Posts by Renea Henry
SOUTH OZONE PARK MAN SENTENCED TO ONE TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON AND MUST PAY $335,256 FOR DEED FRAUD SCHEME TO STEAL HOMES IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that her office prevailed in a hearing to restore eight deeds associated with five properties to their rightful owners after they had been stolen by Justin Joseph of South Ozone Park in a deed fraud scheme. The statute utilized by the District Attorney’s office in Tuesday’s hearing before…
Read MoreJAMAICA MAN INDICTED FOR FATAL SHOOTING OF PARTY PROMOTER OUTSIDE WOODHAVEN TAVERN IN 2018
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Johnathan Rice was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on one charge of murder in the second degree for the 2018 shooting death of 35-year-old Frank Synder, a rapper and party promoter known as “Hollywood Play.” Synder was fatally struck outside the Tavern Lounge in Woodhaven,…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE FOR BEATING 39-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH WITH CHAIR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rahmel Tedder was arraigned today on murder and other grand jury indictment charges for the July beating death of Michael Tobon, whom Tedder allegedly attacked with a chair while the victim was on the ground. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant allegedly attacked the victim while he lay…
Read MoreDRIVER ARRAIGNED FOR 2019 CHRISTMAS DAY CRASH THAT KILLED FATHER OF FOUR FROM LONG ISLAND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ravindra Dharamjit was indicted on manslaughter, reckless driving and other charges for killing a 67-year-old pedestrian on Christmas Day 2019. The defendant was allegedly speeding at nearly three times the posted speed limit when he killed the father of four, who was leaving a Christmas dinner at his…
Read MoreBRONX MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF 23-YEAR-OLD SUBWAY COMMUTER WHO WAS STABBED WHILE EXITING STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Randol Contreras was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on charges of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for the stabbing of a 23-year-old woman who was attacked while leaving the Jamaica-Van Wyck subway station in July. A good Samaritan distracted Contreras, stopping the assault, while…
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER HITTING NYPD OFFICER WITH STOLEN CAR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Keyah Richardson was arraigned today on charges of attempted murder in the first degree, attempted assault in the first degree, assault, reckless endangerment and other crimes for allegedly ramming a stolen car into an NYPD officer who was investigating the theft. He is also accused of driving onto…
Read MoreSTATEMENT FROM DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ ON HARVEY WEINSTEIN COURT APPEARANCE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “Today, defendant Harvey Weinstein was formally arraigned on a governor’s warrant issued by Governor Kathy Hochul, who exercised her authority for him to remain in New York State until his case in New York County is adjudicated. The defendant – who was convicted in California of forcible rape and…
Read MoreTHREE MEN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, BURGLARY FOR DOUGLASTON HOME INVASION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that three defendants — Ryan Dash, Brandon Dash and Jone Smith — are charged with kidnapping, robbery, burglary and other crimes for an alleged home invasion robbery in Douglaston on Saturday morning, in which they held eight people, including three children, hostage. The defendants are accused of physically restraining…
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON IN 2019 STABBING DEATH OF HOMELESS SHELTER RESIDENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ricardo Henry was sentenced today to 17 years to life prison for the fatal stabbing of a 38-year-old homeless shelter resident in retaliation for a domestic violence assault that one of Henry’s friends believed to have taken place at the East Elmhurst shelter. District Attorney Katz said: “The…
Read MoreFORMER DIRECTOR AT TWO QUEENS NURSING HOMES CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN 1,500 OXYCODONE PILLS FROM FACILITIES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Charles Gonder was arraigned on drug charges today following an investigation into his past employment as the nursing director at two nursing homes — the Regal Heights Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, and the Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens. He is accused of stealing more…
Read MoreQUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ REQUESTS DISMISSAL OF 46 CASES CONNECTED TO FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE
Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz petitioned the Court today to vacate the convictions of 46 defendants whose cases involved a detective later convicted of perjury. After former NYPD Detective James Donovan plead guilty in 2023 to falsely testifying before a Queens grand jury, an extensive review was conducted of his previous cases by the…
Read MoreTWO HOLLIS MEN SENTENCED FOR MURDERING DICE GAME OPPONENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mark Watson and Rodney Dunn were each sentenced today to 23 years to life in prison for the murder of 33-year-old Christopher McKnight, who was shot to death during a dice game in 2021. McKnight was winning when he was held up at gunpoint and shot. District Attorney…
Read MoreROCKAWAY BEACH MAN CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING AT NYPD OFFICERS IN EDGEMERE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Joel Kelly was arraigned on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted murder in the first degree, attempted assault in the first degree and other crimes for firing at two NYPD police officers who were pursuing him in Edgemere after responding to a call of shots fired in…
Read MoreSTATEMENT FROM DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ ON RANDOL CONTRERAS BEING CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “We have charged Randol Contreras with attempted murder. A young woman is fighting for her life after being stabbed in an unprovoked attack as she exited the subway system. This defendant allegedly asked the victim for money and then stabbed the woman multiple times in the torso, leaving her…
Read MoreDELIVERY TRUCK DRIVER INDICTED FOR HIT-AND-RUN COLLISION THAT KILLED 16-YEAR-OLD PEDESTRIAN AND INJURED HER 8-YEAR-OLD SISTER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Boubacar Barry was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with criminally negligent homicide in the death of 16-year-old Jael Zhinin who was struck by Barry’s water delivery truck as she was crossing 46th Street in Sunnyside along with her younger sister, who was also hit and seriously…
Read MoreDRIVER WITH SUSPENDED LICENSE INDICTED FOR STRIKING E-BIKER WHILE FLEEING POLICE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Harold Vega was indicted by a grand jury on charges of assault, leaving the scene of an incident and other related crimes after allegedly slamming into an e-bike rider while fleeing police in Astoria on July 3. Vega allegedly ran through 26 red lights and 14 stop signs…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO FOUR TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RICHMOND HILL DWI CRASH THAT KILLED CITY WORKER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Errick Persaud was sentenced today to four to 12 years in prison on a charge of manslaughter for a drunken collision in which he killed a 36-year-old worker in a New York City Department of Environmental Protection truck in Richmond Hill in July 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty…
Read MoreDA KATZ SEIZES UNLICENSED MOBILE CANNABIS DISPENSARY IN SUNNYSIDE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the takedown of an illegal cannabis dispensary operating out of a converted school bus in Sunnyside. The seized product was determined to have been overtly marketed toward children, with names such as “Skittles,” “Gummy Sharks,” “Jolly Ranchers,” and packaging nearly identically to snacks popular with kids. The vehicle’s owner…
Read MoreHOLLIS MAN CHARGED WITH WEAPON POSSESSION AFTER GUN, AMMUNITION, KNIVES FOUND IN CAR AFTER TRAFFIC STOP
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Judd Sanson was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes after he was stopped by police in East Elmhurst for having a covering over his license plate. Police officers allegedly discovered an arsenal of weapons in the car including a loaded 9 mm…
Read MoreDISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ WELCOMES SUMMER INTERNS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz welcomed 64 law school and college students for the start of an enriching nine-week summer internship program. District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “We are happy to bring on board this bright and diverse group of interns to spend the summer gaining invaluable experience learning about the inner workings of the…
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