Press Releases
THREE ARRESTED AT CORONA BOUTIQUE FOR POSSESSING STOLEN MERCHANDISE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the recovery of more than $50,000 in merchandise allegedly stolen from major retailers including Macy’s, Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle that was offered for sale at a steep discount at the Elegant Fashion boutique in Corona. Three defendants were charged with criminal possession of stolen property for…
ASTORIA MAN CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR ASSAULT FOR STRIKING PEDESTRIANS WITH CAR ON SIDEWALK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Luis Saula Quindi was arraigned on charges of aggravated vehicular assault, driving while under the influence and related traffic violations for pinning two pedestrians under his Honda sedan on Sunday night. Quindi allegedly struck a 72-year-old man and 13-year-old girl at the intersection of 102nd Street and Martense…
UNIONDALE MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR INTENTIONALLY DRIVING INTO TEEN ON ROOSEVELT AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edwin Cruz Gomez was arraigned on charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, vehicular manslaughter and other crimes for intentionally driving his vehicle at four people, including a teenager and her mother whom he sexually propositioned just minutes earlier. The collision, which occurred on Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst early…
TWO ALLEGED GUN TRAFFICKERS INDICTED ON WEAPONS AND DRUGS CHARGES; GUNS TRANSPORTED FROM GEORGIA TO SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jessica L. Tisch and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel announced the arraignment of Teddy Gaston “JD Yikes” and Jezerel Huston on a 194-count grand jury indictment charging them with possession and sale of illegal firearms and narcotics. A six-month joint…
BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND ARSON FOR KILLING ELDERLY BELLEROSE COUPLE IN THEIR HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jamel McGriff was arraigned on 12 counts of murder in the first degree, two counts of murder in the second degree, robbery, burglary, arson and other crimes for the deaths of a husband and wife in their Bellerose home on Monday. McGriff allegedly restrained 76-year-old Frank Olton in…
TEEN CHARGED WITH KILLING 17-YEAR-OLD, INJURING OTHERS IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH ON CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mohammad Sk was indicted on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, driving under the influence, assault and other crimes for an October 2024 crash that killed 17-year-old Mohammad Rafid and injured four other teenagers, all passengers in the car he was operating. Sk allegedly drank alcohol and smoked…
QUEENS WOMAN INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING WOMAN, EXTORTING ANOTHER ON ROOSEVELT AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Valezka Echeverrias was indicted by a grand jury on charges of sex trafficking, grand larceny, and other charges for allegedly forcing a woman to engage in prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue and to pay the defendant a daily sum of money. The defendant is additionally indicted on charges of…
TWELVE REPUTED GANG MEMBERS INDICTED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER AND CONSPIRACY CHARGES FOR YEAR-LONG SHOOTING SPREE IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced today the indictment of 12 reputed members of the Floss Money Ballers gang following a year-long investigation into multiple shootings in Southeast Queens. As alleged, violence between Floss Money Ballers and rival Blitz Gang 4 escalated…
FORMER ADMINISTRATOR AT QUEENS CHARITY CHARGED WITH STEALING $872,000 MEANT TO FEED THE NEEDY FROM THE ORGANIZATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Otto Starzmann was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing $872,440 from River Fund, the Queens nonprofit where he worked as an administrator. The money was supposed to provide fresh produce to needy families. Starzmann allegedly spent $429,508 of the money to buy…
DA KATZ ANNOUNCES PADLOCKING OF SIX ILLEGAL CANNABIS STOREFRONTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced a sweeping enforcement action against six illegal cannabis storefronts in the borough. Dubbed Operation Weed Whacker, the months-long investigation included undercover buys and resulted in the padlocking of each location, four arrests and the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illicit cannabis and tobacco products. District Attorney Katz…
SQUATTER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING ST. ALBANS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that True Jackson was sentenced to two to four years in prison for illegally occupying a vacant single-family home in St. Albans in 2024. Jackson claimed the home was his lawful permanent residence and kept pit bulls on the property. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant thought he could…
TWO MEN CHARGED WITH STAGING CAR CRASHES ON NEW YORK CITY HIGHWAYS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo are charged with staging a motor vehicle accident, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, insurance fraud and other crimes for deliberately causing three car crashes and then seeking insurance payouts for damages and purported injuries. Huiracocha allegedly planned the collisions by luring participants with promises…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY, ARSON FOR KILLING DOG AND BURNING THE BODY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Isaiah Gurley has been charged with animal cruelty, arson, petit larceny and reckless endangerment after allegedly killing a male pit bull before burning the body on a public street in South Ozone Park on July 24. District Attorney Katz said: “Animals are not punching bags. They are not…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED IN STABBING DEATH OF WIFE AND TODDLER IN FAMILY’S RIDGEWOOD HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ernesto Cruz was arraigned on an indictment charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and weapon possession for the stabbing deaths of his wife, Ana Alexandra Pilatagsi Moposita, and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter. The victim and her daughter were each stabbed numerous times in the torso inside…
MANHATTAN MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED RAPE OF WOMAN EXITING ELMHURST SUBWAY STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Drew Musa was indicted by a grand jury for attempted rape, sexual abuse and forcible touching for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman who had just exited a subway station on Woodhaven Boulevard in Elmhurst on June 27. Approximately 48 hours later, Musa was arrested in Manhattan where…
BRONX MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED ASSAULT FOR SHOOTING AT OFF-DUTY POLICE DETECTIVE IN FIT OF ROAD RAGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Alexis Morillo was convicted by a jury of attempted assault, weapon possession and other crimes for shooting at another motorist, an off-duty NYPD detective, in an apparent fit of road rage while driving on the Long Island Expressway in September 2023. District Attorney Katz said: “Gun violence will…
MASSACHUSETTS MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER SHOOTING WOMAN OVER FAMILY DEBT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Minliang Zheng was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. In March 2023, Zheng approached a 45-year-old woman outside her home and shot her in the upper thigh over her relative’s alleged unpaid financial debt. The victim had…
FORMER AMAZON EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH THE THEFT OF NEARLY 2,000 PAIRS OF WORK BOOTS AND SNEAKERS WORTH $224,000
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Asraf Mohamed was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property for allegedly stealing 1,838 pairs of work boots and sneakers through a program meant to provide free safety footwear to new employees of Amazon, where he worked. Mohamed allegedly created accounts in the names of new…
HUSBAND INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN BEATING DEATH OF WIFE INSIDE THEIR JACKSON HEIGHTS APARTMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jose Lequerica was indicted on two counts of murder in the second degree for the death of his 48-year-old wife, Asli Ak. The defendant allegedly struck the victim repeatedly on her face, head and body and later found her unconscious in November 2024. He allegedly waited more than…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF ESTRANGED WIFE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Audwin Caines was arraigned on charges of murder, attempted murder and other crimes for the shooting death of his estranged wife on the street in St. Albans in June. The defendant was also charged with assault for stabbing the victim in the chest with a broken bottle…
Meet the DA
