Press Releases
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR 1993 MURDER OF ESTRANGED WIFE AFTER RETRIAL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Michael Robinson was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the 1993 stabbing death of his estranged wife, 29-year-old Gwendolyn Samuels. Robinson went to the Bayside home where Samuels worked as a housekeeper and then attacked the pregnant woman, stabbing her multiple times. In 2023,…
DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR COLLISION THAT KILLED 23-YEAR-OLD MOTORIST ON NORTHERN BOULEVARD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that former FDNY firefighter Michael Pena pleaded guilty to manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter for driving while intoxicated and slamming his Mercedes-Benz into another motorist at the intersection of 107th Street and Northern Boulevard in East Elmhurst on February 26, 2025. The victim, 23-year-old Justin Diaz, was driving northbound on…
22 REPUTED GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR 11 SHOOTINGS IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Governor Kathy Hochul, together with New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, announced today that 22 reputed members of the Blitz Gang 4 gang have been indicted following a long-term investigation into multiple shootings in Southeast Queens dating back to 2023. The defendants are variously charged in…
FIVE REPUTED GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR SPATE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN THE ROCKAWAYS
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,…
TEN DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR LARGE SCALE DRUG TRAFFICKING OPERATION BASED IN JAMAICA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 10 individuals have been indicted following a long-term investigation into a drug trafficking operation based in Jamaica that reached into Nassau County. The defendants allegedly sold cocaine, heroin and fentanyl at a Jamaica social club and other locations. The investigation, called “Operation Bell Tower,” included a series of…
FORMER CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE CHARGED WITH FORGERY FOR DISSEMINATING ALTERED POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS AND PHONY NEWS REPORTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jonathan Rinaldi has been charged with forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument for allegedly creating and distributing false political endorsements and fake news articles using artificial intelligence during his 2025 campaign for City Council in District 29. As alleged, the forged graphics included a legitimate endorsement…
DRIVER OF CAR INVOLVED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF DETECTIVE JONATHAN DILLER PLEADS GUILTY TO TOP-COUNT WEAPON CHARGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lindy Jones pleaded guilty today to the top count of the indictment against him, a weapon-possession charge, for a loaded 9 mm firearm that was found in the glove box of his car as the result of a search warrant. Jones was behind the wheel of the car…
FOREST HILLS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR BEATING OF WOODSIDE DELI WORKER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Osvel Diaz pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other crimes for the beating of a 62-year-old worker at the Sunnyside Mini Market in Woodside in June 2024. The defendant pummeled the victim until he was unconscious and then continued to assault him as he lay on the deli…
FAKE SURGEON PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR KILLING 31-YEAR-OLD WOMAN DURING OPERATION IN MAKESHIFT CLINIC
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Felipe Hoyos Foronda pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 31-year-old Maria Penaloza who suffered cardiac arrest in a makeshift surgical clinic set up in the defendant’s Astoria apartment in March 2025. Hoyos Foronda, who was not licensed to practice medicine in the United States, attempted to…
SPEEDING DRIVER INDICTED ON MANSLAUGHTER AND ASSAULT CHARGES FOR MULTI-CAR COLLISION THAT KILLED WOMAN ON FRANCIS LEWIS BOULEVARD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dawood Faisal has been indicted and arraigned in Supreme Court on charges of manslaughter, assault and other crimes for the three-car collision that killed a woman and injured her husband while the defendant was speeding on Francis Lewis Boulevard last month. DA Katz said: “Traffic laws exist to…
TEENAGER CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING AT NYPD OFFICERS IN UNMARKED POLICE CAR
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 15-year-old was arraigned on a complaint charging him with multiple counts of attempted murder, attempted assault and weapon possession for firing at two New York City Police Department officers in an unmarked car on Tuesday in the Rockaways. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, a 15-year-old, along…
QUEENS MAN CONVICTED FOR A SECOND TIME IN 1993 MURDER OF PREGNANT ESTRANGED WIFE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Michael Robinson was convicted of murder after being retried for the 1993 stabbing death of his estranged wife, 29-year-old Gwendolyn Samuels. Samuels was killed a year after she and Robinson separated. At the time she was two months pregnant with her new boyfriend’s child and was working…
19-YEAR-OLD INDICTED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR UNPROVOKED STABBING OF 29-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF THREE IN EAST ELMHURST
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce was indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempted murder, assault and other crimes for the unprovoked stabbing of a woman on her way to an East Elmhurst bus stop in March. Ponce allegedly followed the 29-year-old victim, grabbed her from behind…
ST. ALBANS MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR STABBING DEATHS OF HIS GIRLFRIEND AND TWO TENANTS IN 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that David Daniel was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted by a jury of three counts of murder in the first degree. Daniel stabbed to death his girlfriend and two tenants living inside his St. Albans home in November 2023….
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN SENTENCED TO 43 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF STEPSON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 43-year-old defendant was sentenced to 43 years in prison after being convicted at trial of sexually abusing his stepson. The abuse occurred over a period of seven years beginning when the youngster was 9 years old until he was 15 years old. District Attorney Katz said: “Instead…
LONG ISLAND TEEN EXTRADITED FROM VIRGINIA TO FACE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR SHOOTING 15-YEAR-OLD BOY INSIDE A TRAIN IN APRIL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Matthew Rodriguez was arraigned and remanded today on indictment charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon for shooting a 15-year-old victim aboard a Manhattan-bound A train on April 27. The victim was in a physical fight with Rodriguez’ co-defendant stemming from an earlier shooting…
SUSPENDED ATTORNEY CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY FOR STEALING MORE THAN $1 MILLION FROM BORROWERS, DIME COMMUNITY BANK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jose Polanco was indicted for grand larceny and other crimes for collectively stealing more than $1 million from two borrowers at mortgage refinancings and from Dime Community Bank by writing bad checks. During this fraudulent scheme, Polanco, a former attorney who has been suspended since 2018, allegedly…
FLUSHING MAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS TO LIFE FOR STABBING MAN MORE THAN 100 TIMES WITH SCISSORS AND KILLING HIM DURING BOTCHED BURGLARY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Yang Zhang was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for the stabbing death of Yat Ming Wong, who was killed in his apartment in May 2022. Zhang entered the man’s home and woke up the victim and his wife. A physical altercation ensued between the…
$28,000 IN RESTITUTION RETURNED TO WORKERS CHEATED OUT OF WAGES BY CLEANING COMPANY OWNER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that the office has returned $28,000 in stolen wages to 30 former employees of a cleaning company owner who was convicted earlier this year of failing to pay workers. Christian Perez, who owned cleaning companies that he ran with his wife, Ines Perez Miranda, was ordered to pay restitution…
BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 75 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR UMBRELLA HOTEL SHOOTING IN KEW GARDENS THAT KILLED ONE AND INJURED TWO
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Richard Swygert was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison on murder, two counts of attempted murder and related charges for killing one man and seriously injuring two others in a New Years’ Day shooting in 2021. Swygert and one of his companions got into an…