Press Releases
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…
DOCTOR SENTENCED FOR RAPING UNCONSCIOUS ACQUAINTANCES AND SEXUALLY ABUSING HOSPITAL PATIENTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zhi Alan Cheng was sentenced to 24 years in prison, 10 years post-release supervision and a requirement to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients. The defendant – a former gastroenterologist at…
BROOKLYN MAN CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY FOR TAPING MUZZLE, EYES AND LEGS OF PIT BULL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kristopher Fyffe was charged with animal cruelty, menacing and other crimes after allegedly wrapping duct tape around the muzzle, eyes and legs of one pit bull, as well as keeping that dog and four others in unsanitary conditions in the back of a van. District Attorney Katz said:…
BROOKLYN MAN CHARGED FOR ATTEMPTED CARJACKING SPREE THAT LED TO NYPD FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kevin Dubuisson was arraigned on charges of robbery, assault, grand larceny, menacing and other crimes for an attempted carjacking spree that led to an NYPD detective being shot on Friday morning in Whitestone. District Attorney Katz said: “As per the complaint, this defendant brought chaos to a quiet…
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…
BAYSIDE MAN SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED ASSAULT AFTER WRONG WAY CRASH ON CLEARVIEW EXPRESSWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Joseph Lee was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, and reckless driving for driving his minivan the wrong way on the Clearview Expressway during rush hour. The defendant struck multiple…
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…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF ESTRANGED WIFE, ATTEMPTED MURDER OF HER DAUGHTER ON STREET IN JUNE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Audwin Caines has been indicted for shooting and killing his estranged wife and attempting to murder her daughter on a street in St. Albans in June. The defendant is charged with murder, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes, including attempted murder for using…
CORONA MAN INDICTED ON PROSTITUTION AND SOLICITATION CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ali Hamed was indicted by a grand jury on charges of patronizing a person for prostitution, criminal solicitation and child endangerment. He is alleged to have approached a 14-year-old girl in Corona and asked her to perform a sex act in exchange for money. District Attorney Melinda Katz…
QUEENS FATHER CONVICTED OF MURDER OF 3-YEAR-OLD SON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler was convicted of depraved indifference murder, assault and other charges for the death of his 3-year-old son in an Elmhurst shelter in November 2022 and for separate injuries inflicted on the boy’s younger brother. District Attorney Katz said: “At 3 years old, Shaquan Butler Jr. had…
TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED ON MANSLAUGHTER AND ASSAULT CHARGES FOR KILLING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN GRUESOME COLLISION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that an 18-year-old was sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in prison for causing the death of Fortune Williams, a 14-year-old passenger in the BMW he was driving in 2023 when he was 16 years old. The teen’s parents were previously sentenced on endangering the welfare of a…
DA KATZ ANNOUNCES TAKEDOWN OF INTERSTATE ILLEGAL CANNABIS OPERATION [PHOTOS]
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the interception of an unlicensed interstate cannabis operation that transported thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis product from California into Queens. Six people were charged and more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of approximately $2.5 million, was confiscated as well hundreds of packages of cannabis…
DRIVER CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR DEADLY MOTHER’S DAY HIT-AND-RUN CRASH THAT KILLED MOM
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roosevelt Rose was convicted by a jury of murder, assault and other charges for the fatal hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of 49-year-old Florence Ngwu, who was struck outside of her home on Mother’s Day in 2022. The victim’s daughter witnessed the fatal collision. District Attorney…
REPUTED GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING TEEN OUTSIDE SPRINGFIELD GARDENS FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rayvon Phillip was sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing 18-year-old Akim Cisse in September 2024. Phillip, reputedly a BG4 gang member known as “Ray-G,” fired multiple gunshots at a vehicle with four people inside including Cisse. Phillip pleaded guilty earlier this month to manslaughter in…
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…