Monday, May 2, 2005

DA BROWN: FOUR QUEENS RESIDENTS CHARGED WITH GRAFFITI VANDALISM IN SEPARATE SPRAY PAINTING RAMPAGES THAT DEFACED PROPERTY IN EIGHT NEIGHBORHOODS AND SUBWAY STATION

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that four males aged 17-29 -- all Queens residents –- have been indicted and charged in four separate cases with engaging in graffiti vandalism by spray painting their "tags" on properties and a subway station in eight Queens neighborhoods that caused thousands of dollars in property damage.

One defendant has additionally been charged with slashing over two dozen tires of police vehicles.

According to the District Attorney, the multiple indictments are the result of a six-month joint investigation by the New York City Police Department's Citywide Vandals Task Force and the District Attorney's Gang Violence and Hate Crimes Bureau.

The graffiti rampages took place in Flushing, Forest Hills, Glendale, Jamaica, Long Island City, Maspeth, Rego Park and Ridgewood and the Forest Avenue subway station in Ridgewood. The tire slashings took place outside the 104th Precinct on Catalpa Avenue in Ridgewood.

District Attorney Brown said, "The defendants are alleged to have used spray paint to deface public and private property in destructive acts of graffiti vandalism that caused extensive damage. The charges are felonies and the possible consequence upon conviction include imprisonment of as much as seven years. Graffiti vandalism is a plague that attacks our sensibility, blights our environment and erodes our quality of life. Police and prosecutors are working together as a team with resolute determination to eradicate it."

District Attorney Brown identified the defendants as Charles Webster aka CHAZ, 17, of 73-49 71st Street in Ridgewood, a student at Grover Cleveland High School; Christopher Fuller aka MOSS and M, 19, of 70-13 68th Street in Glendale, a shipping service truck loader; Christopher Sanchez aka NA7, 20, of 70-34 67th Street in Glendale, a supermarket cashier and Miguel Camacho aka VAMP, 29, of 63-61 Yellowstone Boulevard, Forest Hills, a landscaper. The defendants have been variously charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second and Third Degree. If convicted, Webster, who is also charged in the tire slashings, faces up to seven years in prison and Fuller, Sanchez and Camacho each face up to four years in prison.

According to the District Attorney, the investigation began last November after police at the 104th Precinct received street information about the possible identity of the tire slasher. The investigation widened last January to include graffiti vandalism.

Defendants Webster and Sanchez between October, 2004 and November, 2004 are alleged to have caused damage of over $1,350 by spraying their tags -- CHAZ and NA7 -- on seven public and private properties -- including retail storefronts, gas stations, banks, construction site fences and walls -- in Flushing, Glendale, Jamaica, Rego Park and Ridgewood using bubble lettering.

Defendant Webster has additionally been charged with slashing 24 tires of 11 police vehicles that were parked outside the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood on November 23 and 24, 2004. It is alleged that he slashed 19 tires of nine police vehicles on November 23, 2004 and five tires of two police vehicles the following day, November 24, 2004.

Defendant Camacho is alleged to have caused damage of over $2,400 between January, 2004 and March, 2004 by spraying his tag -- VAMP -- on six public and private properties -- including storefronts, fences and walls -- in Forest Hills and Rego Park using bubble lettering.

Defendant Fuller is alleged to have caused damage of over $500 between August, 2004 and November, 2004 by spraying his tags -- MOSS and M -- on four public and private properties -- including storefronts, fences and walls -- in Flushing, Long Island City and Maspeth and inside the Forest Avenue subway station in Ridgewood using bubble lettering. It has been alleged that he is a member of a graffiti vandal crew known as RFW (Ready for War).

Defendant Webster on April 20, 2005 pled not guilty at his arraignment in Queens Supreme Court before Justice James P. Griffin who set bail of $2,000 and a return date of June 16, 2005. Defendant Sanchez on April 26, 2005 pled not guilty at his arraignment in Queens Supreme Court before Justice James P. Griffin who released him in his own recognizance and set a return date of June 21, 2005. Defendant Camacho on April 13, 2005 pled not guilty before Justice James P. Griffin who released him in his own recognizance and set a return date of June 9, 2005. Defendant Fuller remains free on $1,500 bail awaiting arraignment.

The investigations were conducted by Police Officer Nomad Ahmad of NYPD Patrol Borough North; Police Officers Anthony Navarra and Edwardo Segui under the supervision of Lieutenant Jeffrey Schneider and Sergeant Robert Barrow of the NYPD Citywide Vandals Task Force; Police Officer Timothy Everoski of the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills and Detective Peter Grzymalski of the 104th Precinct Detective Squad in Ridgewood.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael E. Brovner of the District Attorney's Gang Violence and Hate Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mariela Palomino Herring, Bureau Chief, and Robert J. Hanophy, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Charles N. Walsh, Senior Assistant District Attorney, and the overall supervision of Senior Executive District Attorney for Trials James Clark Quinn and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Trials John H. Larsen.

It should be noted that indictments are merely an accusation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.