Press Releases
ALLEGED SQUATTER CHARGED FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING FLUSHING HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Brian Rodriguez has been indicted on charges of burglary, grand larceny and other crimes for illegally occupying a single-family home in Flushing and renting out rooms to others. When the homeowner regained access to the property and changed the locks, the defendant forced himself back inside the home…
DRIVER IN FATAL SHOOTING OF NYPD OFFICER INDICTED ON WEAPON CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lindy Jones was arraigned on an indictment charging him with criminal possession of a weapon for a gun found in the car from which Jones’ codefendant is accused of fatally shooting NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller on March 25 in Far Rockaway. Jones was the driver of the vehicle…
TEEN CHARGED FOR SHOVING ELDERLY WOMAN DOWN CHURCH STEPS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that her office has charged a 16-year-old with first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and grand larceny for attacking an elderly woman on the steps of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Briarwood on April 7. The teen is accused of shoving the 68-year-old victim down a flight of cement stairs…
NEW YORK CITY BUILDING INSPECTOR CHARGED WITH TAKING BRIBES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zabihullah Ibrahimi, a city building inspector, was arraigned today on bribery and official misconduct charges for taking cash from homeowners in exchange for closing complaints about their property. In one case, he allegedly asked for $3,500 from a homeowner and, when she said she had no cash, directed…
JAMAICA MAN SENTENCED FOR DEATH OF 14-YEAR-OLD AAMIR GRIFFIN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Sean Brown was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the mistaken-identity shooting death of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin in a South Jamaica playground and for an unrelated weapon possession charge. Brown mistook the teenager for a rival gang member in the 2019 shooting. District Attorney Katz said: “Aamir…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED IN DEADLY STABBING AT MASPETH TAVERN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marcin Pieciak was arraigned today on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the fatal stabbing of Sarah McNally, his 41-year-old girlfriend. The woman was working as a bartender at a Maspeth tavern when Pieciak allegedly stabbed her then slit his own throat. District Attorney…
BELLEROSE MAN WHO DEPOSITED STOLEN CHECKS INTO HIS BANK ACCOUNT CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Eduardo Soto is charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of a forged instrument and other crimes for depositing stolen and bogus checks totaling more than $40,000 into his bank account. In July 2023, a Forest Hills resident noticed unauthorized transactions on his credit card account and discovered checks…
FAR ROCKAWAY WOMAN CHARGED AFTER EMACIATED, SICKLY DOG FOUND IN HER APARTMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Evadne Harrington was arraigned on animal abuse charges after police discovered a dog chained to a small box without food or water inside her Far Rockaway apartment. The malnourished animal, whose coat was damp from urine and covered in filth, was rushed to a veterinary hospital and has…
INDICTMENT SECURED BY DA’S OFFICE IN POLICE OFFICER HOMICIDE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Guy Rivera and Lindy Jones have been indicted on charges connected to the shooting death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller in Far Rockway last week. Rivera was indicted for first-degree murder for the homicide and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire his weapon at an NYPD sergeant…
AIRPORT TAXI DISPATCHERS CHARGED WITH TAKING BRIBES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that nine taxi dispatchers were arraigned today on bribery charges for taking cash in exchange for letting drivers pick up passengers at Kennedy International Airport without waiting behind fellow cabbies in often long lines at the central dispatch lot. Four of the defendants are accused of accepting more than…
WOODSIDE MAN INDICTED FOR WHEELCHAIR STABBING ATTACK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kareem Phillips was indicted for attempted murder after launching a knife attack on three people, including an elderly woman, from his wheelchair at a Woodside intersection. The woman sustained serious injuries. District Attorney Katz said: “Within the span of just a few minutes, the defendant is alleged to…
FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES FILED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF POLICE OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that criminal charges were filed today against Guy Rivera in Queens Criminal Court for first-degree murder in the shooting death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire his weapon at an NYPD sergeant in Far Rockaway Monday after the officers approached a car…
WEAPONS CHARGES FILED AGAINST DRIVER OF CAR INVOLVED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF POLICE OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lindy Jones was arraigned today on weapons charges after a court-ordered search warrant executed on his vehicle found an illegal firearm. Jones was behind the wheel of the car from which the shot that killed NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was fired on Monday. Jones’ passenger in the car…
TWO VIRGINIA MEN INDICTED FOR FATAL SHOOTING IN SOUTH JAMAICA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marquise Brown and Joseph Woods were arraigned this week on an indictment charging them with murder in the fatal shooting of 48-year-old Yaw Pabi in South Jamaica in April 2022. Both defendants fled to their home state of Virginia following the shooting and were extradited last week to…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING OF A CHILD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Alfredo Morocho was arraigned today on an indictment accusing him of recruiting a 17-year-old girl to have sex with strangers for his own profit, advertising her availability using semi-nude photos, and driving the victim to dates with customers. District Attorney Katz said: “No child should ever be exploited….
MILLION-DOLLAR AUTOMOTIVE TRADEMARK COUNTERFEITING OPERATION BUSTED AFTER LONG-TERM PROBE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Fei Wu and several corporations linked to him were charged with trademark counterfeiting and money laundering stemming from the trafficking of phony custom automobile accessories for luxury brand vehicles, such as Mercedes Benz and BMW. Wu and his companies are alleged to have provided the counterfeit custom items…
BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED FOR SHOOTING DEATH AT CROWDED HOUSE PARTY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Devante Richards was sentenced today to 23 years to life in prison for the shooting death of 25-year-old Jonathan Distant at a crowded Springfield Gardens house party in August 2020. The gunfire erupted after a man with Richards bumped into Distant and a staredown ensued. District Attorney Katz…
MAN SENTENCED FOR ATTACKING BLACK LIVES MATTER DEMONSTRATORS [VIDEO]
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Frank Cavalluzzi was sentenced today to 14 years in prison following his conviction on nine counts of attempted murder for attacking Black Lives Matter demonstrators. The 2020 assault in Whitestone began with Cavalluzzi yelling racial slurs at the BLM supporters and escalated to him charging at the demonstrators…
GUILTY PLEA IN MISTAKEN-IDENTITY SHOOTING DEATH OF 14-YEAR-OLD IN PLAYGROUND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Sean Brown pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the 2019 slaying of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin, who was gunned down in a South Jamaica playground when Brown mistook him for a rival gang member. Brown also pleaded guilty to a weapon possession charge…
DRIVER CHARGED IN FATAL COLLISION INVOLVING 8-YEAR-OLD BOY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jose Barcia was arraigned today on charges of criminally negligent homicide and other crimes for speeding across traffic and through a crosswalk while making a left turn, killing an 8-year-old boy and injuring his 10-year-old brother in East Elmhurst. The boys and their mother were crossing the street…