Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Troy Thomas, 37, has been sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison following a jury trial conviction for the December 2011 shooting death of a 20-year-old man in South Richmond Hill. Defendant shot the victim at a house party after the two started arguing.

District Attorney Katz said, “Despite being on the run for eight years, the defendant has now been held to account for committing this senseless murder. The family and loved ones of the victim, who had just become a father at the time of his death, were denied justice for more than a decade. Today, I hope they can finally put this sad chapter to rest knowing that the defendant will spend a lengthy term in prison for his criminal actions.”

Troy Thomas, 37, formerly of 156^th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was convicted in May after trial of murder in the second degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky. Yesterday, Justice Yavinsky sentenced the defendant to a term of 25-years-to-life in prison.

According to trial testimony, both the defendant and the victim, Keith Frank, 20, attended a house party in South Richmond Hill and became involved in a petty dispute. As a result of the dispute, the defendant fired a weapon striking Mr. Frank once in the chest.  The victim, who had just become a father prior to the shooting, was rushed to a local Queens hospital where he died from his injuries. The defendant immediately fled New York City, but was found living in Guyana, where he fought extradition but was eventually returned to Queens to face the murder charge.

Assistant District Attorney George J. DeLuca-Farrugia, Director of the Queens District Attorney’s Extraditions, Renditions and Property Release Services, handled the extradition with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State.

Assistant District Attorney George J. DeLuca-Farrugia and Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Bettis prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter J. McCormack III and John Kosinski, Senior Deputy Bureau Chiefs of Homicide, Karen Ross, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders and Executive Assistant District Attorney for Felony Trials Pishoy Yacoub.