Press Releases
MASSACHUSETTS MAN FACES ASSAULT AND FIREARMS CHARGES IN SHOOTING OF WOMAN OVER FAMILY DEBT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Minliang Zheng was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the cold-blooded shooting a 45-year-old woman, allegedly over her male relative’s unpaid financial debt. The defendant fled to Massachusetts and was extradited to New York this week. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant shot the…
INTERSTATE GUN TRAFFICKING RING DISMANTLED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that three defendants were indicted on the heels of a seven-month investigation into gun trafficking that included a series of undercover buys in the parking lot of a P.C. Richard & Son in Astoria and a wiretap on the defendants’ phones. The investigation netted 109 illegal firearms and…
MILLIONS IN DRUGS AND GUNS SEIZED FROM ABANDONED HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Victor Rodriguez was indicted on drug and gun charges after a search of an abandoned home in Bellerose uncovered millions of dollars worth of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine and a stockpile of firearms. A contractor hired after the recent sale of the property stumbled upon the stash. The…
LONG ISLAND WOMAN CONVICTED OF AGGRAVATED MANSLAUGHTER IN HIT AND RUN THAT KILLED NYPD DETECTIVE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jessica Beauvais was convicted today of aggravated manslaughter for driving drunk and slamming into an NYPD detective stationed at a highway roadblock. Detective Anastasios Tsakos suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead a short time after he was struck by Beauvais on the Long Island Expressway in 2021….
MAN CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AS HATE CRIME IN DEADLY ASSAULT AFTER FENDER BENDER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Gilbert Augustin was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with manslaughter and assault as hate crimes in the death of 66-year-old Jasmer Singh, whom he is accused of attacking after a fender bender in Kew Gardens. During a dispute that preceded the fatal beating, Augustin is accused…
BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING AT OFF-DUTY POLICE DETECTIVE IN FIT OF ROAD RAGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Alexis Morillo was charged today with attempted murder, accused of shooting while driving on the Long Island Expressway at another motorist, an off-duty NYPD detective, in an apparent fit of road rage. District Attorney Katz said: “A police detective nearly lost his life in a mindless act of…
MAN SENTENCED IN RUFUS KING PARK SHOOTING DEATH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Torren King was sentenced today to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man in Rufus King Park. Two others charged in the shooting, stemming from a drug deal gone bad, are awaiting trial. District Attorney Katz said: “Less…
MANHATTAN MAN CHARGED WITH FELONY HATE CRIME AFTER TARGETING SIKH ON MTA BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Christopher Philippeaux was arraigned last night, accused of taunting, punching and trying to knock off the traditional Sikh turban of a fellow bus passenger. District Attorney Katz said: “We will hold accountable those that would attack others based on their religion. Freedom of religion and expression are foundational…
WOMAN SENTENCED ON SEX TRAFFICKING, KIDNAPPING, ASSAULT AND ROBBERY CHARGES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Destiny Lebron was sentenced to 13 years in prison on sex trafficking, kidnapping, assault and robbery charges for three incidents in which she lured victims to a location for sex, then detained, assaulted and robbed them with the help of a male co-defendant. District Attorney Katz said: “Destiny…
LONG ISLAND MAN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT OF GIRLFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Herman Brightman was charged today with threatening to kill his girlfriend with a knife, binding her wrists and taping her mouth shut. The investigation is ongoing and District Attorney Katz is urging other women Brightman dated and victimized to contact her office. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN FAR ROCKAWAY SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marvin Mitchell was sentenced to 17 years in prison for a shoot-out on a Far Rockaway street in a territorial dispute among drug dealers in March 2022. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant opened fire in broad daylight on a busy street with no regard for where those…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER FRACTURING A 6-YEAR-OLD’S SKULL IN RANDOM ATTACK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Laurence Gendreau was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for attempted murder in connection with the random assault of a 6-year-old boy he lifted over his head and slammed into the ground head-first, fracturing the child’s skull. The boy additionally suffered bleeding on the brain and a…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH CREATING BOGUS COMPANIES TO COLLECT MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN PANDEMIC RELIEF
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Papa Diakhate was charged with grand larceny, accused of creating bogus companies to secure more than a $1 million in federal pandemic relief funds intended to help businesses stay afloat and keep workers employed. Diakhate instead spent the relief dollars on leisure travel, shopping sprees at high-end retailers…
MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR BITING OFF POLICE OFFICER’S FINGERTIP
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lenni Rodriguez Cruz was arraigned today, accused of leading police on an extended high-speed car chase through a public park and 20 red lights, as well as injuring a motorist and a police officer whose fingertip he is alleged to have bitten off. District Attorney Katz said: “The…
HUSBAND SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR HITTING WIFE WITH SUV, STABBING HER IN FRONT OF THEIR CHILDREN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Stephen Giraldo was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of his estranged wife, who has been unconscious since he deliberately plowed into her nine months ago with his SUV, then stabbed her in the chest, all in the presence of their three young…
BOYFRIEND OF WOMAN KILLED AND HIDDEN IN CAR TRUNK SENTENCED
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kareem Flake was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for killing Destini Smothers, the 26-year-old mother of his two children, in November 2020. The victim’s remains were discovered four months later in the trunk of an abandoned car belonging to Flake. District Attorney Katz said: “The depravity…
FIVE PEOPLE CHARGED AFTER SEARCH WARRANT TURNS UP DRUGS AND WEAPONS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that five people have been arraigned on drugs and weapons charges after a search warrant executed at their Queens Village home uncovered four firearms, including an assault rifle, and more than 4 kilograms of fentanyl-laced cocaine and heroin with a street value of more than $200,000. A 10-year-old boy…
MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SLAMMING A 6-YEAR-OLD BOY ONTO PAVEMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Laurence Gendreau was convicted of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for picking up a 6-year-old boy and slamming him into the pavement head first. The random assault took place outside the Kew Gardens home of the boy’s grandparents. Just two hours earlier, Gendreau stole an iPad from…
MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN SHOOTING IN SOUTH RICHMOND HILL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shawn Singh was arraigned today on murder and weapon possession charges for a shooting that killed 31-year-old Treva Sookmangal in South Richmond Hill on September 2. District Attorney Katz said: “Altercations escalating to gun violence cannot become the norm. We will not allow it in this borough. Those…
BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED FOR STALKING WOMAN AND SETTING HER FOREST HILLS APARTMENT ON FIRE AFTER SHE ENDED RELATIONSHIP
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Steven Somerville was sentenced to 27 to 29 years in prison for repeatedly stalking and threatening a woman who broke off their relationship and then setting her apartment on fire. The woman was not home at the time of the blaze, having fled with her three children to…
