs and $37,502 in cash. District Attorney Katz said: “We will not allow…
LONG ISLAND MAN SENTENCED FOR MURDER OF PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Goey Charles was sentenced today to 25 years to life in prison for the October 2020 murder of his pregnant girlfriend, 29-year-old Vanessa Pierre. Charles abandoned her body on the side of the Horace Harding Expressway in Bayside. District Attorney Katz said: “We asked for the maximum sentence…
BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED FOR STEALING WIDOW’S HOME BY POSING AS HER SON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Christopher Williams was sentenced for stealing the home of an elderly widow by posing as her son, then selling the property and cashing in more than $200,000. Williams, 43, of Morgan Avenue in Brooklyn, was sentenced yesterday by Queens Supreme Court Justice Leigh K. Cheng to a term…
QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER IN CAR CRASH THAT KILLED NYPD OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kassun Brown pleaded guilty today to manslaughter for speeding through a stop sign in St. Albans and crashing into another vehicle, killing its driver, an off-duty NYPD officer, Michael Ellis. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant’s recklessness prematurely took the life of a young NYPD officer. We welcome…
NEW JERSEY MAN CHARGED WITH INSURANCE FRAUD IN THEFT OF $2.6 MILLION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that David Liu was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the theft of $2.6 million from a trust fund. Liu is accused of transferring the money to bank accounts he created using an alias and spending the cash to buy Cartier jewelry and other luxury items. District…
HOMEOWNER CHARGED IN TRIPLE HOMICIDE WITH STABBING TENANTS AND GIRLFRIEND TO DEATH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that David Daniel was charged today with murder in the stabbing deaths of two tenants and his girlfriend inside his St. Albans home. After the attack, Daniel turned himself in to police. District Attorney Katz said: “The bloody crime scene was the result of extraordinary brutality. In court, what…
SEXUAL PREDATOR SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR RAPING CHILD RELATIVES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jason Brown was sentenced today to 40 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting two child relatives beginning when the youngest of the girls was 8 years old and the oldest victim was 10. District Attorney Katz said: “This sexual predator stole the innocence of two young…
LONG ISLAND MAN CONVICTED OF MURDERING PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Goey Charles was convicted of murder in the October 2020 death of his pregnant girlfriend, 29-year-old Vanessa Pierre. He dumped her body on the side of the Horace Harding Expressway in Bayside and drove away. District Attorney Katz said: “We achieved justice for Vanessa. The verdict does not…
QUEENS DRIVER INDICTED IN DEATH OF ELDERLY PEDESTRIAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rony Zino was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with criminally negligent homicide in the death of a 75-year-old woman he is accused of hitting with his truck as she was crossing a street in Ridgewood with the aid of a walker. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz…
STATEN ISLAND MAN CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY IN THEFT OF $1.4 MILLION FROM QUEENS APPAREL COMPANY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Glenn Jakers was charged with grand larceny, accused of siphoning $1.4 million from Eric Javits, Inc., a Long Island City apparel company where he worked as the controller. The money was used to buy luxury items, for personal expenses and to fund The G.O.A.T. bar on Staten Island….
MASSACHUSETTS MAN FACES ASSAULT AND FIREARMS CHARGES IN SHOOTING OF WOMAN OVER FAMILY DEBT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Minliang Zheng was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the cold-blooded shooting a 45-year-old woman, allegedly over her male relative’s unpaid financial debt. The defendant fled to Massachusetts and was extradited to New York this week. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant shot the…
INTERSTATE GUN TRAFFICKING RING DISMANTLED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that three defendants were indicted on the heels of a seven-month investigation into gun trafficking that included a series of undercover buys in the parking lot of a P.C. Richard & Son in Astoria and a wiretap on the defendants’ phones. The investigation netted 109 illegal firearms and…
MILLIONS IN DRUGS AND GUNS SEIZED FROM ABANDONED HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Victor Rodriguez was indicted on drug and gun charges after a search of an abandoned home in Bellerose uncovered millions of dollars worth of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine and a stockpile of firearms. A contractor hired after the recent sale of the property stumbled upon the stash. The…
LONG ISLAND WOMAN CONVICTED OF AGGRAVATED MANSLAUGHTER IN HIT AND RUN THAT KILLED NYPD DETECTIVE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jessica Beauvais was convicted today of aggravated manslaughter for driving drunk and slamming into an NYPD detective stationed at a highway roadblock. Detective Anastasios Tsakos suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead a short time after he was struck by Beauvais on the Long Island Expressway in 2021….
MAN CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AS HATE CRIME IN DEADLY ASSAULT AFTER FENDER BENDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Gilbert Augustin was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with manslaughter and assault as hate crimes in the death of 66-year-old Jasmer Singh, whom he is accused of attacking after a fender bender in Kew Gardens. During a dispute that preceded the fatal beating, Augustin is accused…
BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING AT OFF-DUTY POLICE DETECTIVE IN FIT OF ROAD RAGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Alexis Morillo was charged today with attempted murder, accused of shooting while driving on the Long Island Expressway at another motorist, an off-duty NYPD detective, in an apparent fit of road rage. District Attorney Katz said: “A police detective nearly lost his life in a mindless act of…
MAN SENTENCED IN RUFUS KING PARK SHOOTING DEATH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Torren King was sentenced today to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man in Rufus King Park. Two others charged in the shooting, stemming from a drug deal gone bad, are awaiting trial. District Attorney Katz said: “Less…
MANHATTAN MAN CHARGED WITH FELONY HATE CRIME AFTER TARGETING SIKH ON MTA BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Christopher Philippeaux was arraigned last night, accused of taunting, punching and trying to knock off the traditional Sikh turban of a fellow bus passenger. District Attorney Katz said: “We will hold accountable those that would attack others based on their religion. Freedom of religion and expression are foundational…
WOMAN SENTENCED ON SEX TRAFFICKING, KIDNAPPING, ASSAULT AND ROBBERY CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Destiny Lebron was sentenced to 13 years in prison on sex trafficking, kidnapping, assault and robbery charges for three incidents in which she lured victims to a location for sex, then detained, assaulted and robbed them with the help of a male co-defendant. District Attorney Katz said: “Destiny…
LONG ISLAND MAN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT OF GIRLFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Herman Brightman was charged today with threatening to kill his girlfriend with a knife, binding her wrists and taping her mouth shut. The investigation is ongoing and District Attorney Katz is urging other women Brightman dated and victimized to contact her office. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant…
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