Press Releases
EIGHT INDICTED FOR STEALING DEATH BENEFITS FROM UNION MEMBERS AND THEIR NEXT OF KIN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that eight defendants have been indicted on charges of grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in death benefits that had been intended for the beneficiaries of United Service Workers Union Local 74 workers. The alleged leader, Catherine Wenzell-Reyes, worked at the union for…
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED FOR DEADLY RICHMOND HILL CRASH THAT KILLED TWO NEIGHBORS FROM SOUTH OZONE PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tamir Khan was sentenced today to seven to 21 years in prison for a drunk driving crash that killed Inderdeo John and Charles Harris, two neighbors from South Ozone Park, in June 2023. John was driving Harris to his job as a custodian at a nearby public school…
DA KATZ AWARDS GRANTS TO 34 RECIPIENTS FOR THE QUEENS COMMUNITY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced $2.75 million in grant funding to 34 community-based organizations for the second phase of her office’s Community Youth Development and Crime Prevention Project (CYDCPP). The District Attorney’s initiative, originally launched in July 2021, aims to provide youth activities and wraparound services to help prevent crime and keep young people…
JAMAICA MAN INDICTED FOR FATAL SHOOTING OF PARTY PROMOTER OUTSIDE WOODHAVEN TAVERN IN 2018
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Johnathan Rice was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on one charge of murder in the second degree for the 2018 shooting death of 35-year-old Frank Synder, a rapper and party promoter known as “Hollywood Play.” Synder was fatally struck outside the Tavern Lounge in Woodhaven,…
ROCKAWAY BEACH MAN INDICTED ON FIRST-DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE FOR SHOOTING AT NYPD OFFICERS IN EDGEMERE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Joel Kelly was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on charges of attempted murder in the first degree, attempted assault in the first degree and other crimes for firing at two NYPD officers as they pursued him in Edgemere after responding to a call of shots fired…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE FOR BEATING 39-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH WITH CHAIR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rahmel Tedder was arraigned today on murder and other grand jury indictment charges for the July beating death of Michael Tobon, whom Tedder allegedly attacked with a chair while the victim was on the ground. District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant allegedly attacked the victim while he lay…
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION OFFICER CHARGED WITH RAPE OF WOMAN HE LURED TO HIS APARTMENT WITH PROMISE OF ACTING JOB
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Anthony Martin, a New York City correction officer, was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse and other crimes for an attack on a 20-year-old woman in March. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant – a New York City correction…
QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH STEALING TORAH FROM FAR ROCKAWAY SCHOOL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Saul Colon was arraigned today on charges of grand larceny and burglary for stealing a safe containing a Torah scroll from a Far Rockaway yeshiva in May. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant and an accomplice allegedly broke into a religious school and showed profound disrespect for the…
DRIVER ARRAIGNED FOR 2019 CHRISTMAS DAY CRASH THAT KILLED FATHER OF FOUR FROM LONG ISLAND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ravindra Dharamjit was indicted on manslaughter, reckless driving and other charges for killing a 67-year-old pedestrian on Christmas Day 2019. The defendant was allegedly speeding at nearly three times the posted speed limit when he killed the father of four, who was leaving a Christmas dinner at his…
BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF 23-YEAR-OLD SUBWAY COMMUTER WHO WAS STABBED WHILE EXITING STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Randol Contreras was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on charges of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for the stabbing of a 23-year-old woman who was attacked while leaving the Jamaica-Van Wyck subway station in July. A good Samaritan distracted Contreras, stopping the assault, while…
BROOKLYN MAN CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER HITTING NYPD OFFICER WITH STOLEN CAR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Keyah Richardson was arraigned today on charges of attempted murder in the first degree, attempted assault in the first degree, assault, reckless endangerment and other crimes for allegedly ramming a stolen car into an NYPD officer who was investigating the theft. He is also accused of driving onto…
STATEMENT FROM DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ ON HARVEY WEINSTEIN COURT APPEARANCE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “Today, defendant Harvey Weinstein was formally arraigned on a governor’s warrant issued by Governor Kathy Hochul, who exercised her authority for him to remain in New York State until his case in New York County is adjudicated. The defendant – who was convicted in California of forcible rape and…
THREE MEN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, BURGLARY FOR DOUGLASTON HOME INVASION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that three defendants — Ryan Dash, Brandon Dash and Jone Smith — are charged with kidnapping, robbery, burglary and other crimes for an alleged home invasion robbery in Douglaston on Saturday morning, in which they held eight people, including three children, hostage. The defendants are accused of physically restraining…
MAN INDICTED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR STABBINGS ON SUBWAY PLATFORM AND GAS STATION IN OZONE PARK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Feruz Radjabov was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on two counts of attempted murder, assault and other crimes in the random stabbing of a driver pumping gas in Ozone Park and a man standing on the platform at a nearby subway station. The commuter was…
BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON IN 2019 STABBING DEATH OF HOMELESS SHELTER RESIDENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ricardo Henry was sentenced today to 17 years to life prison for the fatal stabbing of a 38-year-old homeless shelter resident in retaliation for a domestic violence assault that one of Henry’s friends believed to have taken place at the East Elmhurst shelter. District Attorney Katz said: “The…
QUEENS WOMAN CHARGED IN 88-COUNT INDICTMENT WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY, CRIMINAL CONTEMPT AND OTHER CRIMES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Elizabeth Grant, 56, has been charged in an 88-count indictment with aggravated cruelty to animals, criminal contempt and other crimes for allegedly having more than 20 dogs and cats in a filthy, two-story home in Jackson Heights. The animals did not have accessible water, were living in…
FORMER DIRECTOR AT TWO QUEENS NURSING HOMES CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN 1,500 OXYCODONE PILLS FROM FACILITIES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Charles Gonder was arraigned on drug charges today following an investigation into his past employment as the nursing director at two nursing homes — the Regal Heights Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, and the Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens. He is accused of stealing more…
CRYPTOCURRENCY HACKER NETWORK DISMANTLED; SEVEN DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR STEALING MORE THAN $300,000 IN BITCOIN FROM QUEENS RESIDENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that seven defendants have been indicted by a grand jury on charges of grand larceny, money laundering, identity theft and other related crimes following a long-term investigation into a hack of a private cryptocurrency wallet belonging to a Queens resident. Bitcoin was removed from the victim’s Blockchain.com wallet through…
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ REQUESTS DISMISSAL OF 46 CASES CONNECTED TO FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE
Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz petitioned the Court today to vacate the convictions of 46 defendants whose cases involved a detective later convicted of perjury. After former NYPD Detective James Donovan plead guilty in 2023 to falsely testifying before a Queens grand jury, an extensive review was conducted of his previous cases by the…
TWO HOLLIS MEN SENTENCED FOR MURDERING DICE GAME OPPONENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mark Watson and Rodney Dunn were each sentenced today to 23 years to life in prison for the murder of 33-year-old Christopher McKnight, who was shot to death during a dice game in 2021. McKnight was winning when he was held up at gunpoint and shot. District Attorney…
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