Tuesday, March 15, 2005
D.A. BROWN: QUEENS RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF BUSINESSMAN IN REGO PARK
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that a Rego Park resident has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the attempted murder in December 2003 in Rego Park, Queens of a businessman.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant used an illegal handgun to shoot and attempt to kill a Queens businessman. The crime was violent and the defendant is a threat to public safety. The long prison sentence is more than warranted.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Simon Samandarov, 30, of 102-45 62nd Road in Forest Hills, Queens. The defendant was convicted on February 2, 2005 in Queens Supreme Court of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second and Third Degree. The jury deliberated for about three hours following a week-long trial before returning its verdict of guilty before Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard L. Buchter who imposed sentence earlier today of a determinate term of 20 years in prison.
District Attorney Brown said that according to trial testimony on December 17, 2003 at about 1:45 a.m. at 99th Street and 64th Road in Rego Park the defendant shot the victim, Alik Pinkhasov, 32, with a defaced, illegal .22 caliber pistol striking him twice in the back and buttocks as the victim was attempting to run away.
The District Attorney said that defendant Edward Davydov, 39, of 1254 42nd Street who also was charged in the case pled guilty to Assault in the Third Degree on February 9, 2004 and was sentenced to three years probation.
Assistant District Attorney Catherine C. Kane of the District Attorney's Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Gerard A. Brave, Bureau Chief, and Marc P. Resnick, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.