Press Releases
EDGEMERE MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATAL SHOOTING OF 10-YEAR-OLD BOY IN DISPUTE OVER SHARED DRIVEWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ashram Lochan has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 10-year-old Justin Wallace in June 2021. Lochan pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter last month admitting he directed Jovan Young to fire multiple gunshots into his neighbor’s doorway because of a grudge over…
LONG ISLAND MAN CHARGED WITH SCHEME TO DEFRAUD FOR REAL ESTATE SCAM THAT TARGETED RENTERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rajat Verma was indicted for scheme to defraud, grand larceny, identity theft and other crimes for a rental fraud scheme involving seven Queens properties and one in Brooklyn. Verma allegedly rented apartments by providing forged checks to landlords and, in turn, rented out the same properties to…
RICHMOND HILL MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR KILLING ESTRANGED WIFE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Angel Apodaca was charged with murder for the death of 24-year-old Tania Morales Garcia. Apodaca went to his estranged wife’s Kew Gardens Hills apartment, where she lived with their 2-year-old son, and allegedly stabbed her multiple times. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, Angel Apodaca ruthlessly stabbed his…
QUEENS GUN BUYBACK EVENT NETS 176 WEAPONS, INCLUDING ASSAULT WEAPONS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 176 guns were collected Saturday during a buyback event cosponsored by her office and the NYPD at the Majority Baptist Church in Jamaica. This was the 14th gun buyback event by the Queens District Attorney’s office since 2020. The events have recovered a total of 1,025 firearms and…
EDGEMERE MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR KILLING GIRLFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rogelio Lozano-Garita was charged with murder, weapon possession and related crimes for the shooting death of his girlfriend, 35-year-old Seraphina Pereira, and then concealing her body in a shallow grave at Rockaway Community Park. The defendant allegedly transported the victim’s body to the park in a wagon. District…
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN INDICTED FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOR KILLING MOTHER AND SISTER IN FAR ROCKAWAY HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kegan Thomas was indicted on charges of murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, arson and other crimes for killing his mother and sister in the family’s Far Rockaway home. Thomas allegedly started a fire and caused an explosion…
FIVE ALLEGED TRINITARIOS GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR VIOLENT TWO-DAY SHOOTING SPREE IN CORONA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced that five defendants have been indicted for a violent shooting spree over two days in late August. The defendants, ranging in age from 14 to 29, are variously charged in a 25-count indictment with conspiracy, attempted murder, weapon possession and…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON HATE CRIME CHARGE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE OUTSIDE JEWISH-OWNED BAGEL SHOP THAT DISPLAYED ISRAELI FLAGS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dawood Faisal was indicted for a hate crime for destroying property in May outside a kosher bagel store on Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows that displayed Israeli flags. Faisal allegedly knocked over multiple plant stands outside the shop on two separate occasions and, in one instance, hurled dirt…
17-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR DEATH OF 14-YEAR-OLD IN EDGEMERE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 17-year-old defendant was charged with murder and weapon possession for the broad daylight shooting death of 14-year-old Malakai Adams at the Ocean Bay Apartments on September 21. The defendant allegedly took off after the shooting on the victim’s scooter. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, this was…
FLUSHING DRIVER CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AND DWI FOR KILLING BABY IN STROLLER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Elvin Rivera has been charged with manslaughter, driving while ability impaired and related charges for accelerating through a stop sign and fatally striking a 1-year-old child on Sunday morning who was being pushed in a stroller by his nanny in Flushing. Justin Hu was rushed to the hospital…
TWO EDGEMERE MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF 10-YEAR-OLD BOY IN DISPUTE OVER SHARED DRIVEWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ashram Lochan and Jovan Young have pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for the 2021 shooting that caused the death of a 10-year-old boy and seriously injured another man. The incident was sparked by an earlier dispute over a shared driveway. District Attorney Katz said:…
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ RELEASES WARNING ABOUT SCAMMERS POSING AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TARGETING CHINESE COMMUNITY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz is warning members of the Chinese community about an ongoing scam in which bad actors impersonate Chinese police officers to extort money. The scammers claim that the victim is being investigated for insurance fraud in China and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest and possible extradition. One person has been…
FIVE DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR PHONY REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT SCHEME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that five defendants have been indicted for conspiracy, possession of stolen property, identity theft and other crimes for conducting a fraudulent investment scheme that swindled victims out of nearly $3 million. The defendants allegedly lured victims to invest in a firm that purported to buy distressed properties and…
CORONA MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBERY FOR MUGGING 92-YEAR-OLD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Bobby Gadsen has been indicted for robbery, assault and other crimes for stealing cellphones from two victims in Forest Hills earlier this month, one a 92-year-old man walking with the assistance of a cane. Gadsen was arrested three days later, after a second cellphone snatching that targeted a…
BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR KILLING 59-YEAR-OLD MAN IN RANDOM SUBWAY STABBING ON THE J TRAIN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jyrell Thomas has been arraigned on murder and weapon possession charges for the fatal stabbing of 59-year-old Mesias Lojano on the subway Wednesday night. Thomas entered a busy subway car and stood alone until the northbound J train approached Woodhaven station, when he produced a knife and randomly…
THIRTEEN DEFENDANTS SENTENCED FOR ROLES IN ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT OPERATION THAT TARGETED HOME DEPOT LOCATIONS IN NINE STATES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that 13 defendants have pleaded guilty to felony charges and have been sentenced in connection with an organized theft operation that targeted Home Depot locations in New York and eight other states. Members of the Queens-based theft crew stole building supplies, power tools, smoke alarms and other goods…
DA KATZ WRITES TO STATE PAROLE BOARD TO OPPOSE RELEASE OF COP KILLER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has written to the state parole board to urge the body to keep David McClary behind bars for the 1988 assassination of New York City Police officer Edward Byrne. The rookie cop was murdered as he sat in his patrol car guarding the South Jamaica home of a witness in…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO THREE TO NINE YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEX TRAFFICKING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Leighton Jennings was sentenced to three to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking a 25-year-old woman. The defendant admitted that he intentionally advanced or profited from prostitution by making materially false statements or omissions to induce the woman to continue to engage in prostitution….
OAKLAND GARDENS WOMAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR RANDOM KNIFE ATTACK ON BAYSIDE MAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Duran was arraigned on a complaint charging her with attempted murder, assault and other crimes for randomly attacking a man as he stood outside his home on 53rd Avenue. Duran pulled up in front of a 54-year-old Bayside man’s house Thursday morning and cut the stranger across…
ALLEGED SQUATTERS INDICTED FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING BAYSIDE HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Vernon Glass and Lusascha Taylor have been indicted on charges of burglary, grand larceny and criminal trespass for illegally occupying a vacant Bayside home for more than two years. The prior owner of the home died in 2018 without heirs or a will. District Attorney Katz said: “As…