BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED VEHICULAR HOMICIDE FOR CRASH THAT KILLED A MAN AND HIS TWO DOGS

Queens District Melinda Katz announced today that Alex Elicier, 31, of Hart Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and other crimes. The defendant admitted he got behind the wheel of a car after drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in August 2018.…

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MULTI-AGENCY INVESTIGATION TAKES DOWN HEISTS CREW ACCUSED OF STEALING AND SELLING MILLIONS IN DESIGNER GOODS FROM JFK; DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY, LARCENY AND OTHER CRIMES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by the Port Authority Police Chief Security Officer John Bilich, today announced that six individuals involved in two cargo heists and selling the proceeds have been indicted and variously charged with grand larceny, conspiracy, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes for allegedly carrying out complex heists from…

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MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER OF 26-YEAR-OLD DELI EMPLOYEE

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Steven Cohen, 63, has been charged with murder and other crimes for the Monday evening shooting that claimed the life of a 26-year-old man inside a Queens deli. District Attorney Katz said, “The incident started with a dispute and ended with the accused allegedly taking of the…

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QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ AND QUEENS DEFENDERS TEAM UP TO OFFER LOCAL COMMUNITY UNIQUE DIVERSION PROGRAM BASED AT THE ROCKAWAY COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that her office has entered into a formal agreement with Queens Defenders for the launch of a new diversion program based at the Rockaway Community Justice Center, at 19-22 Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway. Under the program, eligible defendants accused of low-level crimes are referred to this locally-based…

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QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN STRAY BULLET DEATH OF NYCHA WORKER

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerald Bethea, is facing murder and weapons charges for shooting and killing a worker who was tending the grounds of the Astoria Houses in April 2020. The innocent bystander was hit by a bullet that was intended for someone else. District Attorney Katz said, “The victim in…

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DA KATZ ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCILS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today the creation of eight advisory councils to enhance communications between her office and the various communities that comprise the most diverse county in the United States. “The first time people interact with the District Attorney should not be during a time of crisis or tragedy,” DA Katz said.…

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QUEENS MOTHER ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NEWBORN BOY

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Sabita Dookram, 23, has been charged with attempted murder and other crimes for allegedly tossing her newborn son out of her bathroom window shortly after she gave birth. District Attorney Katz said, “This is a heartbreaking situation. A newborn baby has suffered greatly because of the alleged…

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DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ CO-HOSTS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION WITH SPECIAL ACCOLADE TO ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND OTHER HONOREES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee, hosted a celebration of Hispanic Heritage last night during a virtual event that honored notable people of Hispanic and Latin descent and included songs and musical performances. District Attorney Katz said, “Our borough of Queens is the most diverse county in the…

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QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN STABBING DEATH OF WIFE

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Carmelo Mendoza, 41, has been arraigned following a Queens County grand jury handing up an indictment charging the defendant with murder for fatally stabbing his wife inside their Jackson Heights apartment in July. District Attorney Katz said, “This is the worst outcome of domestic violence, an argument…

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CIGARETTE SMUGGLER PAYS MORE THAN $1.3 MILLION TO NEW YORK STATE AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO GRAND LARCENY

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Nicholas Galafano, 58, has agreed to forfeit more than $1.3 million in cash that was recovered during a long-term investigation into a cigarette smuggling ring run by the defendant. Galafano was sentenced today for illegally selling untaxed cigarettes. Over the course of 2020, the Queens District Attorney’s…

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MAN INDICTED ON RAPE AND ASSAULT CHARGES FOR ATTACK ON WOMAN INSIDE FOREST PARK

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, 32, has been arraigned after a Queens County grand jury handed up an indictment charging the defendant with rape in the first degree and other crimes for allegedly assaulting a 51-year-old woman as she walked in Forest Park around 6:30 p.m. on July 25, 2020.…

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