Posts by ASokol@queensda.org

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Wei Sheng Chen was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, arson and weapon possession for killing his 50-year-old mother-in-law and stabbing his 17-year-old brother-in-law multiple times in a violent attack at their family home in Flushing on Thursday. DA Katz said: “As alleged,…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edwin Cruz Gomez was indicted for murder, attempted murder, assault, driving under the influence and other crimes for intentionally aiming his vehicle at a 16-year-old girl and her family on Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst and killing the teen. The defendant sexually propositioned the girl and her mother just…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mahindra Hansraj was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a February 2023 collision that severely injured and eventually killed Tauree Thompson of Richmond Hill. Thompson jumped onto the roof of his car as Hansraj stole the vehicle, sped off on Lefferts Boulevard then crashed into a fire…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kareem Reeves and Michael Robertson were indicted on charges of grand larceny in the second degree, identity theft and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly stealing approximately $835,000 in unemployment insurance funds meant to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Robertson was also separately charged in a…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kwai Ling Chan and Bobby Chen, a married couple, and Tashi Chimchu were indicted on sex trafficking charges for forcing a Colombian woman to engage in sex for money inside an alleged brothel on Union Street in Flushing. The woman was told she had to work off a…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roscoe Danielson was convicted of murder in the second degree, concealment of a human body and multiple other charges for killing both his mother and brother in the East Elmhurst home they shared in July 2023. The defendant dragged a garbage bag concealing the body of his brother…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Luis Pallchisaca was arraigned on charges of attempted murder, assault and weapon possession for the unprovoked stabbing of a 25-year-old man inside a 7 train at the Mets-Willets Point station in Corona Sunday night. Pallchisaca, who was already inside the train, allegedly approached the victim as he entered…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jeremy Fistel was indicted by a grand jury on September 4 and arraigned today on charges of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime and related crimes for voicemail and written messages left for New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. The messages began in June 2025 and…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Luis Saula Quindi was arraigned on charges of aggravated vehicular assault, driving while under the influence and related traffic violations for pinning two pedestrians under his Honda sedan on Sunday night. Quindi allegedly struck a 72-year-old man and 13-year-old girl at the intersection of 102nd Street and Martense…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Edwin Cruz Gomez was arraigned on charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, vehicular manslaughter and other crimes for intentionally driving his vehicle at four people, including a teenager and her mother whom he sexually propositioned just minutes earlier. The collision, which occurred on Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst early…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Mohammad Sk was indicted on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, driving under the influence, assault and other crimes for an October 2024 crash that killed 17-year-old Mohammad Rafid and injured four other teenagers, all passengers in the car he was operating. Sk allegedly drank alcohol and smoked…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Valezka Echeverrias was indicted by a grand jury on charges of sex trafficking, grand larceny, and other charges for allegedly forcing a woman to engage in prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue and to pay the defendant a daily sum of money. The defendant is additionally indicted on charges of…

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Otto Starzmann was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing $872,440 from River Fund, the Queens nonprofit where he worked as an administrator. The money was supposed to provide fresh produce to needy families. Starzmann allegedly spent $429,508 of the money to buy…