Press Releases
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…
DRIVER SENTENCED FOR FATAL LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY COLLISION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Reginald Nash was sentenced today to seven to 21 years in prison for a collision on the Long Island Expressway in November 2023 that left one of his passengers dead. The defendant was driving approximately 89 mph and under the influence of alcohol, when he slammed into an…
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…
WOMAN SENTENCED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marilyn Roque was sentenced today to 7 ½ years in prison for the sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking by force, labor trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child. Roque forced a 14-year-old girl to have sex for money with a 49-year-old man. The defendant also…
MANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING AT TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN 2011
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Antonio Olmeda was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison after a jury conviction for attempted murder and other crimes. The defendant shot at two New York City police officers, who were attempting to question him after spotting the man on a Jackson Heights corner wearing…
MANHATTAN RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBING DEATHS OF TWO MEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Raymond Kenner was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the stabbing deaths of two men, one killed in Hollis on December 21, 2021, and the second man killed near Rufus King Park two days later. Kenner’s codefendant, Alexander Stephens, was sentenced to seven years in prison for…
SUBWAY ATTACKER SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR ROBBERY AND ASSAULT CONVICTION IN 2022 HAMMER ATTACK ON WOMAN IN QUEENS PLAZA SUBWAY STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that William Blount was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for an unprovoked attack on a commuter as she entered the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City in 2022. Blount approached the 57-year-old woman from behind, kicked her down the stairs and repeatedly hit…
SIX DEFENDANTS WHO SURROUNDED AND ATTACKED POLICE AT LONG ISLAND CITY HOTEL SENTENCED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that the last of the six defendants who attacked police in the early hours of June 17, 2024, outside a hotel on 12th Street in Long Island City has been sentenced. All six defendants pleaded guilty. NYPD officers on patrol spotted young children riding bikes at 4:20 a.m….
MANHATTAN MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER OF TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN JACKSON HEIGHTS IN 2011
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Antonio Olmeda was convicted of two counts attempted murder and other related charges for shooting at two New York City police officers, who had attempted to question him after spotting him on a Jackson Heights corner wearing a disguise, including a fake mustache. District Attorney Katz said:…
DOCTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPING MULTIPLE UNCONSCIOUS ACQUAINTANCES IN HIS APARTMENT AND SEXUAL ABUSING PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng pleaded guilty today to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients. The defendant – a gastroenterologist – filmed the abuse of his unconscious victims in both his apartment and at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital. District Attorney Katz said:…
ASTORIA MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER OF FDNY EMS CAPTAIN ALISON RUSSO
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Peter Zisopoulos was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing Captain Alison Russo of the FDNY EMS, in an unprovoked knife attack steps away from her Astoria stationhouse in September 2022. Last month, a jury convicted Zisopoulos of murder in the second degree and…
ASTORIA MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR PEPPER SPRAY ATTACK ON MOTHER AND BABY ON SUBWAY TRAIN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Edward Vargas was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly pepper spraying a mother and her 11-month-old daughter on an M train in Long Island City. District Attorney Katz said: “It is particularly outrageous when our children are attacked. As…
TEENAGER CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR MARCH SHOOTING DEATH OF 16-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAD JUST EXITED BUS ON LIBERTY AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a 16-year-old male has been charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon for the broad daylight shooting of another teen after both children exited the Q83 MTA bus in Jamaica on March 26. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, a 16-year-old…
FORMER QUEENS HUSBAND AND WIFE INDICTED FOR WAGE THEFT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that married couple Christian Perez and Ines Miranda Perez were indicted on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes as part of a wage theft scheme to allegedly steal money from employees of two cleaning companies. The two companies associated with the couple are…
VIRGINIA MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR 2021 MURDER OF 33-YEAR-OLD IN LONG ISLAND CITY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Khalik Berry was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the 2021 murder of 33-year-old Kayron Wilson in Long Island City. Wilson and his girlfriend were seated in a Mercury Milan on 40th Avenue when Berry, who was with another man, approached the car and…
DRIVER INDICTED FOR MURDER IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN OF ASTORIA BICYCLIST
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Bekim Fiseku was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder, manslaughter, unlawful fleeing a police officer, leaving the scene of an incident and related crimes for allegedly running a solid red light at a high rate of speed and fatally striking 36-year-old Amanda Servedio in October…
JAMAICA MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AS A HATE CRIME FOR VIOLENT ATTACK OF MUSLIM SUBWAY RIDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Naved Durrni was charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly repeatedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman aboard an E train during the early morning hours on Wednesday. The defendant asked a woman, who was wearing a head covering,…