Archive for October 2025
GLENDALE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEADLY STABBING AT MASPETH TAVERN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marcin Pieciak pleaded guilty today to manslaughter in the first degree for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Sarah McNally, at a Maspeth tavern in March 2024. McNally was working as a bartender when Pieciak stabbed her then slit his own throat. District Attorney Katz said: “Marcin Pieciak walked into…
Read MoreFORMER CORRECTION OFFICER CHARGED WITH FILING PHONY DOCUMENTATION FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber announced that Equanna Escalera was arraigned on charges of grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing for submitting documentation falsely claiming that she had been treated by a doctor and physical therapists 29 times in 2022 to…
Read MoreHIT-AND-RUN DRIVER INDICTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER IN DEATH OF HIGHWAY WORKER ON NASSAU EXPRESSWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Daveanand Budhai was arraigned on an indictment charging him with manslaughter, assault, leaving the scene and other crimes for the death of Isabel Alvarez, a construction zone flag person working on the Nassau Expressway in September who was allegedly struck and killed by the defendant. Budhai is…
Read MoreDA KATZ HOSTS FIRST MISSING PERSONS DAY IN QUEENS WITH NYC OCME AND US REP GRACE MENG
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the first Queens Missing Persons Day, hosted in partnership with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng on October 24. The free event provided one-on-one assistance for families of loved ones who have been missing for 60 days or more. Attendees…
Read MoreELMHURST MAN SENTENCED TO 50 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING MOTHER AND BROTHER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roscoe Danielson was sentenced today to 50 years to life in prison for the murder of his mother and brother in July 2023. The defendant was convicted last month of murder and concealing his brother’s body in a garbage bag and dragging it from the family’s East Elmhurst…
Read MoreQUEENS VILLAGE MAN INDICTED FOR LABOR TRAFFICKING, GRAND LARCENY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rippon Uddin was indicted by a grand jury on charges of labor trafficking, grand larceny and other crimes for stealing approximately $18,000 from a Bangladeshi man — in the United States on a student visa — by falsely telling him he would hire an immigration attorney on his…
Read MoreRICHMOND HILL MAN INDICTED FOR UNPROVOKED KNIFE ATTACK ON 7 TRAIN PASSENGER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Luis Pallchisaca was indicted on charges of attempted murder, assault and weapon possession for a violent knife attack against another subway passenger on board the 7 train at the Mets-Willetts Point station in Corona in September. Pallchisaca approached a 25-year-old man as he boarded the subway, slashed the…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – October 17, 2025
We announced criminal charges against a Bayside woman recently for allegedly stealing approximately $2.1 million from 17 victims across the country through what is known as a “pig butchering scam.” (continued)
Read MoreGEORGIA MAN ARRESTED FOR RAPING FIVE VICTIMS IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS IN THE 1990s
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Michael Benjamin was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, sexual assault in the first degree, burglary in the first degree and other crimes for allegedly raping five women from 1995 to 1997. The defendant was originally…
Read MoreFORMER SCHOOL STAFFER CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN $400,000 FROM FLUSHING SCHOOL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Abi Corbin was arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging her with grand larceny and identity theft for stealing $415,000 from the East-West School of International Studies (P.S. 281Q) where she worked as a community associate. Her role included processing work orders and the stolen money was meant…
Read MoreFLUSHING DOCTOR CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY FOR STEALING STATE MONEY MEANT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO CARE FOR WOMEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James V. McDonald announced that Dr. QiLi Li was charged with grand larceny and other crimes for misusing nearly $300,000 in state grant money meant to expand access to abortion services at her Flushing practice. She allegedly used the funds to provide cosmetic…
Read MoreDRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSING TWO KILOGRAMS OF DEADLY FENTANYL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dennis Carrol was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted by a jury in March of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl, with an estimated street value of $80,000, were recovered in the trunk of Carrol’s car in November 2022 during…
Read MoreBRONX MAN INDICTED FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, KIDNAPPING AND ARSON FOR KILLING ELDERLY COUPLE IN THEIR BELLEROSE HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jamel McGriff was arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with 13 counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary and other crimes for the violent home invasion and murder of Frank and Maureen Olton. The defendant allegedly forced his way into the…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – October 10, 2025
Two defendants were indicted recently for grand larceny, identity theft and other charges for allegedly stealing approximately $835,000 in unemployment insurance funds meant to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic… (continued)
Read MoreBAYSIDE WOMAN CHARGED WITH RUNNING PIG BUTCHERING SCAM ON VICTIMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tiffany Yang was arraigned on charges of grand larceny in the first degree, criminal possession of stolen property and related crimes for allegedly stealing approximately $2.1 million from 17 victims across the country through what is known as a “pig butchering scam.” These schemes involve scammers who develop…
Read More16-YEAR-OLD INDICTED FOR MURDER OF 13-YEAR-OLD BOY OUTSIDE CAMBRIA HEIGHTS DUNKIN’ DONUTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a 16-year-old male was arraigned on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon for the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy in Cambria Heights. The victim, Sanjay Samuel, was on his way to school when he was shot…
Read MoreOZONE PARK WOMAN INDICTED ON VEHICULAR ASSAULT, DRUNK DRIVING CHARGES AFTER COLLISION SERIOUSLY INJURED HER YOUNG CHILDREN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mariam Alli was indicted by a grand jury for aggravated vehicular assault, aggravated driving while intoxicated, endangering the welfare of a child and other crimes for speeding through a red light and slamming into another vehicle, seriously injuring her 3-year-old son, 2-year-old daughter and another passenger in her…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER, ARSON IN DOUBLE STABBING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Wei Sheng Chen was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, arson and weapon possession for killing his 50-year-old mother-in-law and stabbing his 17-year-old brother-in-law multiple times in a violent attack at their family home in Flushing on Thursday. DA Katz said: “As alleged,…
Read MoreUNIONDALE MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR INTENTIONALLY DRIVING INTO TEEN AND FAMILY ON ROOSEVELT AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edwin Cruz Gomez was indicted for murder, attempted murder, assault, driving under the influence and other crimes for intentionally aiming his vehicle at a 16-year-old girl and her family on Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst and killing the teen. The defendant sexually propositioned the girl and her mother just…
Read MoreSOUTH OZONE PARK MAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS FOR CAR THEFT THAT LED TO VICTIM’S DEATH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mahindra Hansraj was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a February 2023 collision that severely injured and eventually killed Tauree Thompson of Richmond Hill. Thompson jumped onto the roof of his car as Hansraj stole the vehicle, sped off on Lefferts Boulevard then crashed into a fire…
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