FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Red Hook Man Sentenced to 22 Years to Life in Prison
Following Conviction for Violent Assault of 60-Year-Old
Defendant Demanded Victim’s Valuables, Then Stabbed Him Repeatedly
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that a Red Hook man has been sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for robbing and stabbing a 60-year-old man outside a NYCHA development. The defendant was convicted in September for the violent assault, which left the victim in the hospital with multiple stab wounds and a broken leg.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Keeping the people of Brooklyn safe is my highest priority, and violent offenders like this defendant must face serious consequences. Today’s sentence holds the perpetrator of this senseless and brutal attack responsible and ensures he will not be able to victimize others in our communities.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Maurice Johnson, 38, of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The defendant, who was deemed a mandatory persistent violent felon, was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully to 22 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of first-degree assault and two counts of first-degree robbery on September 15, 2022, following a jury trial.
The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on September 14, 2020, at approximately 10:40 p.m., the defendant approached the victim at a Citi Bike station located in front of 505 Columbia Street, part of the Red Hook Houses, and demanded his valuables. The defendant, who was wielding a knife, then punched the victim, causing him to fall and break his leg. The defendant then proceeded to rip a chain off the victim’s neck before stabbing him repeatedly in the face and torso as the victim lay helplessly on the ground. The defendant also stole items from the victim’s wallet before fleeing the scene.
The victim was taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and treated for multiple stab wounds on his face, neck, and body, as well as a broken leg.
After an extensive video canvas, the defendant was arrested on September 22, 2020, at a nearby shelter. Officers from the New York City Police Department executed a search warrant at the location where they recovered clothing the defendant was wearing at the time of the robbery.
The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective Henry Neumann of the 76th Precinct Detective Squad. Senior Intelligence Analyst Christian Salazar of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies Unit and Digital Evidence Lab assisted in the case.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau and formerly of the District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Aleena Peerzada, of the District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Bureau Chief.
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