Press Releases
HOWARD BEACH MAN SENTENCED TO 23 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATAL OZONE PARK SHOOTING OF TAROT CARD READER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Giuseppe Canzani was sentenced to 23 years in prison for fatally shooting 51-year-old Anna Torres shortly after she opened the door to her Ozone Park home in May 2022. The victim was a tarot card reader and Canzani believed she was a witch who had put a curse…
OPERATION SELF CHECKOUT: THIRTEEN DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR STEALING MORE THAN $2.2 MILLION IN MERCHANDISE FROM HOME DEPOT LOCATIONS IN NINE STATES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that 13 defendants were charged in a 780-count indictment with grand larceny, conspiracy and criminal possession of stolen property for operating a stolen goods and fencing ring that targeted Home Depot locations in New York and eight other states. Members of the Queens-based theft…
JURY CONVICTS ASTORIA MAN OF ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOVING HIS MOTHER OUT OF THIRD FLOOR WINDOW
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that George Tsintzelis was convicted of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for shoving his 64-year-old mother¸ Paraskevi Tsintzelis, out of their third-floor apartment window in 2024. District Attorney Katz said: “Paraskevi Tsintzelis was seriously injured but fortunately survived the fall and then made the difficult decision to testify…
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN CHARGED WITH GANG ASSAULT AND RIOT FOR BEATING MALBA HOMEOWNER AT VIOLENT CAR MEETUP; FACES UP TO 25 YEARS IF CONVICTED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Justin Aguilera was arraigned today on charges of gang assault, riot and other related charges for attacking a Malba man and his wife after the victims told the defendant and a group of others to disperse from in front of their property. The incident took place during a…
FLUSHING MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR VIOLENT ROBBERY OF QUEENS WOMAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Michael Fan was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a violent attack on a Queens woman as she stood in front of her residence in 2022. Fan and his codefendants tied up the victim, held her at knifepoint and then burglarized her home. The defendant failed…
DRIVER IN DEADLY MOTHER’S DAY CRASH SENTENCED TO 28 ½ YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roosevelt Rose was sentenced today to 28 ½ years to life in prison for a hit-and-run crash on Mother’s Day in 2022 that resulted in the death of 49-year-old Florence Ngwu in front of her South Jamaica home. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant behaved recklessly to the…
BROOKLYN MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR KNIFING SUBWAY RIDER OVER PHONE CALL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Johnny Wood was charged with attempted murder, assault and weapon possession for stabbing a subway rider onboard an E train on Saturday. The 54-year-old victim confronted Wood about a noisy cellphone conversation, an argument ensued and then Wood allegedly stabbed the man in the ribcage. District Attorney…
QUEENS UNCLE WHO KILLED NEPHEW AT FAMILY BARBECUE CONVICTED OF MURDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Durran Morgan was convicted of murder in the shooting death of his 25-year-old nephew during a family barbecue in St. Albans during Memorial Day weekend in 2023. Morgan argued with his nephew, 25-year-old Chevaughn Millings, over payment for the chicken served at the gathering. The defendant was also…
MANHATTAN MAN CHARGED FOR UNPROVOKED ASSAULT OF TWO STRAPHANGERS ON SUBWAY PLATFORM IN KEW GARDENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tyquan Manassa was arraigned late last night on charges of assault and weapon possession for an unprovoked attack on two commuters inside the Union Turnpike-Kew Gardens train station on Wednesday. Both victims were slashed in the face while waiting for the train to arrive. District Attorney Katz said:…
GLENDALE MAN SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MASPETH TAVERN KILLING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marcin Pieciak was sentenced to 24 years in prison for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Sarah McNally, in March 2024. The defendant pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month in satisfaction of the indictment against him. Pieciak cornered the victim while she worked at a Maspeth tavern, fatally attacked her,…
REPEAT OFFENDER EXTRADITED FROM CALIFORNIA ON BAIL JUMPING CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Freddy Arias Zapata was extradited and arraigned on an indictment charging him with bail jumping, an E felony, in regard to three separate grand larcenies and a burglary that took place between May and November 2024. Zapata is accused of stealing luxury items, cash and other valuables from…
32 REPUTED GANG MEMBERS INDICTED ON MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER AND CONSPIRACY CHARGES FOR FOUR-YEAR TURF WAR IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced today that 32 reputed members of the Bad-Co Ballout gang have been indicted following a year-long investigation into multiple shootings and homicides in Southeast Queens dating back to 2021. It was the largest single gang takedown in the history…
BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STEALING VICTIM’S CAR AND RUNNING OVER THE MAN WITH HIS OWN VEHICLE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zahir Williams was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the death of Francisco Ortega in October 2023. The 50-year-old victim was viciously beaten by Williams and his cohorts and left lying in an Astoria intersection. Williams then stole the victim’s car and deliberately drove over Ortega’s unconscious…
JOHN DOE DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR STEALING THREE QUEENS COUNTY HOMES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a John Doe defendant – who has used multiple aliases – was sentenced to 4 ½ years to nine years in prison for stealing three homes in Queens. The defendant was arrested in March under the name of Carl Avinger for his role in an ongoing deed fraud…
FAR ROCKAWAY WOMAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STRIKING MAN ON SIDEWALK IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kiani Phoenix was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the death of 59-year-old Milton Storch in Far Rockaway in 2022. Phoenix, who had been arguing with another woman outside a deli, entered her car and accelerated toward the woman but instead hit…
TRIO INDICTED FOR MORTGAGE FRAUD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Daniel Fama, his wife, Marjorie Fama, and Benedetto Cupo were indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes for falsifying employment verification documents to obtain a $550,000 mortgage for the Famas’ home on Staten Island. District…
ROSEDALE MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF GHOST GUN CACHE FOUND AT HIS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lianu Luis Brown Delgado has been charged with weapons possession and other crimes after an investigation led to the recovery of eight guns, including seven ghost guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition, at the defendant’s Rosedale home. The guns were allegedly made on a 3D printer…
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…
FORMER 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…
HIT-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…
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