Archive for August 2025
DOCTOR SENTENCED FOR RAPING UNCONSCIOUS ACQUAINTANCES AND SEXUALLY ABUSING HOSPITAL PATIENTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zhi Alan Cheng was sentenced to 24 years in prison, 10 years post-release supervision and a requirement to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients. The defendant – a former gastroenterologist at…
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY FOR TAPING MUZZLE, EYES AND LEGS OF PIT BULL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kristopher Fyffe was charged with animal cruelty, menacing and other crimes after allegedly wrapping duct tape around the muzzle, eyes and legs of one pit bull, as well as keeping that dog and four others in unsanitary conditions in the back of a van. District Attorney Katz said:…
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN CHARGED FOR ATTEMPTED CARJACKING SPREE THAT LED TO NYPD FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kevin Dubuisson was arraigned on charges of robbery, assault, grand larceny, menacing and other crimes for an attempted carjacking spree that led to an NYPD detective being shot on Friday morning in Whitestone on Friday morning. District Attorney Katz said: “As per the complaint, this defendant brought chaos…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 22, 2025
We took sweeping enforcement action against six illegal cannabis storefronts in the borough in close collaboration with the NYPD/New York City Sheriff’s cannabis task force… (continued)
Read MoreFORMER ADMINISTRATOR AT QUEENS CHARITY CHARGED WITH STEALING $872,000 MEANT TO FEED THE NEEDY FROM THE ORGANIZATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Otto Starzmann was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing $872,440 from River Fund, the Queens nonprofit where he worked as an administrator. The money was supposed to provide fresh produce to needy families. Starzmann allegedly spent $429,508 of the money to buy…
Read MoreDA KATZ ANNOUNCES PADLOCKING OF SIX ILLEGAL CANNABIS STOREFRONTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced a sweeping enforcement action against six illegal cannabis storefronts in the borough. Dubbed Operation Weed Whacker, the months-long investigation included undercover buys and resulted in the padlocking of each location, four arrests and the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illicit cannabis and tobacco products. District Attorney Katz…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 15, 2025
A squatter who unlawfully occupied a vacant single-family home in St. Albans has been sentenced to two to four years in prison this week, following a successful investigation and prosecution by my office’s Housing and Worker Protection Bureau… (continued)
Read MoreBAYSIDE MAN SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED ASSAULT AFTER WRONG WAY CRASH ON CLEARVIEW EXPRESSWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Joseph Lee was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, and reckless driving for driving his minivan the wrong way on the Clearview Expressway during rush hour. The defendant struck multiple…
Read MoreSQUATTER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING ST. ALBANS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that True Jackson was sentenced to two to four years in prison for illegally occupying a vacant single-family home in St. Albans in 2024. Jackson claimed the home was his lawful permanent residence and kept pit bulls on the property. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant thought he could…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF ESTRANGED WIFE, ATTEMPTED MURDER OF HER DAUGHTER ON STREET IN JUNE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Audwin Caines has been indicted for shooting and killing his estranged wife and attempting to murder her daughter on a street in St. Albans in June. The defendant is charged with murder, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes, including attempted murder for using…
Read MoreCORONA MAN INDICTED ON PROSTITUTION AND SOLICITATION CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ali Hamed was indicted by a grand jury on charges of patronizing a person for prostitution, criminal solicitation and child endangerment. He is alleged to have approached a 14-year-old girl in Corona and asked her to perform a sex act in exchange for money. District Attorney Melinda Katz…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 8, 2025
I recently announced the interception of an unlicensed interstate cannabis operation that transported thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis product from California into Queens… (continued)
Read MoreQUEENS FATHER CONVICTED OF MURDER OF 3-YEAR-OLD SON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler was convicted of depraved indifference murder, assault and other charges for the death of his 3-year-old son in an Elmhurst shelter in November 2022 and for separate injuries inflicted on the boy’s younger brother. District Attorney Katz said: “At 3 years old, Shaquan Butler Jr. had…
Read MoreTEEN DRIVER SENTENCED ON MANSLAUGHTER AND ASSAULT CHARGES FOR KILLING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN GRUESOME COLLISION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that an 18-year-old was sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in prison for causing the death of Fortune Williams, a 14-year-old passenger in the BMW he was driving in 2023 when he was 16 years old. The teen’s parents were previously sentenced on endangering the welfare of a…
Read MoreDA KATZ ANNOUNCES TAKEDOWN OF INTERSTATE ILLEGAL CANNABIS OPERATION [PHOTOS]
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the interception of an unlicensed interstate cannabis operation that transported thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis product from California into Queens. Six people were charged and more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of approximately $2.5 million, was confiscated as well hundreds of packages of cannabis…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 1, 2025
Two men were charged this week with staging a motor vehicle accident, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, insurance fraud and other crimes. They stand accused of deliberately orchestrating three car crashes and then seeking insurance payouts for damages and purported injuries… (continued)
Read MoreDRIVER CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR DEADLY MOTHER’S DAY HIT-AND-RUN CRASH THAT KILLED MOM
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roosevelt Rose was convicted by a jury of murder, assault and other charges for the fatal hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of 49-year-old Florence Ngwu, who was struck outside of her home on Mother’s Day in 2022. The victim’s daughter witnessed the fatal collision. District Attorney…
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