Posts by ASokol@queensda.org
DA KATZ ANNOUNCES PADLOCKING OF SIX ILLEGAL CANNABIS STOREFRONTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced a sweeping enforcement action against six illegal cannabis storefronts in the borough. Dubbed Operation Weed Whacker, the months-long investigation included undercover buys and resulted in the padlocking of each location, four arrests and the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illicit cannabis and tobacco products. District Attorney Katz…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 15, 2025
A squatter who unlawfully occupied a vacant single-family home in St. Albans has been sentenced to two to four years in prison this week, following a successful investigation and prosecution by my office’s Housing and Worker Protection Bureau… (continued)
Read MoreSQUATTER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING ST. ALBANS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that True Jackson was sentenced to two to four years in prison for illegally occupying a vacant single-family home in St. Albans in 2024. Jackson claimed the home was his lawful permanent residence and kept pit bulls on the property. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant thought he could…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 8, 2025
I recently announced the interception of an unlicensed interstate cannabis operation that transported thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis product from California into Queens… (continued)
Read MoreTEEN DRIVER SENTENCED ON MANSLAUGHTER AND ASSAULT CHARGES FOR KILLING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN GRUESOME COLLISION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that an 18-year-old was sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in prison for causing the death of Fortune Williams, a 14-year-old passenger in the BMW he was driving in 2023 when he was 16 years old. The teen’s parents were previously sentenced on endangering the welfare of a…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – August 1, 2025
Two men were charged this week with staging a motor vehicle accident, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, insurance fraud and other crimes. They stand accused of deliberately orchestrating three car crashes and then seeking insurance payouts for damages and purported injuries… (continued)
Read MoreTWO MEN CHARGED WITH STAGING CAR CRASHES ON NEW YORK CITY HIGHWAYS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo are charged with staging a motor vehicle accident, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, insurance fraud and other crimes for deliberately causing three car crashes and then seeking insurance payouts for damages and purported injuries. Huiracocha allegedly planned the collisions by luring participants with promises…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – July 25, 2025
My office filed criminal charges this week against a former Amazon employee for allegedly stealing close to 2,000 pairs of work boots and sneakers through a program meant to provide free safety footwear to new employees… (continued)
Read MoreQUEENS MAN INDICTED IN STABBING DEATH OF WIFE AND TODDLER IN FAMILY’S RIDGEWOOD HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ernesto Cruz was arraigned on an indictment charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and weapon possession for the stabbing deaths of his wife, Ana Alexandra Pilatagsi Moposita, and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter. The victim and her daughter were each stabbed numerous times in the torso inside…
Read MoreMANHATTAN MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED RAPE OF WOMAN EXITING ELMHURST SUBWAY STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Drew Musa was indicted by a grand jury for attempted rape, sexual abuse and forcible touching for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman who had just exited a subway station on Woodhaven Boulevard in Elmhurst on June 27. Approximately 48 hours later, Musa was arrested in Manhattan where…
Read MoreBRONX MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED ASSAULT FOR SHOOTING AT OFF-DUTY POLICE DETECTIVE IN FIT OF ROAD RAGE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Alexis Morillo was convicted by a jury of attempted assault, weapon possession and other crimes for shooting at another motorist, an off-duty NYPD detective, in an apparent fit of road rage while driving on the Long Island Expressway in September 2023. District Attorney Katz said: “Gun violence will…
Read MoreMASSACHUSETTS MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER SHOOTING WOMAN OVER FAMILY DEBT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Minliang Zheng was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. In March 2023, Zheng approached a 45-year-old woman outside her home and shot her in the upper thigh over her relative’s alleged unpaid financial debt. The victim had…
Read MoreFORMER AMAZON EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH THE THEFT OF NEARLY 2,000 PAIRS OF WORK BOOTS AND SNEAKERS WORTH $224,000
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Asraf Mohamed was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property for allegedly stealing 1,838 pairs of work boots and sneakers through a program meant to provide free safety footwear to new employees of Amazon, where he worked. Mohamed allegedly created accounts in the names of new…
Read MoreHUSBAND INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN BEATING DEATH OF WIFE INSIDE THEIR JACKSON HEIGHTS APARTMENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jose Lequerica was indicted on two counts of murder in the second degree for the death of his 48-year-old wife, Asli Ak. The defendant allegedly struck the victim repeatedly on her face, head and body and later found her unconscious in November 2024. He allegedly waited more than…
Read MoreWOMAN SENTENCED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marilyn Roque was sentenced today to 7 ½ years in prison for the sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking by force, labor trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child. Roque forced a 14-year-old girl to have sex for money with a 49-year-old man. The defendant also…
Read MoreMANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING AT TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN 2011
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Antonio Olmeda was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison after a jury conviction for attempted murder and other crimes. The defendant shot at two New York City police officers, who were attempting to question him after spotting the man on a Jackson Heights corner wearing…
Read MoreMANHATTAN RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBING DEATHS OF TWO MEN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Raymond Kenner was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the stabbing deaths of two men, one killed in Hollis on December 21, 2021, and the second man killed near Rufus King Park two days later. Kenner’s codefendant, Alexander Stephens, was sentenced to seven years in prison for…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – July 11, 2025
A subway attacker was sentenced this week to 25 years to life in prison for an unprovoked assault on a commuter inside the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City in 2022… (continued)
Read MoreSUBWAY ATTACKER SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR ROBBERY AND ASSAULT CONVICTION IN 2022 HAMMER ATTACK ON WOMAN IN QUEENS PLAZA SUBWAY STATION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that William Blount was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for an unprovoked attack on a commuter as she entered the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City in 2022. Blount approached the 57-year-old woman from behind, kicked her down the stairs and repeatedly hit…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – July 4, 2025
My office secured a guilty plea this week from Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng on multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients… (continued)
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