Archive for July 2021

QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBING 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Jonathan Perez, 34, has been charged with robbery and other crimes for allegedly grabbing an 11-year-old girl, dragging her into an alleyway ...
July 30, 2021

BROOKLYN RESIDENT CHARGED WITH MURDER IN SHOOTING DEATH OF 17-YEAR-OLD IN CORONA

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Dennis Vassilenko, 18, has been charged with murder and other crimes for allegedly shooting and killing a Queens teenager in Corona, Queens, ...
July 30, 2021

QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR SELLING DRUGS AND CARRYING ILLEGAL FIREARM

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chris Lee, 30, has been sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a gun and selling illegal narcotics. The defend...
July 30, 2021

ARRAIGNMENT UPDATE: MAN CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DWI IN CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND INJURED HIS PASSENGERS ARRAIGNED IN HOSPITAL

Defendant Tyrone Absolam, 41, of 133rd Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, had a bedside arraignment today before Queens Criminal Court Judge Jerry Iannece. The defendant is charged in a criminal complaint wit...
July 29, 2021

QUEENS MAN FACES HATE CRIMES CHARGES FOR RANDOM ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS IN QUEENS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Naved Durrni, 30, has been charged with assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges for three separate attacks...
July 28, 2021

QUEENS RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR KILLING 26-YEAR-OLD IN CAMBRIA HEIGHTS SHOOTING

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that John Jahlik Hines, 27, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. The defendant admitted to killing a 26...
July 27, 2021

MAN CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DWI IN CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND INJURED HIS PASSENGERS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Tyrone Absolam, 42, has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while under the influence of alcohol and other charges for t...
July 25, 2021

QUEENS WOMAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIMES FOR FOUR SEPARATE ATTACKS ON ASIANS IN QUEENS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Maricia Bell, 25, has been charged with assault as a hate crime and other charges for four different attacks on people of Asian descent in Fl...
July 24, 2021

QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF 5-YEAR-OLD BOY SNATCHED FROM SIDEWALK WITHIN FEET OF MOTHER

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that James McGonagle, 24, has been indicted by a Queens Grand Jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on charges of attempted kidnapping and other cri...
July 23, 2021

QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT IN HIT AND RUN OF FOUR-YEAR-OLD STRUCK IN FLUSHING MEADOWS-CORONA PARK

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Argenis Rivas, 29, has been charged with felony assault, endangering the welfare of a child and other crimes for striking a 4-year-old-child ...
July 22, 2021

QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBING DEATH OF HALF-BROTHER IN 2020

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today Wkorasky Voltaire, 30, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for the May 2020 stabbing death of his half-brother in Queens Village, Queens. Di...
July 22, 2021

EIGHT PEOPLE INDICTED AND CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY FOR CASHING IN ON STOLEN AND/OR FORGED CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by the United States Postal Inspector in Charge Philip R. Barnett, announced today that Davonte Sconiers, Allejo Walters and six other individuals have be...
July 21, 2021

FIREFIGHTER INDICTED ON AGGRAVATED VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGES IN THE DEATH OF MOTORIST KILLED IN DRUNK DRIVING CRASH

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that FDNY firefighter John DaSilva, 31, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on charges of aggravated ve...
July 21, 2021

ACTOR INDICTED BY QUEENS GRAND JURY FOR MURDER IN JAMAICA SHOOTING DEATH

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Isaiah Stokes, 41, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court for murder and other crimes for the fatal shooting...
July 16, 2021

QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ: BORO-WIDE OVERDOSE DEATHS SURGED DURING PANDEMIC

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today said drug overdose deaths in Queens County surged during the Covid pandemic, echoing recently-released national data. DA Katz said, “In 2020, there were 39...
July 16, 2021

BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME FOR ASSAULT AFTER USING HOMOPHOBIC AND RACIAL SLURS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ramon Castro, 55, has been charged with assault as a hate crime and other charges for slashing a man in the face after using homophobic and r...
July 16, 2021

QUEENS MAN INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON MURDER CHARGES IN SHOOTING DEATH OF 10-YEAR-OLD FAR ROCKAWAY BOY

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jovan Young, 29, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury on murder and other charges for the shooting death of a 10-year-old boy and the non...
July 15, 2021

SECOND DEFENDANT INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON MURDER CHARGES IN SHOOTING DEATH OF MAN IN LONG ISLAND CITY

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Khalik Berry has been indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court for murder and other crimes in the shooting death of a 3...
July 14, 2021

QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR STASH OF FIREARMS FOUND IN FAR ROCKAWAY HOME

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ashram Lochan has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on weapon charges. As alleged, after the executi...
July 13, 2021

DISTRICT ATTORNEY MELINDA KATZ JOINS NYPD COMMISSIONER SHEA TO ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS PROGRAM IN QUEENS [PHOTO]

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today joined NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea and Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong to announce the expansion of 17 new Saturda...
July 9, 2021

BROOKLYN RESIDENT INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES FOR SHOOTING AND KILLING MAN AFTER FOOT CHASE

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rayshawn Cherry, 27, has been indicted by a grand jury and arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on murder charges. The defendant allegedly shot ...
July 8, 2021

QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER IN STABBING DEATH OF HALF-BROTHER IN 2020

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Wkorasky Voltaire, 30, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the May 2020 stabbing death of his half-brother in Queens Village, Queens. Dist...
July 7, 2021

BRONX RESIDENT INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON MURDER CHARGES IN SHOOTING DEATH OF QUEENS MAN

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Darrius Saunders, 28, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court for murder and other crimes for the shooting de...
July 7, 2021

SUSPENDED LAWYER CHARGED WITH BILKING HOME BUYERS OUT OF MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN DOWN PAYMENTS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that suspended lawyer Freddie Berg, of the Berg Law Firm LLC, has been charged with grand larceny, conspiracy and other crimes for allegedly conni...
July 7, 2021

QUEENS RESIDENT SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BRUTAL ASSAULT OF QUEENS MOTHER IN KEW GARDENS HILLS

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ronald Williams, 24, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to assault and attempted sexual abuse for attacking a 52-year-old wom...
July 6, 2021

Your Weekly Update - July 30, 2021

This week, I announced hate crime charges in two separate cases involving attacks on people of Asian descent and members of the Muslim community. Acts of hate will not be tolerated in Queens County, ...
July 30, 2021

Your Weekly Update - July 23, 2021

Yesterday, I announced charges against a Queens man who, as alleged, recklessly hit a four year old child while driving a motorized scooter at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sunday... (continued)
July 23, 2021

Your Weekly Update - July 16, 2021

I was excited to recently join the NYPD and the City District Attorneys to announce the expansion of the "Saturday Night Lights" youth sports program. Queens County, specifically, is now home to 17 ne...
July 16, 2021

Your Weekly Update - July 9, 2021

Our recent takedown in Far Rockaway resulted in the seizure of dangerous weapons and illicit drugs. Included among them was fentanyl - a powerful opioid that increases the risk of overdose and has dri...
July 9, 2021