About Ernest Johnson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 17, 2019

 

Brooklyn Man Indicted for Critically Wounding Girlfriend
And Killing Her Pregnant Friend in Axe Attack

Allegedly Struck Victims, both Mothers, Multiple Times with an Axe
Inside Girlfriend’s Apartment Where her 4-Year-Old Daughter Was Present

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 34-year-old Brooklyn man has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with murder, attempted murder and assault for an axe attack during which he allegedly hacked his girlfriend multiple times, leaving her in critical condition, and fatally struck her friend.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The brutality of this attack, which claimed the life of a pregnant mother and left a second young mother fighting for her life, is truly appalling. These horrifying alleged actions have traumatized two families and shocked our community. I intend to prosecute this case vigorously and hold the defendant responsible for the violent crimes with which he is charged.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jerry Brown, 34, of East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. The defendant was ordered held without bail and to return to court on August 9, 2019. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top count.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on April 20, 2019, at approximately 1:35 a.m., the defendant allegedly attacked his 21-year-old girlfriend and her friend Savannah Rivera, 20, with an axe inside his girlfriend’s apartment in the Bushwick Houses on Flushing Avenue near Humboldt Street in East Williamsburg. His girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter was present in the apartment during the attack.

It is alleged that the defendant fatally struck Rivera, hitting her repeatedly, and hacked his girlfriend multiple times, causing a severe laceration to the back of her head and gashes to her torso, arms and throat. After the defendant left the apartment, the surviving victim made her way outside, approached an Uber car that was stopped at a traffic light and the driver called 911. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where she remains in critical condition.

The defendant surrendered to police at the 90th Precinct later that day at approximately 5:30 p.m. During an interview with investigators, the defendant confessed to attacking Rivera and stated that he threw the axe and his girlfriend’s cellphone in the building’s incinerator. He also stated that he washed blood off his hands before leaving the apartment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Howard Jackson, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Bianco, of the District Attorney’s Grey Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 9, 2019

 

Brooklyn Man Convicted of Murder for Fatally Shooting
Livery Cab Driver During Attempted Robbery

Defendant Caught on Surveillance Video Firing Weapon Inside Vehicle,
Victim, a Father of Four, Was Struck Five Times

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 27-year-old man has been found guilty of first-degree murder for fatally shooting a 35-year-old livery cab driver while attempting to rob him.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The victim in this case was a dedicated father of four who worked at a bodega during the day and then drove a cab at night to provide a better life for his family. His dreams were destroyed when this defendant needlessly shot him while trying to rob him of his hard-earned money. I am committed to keeping people safe from violence such as this, which devastates so many lives.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Unique Gray, 27, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was convicted today of first-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser. He faces up to life in prison without parole when he is sentenced on May 30, 2019.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on June 29, 2015, the defendant and another man, Tyrell Gardenhire, flagged down the victim’s cab, at approximately 12:20 a.m., and ordered him to pull over on Decatur Street near Malcolm X Boulevard in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The defendant fatally shot the victim, Fawaz Naji, 35, inside his cab while attempting to rob him. The victim was struck five times, including in the face, the back, the arm and in his hand.

Surveillance video stills from inside the victim’s cab show the defendant, who was seated in the back seat, firing a revolver from behind the victim. He then fled the scene, leaving his cellphone inside the cab.

The defendant was apprehended in North Carolina on August 29, 2015 and extradited to Brooklyn.

The co-defendant, Gardenhire, 28, pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted robbery on March 13, 2019 and was sentenced to nine years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Bernarda Villalona, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Evelina Rene, of the District Attorney’s Green Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 2, 2019

 

Brooklyn Woman Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for
Strangulation Death of Elderly Neighbor in East Flatbush Home

Victim Also Suffered Blunt Force Trauma to Her Head and Injuries to her Upper Body

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 45-year-old Brooklyn woman has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for the strangulation death of her elderly neighbor in 2017. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant strangled to death a neighbor she once considered a close friend. My sincerest condolences to the family of this victim, a 78-year-old woman who suffered such a violent and sudden death at the hands of someone she trusted.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Tamisha Harper, 45, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. She was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser to 17 years in prison. She pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on April 18, 2019.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, at around 9:53 p.m. on February 27, 2017, Edna Pierre-Jacques, 78, was found in a pool of blood inside her home located on Troy Avenue, in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The victim was discovered by her 16-year-old granddaughter, who then, along with her mother, alerted the victim’s husband, Frederick Pierre-Jacques, 76, who was in another room. He then performed CPR until Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived.

Another daughter of the deceased arrived at the scene and immediately went to the defendant’s home. The daughter knocked on the door but the defendant did not answer, according to the investigation. She was seen by the daughter running out the back door, getting into a car and driving away. Based on that suspicious behavior, the police were notified and searched for the defendant.

The defendant was located in New Jersey, and she later admitted to strangling the deceased.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. It was determined that the cause of death was manual strangulation. She also suffered blunt force trauma to her head and bruising on her upper body.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Olatokunbo Olaniyan, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 1, 2019

 

NYPD Officer Sentenced to 2 to 6 Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay Over $93K in Restitution for Funds Received Using His Deceased Mother’s Identity

Defendant Illegally Received Compensation from Pension Fund and Social Security Benefits;
Convicted of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance for Illegally Refilling Prescription

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a New York City Police Officer was sentenced to two to six years in prison and ordered to repay over $93,000 in restitution for using his deceased mother’s identity to illegally receive benefits.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This former police officer allowed greed to overtake his principles to the point where he was willing to use his deceased mother’s identity to steal tens of thousands of dollars. He is now paying a very steep price – the loss of his job and the loss of his freedom.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Edward Ian St. Hill, 52, formerly of the NYPD’s 71st Precinct in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The defendant was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to two to six years in prison. He pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second- and third-degree grand larceny, third-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon, and official misconduct on March 29, 2019. As part of his sentencing, Hill was ordered to resign from the NYPD, and pay $55,036 to the SEIU Pension Fund and $39,014 to the Social Security Administration.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the defendant and his wife Maria Ramos, AKA Sunee St. Hill, 45, maintained the finances of the defendant’s mother, Germain St. Hill, as if she were alive for over a year and a half after she passed away on June 4, 2016. They impersonated Germain St. Hill in numerous phone calls in a vast scheme to defraud multiple financial institutions and to take possession of controlled narcotics.

The defendants caused a death certificate to be generated for Germain St. Hill that bore an incorrect Social Security number, and never notified the proper authorities to correct the error, while continuing to collect and make use of Germain St. Hill’s Social Security and pension benefit checks, which totaled more than $38,000 and $50,000, respectively. St. Hill leveraged his knowledge as an NYPD officer to generate forged NYPD paperwork, while Ramos impersonated her deceased mother-in-law in calls to various financial institutions, including the Social Security Administration and Germain St. Hill’s pension fund, to perpetuate the fraud.

Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the defendants fraudulently closed on the sale of Germaine St. Hill’s home by using falsified documents, for which they received approximately $260,000, and continued to refill Germain St. Hill’s prescription for Percocet on 14 separate occasions after she died.

Ramos pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny on March 29, 2019. She will be sentenced on May 29, 2019 by Judge Chun to five years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $55,036 to the SEIU pension and $73,374 to the Social Security Administration. her

The investigation was conducted by Sergeant Alex Nulman of the New York City Police Department, Internal Affairs Bureau, under the supervision of Lieutenant John Orecchia and Captain Joseph Profetta, also of the Internal Affairs Bureau.

The case was additionally investigated by Special Agents Jimmy Camilo and Neisha Samaroo of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.

KCDA Financial Investigator Shaakira Calnick, of the District Attorney’s Crimes Against Revenue Bureau, assisted in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Peter Choi, formerly of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Laura Neubauer, of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli Muse, formerly of the Civil Rights Bureau, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 29, 2019

 

Off-Duty Police Officer Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison
Following Conviction for Gunpoint Robbery
Of Brooklyn Man Outside of Bushwick Nightclub

Defendant Captured on Surveillance Video; Victim was Pistol Whipped and Made to Undress;
Defendant Filed False Police Report Accusing Five Innocent Individuals of a Crime

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an off-duty New York City Police Officer has been sentenced to eight years in prison. He was convicted earlier this month of assault and robbery for robbing a man of cash, jewelry, his clothing and a cellphone at gunpoint and pistol-whipping him outside of a Bushwick nightclub.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s reprehensible behavior is shocking because he was a New York City police officer at the time of the incident, yet he robbed one man and filed a false report against five others. Thankfully, a proper and thorough investigation revealed his egregious actions and he’s now been sentenced to prison. My Office will continue to protect everyone in Brooklyn and uproot corruption without fear or favor.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Anthony Delacruz, 35, formerly of the 94th Precinct in Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully to eight years in prison and three years’ post-release supervision. The defendant was convicted of one count of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree menacing, one count of third-degree falsely reporting an incident, and two counts of improper display of number plates. The defendant was remanded and immediately fired by the NYPD following the verdict on April 10, 2019.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on May 28, 2016 at approximately 3:30 a.m., at Wyckoff Avenue and Grove Street, near the El Mekkah Bar and Grill, officers responded to a 911 call for shots fired. Responding officers were told by then- Officer Delacruz – who did not initially identify himself as a police officer or state that he had fired his service weapon – that he was off-duty and in his personal vehicle when he was surrounded by several individuals who stole his gold chain, Rolex watch and a gold ring before they fled. Officer Delacruz said that he then chased after the perpetrators and exchanged gunfire with them, firing his gun once and that there were possibly two shots returned.

While on scene, Officer Delacruz pointed to a group of people who he said were involved in the robbery. All were taken into custody, and video evidence taken from El Mekkah Bar and Grill definitively showed that none of the men identified by Officer Delacruz were involved in the alleged robbery. The men were visible on camera in a different location from where the alleged robbery occurred.

Officer Delacruz and an unidentified accomplice were captured on video confronting another man who was hiding behind a car. The video further shows Officer Delacruz pointing his service weapon at that man.

Furthermore, according to the evidence presented at trial, the defendant, his accomplice and the man who was hiding go off camera. When they return to camera view the unidentified accomplice is carrying clothing and sneakers and he and Officer Delacruz walk away. The victim can later be seen on camera dressed only in a t-shirt, boxer shorts and with no shoes. The evidence at trial showed that the victim was pistol-whipped by the defendant and DNA recovered from the muzzle of the officer’s gun belonged to the victim. A shell casing recovered at the scene matched the defendant’s gun.

The defendant was taken to a hospital following the events. It was determined he was not in possession of his shield while armed and had an odor of alcohol on his breath, according to the evidence, and was therefore unfit for duty.

Finally, according to the evidence, on the night of the robbery the defendant had New Jersey plates that did not belong to his vehicle on his car and on a later date also had fake New Jersey plates on his car.

The District Attorney thanked the New York City Police Department’s Force Investigations Division and Internal Affairs Bureau for assisting in the investigation.

KCDA Analyst Rubby Sandoval, Senior Assistant District Attorney Jane Kim and Assistant District Attorney Aaron Nottage, Deputy Unit Chief, all of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Joyce Slevin, of the District Attorney’s Appeals Bureau, assisted in the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Chief of the District Attorney’s Grey Zone Trial Bureau, Senior Assistant District Attorney Mathew Midey and Assistant District Attorney Michael Solomon, both of the Grey Zone, under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 25, 2019

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for Raping
Ex-Girlfriend And Fatally Slitting Her Friend’s Throat with a Knife

Pushed His Way into Apartment Through Window, Held Women Captive for Hours
While Ex-Girlfriend’s Daughter Hid in Bedroom

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 42-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for raping his ex-girlfriend and fatally slitting her friend’s throat. The attack lasted several hours while his ex-girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter hid in a bedroom. He pleaded guilty to murder and predatory sexual assault earlier this month.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This was a terrifying attack that left an innocent woman dead, another woman brutally assaulted and a child forever traumatized. The defendant inflicted unimaginable violence on this family. Today’s lengthy prison sentence is a step toward justice for the victims in this case.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Ruslan Baimov, 42, of Seagate, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent DelGiudice to 20 years to life in prison. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and predatory sexual assault on April 8, 2019.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, around midnight on October 29, 2017, the defendant entered the Seagate apartment of his former girlfriend, who had recently ended their relationship, by pushing in a window air conditioner unit. When the 38-year-old woman came out of the shower, she found him in the kitchen, holding a knife to the throat of her friend, 42-year-old Larysa Saad, who was visiting.

The defendant slit Saad’s throat and she was left bleeding from the neck for hours. He then cut his ex-girlfriend’s clothes, ran the knife up and down her body, causing a laceration to her leg, and raped her. He remained in the apartment for approximately five hours before leaving. The rape victim’s 11-year-old daughter was hiding in a bedroom during the incident.

Saad was removed to Coney Island Hospital, but never recovered from the attack. She died a week later on November 7, 2017.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Olatokunbo Olaniyan, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 17, 2019

 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Announces Dedicated
Post-Conviction Justice Bureau that Will Include Parole and Clemency Unit,
Sealing Unit and Nationally Recognized Conviction Review Unit

Initiatives Will Include Significant Changes to the Office’s Parole Policies and Robust
Participation in Parole Proceedings, Including Recommending Release After Defendants
Serve the Minimum Sentence as Default Starting Position for Cases That Ended in Guilty Plea

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced the creation of the first dedicated Post-Conviction Justice Bureau in the country. It will be anchored by the nationally recognized Conviction Review Unit and include two new Units: A Parole and Clemency Unit charged with implementing new policies governing the Office’s participation in parole and clemency proceedings for incarcerated individuals, and a Sealing Unit to encourage and facilitate applications to seal criminal convictions.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Our obligation to do justice and to strengthen community trust in the criminal justice system does not end when a conviction becomes final. For many years, this principle has animated the work of our Conviction Review Unit – a national leader in identifying and vacating wrongful convictions – but I believe we need to go even farther in taking second looks and considering second chances. That is why I created a Post-Conviction Justice Bureau. I believe it is the first stand-alone bureau of its kind in the nation, and it has the potential to impact and change thousands of lives.

“If we want to decrease mass incarceration, as I am committed to doing, we cannot only be forward thinking. We must also look at the past and give people second chances.

“One of the game-changing elements of this new Bureau is our approach to parole. For too long, prosecutors across the country have automatically and reflexively opposed release when individuals become eligible for parole. I am committed to stopping this practice and engaging more substantively in parole proceedings to determine whether they should be considered for parole earlier in the process.

“Our CRU started with a recognition that we, collectively as an office, did not always get it right and we have an ongoing obligation to do justice. As views have changed in the communities we serve and in our Office with regard to what we consider just outcomes, we are taking second looks at cases with those new values in mind. Prosecutors have a role not only in addressing wrongful convictions, but in addressing the problems of mass incarceration and mass supervision and in helping eligible people move on with their lives and seal past convictions.

“To that end, I’ve also created a Sealing Unit because I am concerned that more of our Brooklyn residents are not taking advantage of the opportunity to seal their criminal records and find relief from the many collateral consequences of a conviction under CPL 160.59, the statute that went into effect in October 2017.”

The Post-Conviction Justice Bureau will consist of three separate Units:

1. The Parole and Clemency Unit, led by Executive Assistant District Attorney for Court Operations Paul Burns, is charged with directing the Office’s participation in parole proceedings for incarcerated individuals through the analysis of individual cases and the development of policy positions that apply across various categories of cases. Those policy positions are:

• For cases that ended in a guilty plea, our default position will now be that the defendant generally should be released at his or her first parole opportunity (subject to his or her record in prison and other considerations).
• For cases in which juveniles (defined as age 23 or younger at the time of the offense) were sentenced to an indeterminate life sentence, special considerations must go into their parole determinations so that there can be a meaningful inquiry into whether they have matured into appropriate candidates for release.
• We will be developing partnerships with transitional services to bring to our attention defendants whose cases for early parole merit a closer look.
• The Unit will train and guide Assistant District Attorneys throughout the Office on their parole recommendations.
• The Unit will also advise the Office on what position to take on mass supervision contributors such as probation and post-release supervision. Going forward, in plea agreements, the default position on probation for general crimes will be three years (rather than four or five) in felony cases and two years (rather than three) for A misdemeanors. The default position for post-release supervision for general crimes will be the minimum where options are one-and-one-half to three years for D and E violent felonies and two-and-one-half to five years for B and C violent felony offenses. Assistant District Attorneys who wish to deviate from these default positions will be asked to justify their decision in writing.
• It will also serve as the principal contact with the Governor’s Office and advise him on applications for clemency.

2. The Conviction Review Unit, led by Unit Chief Mark Hale, will continue to conduct painstaking, thorough and intensive investigations into cases to determine whether convictions should stand. The CRU has moved to vacate 25 convictions since its creation in 2014 and reviewed approximately 85 cases. It recently also began the practice of publishing detailed reports, available on the DA’s Office’s website, of the wrongful conviction and lessons learned from it.

3. The newly-created Sealing Unit, led by Unit Chief Lisa Perlman, encourages and facilitates applications to seal criminal convictions under CPL 160.59, the New York State statute that went into effect in October 2017. The Unit has been working with the Office of Court Administration on methods that would make it easier for applicants to apply for sealing on their own, including addressing mandatory fees and creating a more user-friendly application. It also will partner with our own Office of Public Engagement to spread the word in our communities, to encourage more applications and to help resolve them expeditiously.

The Post-Conviction Justice Bureau is also charged with studying and facilitating opportunities for reviewing excessive sentences. The Bureau will also work with our Legislative Counsel Diem Tran to develop and support legislative solutions for post-conviction justice.

The District Attorney announced that Mark Hale will serve as the Chief of the Post-Conviction Justice Bureau, with Eric Sonnenschein serving as Deputy Chief, and will report to the District Attorney’s General Counsel Tali Farhadian Weinstein, who led the design and creation of the new Bureau as part of Justice 2020, District Attorney Gonzalez’s action plan for criminal justice reform.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 11, 2019

 

Off-Duty Police Officer Convicted of Gunpoint Robbery
Of Brooklyn Man Outside of Bushwick Nightclub

Defendant and Unapprehended Accomplice Captured on Surveillance Video;
Victim was Pistol Whipped and Made to Undress and Then Arrested

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an off-duty New York City Police Officer has been convicted of assault and robbery for robbing a man of cash, jewelry and a cellphone at gunpoint and pistol-whipping him outside of a Bushwick nightclub.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s actions were truly abhorrent: Not only did he commit a gunpoint robbery, he then falsely accused others of robbing him. That he was a police officer sworn to protect and serve make this conduct even more outrageous. With this verdict, the defendant has been held accountable for his disturbing conduct. I remain committed to prosecute without fear or favor anyone who engages in violence in our communities.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Anthony Delacruz, 35, formerly of the 94th Precinct in Brooklyn. He was convicted yesterday following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully of one count of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree menacing, one count of third-degree falsely reporting an incident, and two counts of improper display of number plates. The defendant was remanded and immediately fired by the NYPD following the verdict. He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 29, 2019.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on May 28, 2016 at approximately 3:30 a.m., at Wyckoff Avenue and Grove Street, near the El Mekkah Bar and Grill, officers responded to a 911 call for shots fired. Responding officers were told by then- Officer Delacruz – who did not initially identify himself as a police officer or state that he had fired his service weapon – that he was off-duty and in his personal vehicle when he was surrounded by several individuals who stole his gold chain, Rolex watch and a gold ring before they fled. Officer Delacruz said that he then chased after the perpetrators and exchanged gunfire with them, firing his gun once and that there were possibly two shots returned.

While on scene, Officer Delacruz pointed to a group of people who he said were involved in the robbery. All were taken into custody, and video evidence taken from El Mekkah Bar and Grill definitively showed that none of the men identified by Officer Delacruz were involved in the alleged robbery. The men were visible on camera in a different location from where the alleged robbery occurred.

Officer Delacruz and an unidentified accomplice were captured on video confronting another man who was hiding behind a car. The video further shows Officer Delacruz pointing his service weapon at that man.

Furthermore, according to the evidence presented at trial, the defendant, his accomplice and the man who was hiding go off camera. When they return to camera view the unidentified accomplice is carrying clothing and sneakers and he and Officer Delacruz walk away. The victim can later be seen on camera dressed only in a t-shirt, boxer shorts and with no shoes. The evidence showed at trial that the victim was pistol-whipped by the defendant and DNA recovered from the muzzle of the officer’s gun belonged to the victim. A shell casing recovered at the scene matched the defendant’s gun.

During the course of the investigation, Officer Delacruz identified the pistol-whipped victim as one of the men who robbed him. He was arrested and charges that were filed in connection with that alleged incident were later dismissed.

The defendant was taken to a hospital following the events. It was determined he was not in possession of his shield while armed and had an odor of alcohol on his breath, according to the evidence, and was therefore unfit for duty.

Finally, according to the evidence, on the night of the robbery the defendant had New Jersey plates that did not belong to his vehicle on his car and on a later date also had fake New Jersey plates on his car.

The case was investigated by the New York City Police Department’s Force Investigations Division and Internal Affairs Bureau.

KCDA Analyst Ruby Sandoval, Senior Assistant District Attorney Jane Kim and Assistant District Attorney Aaron Nottage, Deputy Unit Chief, all of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Joyce Slevin, of the District Attorney’s Appeals Bureau, assisted in the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau Grey Zone, Senior Assistant District Attorney Mathew Midey and Assistant District Attorney Michael Solomon, both of the Grey Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 10, 2019

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 32 Years to Life in Prison for Fatally Shooting Man and Wounding Bystander Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant Deli

Defendant Was Recorded on Surveillance Video Firing Weapon

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 32 years to life in prison for fatally shooting an innocent 38-year-old man with whom his girlfriend was romantically involved and wounding an innocent bystander inside a Bedford-Stuyvesant deli.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This is just another example of senseless gun violence that cut short the life of a well-regarded member of the community and endangered everyone in that deli that morning, including a senior citizen who was shot in the hand. We will not tolerate gun violence in Brooklyn and will continue to pursue justice in these cases.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Maurice Hennegan, 25, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The defendant was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice. He was convicted of second-degree murder and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance on March 5, 2019, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on September 28, 2016, at approximately 7:24 a.m., the defendant went looking for victim Neil Thompson, 38, after the defendant confronted his estranged girlfriend with whom the victim had a relationship. The defendant drove past the laundromat the victim managed with his mother, near the corner of Hart Street and Tompkins Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The defendant saw the victim was not inside the laundromat and double-parked his car.

The defendant entered a deli at the corner of Hart Street and Tompkins Avenue where Thompson was buying breakfast and repeatedly opened fire with a revolver, according to testimony. A 64-year-old bystander was struck in the hand. Thompson fell to the floor, face down, and the defendant shot him four times in the back from pointblank range.

Following the shooting, according to testimony, the defendant wore glasses and a fake mustache, grew out his hair and used a cane to disguise his appearance. He admitted his guilt in several text messages to his associates, according to the evidence, and surveillance video recovered from inside the deli shows the defendant pointing a gun and firing at the victim.

The defendant was arrested February 16, 2017 on Varet Street near Manhattan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He had 19 twists of crack-cocaine on him at the time of his arrest.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Chow Xie of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Daniel Murphy of the District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 10, 2019

 

Three Men, Including South Carolina Resident, Indicted for Trafficking Guns Purchased in the South to Sell on Brooklyn Streets

Thirty-Six Handguns Purchased During 10-Month-Long Undercover Police Operation;
Second Indictment Charges Three Individuals with Narcotics Sales

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, today announced the indictment of an alleged gun trafficking ring that purchased firearms in South Carolina that were then transported on the Iron Pipeline and destined to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The guns that were recovered as part of this investigation are exactly the types of weapons used to commit violence in our communities. These indictments reflect our continued commitment to focusing on drivers of crime, maintaining public safety and stopping the influx of guns into Brooklyn from Southern states with lax gun laws. I thank the police and my prosecutors for their joint efforts in this case.”

Commissioner O’Neill said, “The NYPD will tirelessly target not only those who might use illegal firearms, but also those who would profit from their sale. I want to thank our local state and federal law enforcement partners involved in bringing the members of this illegal gun and drug trafficking network to answer for their crimes.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Markie Brown, 44, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; Darryl Currie, 49, of Oakland Gardens, Queens; and Craig Darby, 46, of Conway, South Carolina. The defendants have been variously charged with first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a firearm; first-, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and fourth-degree conspiracy. They were arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice William Harrington who set bail at $250,000 for Brown and $100,000 for Currie and ordered the defendants to return to court on May 20, 2019. Darby is awaiting extradition from South Carolina.

Currie and Dorian Cabrera, 47, of Rosedale, Queens were arraigned on a separate indictment in which they and Fred Chapman, 46, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, are variously charged with second- and fourth-degree conspiracy; second- and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Cabrera was ordered held on $25,000 bail and Chapman will be arraigned at a later date.

The District Attorney said the investigation began in June 2018, when an undercover detective allegedly purchased four handguns from defendant Brown in Brooklyn. The indictment alleges that an undercover detective purchased a total of 36 guns during 11 transactions, in the vicinity of Fulton Street and Broadway in East New York and, later, in the vicinity of DeKalb Avenue and Throop Avenue, in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

It is alleged that, as part of the conspiracy, Darby and Currie provided Brown with firearms that he then sold to the undercover detective. The weapons were allegedly purchased legally in South Carolina and brought to Brooklyn for resale.

The defendants allegedly sold a wide variety of firearms to the undercover, including: a Glock 9mm pistol, a Springfield Armory 9mm pistol, a Ruger .380 caliber pistol, a Taurus International .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, a Sig-Sauer .22 caliber pistol, a Ruger 9mm and others, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Furthermore, the District Attorney said, it is alleged that defendant Chapman operated as the primary supplier of heroin to re-sellers who operated within Brooklyn and elsewhere. Chapman would allegedly travel to Brooklyn and elsewhere to deliver heroin to his re-sellers, including Cabrera, who then allegedly resold that heroin to Currie. Currie then allegedly sold the heroin to multiple individuals.

The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Department Detective William Reddin, with the assistance of Detective Charles Lovett, under the supervision of Sergeant Eric Francis, Sergeant Matthew Griffin, Lieutenant James Donovan, and Commanding Officer Captain Jonathan Korabel, under the supervision of Firearms Suppression Section Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Brian Gill, and the overall supervision of Gun Violence Suppression Division Commanding Officer Inspector Richard Green.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Thomas Teplitsky and Assistant District Attorney Maria Paolillo, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jonathan R. Sennett, Deputy Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief, under the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Materials from the press conference can be accessed via this link:
https://brooklynda-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/yanivo_brooklynda_org/ElGaWGDNoXVCnDu3uxTQxZUBzfQD5hWgH7QEibu363hHaQ?e=kNHsUH