Press Releases
QUEENS TEENS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED GANG ASSAULT IN BRAWL AT HIGH SCHOOL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that two Martin Van Buren High School students have been charged with attempted gang assault and other crimes after a brawl Thursday inside the school. District Attorney Katz said: “As detailed in the complaint, this was a vicious attack. The brutality was chilling under any circumstance, but that…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED IN SHOOTING THAT KILLED ONE, LEFT TWO PARALYZED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Eric Foster is charged with murder for a shooting in Jamaica that killed one man and seriously injured three others, two of whom were left paralyzed. District Attorney Katz said: “A cold-blooded shooting in broad daylight on a residential street cost a man his life and left three…
BROOKLYN MAN INDICTED IN HOLIDAY PACKAGE THEFT SPREE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Oliver Rodriguez was indicted and charged with multiple counts of burglary in a mail theft spree that targeted six apartment buildings in Lindenwood beginning on Christmas Day and continuing into the new year. District Attorney Katz said: “We are charging that the defendant spoiled Christmas for many families,…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSING CACHE OF GHOST GUNS, ASSAULT PISTOLS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lenold Caesar was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes after a search warrant executed at his Cambria Heights home uncovered ghost guns, including assault weapons, as well as silencers and other weapons-related paraphernalia. District Attorney Katz said: “Illegal firearms cause unspeakable tragedies…
BROTHERS CHARGED AFTER SEIZURE OF HOMEMADE EXPLOSIVES, GHOST GUNS IN THEIR ASTORIA APARTMENT [PHOTO]
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Andrew and Angelo Hatziagelis were indicted on 130 counts of criminal possession of a weapon and related charges after an arsenal of improvised explosive devices and ghost guns, including assault rifles, was found inside an Astoria apartment they shared with their mother and another brother. Instructions for making…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED IN THEFT OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Papa Diakhate was sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison for stealing more than $1 million in federal pandemic relief funds for bogus companies he created and spending over $350,000 of the money on personal expenses, including travel and luxury goods. District Attorney Katz said: “At…
MAN INDICTED IN BRUTAL, RANDOM ATTACK THAT LEFT WOMAN BLIND IN ONE EYE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Waheed Foster was found fit to stand trial and arraigned today on an indictment charging him with attempted murder in connection with the violent, unprovoked assault that left a subway rider blind in one eye after she was beaten in September 2022 at the Howard Beach/JFK station on…
MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER IN STABBING SPREE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jermain Rigueur was arraigned today for attempted murder and assault following a two-day stabbing spree in Springfield Gardens and Jamaica during which four people were attacked, including three within an hour on Wednesday. District Attorney Katz said: “New Yorkers peacefully going about their business very nearly lost their…
JACKSON HEIGHTS MAN SENTENCED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A CHILD RELATIVE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edgar Chalco was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a child relative beginning when the girl was 5 years old. District Attorney Katz said: “A child should be able to trust family and know that they are safe. Instead, this young victim was…
FIVE INDICTED ON GUN AND DRUG CHARGES FOLLOWING LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that five defendants were indicted on charges of conspiracy and criminal sale of drugs and guns following a six-month investigation into a trafficking operation in Far Rockaway. The investigation included a series of undercover drug buys and tracking of defendants’ phones, resulting in the seizure of 10 firearms, including…
MAN SENTENCED AFTER PULLING GUN IN CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AND THREATENING TO KILL WIFE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Thomas Saxton was sentenced today to seven years in prison for pulling a gun in Cohen’s Children Medical Center and threatening to kill his wife as she held their 2-year-old, who had just been discharged from surgery. Responding officers recovered two loaded guns, ammunition and cocaine from Saxton…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED FOR KILLING NYPD OFFICER IN HIGH SPEED CRASH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kassun Brown was sentenced today to up to 12 years in prison for speeding through a stop sign while drunk and crashing into a car driven by an off-duty NYPD officer, Michael Ellis, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and broken neck in the collision and later died…
ARVERNE MAN SENTENCED FOR BLOODY ATTACK ON FRIEND AND CONTRACTING TO KILL HIM BEFORE HE TESTIFIED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mark Douglas was sentenced today to nine years in prison for brutally assaulting a longtime friend with whom he argued at a birthday party and then agreeing to pay $5,000 to have him killed before testifying to the attack, which left the victim needing more than 100 stitches…
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM
Photo credit: Jack Miller Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz was sworn in for a second term today by Supreme Court Administrative Judge Donna-Marie Golia. The ceremony, held in the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall, was attended by some 200 staff. The District Attorney’s youngest son, Hunter, held the copy of the Old…
BROOKLYN TEEN CHARGED WITH GUN POSSESSION IN DOG SNATCHING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 16-year-old was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, petit larceny and other crimes in the gunpoint theft of a French bulldog on Christmas day in Long Island City. District Attorney Katz said: “Pulling a gun in broad daylight to steal a dog and then casually taking…
CON MEN, CORPORATION PLEAD GUILTY IN DEED FRAUD SCHEME TO STEAL HOUSES IN QUEENS, NASSAU
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Russell Carbone and Terrell Hill pleaded guilty to a wide-ranging scheme to steal residential properties by filing forged deeds with city officials. As part of the plea, the court voided deeds to seven homes in Queens and two in Nassau County so they could be returned to their…
LONG ISLAND DRIVER INDICTED ON AGGRAVATED VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGE IN FATAL LIE CRASH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a grand jury indicted Reginald Nash on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and driving under the influence, among numerous other charges, in connection with a high-speed, three-car collision last month on the Long Island Expressway that left one of his passengers dead and two others…
ASTORIA MAN INDICTED FOR DEADLY STAIRWELL SHOVE OF NEIGHBOR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kevin Ogara was indicted by a grand jury on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for allegedly pushing his 60-year-old neighbor down a stairwell in their Astoria apartment building causing fatal injuries. District Attorney Katz said: “We will argue that the victim was walking away from the…
MAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME FOR DEFACING APARTMENT BUILDING WITH SLURS AND THREATS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Neal Milano was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with defacing the Sunnyside apartment building where he lives with threats, including “Kill Hamas Condo Board,” and homophobic and anti-female slurs. District Attorney Katz said: “Hateful and bias-motivated attacks have no place in our communities and this shameful…
QUEENS CON MAN SENTENCED FOR STEALING $40,000 FROM VICTIMS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shahab Khan was sentenced to three-and-a-half to seven years in prison for stealing more than $40,000 through apartment rental and investment scams. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant victimized people in his own community. These were hard-working people looking for a place to call home or trying to…
