Press Releases
THREE PROFESSIONAL TAX PREPARERS IN QUEENS CHARGED WITH FRAUD FOR FILING FALSE RETURNS THAT CHEATED CITY AND STATE
Defendants Worked at Two Unrelated Businesses in Flushing and Woodside; The Accused Allegedly Forged Signatures and Outright Lied on Returns to Downplay Tax Liability for Clients Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Michael R. Schmidt, today announce that Yachun Lin of ETS Tax Services and Nayib…
SCAM AWARENESS AND FRAUD PROTECTION WEBINAR MEDIA ADVISORY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz is sponsoring a Scam Awareness and Fraud Protection virtual event tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The event will include several legal experts from the District Attorney’s Office and partner tax advocates and specialists. The program will also be available in Spanish and Mandarin. The Queens…
QUEENS COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTS CAR WASH EMPLOYEE ON VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER AND DRUNK DRIVING CHARGES IN DEATH OF WOMAN STRUCK WHILE WALKING TO HER JUST-CLEANED AUTO
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a Queens County grand jury has indicted Edwin Vargas Tabares, 43, who was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on vehicular manslaughter and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol charges. The defendant was allegedly intoxicated while working at an Ozone Park car wash business and struck…
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY FILES JOINT MOTION WITH DEFENSE TO VACATE CONVICTIONS IN 1996 DOUBLE MURDER CASE BASED ON FAILURE TO DISCLOSE EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE
Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced the filing of a joint motion with defense counsel to vacate the convictions of George Bell, Gary Johnson, and Rohan Bolt, who were convicted of the December 21, 1996, murders of Ira “Mike” Epstein and NYPD Police Officer Charles Davis in the course of robbing Mr. Epstein’s…
GRAND JURY INDICTS QUEENS RESIDENT IN HIT AND RUN CRASH THAT KILLED GOOD SAMARITAN WHO STOPPED TO HELP MAN HAVING CAR TROUBLE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kevin Drawhorne, 27, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on criminally negligent homicide charges and other crimes for allegedly hitting and killing one man and injuring another on January 29, 2021. The victim was a Good Samaritan who had…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH STEALING $11,000 IN TEXT MESSAGE SCAM TO DECEASED MAN’S SISTER IN IRELAND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Frederick Gilbert, 53, has been charged with grand larceny, identity theft and other crimes for allegedly stealing $11,000 from a woman in Ireland by using her dead brother’s cell phone to convince her he was her sibling – and then repeatedly requesting she send him money in…
QUEENS HOME HEALTH AIDE CHARGED WITH STEALING NEARLY $100,000 FROM LEGALLY BLIND 89-YEAR-OLD WOMAN
Defendant Allegedly Duped Victim into Signing Checks That Greatly Exceeded Weekly Pay; Accused Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison if Convicted Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Sita Saunders, 61, has been charged with grand larceny, identity theft and other crimes for allegedly siphoning nearly $100,000 from her legally blind, 89-year-old patient’s…
CAR WASH EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DRUNK DRIVING IN DEATH OF WOMAN STRUCK WHILE WALKING TO HER JUST-CLEANED AUTO
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Edwin Vargas, 43, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving for allegedly being intoxicated while working at an Ozone Park car wash business and striking a woman and killing her as he drove a vehicle off the cleaning rack Monday afternoon. District Attorney Katz said,…
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ HOSTS LUNAR NEW YEAR VIRTUAL EVENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz is sponsoring a Lunar New Year virtual event this Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 5 p.m. via Zoom. The District Attorney will honor several community leaders and the livestreamed event will also feature live cultural performances. Lunar New Year 2021- the Year of the Ox -will be celebrated around the…
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SEIZES 1.7 MILLION PIECES OF COUNTERFEIT PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FROM WAREHOUSE; BROOKLYN MAN CHARGED WITH FELONY FOR POSSESSING BOGUS PPE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that an investigation by her Office’s Frauds Bureau resulted in the seizure of 1.7 million counterfeit 3M N95 respirator masks from a Long Island City warehouse before they could be distributed to the public. Detectives from the Queens District Attorney’s Office arrested Zhi Zeng, 33, of Dyker Heights,…
MAN INDICTED ON ROBBERY AND ASSAULT CHARGES FOR PURSE SNATCHING THAT INJURED ELDERLY WOMAN IN FOREST HILLS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Alhusene Danso, 20, has been arraigned in Supreme Court following a Queens County grand jury handing up an indictment charging the defendant with robbery and assault for a vicious attack on an octogenarian. The victim was attacked as she exited her parking garage in Forest Hills on…
CELEBRITY PERSONAL SHOPPER CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING COMEDIAN KEVIN HART OUT OF MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN FRAUDULENT CREDIT CARD PURCHASES
Queens County Grand Jury Indicts Defendant on Grand Larceny and Other Charges; Defendant Allegedly Used Comedian’s Credit Card to Purchase Luxury Items and Enrich Himself; Queens Man Faces Up to 25 Years in Prison if Convicted
QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER IN STABBING DEATH OF HIS 72-YEAR-OLD FATHER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jaimie Walker, 30, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury charging him with murder and other crimes in the death of his 72-year-old father. The defendant was arraigned in Supreme Court today for allegedly beating and stabbing his father multiple times with a pair of scissors…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER IN STABBING DEATH OF HIS 72-YEAR-OLD FATHER
While in Custody, Defendant Allegedly Damaged Precinct Interview Room; Faces Up to 25 Years-to-Life in Prison if Convicted
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER IN STABBING DEATH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that John Daves, 34, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the September 2018 stabbing death of a 25-year-old Long Island man. The two men had a heated dispute near a food cart in Jackson Heights, Queens. District Attorney Katz said,…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER IN STABBING DEATH
Defendant Killed Long Island Resident with Knife Snatched from Food Cart
QUEENS DA MELINDA KATZ HOLDS VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING: RESOURCES AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz sponsored a Human Trafficking Awareness virtual event via Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook with legal experts and several community service providers to explain the warning signs of sex and labor trafficking. The participants also discussed the unique approaches and resources available to trafficking survivors who reach out for support. District…
QUEENS DA MELINDA KATZ CREATES NEW BUREAU TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS
District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced the creation of a new Bureau to enhance and expand restorative justice programs and units within the Queens DA’s Office and the appointment of Aisha Greene as its Bureau Chief. District Attorney Katz said, “The Rehabilitation Programs and Restorative Services Bureau is a fulfillment of my promise to ensure…
CHURCH DEACON CHARGED WITH TRYING TO HAVE ORAL SEX WITH 14-YEAR-OLD BOY HE MET ON GRINDR APP
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rogelio Vega, 50, has been charged with attempted use of a child in a sexual performance and other crimes for allegedly meeting a “teen” with the intent to engage in a sex act. District Attorney Katz said, “This defendant by all outward appearances is a church-going family…
SEPTUAGENARIAN WOMAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED ASSAULT FOR REPEATED POISONING OF HUSBAND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Suncha Tinevra, 70, has been charged with attempted assault and other crimes for allegedly poisoning her husband with an ant and roach killer on more than one occasion inside the couple’s Oakland Gardens home. District Attorney Katz said, “Domestic violence is not limited to mental and physical…
