Archive for May 2023

QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN FAR ROCKAWAY STREET SHOOTOUT

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jeffrey Morel was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned for attempted murder in connection with a shooting in Far Rockaway that sent bullets flyin...
May 31, 2023

FAR ROCKAWAY MAN SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTING

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Chad Collie was sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted murder in the shooting of an off-duty NYPD officer whom he was trying to carjack in F...
May 30, 2023

GROOMER CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER DOG DIES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lee Yat Sing was arraigned on animal cruelty charges in connection with the death of a 4-year-old Maltese dog that died after being abused during a...
May 25, 2023

GROOMER CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER DOG DIES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Lee Yat Sing was arraigned on animal cruelty charges in connection with the death of a 4-year-old Maltese dog that died after being abused during a...
May 25, 2023

COLD MURDER CASE ENDS IN BROOKLYN MAN’S CONVICTION

Faces up to Life in Prison for 2011 Murder in Ridgewood Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Gerald Griffin was convicted of murder in the cold case killing of a 31-year-old man foun...
May 19, 2023

LONG ISLAND MOTHER AND SON PLEAD GUILTY IN FAR ROCKAWAY SHOOTING DEATH

Each Faces More than 20 Years in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Avita Campbell and her son, Raymond Jackson, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and other charges in the Septe...
May 17, 2023

MAN EXTRADITED AND CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR FATAL STABBING

Faces 50 Years to Life in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Nathaniel Johnson was extradited to Queens where he was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on murder an...
May 16, 2023

QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Paul Verite was indicted and arraigned today on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and other crimes for allegedly repeatedly injuring his fem...
May 15, 2023

MAN CHARGED WITH RAPE AND ASSAULT IN ATTACK ON WOMAN

Allegedly Took Victim on Motorcycle Ride, Then Attacked Her Faces Up to 25 Years in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tony Kempsey was arraigned for allegedly raping a 49-ye...
May 15, 2023

QUEENS MAN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN FAR ROCKAWAY STREET SHOOTOUT

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jeffrey Morel was arraigned on attempted murder and other charges in connection with a shooting in Far Rockaway that sent bullets flying into a nea...
May 12, 2023

DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ HOSTS AAPI HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION AT ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, in partnership with her Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Council, hosted an annual celebration in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Herita...
May 12, 2023

QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 18 TO LIFE IN STABBING DEATH OF WIFE

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Carmelo Mendoza was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of his wife during an argument inside their Jackson Heights apar...
May 11, 2023

QUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSING ARSENAL OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS, INCLUDING GHOST GUNS AND AMMUNITION

Faces up to 15 Years in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zhili Song of Flushing was arraigned on weapons possession and other charges after a search warrant executed at...
May 11, 2023

QUEENS MAN SENTENCED IN STABBING DEATH OF ACQUAINTANCE

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marcos Anzurez was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for manslaughter in the stabbing death of an acquaintance in 2018. District Attorney Katz...
May 10, 2023

DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ, NYPD ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM TO ASTORIA

Rollout Follows Successful Program Launches in Jamaica and Flushing Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, together with NYPD officials and members of the western Queens business community, today ann...
May 9, 2023

SECOND ADOLESCENT CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME IN FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK ATTACK OF JEWISH MAN

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a second individual, a 17-year-old male, has been charged with assault as a hate crime for an attack in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The defendant...
May 8, 2023

DISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ CHARGES OPERATORS OF UNLICENSED MOBILE CANNABIS DISPENSARIES IN ASTORIA AND OZONE PARK

Vehicles Impounded and Products Seized Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the takedown of three illegal cannabis operations resulting in the arrest of five individuals who were cha...
May 5, 2023

QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN SHOOTING OF NYPD OFFICER

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Devin Spraggins was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on two counts of attempted murder in the first degree and other charges in connect...
May 3, 2023

FLUSHING MAN SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS FOR DEALING FENTANYL AND SELLING LOADED FIREARM

Defendant Must Forfeit $18,210 Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Justin Echeverry was sentenced today to eight years in prison for selling more than 1,100 fentanyl pills and a load...
May 1, 2023

VIRGINIA MAN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE IN 31-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE KILLING OF FAR ROCKAWAY TEEN

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jerry Lewis was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on a charge of murder in the second degree for the 1992 death of 15-year-old Nadine Sl...
May 1, 2023

73-YEAR-OLD CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER IN DELI SHOOTING

Faces up to 55 years in Prison Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that James Fraley was convicted of attempted murder and drug and weapon possession charges in the 2021 shooting of a de...
May 29, 2023

Your Weekly Update - May 26, 2023

As we celebrate the unofficial start of summer this holiday weekend, we should not lose sight of the fact that Memorial Day is dedicated to paying homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice (cont...
May 26, 2023

Your Weekly Update - May 19, 2023

Every week I update you on the gangs we prosecute, the guns we get off the streets and the human traffickers we send to prison. (Continued).
May 19, 2023

Your Weekly Update – May 12, 2023

Unlicensed cannabis dispensaries have been the focus of numerous community complaints, including for selling hallucinogens and edible marijuana that have sickened young people and are marketed to chil...
May 12, 2023

Your Weekly Update – May 5, 2023

This week I announced a murder charge against a defendant for a crime committed 31 years ago...(continued)
May 5, 2023