JUNE 11, 1998

TWO MEN CHARGED IN 1991 MURDER OF IRS SPECIAL AGENT

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced the arrest of two men for the 1991 murder of an IRS agent that occurred during a robbery in Forest Hills.

District Attorney Brown said, "It is charged that this murder began as a robbery -- two young men ganging up on a 72-year-old late at night on a quiet residential street. The deceased, a former agent with the IRS, put up a struggle and in the fracas he was pushed to the ground by the defendants. The deceased fell to the pavement cracking the back of his head. He was found unconscious at the scene later that night and died the next day at Jamaica Hospital."

District Attorney Brown identified the defendants as Mike Stone, 32, of 3325 Hillcroft Avenue, Wyoming, Michigan, and Todd Burse, 26, of 5614 Clover Place, Queens. The defendant Stone was arrested last night at the 112th Precinct by Det. Richard Arbacas of the 112th Precinct, with the assistance of Det. Richard McCabe of the Queens Homicide Squad, which is under the supervision of Lt. Kenneth Carlson, after he returned with them from Michigan. At the time of the crime the defendant lived at 103-41 121st Street in Richmond Hill. The defendant Burse was arrested today. They have been charged with murder in the second degree and robbery in the first degree and will be arraigned on the charges later today. They face a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the murder.

District Attorney Brown said that the crime took place during the late evening hours of July 11, 1991 as the deceased, Eugene O'Brien, was walking along the street at Union Turnpike and Austin Street. The defendant Stone allegedly approached the deceased and attempted to wrest his briefcase from him. Mr. O'Brien resisted and, the defendant Burse, a friend of the defendant, joined the struggle, pushing Mr. O'Brien to the ground. He died of the injuries sustained in the fall.

Assistant District Attorney Gavin Walcott of District Attorney Brown's Homicide Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter T. Reese and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Gregory L. Lasak, is assigned to the case.

It is to be noted that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.