Press Releases
TWO MEN CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC STOP WITH TWO KILOS OF FENTANYL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Luis Navarro Gonzalez and Juan Esquer have been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and other crimes after they were pulled over during a traffic stop in Bayside, Queens and police found two kilos of fentanyl allegedly in the defendants’ vehicle. District Attorney Katz said,…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR MANSLAUGHTER IN SHOOTING DEATH OF WOMAN IN 2017
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jonel Lattore, 38, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty last month to manslaughter in the first degree. The victim, a 21-year-old camp counselor, was shot and killed by the defendant in August 2017, as she was walking home from a nearby store. District Attorney Katz…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON AFTER MANSLAUGHTER PLEA FOR 2020 SHOOTING THAT KILLED ONE AND INJURED TWO OTHERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Lawayne Smalls, of Far Rockaway, Queens, was sentenced today to 23 years in prison. The defendant pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter in the first degree for a shooting on September 8, 2020, that killed one man and injured two others. District Attorney Katz said, “The defendant…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES FOR SHOOTING TO DEATH HIS MOTHER’S COMPANION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Desean McCain, 22, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on murder charges for the shooting death of his mother’s 47-year-old boyfriend. The incident took place inside the defendant’s mother’s apartment in the Pomonok Houses on November 2, 2021. District…
CONNECTICUT RESIDENT INDICTED ON VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES IN DEATH OF DIRT BIKE RIDER KILLED ON THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jorge Serrano, 30, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated charges. The defendant allegedly struck and killed a man riding a dirt bike on the Long Island Expressway in September 2021. District Attorney…
QUEENS RESIDENT INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN BROAD DAYLIGHT SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Waturi Johnson, 51, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on murder charges and other crimes for allegedly shooting a young man in front of a car service on October 4, 2021, in Far Rockaway, Queens. District Attorney Katz said,…
THREE MEN CHARGED WITH ROBBING WAREHOUSE ON LONG ISLAND AFTER PLANNING AND REHEARSING HEIST IN QUEENS LOCATIONS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that three defendants have been indicted by a Queens County grand jury following a complex surveillance investigation that uncovered a warehouse break-in scheme that was planned in Queens County over a two-week period in early July 2021. As alleged, four workers at the facility were restrained and property…
NYPD OFFICER CAUGHT SELLING STEROIDS IN UNDERCOVER STING; DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL SALE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, announced today that Maurice Lemelin, 33, who is an officer with the New York City Police Department, has been charged with possessing and sale of a controlled substance. On two occasions, the defendant allegedly sold anabolic steroids to an undercover detective…
JUST-RETIRED POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH RUNNING RENT SCAM; OFFERED APARTMENT HE LEASED TO RAKE IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, announced today that Burbran Pierre, a former NYPD police officer, has been charged with grand larceny and scheme to defraud for allegedly conning nearly a dozen would-be renters out of thousands of dollars. The defendant is accused running a scam offering…
ACCESS-A-RIDE DRIVER CHARGED WITH E-HAIL APP SCAM FOR FAKING TRIPS, RAKING IN NEARLY $70,000
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by Office of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny, announced today that James Laverty, 72, has been charged with grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly bilking the MTA out of nearly $70,000. The Access-a-Ride driver allegedly submitted bogus claims for rides requested using a mobile phone…
QUEENS MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ASSAULT IN STABBING OF TWO MEN IN 2017
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced today that Terrence Harry, 40, has been convicted of attempted murder and other crimes in the September 23, 2017, stabbing of two men inside a garage near the Van Wyck Expressway in South Ozone Park, Queens. District Attorney Katz said, “This defendant resorted to violence with a weapon…
DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS-TO-LIFE IN PRISON FOLLOWING MURDER CONVICTION FOR KILLING FRIEND’S BROTHER IN 2014
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Sharif Brown, 37, has been sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison for the shooting death of a Jamaica, Queens man. The defendant was convicted last month of gunning down the 22-year-old victim in December 2014. District Attorney Katz said, “A jury weighed all the evidence at trial…
BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO 33 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED MANSLAUGHTER IN 2019 DEATH OF DETECTIVE BRIAN SIMONSEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Christopher Ransom, 30, has been sentenced to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter and robbery for his role in the February 2019 hold up of a mobile phone store, which resulted in the death of New York City Police Department Detective Brian Simonsen….
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ ANNOUNCES GRANTS AWARDED TO 28 RECIPIENTS FOR THE QUEENS COMMUNITY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced grant funding to 28 community-based organizations for the implementation of her Office’s Community Youth Development and Crime Prevention Project (CYDCPP). The District Attorney’s initiative aims to provide youth activities and wrap around services to help prevent crime and keep young people out of the criminal justice system. District…
QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR SHOOTING WOMAN TO DEATH IN 2017
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jonel Lattore, 38, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for shooting and killing a 21-year-old camp counselor in August 2017. The victim was walking home from a nearby store when the defendant fired multiple shots, striking the young woman once in the head. District…
QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR 2020 SHOOTING THAT KILLED ONE AND INJURED TWO OTHERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Lawayne Smalls, of Far Rockaway, Queens, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for a September 8, 2020, shooting that killed one man and injured two others. District Attorney Katz said, “The defendant in this case has now admitted to a senseless shooting that took…
BRONX MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES FOR SHOOTING QUEENS RESIDENT FOLLOWING DISPUTE ON STREET
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Hector Crespo, 26, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on murder charges and other crimes for allegedly shooting a young man on the street on September 3, 2020, in Long Island City, Queens. District Attorney Katz said, “This was…
QUEENS MAN ARRAIGNED ON MURDER CHARGES FOR DEADLY SHOOTING OF MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Desean McCain, 22, has been arraigned and charged with murder in the November 2 shooting death of a 47-year-old man, who was the boyfriend of the defendant’s disabled mother, in an apartment of the Pomonok Houses. District Attorney Katz said, “A domestic dispute erupted into chaos and tragedy…
BROOKLYN RESIDENT INDICTED IN CRASH THAT KILLED MAN ON BELT PARKWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Jason Bical, 35, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and other charges. The defendant was allegedly driving his vehicle at 92 mph while under the influence of both alcohol and drugs when he hit…
MANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ROLE IN JFK CARGO HEIST OF LUXURY DESIGNER GOODS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, with the Port Authority Chief Security Officer John Bilich, announced today that David Lacarriere, 34, has been sentenced to up to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in September to holding more than $2.5 million in stolen Gucci and Chanel designer merchandise. The luxury items were part of a…