Court Cases
QUEENS FATHER INDICTED FOR ALLEGED MURDER OF 3-YEAR-OLD SON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler has been indicted for murder, endangering the welfare of a child and other crimes in connection with the death of his 3-year-old son and physical abuse to a second child in an Elmhurst shelter last month. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, this parent failed his…
BROOKLYN MEN INDICTED IN SERIES OF CONVENIENCE STORE ROBBERIES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Reginald Williams, Calvin Scantlebury and Dewkwan Cooper were indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on robbery and other charges for allegedly holding up at gunpoint two people at two different retail establishments in Queens on November 20. Defendant Williams was also indicted and arraigned on robbery and…
DA KATZ CHARGES OPERATORS OF UNLICENSED CANNABIS DISPENSARY IN ROCKAWAY PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that two men were charged with unlawful sale and criminal possession of cannabis for allegedly operating an illegal marijuana dispensary from a converted school bus in Rockaway Park, across from the Rockaway Ferry Dock, less than two blocks from nearby schools. The seizure of the truck comes on the…
DA KATZ SECURES INDICTMENT ON ATTEMPTED RAPE, BURGLARY FOR VIOLENT HOME INVASION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Michael Rispers was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on attempted rape, burglary, assault and other charges stemming from an armed home invasion. Rispers allegedly unlawfully entered a home in Jamaica, Queens, and violently attacked a female resident. Upon hearing her screams, a male family member interrupted…
TWO MEN INDICTED FOR DEADLY EXCHANGE OF GUNFIRE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN BROOKVILLE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dariel Herrera and Zandrae Ennis have been indicted and arraigned on murder and attempted murder charges, respectively, in the deadly exchange of gunfire that killed a 19-year-old Springfield Gardens man. District Attorney Katz said: “The only way to describe this incident is to say that it was as…
DA KATZ SECURES INDICTMENT OF ALLEGED DRUG DEALER IN POSSESION OF DEADLY FENTANYL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dennis Carrol was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance. After U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents stopped Carrol’s car in Hollis on November 28, they found two kilos of fentanyl in the trunk. Carrol is accused of…
DA KATZ SECURES INDICTMENT FOR SUBWAY ATTACK ON WOMAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Abel Pita Aviles was indicted and arraigned today for allegedly robbing and then groping a woman at knifepoint inside an “M” train subway car in Dutch Kills. District Attorney Katz said: “This shameful attack inside our subway system will not go unanswered. My Office will use all tools…
MAN INDICTED FOR FATALLY STABBING BROTHER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Henrry Gutierrez was indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned on murder and other charges for the fatal stabbing in July of his 52-year-old brother during an argument in the multi-unit Jamaica residence where the two men lived on separate floors. District Attorney Katz said: “This is…
BROOKLYN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER IN ROCK ATTACK ON WOMAN IN CORONA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Elisaul Perez pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in the November 2021 Thanksgiving weekend attack of 61-year-old Guiying Ma. Ma was struck in the head with a large rock while sweeping the sidewalk and street on the block of a friends’ home. District Attorney Katz said: “Her family, friends…
DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FATAL STABBING FOLLOWING BABY CHRISTENING PARTY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing of Antonio Martinez for stabbing to death a fellow guest at a 2019 celebration of a baby’s christening in Corona. Martinez argued with the victim before repeatedly stabbing him in the chest. District Attorney Katz said: “A celebration of life resulted in a violent death because of…
DA KATZ BRINGS ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES AFTER 45 DOGS RESCUED FROM DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Fred Thomson has been charged with failure to provide proper care to animals for allegedly keeping more than 45 dogs and puppies in unsanitary conditions in his Broad Channel home. District Attorney Katz said: “Animals are voiceless members of our community who deserve proper care and sustenance. In…
DA KATZ SECURES GUILTY PLEA AND RESTITUTION IN UNION MEMBERSHIP CASH CON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jofre Ortega pleaded guilty today to grand larceny and other crimes for conning people eager to join the Mason Tenders Local 79 Union by offering memberships for cash. As part of the plea, the defendant is required to pay restitution in the amount of $18,000 to the 14…
QUEENS DA’S OFFICE SECURES GUILTY PLEA FOR TWO TRAFFICKERS; DEFENDANTS FORCED TEENAGE GIRLS INTO SEX INDUSTRY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lawrence Winslow and Alan Velvett each pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child and rape for forcing three underage victims into the sex industry in February 2021. One of the victims was also coerced into having intercourse with both defendants. District Attorney Katz said: “I created the…
DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR THREATENING TO SHOOT MOTORIST OVER PARKING SPOT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jaquan Adams was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for criminal possession of a weapon. Adams used a gun to threaten a motorist to surrender an open street parking spot in Bayside that he wanted for himself. District Attorney Katz said: “An argument over nothing more than…
QUEENS FATHER CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DEATH OF 3-YEAR-OLD SON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler was arraigned yesterday on murder charges in the death of his 3-year-old son. District Attorney Katz said: “A defenseless young child’s life was brutally snatched from him before it even began in most ways; a case that is equal parts heartbreaking and disturbing. As alleged, the…
AFTER EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATIONS, DA KATZ CONSENTS TO VACATING WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS
Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz today filed motions with defense attorneys to vacate two wrongful convictions. In both cases, new evidence came to light: In Capers, the physical evidence indicated one gun was fired and eyewitness testimony singles out Kevin McClinton as the lone shooter. McClinton, who is solely culpable for the crime, is…
NETWORK OF DRUG DEALERS DISMANTLED FOLLOWING LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell, announced that three individuals have been arrested and charged for allegedly operating as a network of dealers who supplied a variety of drugs to buyers in Far Rockaway, Queens, and other boroughs over the last year. An additional crew member…
BUS HIJACKER INDICTED ON KIDNAPPING AND OTHER CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dwayne Gaddy was indicted and arraigned today on charges of kidnapping, robbery and other crimes for the hijacking of a crowded MTA bus in Cambria Heights last month using what appeared to be a handgun. The approximately 30 passengers on board the bus were able to escape. The…
CO-DEFENDANTS PLEAD GUILTY IN SHOOTING DEATHS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Richard Davenport and Neville Brown each pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter for the shooting deaths of two men in South Richmond Hill in late 2017 and early 2018. The judge in the case said he would sentence Davenport to 29 years in prison and Brown to…
DA KATZ SECURES MANSLAUGHTER INDICTMENT IN SUBWAY SYSTEM DEATH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Carlos Garcia was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today in Supreme Court on manslaughter and other charges for the death of a fellow commuter last month at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue subway station as a result of a physical altercation. District Attorney Katz said: “Our subway…
Meet the DA
