Archive for March 2025
TWO POLICE OFFICERS INDICTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING AND BURGLARY WHILE ON DUTY IN JACKSON HEIGHTS TWO POLICE OFFICERS INDICTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING AND BURGLARY WHILE ON DUTY IN JACKSON HEIGHTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Justin McMillan and Justin Colon, NYPD officers with the 115th precinct, have been indicted on charges of burglary, forcible touching, official misconduct and other crimes in relation to a chain of events that took place on July 19 and July 20, 2024. As alleged, the defendants responded to…
Read MoreSQUATTER SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING FLUSHING HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Brian Rodriguez was sentenced to two years in prison for illegally occupying a single-family home in Flushing and renting out rooms to others in February 2024. The defendant forced himself into the house after the homeowner attempted to regain access, then falsely claimed that he was a…
Read MoreSECOND TEEN APPREHENDED, INDICTED ON GANG ASSAULT CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH FATAL STABBING AT SUNNYSIDE MCDONALD’S RESTAURANT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 17-year-old has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of gang assault in the first degree and other crimes in connection with the stabbing death of 14-year-old Julian Corniell at a McDonald’s in Sunnyside on February 14. The fight stemmed from a prior dispute between two…
Read MoreALLEGED MAIL THIEF CHARGED WITH STEALING $80,000 WORTH OF CHECKS FROM CONSTRUCTION UNION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Xingqiang Chen has been charged with grand larceny in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes after an investigation led by the United Stated Postal Inspection Service uncovered an elaborate mail theft operation by the defendant. Chen allegedly falsified authorization documents and used forged…
Read MoreJFK CONTRACTORS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING COPPER WIRE AT AIRPORT WORK SITE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Anildat Arnold and Vejai Ramsarup are charged with grand larceny, burglary and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing copper cable from a warehouse at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The defendants, who worked for an airport contractor, are alleged to have stolen approximately 1,100 feet of copper…
Read MoreDRUG DEALER CONVICTED OF POSSESSING TWO KILOGRAMS OF DEADLY FENTANYL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dennis Carrol was convicted by a jury of criminal possession of a controlled substance after transporting a large quantity of fentanyl from Suffolk County into Queens. Approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl, with an estimated street value of $80,000, were recovered from the trunk of Carrol’s car in November…
Read MoreCAMBRIA HEIGHTS MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ABUSE FOR ASSAULTING AND THREATENING A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN WOODHAVEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that John Garrison was charged with sexual abuse in the first degree, forcible touching and other crimes after allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill a 10-year-old girl as she walked down the street Wednesday in Woodhaven. He is also accused exposing himself the next day on a busy commercial…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – March 21, 2025
My office secured an indictment against four individuals and three companies on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes for allegedly stealing three homes from their rightful owners in the neighborhoods of Kew Gardens Hills, Queens Village and Jamaica Estates… (continued)
Read MoreDEFENDANT SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR 2021 AMBUSH MURDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Isaiah Stokes was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison today after being convicted of murder for the fatal shooting of Tyrone Jones in St. Albans on February 7, 2021. The victim was sitting in a parked Jeep Cherokee and waiting for a friend to arrive for…
Read MoreTEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR STABBING DEATH AT SUNNYSIDE MCDONALD’S RESTAURANT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a 16-year-old was indicted by a grand jury and charged with murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the first degree, gang assault in the first degree and other crimes for the stabbing death of 14-year-old Julian Corniell during a melee at a McDonald’s in Sunnyside on…
Read MoreFOUR INDIVIDUALS INDICTED IN DEED FRAUD SCHEME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that four individuals and three companies were indicted on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, conspiracy and other crimes for allegedly stealing three homes from their rightful owners in the neighborhoods of Kew Gardens Hills, Queens Village and Jamaica Estates. Carl Avinger, Autumn Valeri, Lawrence T.…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – March 14, 2025
My office charged a Kew Gardens Hills woman with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for scamming senior citizens out of more than $500,000 in a nationwide elder fraud scheme… (continued)
Read MoreDISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ HOSTS 10TH ANNUAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION
The Queens District Attorney’s Office hosted its 10th Annual Mock Trial Competition this weekend in the recently upgraded court facilities of the Queens Criminal Court. The competition attracted students from 18 nationally ranked law schools to compete before senior prosecutors and members of the defense bar with New York Supreme and Criminal Court judges presiding…
Read MoreRICHMOND HILL MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF 8-YEAR-OLD STEPSON; BOY’S MOTHER INDICTED FOR ASSAULT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Davien Reid Sr. was indicted for attempted murder, assault, witness intimidation and other crimes for the brutal beating of his 8-year-stepson after the boy was accused of eating brownies intended for Reid. Reid allegedly hit the child, picked him up, threw him to the ground and then…
Read MoreDEFENDANT CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR 2021 AMBUSH SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Isaiah Stokes was convicted of murder following a jury trial for the fatal shooting of Tyrone Jones in St. Albans on February 7, 2021. The victim was sitting in a parked Jeep Cherokee and waiting for a friend to arrive to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. The…
Read MoreKEW GARDENS HILLS WOMAN CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY FOR SCAMMING ELDERLY VICTIMS OUT OF SAVINGS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Lise Rossopoulos has been charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for scamming senior citizens out of more than $500,000 in a nationwide elder fraud scheme. The victims received phone calls from a co-conspirator who pretended to be a government official and convinced them…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – March 7, 2025
I announced criminal charges this week against two individuals for their alleged role in the cybercrime theft of more than 900 concert tickets, including for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour… (continued)
Read MoreQUEENS GANG LEADER SENTENCED TO 28 YEARS TO LIFE FOR MURDER IN SHOOTING DEATH OF BRONX MAN AT RUFUS KING PARK IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chance Goode was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison after being found guilty of murder in the second degree for the death of a 22-year-old Bronx man in October 2020. The broad daylight shooting in Rufus King Park stemmed from a marijuana deal gone wrong.…
Read MoreCYBERCRIME CREW CHARGED WITH STEALING AND RESELLING CONCERT TICKETS, INCLUDING FOR TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERAS TOUR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that two individuals were arrested and arraigned for their role in the cybercrime theft of more than 900 concert tickets, the majority of which were for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The ticket URLs were allegedly stolen by two individuals working at a third-party contractor for StubHub in Kingston,…
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