CORONA MAN INDICTED ON PROSTITUTION AND SOLICITATION CHARGES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ali Hamed was indicted by a grand jury on charges of patronizing a person for prostitution, criminal solicitation and child endangerment. He is alleged to have approached a 14-year-old girl in Corona and asked her to perform a sex act in exchange for money. District Attorney Melinda Katz…

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QUEENS FATHER CONVICTED OF MURDER OF 3-YEAR-OLD SON

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler was convicted of depraved indifference murder, assault and other charges for the death of his 3-year-old son in an Elmhurst shelter in November 2022 and for separate injuries inflicted on the boy’s younger brother. District Attorney Katz said: “At 3 years old, Shaquan Butler Jr. had…

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DA KATZ ANNOUNCES TAKEDOWN OF INTERSTATE ILLEGAL CANNABIS OPERATION [PHOTOS]

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the interception of an unlicensed interstate cannabis operation that transported thousands of pounds of illegal cannabis product from California into Queens. Six people were charged and more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of approximately $2.5 million, was confiscated as well hundreds of packages of cannabis…

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REPUTED GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING TEEN OUTSIDE SPRINGFIELD GARDENS FAST FOOD RESTAURANT

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rayvon Phillip was sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing 18-year-old Akim Cisse in September 2024. Phillip, reputedly a BG4 gang member known as “Ray-G,” fired multiple gunshots at a vehicle with four people inside including Cisse. Phillip pleaded guilty earlier this month to manslaughter in…

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DRIVER SENTENCED FOR FATAL LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY COLLISION

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Reginald Nash was sentenced today to seven to 21 years in prison for a collision on the Long Island Expressway in November 2023 that left one of his passengers dead. The defendant was driving approximately 89 mph and under the influence of alcohol, when he slammed into an…

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DOCTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPING MULTIPLE UNCONSCIOUS ACQUAINTANCES IN HIS APARTMENT AND SEXUAL ABUSING PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng pleaded guilty today to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse for assaulting acquaintances and female hospital patients. The defendant – a gastroenterologist – filmed the abuse of his unconscious victims in both his apartment and at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital. District Attorney Katz said:…

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FORMER QUEENS HUSBAND AND WIFE INDICTED FOR WAGE THEFT

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that married couple Christian Perez and Ines Miranda Perez were indicted on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes as part of a wage theft scheme to allegedly steal money from employees of two cleaning companies. The two companies associated with the couple are…

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JAMAICA MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HATE CRIME

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Gilbert Augustin was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to assault as hate crime earlier this month. After a Kew Gardens fender bender in October 2023, Augustin derided 66-year-old Jasmer Singh as “turban man” and repeatedly punched him, knocking him to the ground. Singh…

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ASTORIA DOG OWNER ARRAIGNED ON ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Carlo Silva was arraigned today on animal cruelty charges after allegedly injuring his small female poodle by repeatedly throwing the pet down a set of stairs and then dragging the dog back up by the leash. The alleged violence was caught on surveillance footage inside the staircase of…

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