Posts by ASokol@queensda.org
FORMER AMAZON EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH THE THEFT OF NEARLY 2,000 PAIRS OF WORK BOOTS AND SNEAKERS WORTH $224,000
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Asraf Mohamed was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property for allegedly stealing 1,838 pairs of work boots and sneakers through a program meant to provide free safety footwear to new employees of Amazon, where he worked. Mohamed allegedly created accounts in the names of new…
Read MoreHUSBAND INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN BEATING DEATH OF WIFE INSIDE THEIR JACKSON HEIGHTS APARTMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jose Lequerica was indicted on two counts of murder in the second degree for the death of his 48-year-old wife, Asli Ak. The defendant allegedly struck the victim repeatedly on her face, head and body and later found her unconscious in November 2024. He allegedly waited more than…
Read MoreWOMAN SENTENCED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marilyn Roque was sentenced today to 7 ½ years in prison for the sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking by force, labor trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child. Roque forced a 14-year-old girl to have sex for money with a 49-year-old man. The defendant also…
Read MoreMANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING AT TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN 2011
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Antonio Olmeda was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison after a jury conviction for attempted murder and other crimes. The defendant shot at two New York City police officers, who were attempting to question him after spotting the man on a Jackson Heights corner wearing…
Read MoreMANHATTAN RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBING DEATHS OF TWO MEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Raymond Kenner was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the stabbing deaths of two men, one killed in Hollis on December 21, 2021, and the second man killed near Rufus King Park two days later. Kenner’s codefendant, Alexander Stephens, was sentenced to seven years in prison for…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – July 11, 2025
A subway attacker was sentenced this week to 25 years to life in prison for an unprovoked assault on a commuter inside the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City in 2022… (continued)
Read MoreSUBWAY ATTACKER SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR ROBBERY AND ASSAULT CONVICTION IN 2022 HAMMER ATTACK ON WOMAN IN QUEENS PLAZA SUBWAY STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that William Blount was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for an unprovoked attack on a commuter as she entered the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City in 2022. Blount approached the 57-year-old woman from behind, kicked her down the stairs and repeatedly hit…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – July 4, 2025
My office secured a guilty plea this week from Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng on multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients… (continued)
Read MoreSIX DEFENDANTS WHO SURROUNDED AND ATTACKED POLICE AT LONG ISLAND CITY HOTEL SENTENCED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that the last of the six defendants who attacked police in the early hours of June 17, 2024, outside a hotel on 12th Street in Long Island City has been sentenced. All six defendants pleaded guilty. NYPD officers on patrol spotted young children riding bikes at 4:20 a.m.…
Read MoreMANHATTAN MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER OF TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN JACKSON HEIGHTS IN 2011
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Antonio Olmeda was convicted of two counts attempted murder and other related charges for shooting at two New York City police officers, who had attempted to question him after spotting him on a Jackson Heights corner wearing a disguise, including a fake mustache. District Attorney Katz said:…
Read MoreASTORIA MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER OF FDNY EMS CAPTAIN ALISON RUSSO
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Peter Zisopoulos was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing Captain Alison Russo of the FDNY EMS, in an unprovoked knife attack steps away from her Astoria stationhouse in September 2022. Last month, a jury convicted Zisopoulos of murder in the second degree and…
Read MoreASTORIA MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR PEPPER SPRAY ATTACK ON MOTHER AND BABY ON SUBWAY TRAIN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Edward Vargas was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly pepper spraying a mother and her 11-month-old daughter on an M train in Long Island City. District Attorney Katz said: “It is particularly outrageous when our children are attacked. As…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – June 27, 2025
My Housing and Worker Protection Bureau is focused on prosecuting business owners who exploit workers and returning wages to those who rightfully earned them… (continued)
Read MoreTEENAGER CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR MARCH SHOOTING DEATH OF 16-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAD JUST EXITED BUS ON LIBERTY AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a 16-year-old male has been charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon for the broad daylight shooting of another teen after both children exited the Q83 MTA bus in Jamaica on March 26. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, a 16-year-old…
Read MoreDRIVER INDICTED FOR MURDER IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN OF ASTORIA BICYCLIST
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Bekim Fiseku was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder, manslaughter, unlawful fleeing a police officer, leaving the scene of an incident and related crimes for allegedly running a solid red light at a high rate of speed and fatally striking 36-year-old Amanda Servedio in October…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – June 20, 2025
I joined United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr. and members of the FBI in announcing the indictment of eight alleged members and associates of the transnational 18th Street gang… (continued)
Read MoreJAMAICA MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AS A HATE CRIME FOR VIOLENT ATTACK OF MUSLIM SUBWAY RIDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Naved Durrni was charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly repeatedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman aboard an E train during the early morning hours on Wednesday. The defendant asked a woman, who was wearing a head covering,…
Read MoreSEVEN TEENS INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER AND GANG ASSAULT IN ATTACK ON TWO OTHER TEENS IN KISSENA PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that seven teenagers were indicted for attempted murder, gang assault, robbery and other crimes for an attack on two younger teens on May 2 in Kissena Park in Flushing. The defendants are alleged to have beaten the victims with a metal baseball bat, kicked and punched them and…
Read MoreDA KATZ AND NYPD TAKE 74 GUNS OFF THE STREETS AT BUYBACK EVENT WITH GREATER ALLEN A.M.E. CATHEDRAL IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 74 guns were collected Saturday at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Southeast Queens during a gun buyback event. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash. The event was completely anonymous, with no identification required and no questions asked. The buyback is…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – June 13, 2025
A defendant was sentenced this week to 28 years in prison for shooting Police Officer Richard Yarusso in the lower chest and Police Officer Christopher Abreu in the leg at close range… (continued)
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