Court Cases
QUEENS WOMAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME FOR DESTROYING STATUES AT FOREST HILLS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jacqueline Nikiena, 23, has been charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime for destroying two statues in front of a church in Forest Hills, Queens. The defendant allegedly pulled down the statues and bashed them to pieces early Tuesday morning in July 2021. District Attorney Katz…
CONNECTICUT RESIDENT CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER AND DRUNK DRIVING IN DEATH OF DIRT BIKE RIDER ON LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jorge Serrano, 30, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving for allegedly striking a dirt bike on the Long Island Expressway and killing its rider. Serrano also allegedly struck a moped, the rider of which has been hospitalized with a broken leg. District Attorney Katz…
QUEENS MAN WHO FILED 13 PHONY UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS TO COLLECT COVID RELIEF FUNDS THROUGH “CARES” ACT CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by N.Y. State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, New York Region Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, announced today that Keijohn Graham, 21, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on a 68-count…
INDICTMENT ANNOUNCED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF 14-YEAR-OLD AAMIR GRIFFIN; INNOCENT VICTIM ON BASKETBALL COURT WAS GUNNED DOWN IN MISTAKEN IDENTITY GANG HIT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison, announced today that Sean Brown, 18, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on murder and weapon charges for the October 26, 2019 killing of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin. The reputed gang member allegedly sought to…
DISGRUNTLED CLIENT INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN STABBING DEATH OF QUEENS LAWYER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Nando Perez, 64, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court for murder in the August 2021 stabbing death of a 65-year-old Queens attorney. District Attorney Katz said, “This was a brutal killing that stunned the community. The victim was found dead…
BRONX MAN INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON HATE CRIME CHARGES FOR SLASHING MAN AFTER HURLING HOMOPHOBIC AND RACIAL SLURS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ramon Castro, 55, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on hate crime charges for allegedly slashing a man in the face after using racial and homophobic slurs near a subway station in Flushing, Queens on July 6, 2021. District Attorney…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH TRANSPORTING GUNS AND AMMO INTO NEW YORK AFTER BUYING WEAPONS AT GUN SHOW IN PENNSYLVANIA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Richard McCormick, 42, is charged in a 117-count criminal complaint with criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes. The defendant allegedly purchased a cache of high-capacity magazines, firearm components and ammunition at a gun show in Pennsylvania and drove to New York – where all are…
QUEENS HOUSEKEEPER INDICTED ON GRAND LARCENY CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY EMBEZZLING OVER $72,000 FROM ELDERLY EMPLOYER’S BANK ACCOUNT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Ondina Flores, a trusted housekeeper for an elderly couple, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on grand larceny and other charges. The defendant allegedly embezzled over $72,000 from her employers’ bank accounts over a period of four years. District Attorney…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH CRUELTY TO ANIMALS; MORE THAN TWO DOZEN SICK AND INJURED PIT BULLS HOUSED IN DUNGEON-LIKE CONDITIONS IN RICHMOND HILL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Andrew Cato, 59, has been charged in a 92-count criminal complaint with aggravated animal cruelty, prohibition of animal fighting and other crimes. The defendant allegedly bred dogs for fighting, as evidenced by numerous dog bite scars and wounds on some of the 27 dogs and the retrieval…
QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED VEHICULAR HOMICIDE FOR DRUNK DRIVING SPREE OF CRASHES THAT KILLED A PEDESTRIAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jorge Samaniego, 51, has pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide for causing the death of a pedestrian in a December 2019 string of crashes in Woodside. District Attorney Katz said, “The defendant made the selfish decision to get behind the wheel of a car while drunk. His…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, DWI AND OTHER CHARGES FOR CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND INJURED DEFENDANT’S PASSENGERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Tyrone Absolam, 42, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and other charges. The defendant is accused of being under the influence of alcohol when he slammed into another vehicle, killing…
BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR DEADLY STABBING OF QUEENS DIVORCE ATTORNEY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Nando Perez, 64, has been charged with murder and other crimes in the stabbing death of a 65-year-old Queens attorney. The victim was found dead in his Jackson Heights law office, last Wednesday. District Attorney Katz said, “This is a brutal crime that has stunned our community….
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO FILE JOINT MOTION WITH DEFENSE TO VACATE CONVICTION IN MURDER & ATTEMPTED MURDER CASE AND RELEASE A MAN INCARCERATED FOR 32 YEARS
Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that she will file a joint motion with the defense to vacate the conviction of Carlton Roman, who has been incarcerated for 32 years for the murder of Lloyd Witter and attempted murder of Jomo Kenyatta. This motion is based on newly discovered witnesses and evidence which…
BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR SHOOTING INTO MTA BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Melvin Adams, 43, has been charged with assault and other crimes for allegedly shooting into an MTA bus, striking two passengers and shattering the front windshield on Thursday morning in Jamaica, Queens. District Attorney Katz said, “We can’t live in a world where a petty dispute on…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBING 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Jonathan Perez, 34, has been charged with robbery and other crimes for allegedly grabbing an 11-year-old girl, dragging her into an alleyway and robbing her of cash and personal belongings on Sunday, July 25, 2021 in Jackson Heights, Queens. District Attorney Katz said, “Nothing’s more important than…
BROOKLYN RESIDENT CHARGED WITH MURDER IN SHOOTING DEATH OF 17-YEAR-OLD IN CORONA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Dennis Vassilenko, 18, has been charged with murder and other crimes for allegedly shooting and killing a Queens teenager in Corona, Queens, on July 7, 2021. District Attorney Katz said, “Easy access to illegal guns has resulted in another senseless tragedy in our community. A 17-year-old is…
ARRAIGNMENT UPDATE: MAN CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DWI IN CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND INJURED HIS PASSENGERS ARRAIGNED IN HOSPITAL
Defendant Tyrone Absolam, 41, of 133rd Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, had a bedside arraignment today before Queens Criminal Court Judge Jerry Iannece. The defendant is charged in a criminal complaint with two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter in the first degree, two counts of manslaughter in the second degree, vehicular assault in the…
QUEENS MAN FACES HATE CRIMES CHARGES FOR RANDOM ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS IN QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Naved Durrni, 30, has been charged with assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges for three separate attacks on people he believed to be Muslim. The defendant allegedly pursued, struck and yelled anti-Muslim sentiments at the victims he encountered on the…
MAN CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DWI IN CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND INJURED HIS PASSENGERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Tyrone Absolam, 42, has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while under the influence of alcohol and other charges for the Saturday evening car crash that killed a mother and her daughter. DA Katz said, “As alleged, the defendant’s selfish, illegal choices resulted in the tragic…
QUEENS WOMAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIMES FOR FOUR SEPARATE ATTACKS ON ASIANS IN QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Maricia Bell, 25, has been charged with assault as a hate crime and other charges for four different attacks on people of Asian descent in Flushing, Queens. The defendant allegedly punched or struck the victims with an object without provocation starting in May of this year and…
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