Court Cases
SUBWAY ATTACKER PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR BRUTAL ASSAULT THAT LEFT WOMAN BLIND IN ONE EYE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Waheed Foster has pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the violent, unprovoked assault of a subway rider in September 2022 at the Howard Beach/JFK station. The victim, who was on her way to work at the time of the attack, underwent emergency surgery for her injuries which resulted…
MOTORCYCLE RIDER CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE FOR SHOOTING TWO POLICE OFFICERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Bernardo Raul Castro Mata has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in the first and second degrees and other related crimes for allegedly shooting two NYPD officers who tried to pull him over early Monday morning for driving the wrong way on an unregistered motorcycle in…
FLORIDA MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE IN 2009 COLD CASE KILLING OF HIS UNCLE IN RIDGEWOOD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Anthony Scalici was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on a charge of second-degree murder in the 2009 stabbing death of his 64-year-old uncle, Rosario Prestigiacomo, inside the victim’s Ridgewood home. The 15-year-old case was solved through forensic genetic genealogy, making it the first time a…
CHARGES FOR BOTH LIQUOR STORE OWNER AND TWO ALLEGED SHOPLIFTERS AFTER INCIDENTS ON WYCKOFF AVENUE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edwin Poaquiza and Kevin Pullatasi are charged with petit larceny for allegedly stealing two bottles of liquor from Franja Wine and Liquors on Wyckoff Avenue. Separately, store owner Franscisco Valerio is charged with assault for allegedly discharging his weapon when attempting to pistol-whip a man on the sidewalk…
TWO MEN INDICTED FOR FATAL SHOOTING IN MIDDLE VILLAGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dante Hunter and Shamel Capers were arraigned on an indictment charging Hunter with murder and Capers with attempted murder in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Joshua Taylor in Middle Village on July 23, 2023. Evidence uncovered during the investigation of the incident indicated that the round which struck…
CAB DRIVER INDICTED FOR CRASH THAT KILLED ASTORIA MAN ON SCOOTER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mohammad Bhuiyan was arraigned today on grand jury indictment charges for allegedly driving the wrong way on Northern Boulevard and striking and killing a 59-year-old Astoria man riding a scooter in November 2023. District Attorney Katz said: “It is the moral obligation of every single driver to ensure…
ALLEGED SQUATTER INDICTED FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING JAMAICA HOME, PROVIDING FORGED DOCUMENTS TO AUTHORITIES INCLUDING CIVIL COURT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lance White-Hunt was arraigned on an indictment charging him with burglary, identity theft, attempted grand larceny and other crimes for illegally occupying a home in Jamaica and forging leasing documents in an effort to stake his claim as a legal tenant. The defendant went as far as filing…
SERIAL SHOPLIFTER CHARGED WITH STEALING $170,000 WORTH OF JEWELRY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Aaron Smalls was arraigned on charges of grand larceny and other crimes for stealing expensive pieces of jewelry from stores throughout Queens. The defendant allegedly hit six shops between December 2023 and February 2024, stealing merchandise valued at more than $50,000. DNA evidence tied Smalls to another theft…
RIDGEWOOD BOUTIQUE RAIDED IN FENCING OPERATION; TWO ARRESTED FOR POSSESSING STOLEN MERCHANDISE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the recovery of more than $500,000 in stolen items from Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Lululemon and other major retailers that were openly displayed and re-sold at less than half their retail value inside the McKlain Collection Boutique in Ridgewood. Two defendants are charged with criminal possession of stolen property for…
WOODSIDE MAN INDICTED ON FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR FATAL SHOOTING OF NYPD DETECTIVE JONATHAN DILLER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Guy Rivera was arraigned today on an indictment secured by her office charging him with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire at an NYPD sergeant in Far Rockaway on March 25. Rivera, along with codefendant…
NEW JERSEY MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATENING TO ‘SHOOT UP’ JFK AIRPORT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Darnell King was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, making terroristic threats and other related crimes after he sent a video to his estranged wife in which a gun is visible and threatened a mass shooting at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where she had…
MORE THAN 30 FIREARMS RECOVERED FROM ROCKAWAY BEACH HOME
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/l2t3OLl4Mco Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ryszard Materna has been arraigned on weapon possession charges after a search of his Rockaway Beach home uncovered ghost guns, including assault weapons, as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition and other weapons-related paraphernalia. District Attorney Katz said: “For those who think they are…
DRIVER IN FATAL SHOOTING OF NYPD OFFICER INDICTED ON WEAPON CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lindy Jones was arraigned on an indictment charging him with criminal possession of a weapon for a gun found in the car from which Jones’ codefendant is accused of fatally shooting NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller on March 25 in Far Rockaway. Jones was the driver of the vehicle…
NEW YORK CITY BUILDING INSPECTOR CHARGED WITH TAKING BRIBES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zabihullah Ibrahimi, a city building inspector, was arraigned today on bribery and official misconduct charges for taking cash from homeowners in exchange for closing complaints about their property. In one case, he allegedly asked for $3,500 from a homeowner and, when she said she had no cash, directed…
INDICTMENT SECURED BY DA’S OFFICE IN POLICE OFFICER HOMICIDE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Guy Rivera and Lindy Jones have been indicted on charges connected to the shooting death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller in Far Rockway last week. Rivera was indicted for first-degree murder for the homicide and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire his weapon at an NYPD sergeant…
AIRPORT TAXI DISPATCHERS CHARGED WITH TAKING BRIBES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that nine taxi dispatchers were arraigned today on bribery charges for taking cash in exchange for letting drivers pick up passengers at Kennedy International Airport without waiting behind fellow cabbies in often long lines at the central dispatch lot. Four of the defendants are accused of accepting more than…
WOODSIDE MAN INDICTED FOR WHEELCHAIR STABBING ATTACK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kareem Phillips was indicted for attempted murder after launching a knife attack on three people, including an elderly woman, from his wheelchair at a Woodside intersection. The woman sustained serious injuries. District Attorney Katz said: “Within the span of just a few minutes, the defendant is alleged to…
FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES FILED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF POLICE OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that criminal charges were filed today against Guy Rivera in Queens Criminal Court for first-degree murder in the shooting death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire his weapon at an NYPD sergeant in Far Rockaway Monday after the officers approached a car…
WEAPONS CHARGES FILED AGAINST DRIVER OF CAR INVOLVED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF POLICE OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lindy Jones was arraigned today on weapons charges after a court-ordered search warrant executed on his vehicle found an illegal firearm. Jones was behind the wheel of the car from which the shot that killed NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was fired on Monday. Jones’ passenger in the car…
TWO VIRGINIA MEN INDICTED FOR FATAL SHOOTING IN SOUTH JAMAICA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marquise Brown and Joseph Woods were arraigned this week on an indictment charging them with murder in the fatal shooting of 48-year-old Yaw Pabi in South Jamaica in April 2022. Both defendants fled to their home state of Virginia following the shooting and were extradited last week to…
Meet the DA
