Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 22 Years to Life in Prison For Killing his Adoptive Mother

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 11, 2018

 

Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 22 Years to Life in Prison
For Killing his Adoptive Mother

Seventy-Year-Old Victim was Bound with Cords and Strangled Inside her Canarsie Home

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 22 years to life in prison following his guilty plea to murder for killing his 70-year-old adoptive mother, who was found bound and strangled inside her home in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant committed a heinous crime by killing his own mother – a beloved and innocent woman. He has now accepted responsibility for this senseless murder and we will continue to fight for all victims of familial violence.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jayvon Mulzac, 29, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic to 22 years to life in prison following his guilty plea last month to second-degree murder.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on July 17, 2017, Noreen Mulzac, 70, was found dead and tied up inside her Foster Avenue home in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The victim’s bedroom was ransacked. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation.

The investigation revealed that the defendant drove to his mother’s home on July 13, 2017, tied her neck and feet with various items, including electric cords, and robbed her. He then drove back to Pittsfield leaving his mother to die in her home. Video footage, witnesses accounts and other evidence connected the defendant to the crime. He was arrested in August 2017 in Pittsfield for misdemeanor assault and was subsequently extradited to Brooklyn.

The District Attorney thanked the Pittsfield Police Department and the New York State Troopers for their assistance in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Weber, Chief of the District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Mark Pagliuco, Deputy Unit Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Chief of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau.

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High School Teacher Arraigned on Indictment Charging Him With Sexual Abuse of Teenage Student

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 11, 2018

 

High School Teacher Arraigned on Indictment Charging Him
With Sexual Abuse of Teenage Student

Abuse Allegedly Occurred in Classroom and in Defendant’s Home

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 66-year-old business teacher at Erasmus Hall High School in Flatbush has been arraigned on a 25-count indictment in which he is charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy on multiple occasions.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s alleged actions are an incredible betrayal of trust. Teachers should protect their students and schools should be safe havens. There is no place in our society for this type of predatory behavior and unacceptable abuse of authority.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Mervyn Affoon, 66, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice William Miller on an indictment in which he is charged with forcible touching, third-degree sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree criminal sexual act, sexual misconduct, and promoting a sexual performance by a child. Bail was set at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond and the defendant was ordered to return to court on May 15, 2018.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on three occasions in February 2017, in Erasmus Hall High School, located on Flatbush Avenue, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, the defendant, who was 65 years old, allegedly groped a 16-year-old student, once in a classroom and twice in an elevator.

It is further alleged that between March 2017 and June 2017 the defendant and the victim engaged in sex acts on multiple occasions at the defendant’s apartment in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The investigation began after the victim disclosed the abuse to his mother in October 2017.

The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Detectives assigned to the Brooklyn Special Victims Squad.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Linda Weinman and Assistant District Attorney Albert Suh, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Miss Gregory, Chief.

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An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt

 

Crown Heights Man Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for Shooting Worker in Alleged Illegal Brooklyn Gambling Parlor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 11, 2018

 

Crown Heights Man Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for Shooting Worker in Alleged Illegal Brooklyn Gambling Parlor

Victim Chased the Defendant into the Street After Being Shot

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 35-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for shooting a worker inside an alleged illegal gambling parlor in East Flatbush in November 2015.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s lawless behavior cost a man his life and inflicted great emotional pain on the victim’s family. He has now been held accountable for his crimes.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Euzebelin Abellard, 35, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced yesterday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully to 20 years to life in prison following his conviction last month on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on November 20, 2015, at approximately 5:35 p.m., the defendant made his way into the basement of 1051 New York Avenue, in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, by walking behind a regular customer. Once inside, the victim, 51-year-old Jean Claude Bernagene, who was working at the alleged illegal parlor, stepped from behind a partition to stop the defendant. The defendant then pulled a weapon and told the victim in Creole that he would shoot him. Bernagene was shot in the torso and hand, but managed to chase the defendant up the stairs and into the street.

Responding New York City police officers found the victim outside the parlor, and a New York Yankees baseball hat on the ground near the location. The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital where he died two days later from complications of a gunshot wound to his torso.

The evidence showed that DNA recovered from the hat matched the defendant, who said he had never made it entirely into the parlor, and lost his hat while running away after hearing the gun shots. The defendant was also identified by two witnesses.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jamie Begley, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Melissa Carvajal, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Bureau Chief.

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Man Convicted of Fatally Stabbing 6-Year-Old Boy and Seriously Wounding 7-year-Old Girl Inside Elevator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 10, 2018

 

Man Convicted of Fatally Stabbing 6-Year-Old Boy and
Seriously Wounding 7-year-Old Girl Inside Elevator

Stabbed Innocent Children 27 Times; Identified by Witnesses and
Via DNA Analysis of Steak Knife Used in the Attack

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 31-year-old man was convicted of murder and attempted murder for the brutal 2014 attack inside an elevator in East New York, Brooklyn. The unprovoked stabbing claimed the life of 6-year-old Prince Joshua (PJ) Avitto, and seriously wounded his best friend, 7-year-old Mikayla Capers.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “It is impossible to fathom that someone would brutally stab small, innocent children who were going to get some icees after playing in a playground. But the evidence established beyond any doubt that the defendant committed this heinous crime and he has now been held responsible. I know that nothing will bring solace to the family of little PJ and that Mikayla, who bravely took the stand at trial, will carry the scars of that day forever. It is my hope, however, that today’s verdict will still afford them a small measure of closure by knowing that this defendant has been brought to justice.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Daniel St. Hubert, 31, of Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. He was convicted today of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice. The defendant will be sentenced on May 15, 2018, at which time he faces up to 50 years to life in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on June 1, 2014, a sunny Sunday afternoon, PJ, 6, and Mikayla, 7, were playing tag in a playground outside the housing development where they both lived. At about 5:40 p.m., the children asked for permission to go up to PJ’s home, at 845 Schenck Avenue, in East New York, Brooklyn, to get some Italian icees.

The two children entered the elevator, followed by the defendant. The evidence showed that the defendant then repeatedly stabbed and slashed the victims with a steak knife. PJ was stabbed 11 times and died at the scene from wounds to his chest. Mikayla was stabbed 16 times, but miraculously survived, and managed to crawl to the building’s entrance.

One witness saw the defendant enter the elevator and then leave the building a short time later. Two other witnesses saw him fleeing the location and stumbling in a grassy area outside the building, according to testimony. A steak knife was later recovered from the area where he stumbled. DNA recovered from the handle of the knife matched the defendant and blood from the blade was a match to the two victims, the evidence showed.

Furthermore, the defendant was seen in a surveillance video, wearing the same clothes described by the witnesses, about two blocks from the crime scene approximately 10 minutes after the incident. A search warrant that was later executed at his residence recovered packaging from a four-piece knife set that contained one knife with the same make and model of the knife that was used in the attack.

On June 4, 2014, after the defendant’s identity was revealed via the DNA match, he was located by tracking his cell phone. Just before he was apprehended, the evidence showed, the defendant was seen making graffiti with a black marker on a stop sign. That inscription read: “$Kills I will BK.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick O’Connor, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Gillian DiPietro, also of VCE, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Mark Feldman, Senior Executive Assistant District Attorney for Crime Strategies and Investigations.

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Brooklyn Man Indicted for Posing as U.S. Immigration Agent, Stealing $7,000 from Two Women Seeking Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 3, 2018

 

Brooklyn Man Indicted for Posing as U.S. Immigration Agent,
Stealing $7,000 from Two Women Seeking Services

Promised He Could Help Get Green Cards and Work Authorization for Relatives

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been charged with scheme to defraud, grand larceny and immigrant assistance services fraud for claiming to be an agent with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and stealing $7,000 from two women for immigration-related services he promised but never delivered.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly defrauded individuals who were desperate for help in obtaining legal status, an urgent concern these days among immigrants. We will not allow scammers to exploit the circumstances of vulnerable people in Brooklyn, regardless of their immigration status, and will seek to hold the defendant accountable for his alleged scheme.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Leroy Quammie, 48, of Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which he is charged with first-degree scheme to defraud and third- and fourth-degree grand larceny. He was ordered held on $25,000 bond or $15,000 bail and to return to court on June 15, 2018. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted on the top count.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in May 2016, a 49-year-old Brooklyn woman was referred to Quammie by a mutual acquaintance for immigration services. The defendant told the woman he was a USCIS agent and showed her a USCIS identification card with his name and photo. She then met with him on two separate occasions, giving him a total of $3,000, and met with an associate of his to whom she gave an additional $1,000, for the purpose of getting immigration papers.

Furthermore, it is alleged, the second victim, a 50-year-old woman, gave the defendant $3,000 after the defendant said he could procure Green Cards and working papers for her relatives. After all of the money transfers were completed the defendant became less available and ultimately stopped all communication with both women, according to the investigation.

The victims did not receive Green Cards or working papers for their relatives nor was their money returned. The investigation revealed that no Green Card application, citizenship application or related paperwork was filed with USCIS by the defendant on behalf of any of the victims or their family members, nor was the defendant ever employed by USCIS.

The defendant was arrested in Philadelphia last month and extradited to Brooklyn today.

The District Attorney thanked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, New York City Field Office, for its assistance in the investigation.

The case was investigated by Detective Investigator Roger Archer, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Robert Addonizio, and the overall supervision of Detective Investigator Edwin Murphy, Deputy Chief.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Fayola Charlet of the District Attorney’s Immigrant Affairs Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney José Interiano, Deputy Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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

 

Brooklyn Teenager Indicted for Allegedly Shooting Eight-Year-Old Girl Sitting in Van

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

 

Brooklyn Teenager Indicted for Allegedly Shooting
Eight-Year-Old Girl Sitting in Van

Bullet Struck Victim in the Back of Her Head

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 16-year-old Brooklyn teenager has been indicted for attempted murder and assault for allegedly shooting a child who was sitting in a van in Canarsie. The bullet struck the girl in the back of her head and lodged in her skull.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant had the audacity to allegedly open fire during rush hour in the middle of a busy street, striking an innocent young girl who thankfully survived. Senseless gun violence will never be tolerated in Brooklyn and this defendant will now face the consequences of his poor choices.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Tajay Richards, 16, of Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Riviezzo on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and related counts. The defendant was ordered held on $500,000 bail and to return to court on May 21, 2018. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

The District Attorney said that on February 26, 2018, at about 5:30 p.m., in the vicinity of Flatlands Avenue and East 83rd Street, the defendant allegedly opened fire on a group of individuals and struck an 8-year-old girl who was among a group of children sitting in a van, according to the investigation.

The bullet struck the girl in the back of the head and lodged in her skull, leaving her in critical condition.

The defendant admitted to police that he fired a gun toward a group of individuals at that location.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Vivian Dussek, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Sean Hughes, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau Red Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief and Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Red Zone Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Division.

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An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

East Flatbush Man Sentenced to 20 Years in State Prison For Stabbing Death of Girlfriend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

 

East Flatbush Man Sentenced to 20 Years in State Prison
For Stabbing Death of Girlfriend

Victim was Stabbed Multiple Times

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an East Flatbush man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2015 stabbing death of his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter earlier this month.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant brutally stabbed and tied up his girlfriend, leaving her to die. He has now accepted responsibility for his despicable actions. We will not tolerate domestic violence and intimate partner abuse in Brooklyn, and will continue to prosecute such cases vigorously.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Daniel Romain, 35, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 20 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision following his guilty plea to one count of first-degree manslaughter earlier this month. The defendant was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision, to run concurrently, following his guilty plea earlier this month to first-degree attempted assault.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 5, 2015 at about 4:30 p.m., at 649 East 95th Street in East Flatbush, the police arrived and found the defendant with blood on his shirt and pants and wearing plastic grocery bags on his hands, which were also bloody.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, the police had been called to the apartment by the defendant’s stepfather, who had called 911. The police found the defendant’s girlfriend, Tisa Kelly, 46, of Kissimmee, Florida, stabbed to death in the bathtub, naked and tied with bedsheets.

The defendant was arrested after attempting to flee out the back door of the apartment.

In a separate case, the defendant pleaded guilty earlier this month in connection to an April 25, 2015 incident in which he fired a gun while attempting to gain entry to a birthday party in East New York to which he was not invited, grazing the head of an individual at the party.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sabeeha Madni, of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Bureau Chief.

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NYPD Officer Indicted for Perjury for Allegedly Lying on Search Warrant Application and in Subsequent Court Hearings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 27, 2018

 

NYPD Officer Indicted for Perjury for Allegedly Lying on
Search Warrant Application and in Subsequent Court Hearings

Swore He Saw Suspect Kick Box and Then Found a Firearm Inside, But He Was Not at the
Location When Gun was Recovered; Made Allegedly False Statements on Five Occasions

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, today announced that a New York City Police Department officer has been indicted for perjury, making a false statement and official misconduct for allegedly lying on a search warrant application and in subsequent hearings. The officer stated that, while arresting a suspect in Red Hook, Brooklyn, he saw the man kick a box from which he then recovered a gun. But an investigation by the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office revealed that the officer was not present inside of the apartment at the time and, after repeating the false statement during numerous court proceedings, the officer finally admitted that he was not, in fact, the one who recovered the gun.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Our police officers are expected to be truthful and honest at all times because people’s fates and the integrity of the justice system depend on that. We allege that the officer in this case failed to do that and instead repeatedly gave false testimony under oath. Such conduct diminishes public trust and is, in fact, criminal. We intend to now hold the defendant accountable.”

Commissioner O’Neill said, “It is imperative that New Yorkers are able to trust their police to tell the truth, especially when it comes to the extremely serious business of effecting arrests for gun possession and testifying about them in court. Police officers swear an oath to live up to a very high standard. And when they intentionally violate that promise, they tarnish the reputation of officers of high integrity, make their jobs much more difficult, and erode the trust we have worked so hard to earn in all of our communities.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Police Officer Joseph Moloney, 27, who was assigned to the 76th Precinct School Unit. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 24-count indictment in which he is charged with first-, second- and third-degree perjury, first- and second-degree making a false statement and official misconduct. The defendant was released without bail and ordered to return to court on June 13, 2018. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the top count.

According to the investigation, on May 6, 2016, at about 6:30 a.m., Officer Moloney and three other officers finished executing a search warrant in the Red Hook Houses on Columbia Street in Brooklyn and then went to look for a man who lived in the same housing complex and had an unrelated summons warrant. The officers went to the apartment and knocked on the door. Their target opened, was placed under arrest and was then allowed to go to his bedroom to get dressed. He became agitated and was removed from the apartment by Officer Moloney and another officer.

After getting a call at the precinct from their sergeants, the two officers returned to the apartment about 15 to 20 minutes later. Inside, they observed an already-opened black box that contained a gun, a wrist watch, cash and three ziplock bags containing marijuana. The sergeant instructed Officer Moloney to obtain an emergency search warrant for the apartment. In the search warrant affidavit, the official swore that, “As I was assisting [redacted] to get dressed, [redacted] kicked a black plastic box under the bed where the baby was sleeping. I then opened the black plastic box and observed a silver pistol inside the box.”

The officer swore to the search warrant and was examined by a Supreme Court judge later that morning. The search warrant was executed and an operable unloaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the black plastic box. Officer Moloney subsequently testified in a grand jury proceeding against the man and his girlfriend (who was also present inside the apartment), who were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other counts. In his testimony, he made two variations from the search warrant affidavit: he said the suspect pushed the box “towards the bed,” not under the bed, and added that “we opened the box,” instead of “I.”

In February 2017, Officer Moloney testified in Family Court, in a proceeding that was initiated by the Administration for Children’s Services because there were two children inside the apartment at the time of the arrest, in the vicinity of a gun and drugs. His testified that he did not observe the gun until after the search warrant was obtained, records show.

During the discovery process, photographs of the location revealed that that the box spring was resting directly on the floor, meaning the gun could not have been kicked under the bed – which led a Supreme Court judge to order a hearing. In that hearing, the officer repeatedly testified that the black box was pushed “away from the bed.” He further explained that the inaccuracy was “just a rookie mistake.” He insisted that he observed the defendant kick the box and that he was the one who opened it and saw the firearm. The judge ruled that there was probable cause for the warrant.

In July 2017, during preparations for additional pre-trial hearings, Officer Moloney informed the assigned prosecutor that, contrary to his previous statements, he did not open the black box nor did he see it being opened by someone else. That statement was voluntary and unprompted, the investigation found. Consequently, the case against the male suspect was dismissed (the case against his girlfriend was dismissed in March 2017 after DNA results excluded her as a contributor to the samples obtained from the firearm).

Interviews were conducted with the suspect and his girlfriend, who claimed that they never gave the officers consent to search the apartment or the black box. Interviews by the Internal Affair Bureau with the other officers who were in the apartment revealed that it was one of the sergeants who found the box and the gun, but they were uncertain as to whether Officer Moloney was present at the time or not, according to the investigation.

The case was investigated by Sergeant Joseph Flynn of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, under the supervision of Lieutenant John Orecchia and Captain Joseph Profeta.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Adriana Rodriguez, of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli Muse, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, and Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Division.

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

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Announces Media Apprenticeship In Collaboration With BRIC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 26, 2018

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Announces Media Apprenticeship
In Collaboration With BRIC

Part of Initiative to Create Alternatives to Incarceration

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with BRIC President Leslie G. Schultz, today announced a media apprenticeship program for young men enrolled in court-involved youth programs. This partnership is supported by the Brooklyn Community Foundation and its Invest in Youth initiative.

Brooklyn District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Through this partnership we can put into place one of our Justice 2020 goals, which is reducing incarceration and working in collaboration with community partners to promote safety and strengthen our communities. This apprenticeship will introduce at-risk youth to media, film and television production through an intense set of workshops designed to provide them with the skills and training necessary to pursue a career.”

The BRIC Project Re-Direct Media Apprenticeship Program is funded through a $25,000 grant from Brooklyn Community Foundation and a $10,000 grant from the DA’s Office. The apprenticeship will be comprised of young men ages 16 to 22 ¬¬¬¬who are participants in Bureau of Youth Diversion programs, Project Re-Direct and Youth & Congregations in Partnership, who have expressed an interest in media production. The goal of this program is to teach the participants video production, storytelling and production skills.

Leslie Schultz, President of BRIC said, “Amplifying the voices of our Brooklyn youth is central to BRIC’s mission. This partnership expands BRIC’s commitment to arts and media for all, and allows us to offer talented young Brooklynites a powerful platform with which to share their stories and creative vision.”

As part of the media apprenticeship, the young men will learn how to produce podcasts, videos and short documentary films. The apprenticeship will have two levels of training: basic and intermediate. After successfully completing Level 1 and Level 2 training, the participants will be designated as BRIC “Certified Community Producers” which will allow them free access to the equipment and studio facilities of BRIC. Participants will produce their own original content which will be aired on Brooklyn Free Speech TV and its online platforms.

BRIC will also support the participants’ efforts to secure additional opportunities to extend their training and increase their potential for job placement by applying for the Made in New York Post Production Training Program which is administered by Brooklyn Workforce Innovations. BRIC media education staff will work with young people to review the program requirements and develop their applications.

Level 1 of the program’s daytime sessions will run from March 22 to April 19, and the evening sessions will run from April 26 to May 24. The Level 2 sessions will run from May 31 to June 28.

This apprenticeship is the result of a pilot program from last summer that was funded by the Brooklyn DA’s Office and BRIC, through $10,000 and $5,000 grants, respectively.

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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Killing his Ex-Girlfriend in Brooklyn Bridge Park after Stalking and Threatening Her

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 23, 2018

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Killing his Ex-Girlfriend in
Brooklyn Bridge Park after Stalking and Threatening Her

Shot Victim Once in the Head as She spoke on Cell Phone; Stalked her Days Before;
Facebook Messages Showed Weeks of Growing Obsession after Breakup

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 55-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following his conviction of murder and other charges for shooting his 23-year-old ex-girlfriend once in the head after she left her job in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The defendant was increasingly obsessive and threatening in the weeks before the homicide and physically stalked the victim in the days leading up to her death.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The senseless murder of a promising young woman at the hands of this defendant was devastating and cruel, coming on the heels of an unacceptable campaign to terrorize her. I hope that today’s sentence brings a small measure of solace to her grieving loved-ones. My Office will continue to investigate all cases of domestic violence to ensure justice for victims.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Lamont Wright, 55, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht to 25 years to life in prison following his conviction earlier this month of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and stalking after a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on June 6, 2016, at about 9:20 p.m., the victim, 23-year-old Michelle Marks, left Fornino’s restaurant in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she worked as a waitress, and was walking toward her bus stop. She was talking on the phone with her boyfriend at the time when the defendant’s voice was heard in the background. The victim then said to her boyfriend, “Babe, he’s here, call the police, he’s got a gun,” at which point the call dropped. The victim was found shortly thereafter at the bus stop, bleeding from the head, and was subsequently declared dead.

The evidence showed that one day earlier, the defendant – with whom Ms. Marks broke up some time before – waited for the victim in the lobby of her Crown Heights building and followed her to her apartment door, where he pushed her, scattering groceries. Her boyfriend and mother intervened and the defendant fled by the time police arrived.

Three days prior to that, on June 2, 2016, the victim was walking with a co-worker in Brooklyn Bridge Park and saw the defendant waiting for her. She told the co-worker, “Look, there’s my stalker.” Later that night, when the two workers were on a cigarette break near Pier 6, the defendant jumped out of bushes and confronted the victim about her “kissing this white boy.”

The defendant was taken into custody on June 7, 2016 and charged with the incidents that preceded the murder. He claimed that he was home on the evening of June 6 and that he was speaking with a girl named “Emily from Ohio.”

An analysis of cell site data proved that the defendant was in the vicinity of the crime scene at the time of the murder and not in his home, located over five miles away. Facebook messages between him and the victim from May 15, 2016 through the day of the murder showed that Ms. Marks wanted to end their relationship but the defendant refused to accept that, with some of his messages being threatening or obsessive. In one audio message, he said, “I promise you you’re not done with me because either I’m gonna wind up in jail or I’m gonna wind up in a grave.”

Finally, a search warrant executed on the Facebook account of “Emily from Ohio” revealed that the defendant communicated with her before and after the homicide. Audio messages described the June 5 incident outside the victim’s apartment and, in another disturbing audio message, the defendant stated that ‘if he blew her f—ing brains out, everyone would say he did something wrong.’ The defendant was subsequently charged with Ms. Marks’s murder.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Chief of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Anne Volk of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Mark Feldman, Senior Executive Assistant District Attorney for Crime Strategy and Investigations.

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