Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that five reputed gang members have been indicted for their roles in a shooting spree in the Rockaways that wounded two people in March and April. The defendants are variously indicted on charges of conspiracy, attempted murder, robbery, weapon possession and other crimes.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, these gang members are responsible for multiple shooting incidents in the Arverne and Edgemere neighborhoods of the Rockaways in March and April. Two people – including a pedestrian – were shot as these members battled for geographic supremacy and sprayed their neighborhoods with bullets. I commend the prosecutors in my Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau and our NYPD partners for quickly investigating these incidents and apprehending the defendants.”

Taquan Collins, 21, is expected to be arraigned tomorrow and the four remaining defendants, two of whom are age 17, one of whom is 16, as well as Nelson Ojogbon, 18, were previously arraigned before Queens Supreme Court Bruna Justice DiBiase. (See addendum.)

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the indictment and investigation, four defendants are alleged members of the Ocean Village Jets (OVJ), and one is an alleged member of a rival gang, 70G Apes.

The alleged OVJ members are linked to three shootings in March beginning on March 9, 2026, in front of 55-99 Arverne Boulevard. At approximately 9:07 p.m., Collins and one of the 17-year-old defendants, who are reputed OVJ members, worked with each other to allegedly fire at a man who was walking on the Rockaway Freeway. The bullets missed the target.

The next day, on March 10, 2026, at approximately 7:13 p.m., NYPD officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire at Beach 67^th Street and Beach Channel Drive in Arverne. Twenty shell casings were found at the scene. A pedestrian was hit in the foot by one of the bullets. The shots were allegedly fired by two defendants, ages 16 and 17, who are reputed OVJ members.

On March 11, 2026, at approximately 8:38 a.m., one of the 17-year-old defendants – a reputed member of 70G Apes — chased four individuals into a parking lot at the back of 219 Beach 59^th Street and allegedly fired at them from his scooter. No one was injured.

On April 1, 2026, at approximately 8:15 p.m., a man went to meet a friend at 133 Beach 56^th Place in the Arverne View housing complex. He was confronted in a stairwell by three of the defendants – Collins, one of the 17-year-olds and the 16-year-old – who demanded his money. He was then shot once in the upper chest.

The victim was taken to a local hospital where he required surgery for a deflated lung.

The joint investigation was conducted by the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau of the Queens District Attorney’s Office, along with members of the Gun Violence Suppression Division, as well as members of the 100^th and 101^st Precincts.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Timpone of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jonathan Sennett, Bureau Chief, and Barry Frankenstein and Philip Anderson, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Joseph T. Conley III.

ADDENDUM

Taquan Collins, 21, of Arvene, was indicted on charges of conspiracy in the second and fourth degrees, attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, two counts of robbery in the first degree, robbery in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

17-YEAR-OLD DEFENDANT, of Arverne, was indicted on charges of conspiracy in the second and fourth degrees, three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, two counts of attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, two counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree, two counts of robbery in the first degree, robbery in the second degree and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He is due back in court July 23. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

17-YEAR-OLD DEFENDANT, of Arverne, was indicted on charges of attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and reckless endangerment. He is due back in court August. 4. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

16-YEAR-OLD DEFENDANT, of Arvene, was indicted on charges of conspiracy in the second and fourth degrees, two counts of attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, assault in the first degree, two counts of robbery in the first degree, and robbery in the second degree. He is due back in court August 4. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

NELSON OJOGBON, 18, of Arvene, was indicted on charges of conspiracy in the second and fourth degrees. He is due back in court August 12. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.