Archive for January 2025
DAY CARE OWNERS INDICTED FOR ABUSE OF NINE INFANTS AND TODDLERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that married couple Ilya Davydov and Ksenia Davydov have been indicted and charged with multiple crimes for allegedly abusing nine infants and tod...
TEN ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES INDICTED FOR GUN TRAFFICKING OPERATION IN QUEENS, THE BRONX AND MANHATTAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced today that 10 people have been indicted and variously charged with criminal sale of a firearm, criminal po...
BRONX WOMAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DEATH OF UBER PASSENGER IN HIGH-SPEED WHITESTONE EXPRESSWAY CRASH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Rodriguez-Lopez was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for killing a 62-year-old Uber passenger in May 2023. Rodriguez-Lopez sped at 1...
QUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR DAYLIGHT ROOFTOP ATTACK ON WOMAN IN 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jerson Vasquez pleaded guilty to rape, attempted murder and another charge for the violent sexual assault of a woman on a rooftop in August 2023. T...
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO 34 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR FIRING AT POLICE IN SOUTH OZONE PARK STANDOFF
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marco Mosquera was sentenced today to 34 years in prison for a terrifying incident at his South Ozone Park residence in September 2021. Mosquera wa...
SEVEN DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR SHOOTING AT BABY SHOWER THAT KILLED ONE MAN AND INJURED THREE OTHERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that seven men were indicted by a grand jury and variously charged with weapon possession, reckless endangerment other crimes in connection with...
Your Weekly Update - January 24, 2025
Following a stand-off between a homeowner and a squatter in February 2024, my office successfully returned the property to the rightful owner and prosecuted the defendant for the illegal occupation.
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KETAMINE TRAFFICKING OPERATION DISMANTLED IN FLUSHING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today the indictment of four individuals charged with conspiracy, drug trafficking and other crimes following a long-term investigation into a narcot...
SQUATTER PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING FLUSHING HOME; FACES TWO YEAR PRISON TERM AT SENTENCING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Brian Rodriguez has pleaded guilty to a felony for illegally occupying a single-family home in Flushing and renting out rooms to others early...
QUEENS VILLAGE MAN CHARGED WITH WEAPON POSSESSION AFTER GHOST GUN CACHE FOUND AT HIS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jonathan Diaz was charged with weapon possession and other crimes after an investigation led to the discovery of four ghost guns and ammuni...
Your Weekly Update - January 17, 2024
Working in partnership with the NYPD and the New York City Sheriff, we shut down an unlicensed cannabis shop this week that operated at 103-17 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, blocks away from Yellow...
TENANT CHARGED WITH MURDER OF BUILDING SUPERINTENDENT WHO WAS TRYING TO COLLECT UNPAID RENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Sandra Coto-Navarro has been charged with murder for allegedly killing her building’s superintendent, 55-year-old Jose Portillo, inside her apartme...
FORMER MANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR EXECUTION-STYLE MURDER IN 1990
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kevin Smith was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following a trial conviction for murder. The defendant killed a long-time acquaintanc...
DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR APRIL 2020 STRAY BULLET SHOOTING OF NYCHA WORKER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerald Bethea has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Darrian Ramdial of Mount Vernon in...
TWO MEN CHARGED WITH PARTICIPATING IN INTERNATIONAL STOLEN MERCHANDISE RING AND DIVERTING PRODUCTS MEANT FOR LARGE BEAUTY RETAILERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Leudy Marte and Wilton Pena de Dios were charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and conspiracy for their roles in...
DA KATZ, NYPD AND SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHUTTER ILLEGAL CANNABIS SHOP IN FOREST HILLS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the closure of an unlicensed cannabis shop that operated at 103-17 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, blocks away from a public park and a junior high...
QUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF CHILD IN JULY 2021
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that James McGonagle was sentenced to seven years in prison for the attempted kidnapping of a 5-year-old boy, a stranger whom he grabbed off the s...
Your Weekly Update - January 10, 2025
My office recently partnered with the office of state Attorney General Letitia James to dismantle a text messaging scam that was targeting New Yorkers looking for remote work opportunities... (continu...
BRONX WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR HIGH-SPEED CRASH THAT KILLED UBER PASSENGER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Rodriguez-Lopez pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for killing a 62-year-old Uber passenger in May 2023. The defendant sped...
COUPLE PLEAD GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NEIGHBOR IN SUNNYSIDE PARKING SPOT ATTACK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that married couple Arturo Cuevas and Daisy Barrera pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted murder in the second degree for stabbing and battering their n...
FOUR MEN INDICTED FOR ATTACKING HOMELESS SUBWAY PASSENGER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that four men were indicted by a grand jury and variously charged with attempted gang assault, assault and robbery for allegedly stealing the belongings...
Your Weekly Update - January 3, 2025
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
When I first took the oath of this office five years ago, it was a time of unprecedented challenges throughout this borough, city and nation. By building bridges and incre...
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN INDICTED FOR DRIVING DRUNK WITH HIS CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND CRASHING INTO SCHOOL BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Junior Deslances was indicted for aggravated vehicular assault, aggravated driving while intoxicated, endangering the welfare of a child and other ...