Press Releases
SIX 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….
MANHATTAN 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:…
DOCTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPING MULTIPLE UNCONSCIOUS ACQUAINTANCES IN HIS APARTMENT AND SEXUAL ABUSING PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng pleaded guilty today to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients. The defendant – a gastroenterologist – filmed the abuse of his unconscious victims in both his apartment and at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital. District Attorney Katz said:…
ASTORIA 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…
ASTORIA 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…
TEENAGER 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…
FORMER QUEENS HUSBAND AND WIFE INDICTED FOR WAGE THEFT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that married couple Christian Perez and Ines Miranda Perez were indicted on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes as part of a wage theft scheme to allegedly steal money from employees of two cleaning companies. The two companies associated with the couple are…
VIRGINIA MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR 2021 MURDER OF 33-YEAR-OLD IN LONG ISLAND CITY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Khalik Berry was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the 2021 murder of 33-year-old Kayron Wilson in Long Island City. Wilson and his girlfriend were seated in a Mercury Milan on 40th Avenue when Berry, who was with another man, approached the car and…
DRIVER 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…
JAMAICA 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,…
SEVEN 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…
JAMAICA 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,…
SEVEN 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…
JAMAICA MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HATE CRIME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Gilbert Augustin was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to assault as hate crime earlier this month. After a Kew Gardens fender bender in October 2023, Augustin derided 66-year-old Jasmer Singh as “turban man” and repeatedly punched him, knocking him to the ground. Singh…
ASTORIA DOG OWNER ARRAIGNED ON ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Carlo Silva was arraigned today on animal cruelty charges after allegedly injuring his small female poodle by repeatedly throwing the pet down a set of stairs and then dragging the dog back up by the leash. The alleged violence was caught on surveillance footage inside the staircase of…
JAMAICA MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF AIRPORT WORKER ON SUBWAY PLATFORM IN HOWARD BEACH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Courtney Jacobs was indicted for attempted murder and other crimes for assaulting an airport worker who was waiting for a train home at the Howard Beach-JFK subway station in May. Jacobs allegedly hit the 50-year-old man with a cane and slashed him in the chest with a knife….
MANHATTAN MAN INDICTED FOR STABBING BUS RIDER IN EYE AND NECK WITH PEN: CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER, ASSAULT AND MORE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a Queens County grand jury has indicted Angie Cordero Rosario for attempted murder, assault and other crimes for attacking a bus passenger with a pen in May. District Attorney Katz said: “Public transportation must be safe for New York City to thrive and when it is not,…
DA 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…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON KIDNAPPING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES FOR ATTACKING 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL INSIDE FOREST PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that defendant Teddy Moussignac was arraigned on grand jury indictment charges of kidnapping and other crimes for allegedly grabbing an 11-year-old child, dragging her into the woods and sexually assaulting her on May 19 in Forest Park. District Attorney Katz said: “This is every parent’s nightmare. A father…
TWO TEENS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED GANG ASSAULT FOR BEATING 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL AT ASTORIA SUBWAY STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that two 16-year-old girls were charged with attempted gang assault, assault and attempted robbery and other crimes in connection with the beating of a 15-year-old girl in the 46th Street subway station in Astoria on June 2. The defendants and victim are students at William Cullen Bryant High…