Press Releases
TEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR STABBING DEATH AT SUNNYSIDE MCDONALD’S RESTAURANT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a 16-year-old was indicted by a grand jury and charged with murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the first degree, gang assault in the first degree and other crimes for the stabbing death of 14-year-old Julian Corniell during a melee at a McDonald’s in Sunnyside on…
FOUR INDIVIDUALS INDICTED IN DEED FRAUD SCHEME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that four individuals and three companies were indicted on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, conspiracy and other crimes for allegedly stealing three homes from their rightful owners in the neighborhoods of Kew Gardens Hills, Queens Village and Jamaica Estates. Carl Avinger, Autumn Valeri, Lawrence T….
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ HOSTS 10TH ANNUAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION
The Queens District Attorney’s Office hosted its 10th Annual Mock Trial Competition this weekend in the recently upgraded court facilities of the Queens Criminal Court. The competition attracted students from 18 nationally ranked law schools to compete before senior prosecutors and members of the defense bar with New York Supreme and Criminal Court judges presiding…
RICHMOND HILL MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF 8-YEAR-OLD STEPSON; BOY’S MOTHER INDICTED FOR ASSAULT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Davien Reid Sr. was indicted for attempted murder, assault, witness intimidation and other crimes for the brutal beating of his 8-year-stepson after the boy was accused of eating brownies intended for Reid. Reid allegedly hit the child, picked him up, threw him to the ground and then…
DEFENDANT CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR 2021 AMBUSH SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Isaiah Stokes was convicted of murder following a jury trial for the fatal shooting of Tyrone Jones in St. Albans on February 7, 2021. The victim was sitting in a parked Jeep Cherokee and waiting for a friend to arrive to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. The…
KEW GARDENS HILLS WOMAN CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY FOR SCAMMING ELDERLY VICTIMS OUT OF SAVINGS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Lise Rossopoulos has been charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for scamming senior citizens out of more than $500,000 in a nationwide elder fraud scheme. The victims received phone calls from a co-conspirator who pretended to be a government official and convinced them…
QUEENS GANG LEADER SENTENCED TO 28 YEARS TO LIFE FOR MURDER IN SHOOTING DEATH OF BRONX MAN AT RUFUS KING PARK IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chance Goode was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison after being found guilty of murder in the second degree for the death of a 22-year-old Bronx man in October 2020. The broad daylight shooting in Rufus King Park stemmed from a marijuana deal gone wrong….
CYBERCRIME CREW CHARGED WITH STEALING AND RESELLING CONCERT TICKETS, INCLUDING FOR TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERAS TOUR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that two individuals were arrested and arraigned for their role in the cybercrime theft of more than 900 concert tickets, the majority of which were for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The ticket URLs were allegedly stolen by two individuals working at a third-party contractor for StubHub in Kingston,…
DRIVER CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AND DWI FOR PRE-DAWN COLLISION THAT KILLED MOTORIST IN CORONA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Michael Pena was arraigned on charges of manslaughter and related charges for allegedly driving at a high rate of speed and slamming his Mercedes-Benz into another motorist at the intersection of 107th Street and Northern Boulevard in East Elmhurst on Wednesday. The victim, 23-year-old Justin Diaz, was driving…
ASTORIA RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STRAY BULLET SLAY OF NYCHA WORKER IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerald Bethea has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty last month to manslaughter in the first degree. The defendant killed a 25-year-old NYCHA employee who was working on the grounds of the Astoria Houses when he was hit by a stray bullet fired…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF WOMAN ON ROOFTOP IN 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerson Vasquez was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape, attempted murder and another charge for the violent sexual assault of a woman on a Jamaica rooftop in August 2023. The defendant answered an online prostitution advertisement and lured the victim to the location. District Attorney…
LONG ISLAND MAN WHO LURED TWO VICTIMS TO LOCATIONS FOR SEX FACES 20 YEARS IN PRISON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Gil Iphael pleaded guilty to kidnapping, robbery and promoting prostitution for three incidents in which he enticed victims to go to a location for sex, then detained, assaulted and robbed them with the help of a female co-defendant. In one instance, he beat a victim and threatened…
DA KATZ APPEALS FOR INFORMATION IN COLD CASE MURDER OF NEW YORK CITY CORRECTION OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today the release of surveillance video in connection with the death of 28-year-old John Jeff, an off-duty New York City Correction Officer, who was shot and killed four years ago at the corner of Defoe and Ridgedale Streets in Springfield Gardens. The August 15, 2020, incident was caught on…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED AND IN CUSTODY FOR 2021 FATAL GUNPOINT ROBBERY IN ASTORIA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jordan Hannah, an FDNY EMT, was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on first-degree murder and other charges for the fatal gunpoint robbery of 22-year-old Kyle Griffin in April 2021. Griffin was seated in his white Range Rover near the corner of 41st Street and 30th…
SUNNYSIDE COUPLE SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NEIGHBOR AFTER FIGHT OVER PARKING SPOT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that married couple Arturo Cuevas and Daisy Barrera have been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the stabbing and baseball bat attack of their neighbor, a 28-year-old man, in March 2023. The assault stemmed from a previous dispute between the couple…
QUEENS GANG LEADER CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF BRONX MAN AT RUFUS KING PARK IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chance Goode has been found guilty of murder in the second degree for the death of a 22-year-old Bronx man during a broad daylight shooting in Rufus King Park in Jamaica in October 2020. The murder stemmed from a marijuana deal gone wrong. District Attorney Katz said:…
BROOKLYN MAN CHARGED IN BURGLARY PATTERN FOR BREAKING INTO HOMES THROUGHOUT QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Zengguo Chen has been charged with burglary, grand larceny, assault and other crimes in connection with a pattern of home burglaries that took place between October and February. Chen is alleged to have entered homes through windows and taken jewelry and other items. District Attorney Katz said:…
DRIVER OF U-HAUL TRUCK INDICTED FOR HIT-AND-RUN CRASH THAT KILLED PEDESTRIAN ON SIDEWALK IN AUGUST 2024
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jamie Ferreira and Jennifer Sablan have been indicted for various crimes related to the August 2024 hit-and-run death of 56-year-old David Opiela. Ferreira is alleged to have been speeding in a U-Haul truck on Horace Harding Expressway when she struck the victim, who was standing on the sidewalk,…
FLUSHING COSMETOLOGIST CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR PROVIDING PURPORTED BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Fei Min has been charged with assault, unauthorized practice and reckless endangerment for repeatedly injecting unknown substances during multiple visits into the face, neck and breasts of a client and purported that she was providing Botox, collagen and other treatments. Min lacked a license to provide such treatments….
DAY CARE OWNERS INDICTED FOR ABUSE OF NINE INFANTS AND TODDLERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that married couple Ilya Davydov and Ksenia Davydov have been indicted and charged with multiple crimes for allegedly abusing nine infants and toddlers at the day care center they operated from their Jamaica Estates home. The abuse is alleged to have included grabbing and kicking babies, shoving an…
Meet the DA
