About Ernest Johnson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 40 Years to Life in Prison for
Fatally Shooting Man Multiple Times in East Flatbush

Defendant Shot Victim in Lobby While Three Women and A Baby Were Present;
Apprehended Days Later in Possession of Loaded Gun

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 23-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for killing a man in an East Flatbush building and for possessing a loaded firearm. The defendant shot the victim multiple times at close range in the lobby while three women and a baby in a stroller were also present.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant wanted to settle a score and shot the victim multiple times, disregarding the safety of innocent bystanders. He will now spend many years in prison for this senseless act of violence that took a man’s life.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Keron Lynch, 23, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Deborah Dowling to 40 years to life in prison following his conviction last month of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on April 15, 2015, at approximately 10:40 a.m., at 139 East 53rd Street in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, the defendant shot Daniel Weir in the lobby of the building. Weir, 29, had been lured to the lobby of the residential building by a phone call. The defendant shot Weir with a .40 caliber gun, hitting him eight times in the torso and once in the right arm. He continued shooting while the victim was on the ground. At the time of the shooting, there were three women with a baby in a stroller in the lobby.

The victim was transported to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

When interviewed by detectives, the defendant said the victim was responsible for sending two masked men to rob him at gunpoint two weeks before.

On April 26, 2015, police officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert near Howard Avenue and Saint John’s Place in East Flatbush, where they found the defendant who had been shot in the leg and foot. The defendant said he exchanged fire with another man, and dropped the gun under a parked car. Police recovered a .40 caliber gun under a car, and a ballistics report later matched it to the Weir shooting.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 6, 2017

Crime in Brooklyn Continued to Drop in First Half of 2017,
Outpacing Last Year’s Record Low Numbers

Double-Digit Declines in Murders, Shootings and Shooting Victims;
Decreases in Nearly All Other Crime Categories

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that Brooklyn continued to experience major declines in crime during the first half of 2017, outpacing statistics from 2016, which was the safest year since record keeping began. There were double-digit drops in shooting incidents, shooting victims and homicides, as well as decreases in nearly all other crime categories, according to the latest statistics compiled by the New York City Police Department.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “I am very proud that crime has continued to plummet so rapidly in Brooklyn, a trend that shows that the targeted approach employed by the NYPD and my Office in fighting violent crime is working. It is also proof that we can implement criminal justice reforms while still enhancing public safety. We have launched innovative new programs to reduce reliance on bail, to protect immigrants and to divert low-level offenders from incarceration as we continue to drive down violence and improve the quality of life in all parts of Brooklyn.”

The Acting District Attorney said that 50 murders were recorded in Brooklyn so far in 2017. That figure is down 11 murders (18%) compared to this time last year and is on track for the fewest in the borough’s history (there were 128 murders in 2016 and 122 in 2014, the lowest year on record). There were 32 fewer shooting incidents compared to this time last year (a total of 136, down 19.2%) and 48 fewer shooting victims (a total of 155, down 23.7%).

Like in 2016, Brooklyn was the only borough to register declines in all three categories over this time period and the percent decreases outpaced the impressive citywide declines except for homicides, where the citywide drop was 21.6%. [All statistics are as of June 30, 2017, according to CompStat analysis]. It is notable that seven of the 50 murders are reclassified homicides that took place in previous years, meaning the number of murders actually committed during the first half of 2017 in Brooklyn stands at 43 (there were three reclassified homicides in all of 2016).

In addition, the Total Index Crime in Brooklyn (representing the seven major felony crimes) is down 4.5% for the year so far with declines in all categories except for rape (two additional reported incidents or a .9% uptick compared to this time last year).

In the past few years, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has increased its focus on the drivers of crime – individuals responsible for most of the shootings – and has partnered with the NYPD on a number of initiatives to reduce violent crime. Those include the work of the Crime Strategies Unit that keeps track of known gang members and other drivers of violence; long-term investigations by the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, together with the NYPD, to target all criminal activities by gangs and to stop weapons traffickers; creation of the Firearms Prosecution Unit, which operates in the only Expedited Firearms Court in the city with the goal of prosecuting gun possession cases faster and more efficiently in Brooklyn; and other initiatives.

So far in 2017, The Brooklyn DA’s Office established the Public Housing Crime Suppression Unit to help drive down crime in housing developments by using data-driven intelligence and working with resident associations, community members, NYCHA and the NYPD. A Cold Case Unit was also created to investigate unsolved homicides and a DNA expert was hired to assist in this effort and to help in forensic analyses in other cases, including those involving guns and shootings.

Together with the focus on violent crime, the DA’s Office has been implementing numerous criminal justice reforms, including a change in its bail policy under which no bail is requested for nearly all misdemeanors and a new policy to protect non-citizen defendants by considering collateral immigration consequences of convictions with the assistance of two newly-hired immigration attorneys. The Office also previously announced that it will soon launch a program to allow certain drug-dependent defendants to be sent to treatment in lieu of prosecution, an innovative approach that will keep these offenders from ever setting foot in a courtroom and provide them with necessary help.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Bedford-Stuyvesant Man Sentenced to 31 Years in Prison for Robbing
Four Women at Gunpoint in Windsor Terrace and Kensington

Defendant Followed Victims Walking Alone at Night;
Pistol-whipped One Victim before Robbing Her

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that a 31-year-old Bedford-Stuyvesant man has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for a spree of armed robberies over a nine-day period in Windsor Terrace and Kensington, during which he robbed four women at gunpoint, including one whom he pistol-whipped in the head.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “For more than a week, this defendant preyed upon vulnerable women walking alone at night, robbing and terrorizing them at gunpoint. Such cowardly acts of violence have no place on the streets of Brooklyn. Today’s sentence ensures that this defendant will be off of our streets and in prison for a very long time.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Justin Farrow, 31, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Deborah Dowling to 31 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. The defendant was convicted of four counts of first-degree robbery, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault and three counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property following a jury trial in May.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, in four separate incidents between August 20 and August 29, 2015, the defendant robbed four women who were walking alone at night in Windsor Terrace and Kensington, Brooklyn. The defendant committed all of the robberies in a similar fashion, approaching his victims – in most cases from behind – brandishing a silver handgun, stealing property and telling his victims to walk away and not look back. After each robbery, according to video surveillance, the defendant entered the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station using a MetroCard he stole from his first victim.  The robberies occurred as follows:

• On August 20, 2015, at approximately 2:15 a.m., at the corner of Caton Avenue and East 7^th Street, the defendant approached a 58-year-old woman from behind, brandished a silver handgun and demanded her purse and phone. When the victim did not immediately comply, the defendant threatened her with his gun, at which point the victim surrendered her property, including a monthly MetroCard, which was registered to her. The defendant then fled to the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station, where he used the recently stolen MetroCard. According to video surveillance, he was wearing a multi-colored shirt with a fleur-de-lis pattern.
• On August 23, 2015, at approximately 1:30 a.m., in front of 115 East 4^th Street, the defendant approached a 35-year-old woman from behind, brandished his gun and demanded her bag and phone. The victim surrendered the items and the defendant fled to the subway station where, according to video surveillance, he was again wearing the same distinct shirt.
• On August 27, 2015, at approximately 12:45 a.m., at the corner of Ocean Parkway and Caton Avenue, the defendant approached a 28-year-old woman from behind, brandished a gun and demanded her property. When the victim did not immediately comply, the defendant hit her repeatedly with the butt of the gun, causing injuries to her ear, head and hand. The victim surrendered her property, including a tote bag, and the defendant fled to the subway station.
• On August 29, 2015, shortly before 11:30 p.m., near 19th Street and Sealy Street, the victim, a 20-year-old woman, passed the defendant on the street as they walked in opposite directions. After passing, unbeknownst to the victim, the defendant turned and began to follow her. A few minutes later, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the defendant approached the victim from behind, removed a gun from a duffel bag and put the gun to her ribs, demanding she surrender her property. The defendant then physically searched the victim and proceeded to steal her cellphone and a MetroCard. The defendant used his gun to push the victim away and ordered her not to look back. He then fled and entered the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station, once again wearing the same multi-colored, patterned shirt.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, a few days later, on September 4, 2015, at approximately 11 p.m., a man who had witnessed the defendant fleeing on August 29 saw the defendant near Vanderbilt Street and Prospect Park Southwest and called 911. Responding New York City Police Department officers chased and quickly arrested the defendant, but not before he removed a plastic bag containing an object from a duffel bag he was carrying and threw it over a nearby fence. The officers recovered the bag, which contained a loaded silver .9 millimeter handgun registered to the defendant.

The defendant also was in possession of MetroCards belonging to three of his victims, including the card he stole on August 20 and used to enter the subway after each robbery. Further, at the time of arrest, the defendant was wearing a multi-colored shirt with a fleur-de-lis pattern, virtually identical to the shirt he was wearing following three of the robberies.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jacob Uriel and Assistant District Attorney Eva Oginar, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau Grey Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 3, 2017

Flatbush Man Indicted for Assault as a Hate Crime for Allegedly Beating Woman Unconscious on Subway Train

Faces Up To 15 Years in Prison

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that a 27-year-old man has been indicted on charges of assault as a hate crime, and other offenses for allegedly punching a woman in the face and knocking her unconscious while shouting homophobic slurs on a Brooklyn-bound Q train.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Brooklyn is a model of inclusion and diversity where bias and bigotry will not be tolerated. This defendant’s alleged actions were an attack on everyone’s right to be who they are, and to love whom they choose. He will now be held accountable for this alleged attack that left a woman unconscious.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Antoine Thomas, 27, of Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime and other related offenses. He is due back in court on September 8, 2017 and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on May 20, 2017, at approximately 7:30 p.m., the defendant boarded a Brooklyn-bound Q train at Union Square, and sat next to the victim and her girlfriend. The defendant, it is alleged, began shouting anti-gay slurs at the victim and her female companion regarding their sexual orientation. During the train ride the defendant continued shouting at the couple, and at one point aggressively bumped into the victim when the train made a sudden stop. The defendant then allegedly punched the victim in the face as the train arrived at the Dekalb Avenue station in Downtown Brooklyn.

The defendant attempted to leave the train by walking between cars, but was arrested at the station after the conductor called the police.

The unconscious victim was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital where she was treated for a concussion, nasal fracture, a contusion and eye lacerations requiring eight stitches.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective John Hidalgo and Detective Juan Espaillat of the Hate Crimes Task Force.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney T. Peter Choi, of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli M. Muse, Deputy Bureau 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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 30, 2017

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison after Shooting a Man at Close Range during Robbery in Coney Island

Defendant Stole Victim’s Gold Chain after Shooting Him

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 22-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for assault and robbery stemming from a June 2015 attack at a New York City Housing Authority development in Coney Island.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant shot an innocent man, then callously removed a gold chain from his neck after he was wounded. Violent acts like this will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. The defendant will now spend two decades in prison for this senseless crime.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Nyquan English, 22, of Coney Island, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision following his conviction earlier this month on one count of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree robbery after a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Miriam Cyrulnik.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on June 25, 2015, at approximately 3:00 p.m. inside of the NYCHA’s Coney Island Houses at 3028 West 29th Street, the defendant demanded a gold chain – with a religious pendant of a woman holding a sword – from a resident of the building. When the victim, a 39-year-old man, refused, the defendant physically struggled with him and eventually fired a small black revolver at close range striking him in the torso. After shooting him, the defendant removed the gold chain from the victim and left the scene.

The victim was taken to New York University’s Lutheran Medical Center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the chest.

On September 15, 2015, the defendant was arrested after being spotted by officers from the Brooklyn North Gang Unit patrolling in an unmarked police car on Lincoln Place and Troy Avenue in East New York. The officers saw the defendant drop a black object to the ground, and then change directions after spotting the unmarked police car. The arresting officers recovered a small black revolver from the spot where the defendant dropped the object.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brian Wagner, and Assistant District Attorney Michael Jaffe, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau Green Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney David Klestzick, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 29, 2017

Staten Island Man Sentenced to Three to Nine Years in Prison
For Causing Fatal Car Crash while Driving while Intoxicated

Defendant Was Speeding and Drove into Guardrail, Flipping Car and Ejecting Passenger

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Staten Island man has been sentenced to three to nine years in prison for causing a fatal car crash while driving while intoxicated. The defendant was speeding on the Belt Parkway, hit the guardrail and caused the car to flip, ejecting and killing a female passenger.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “What started as a night out with friends ended tragically, costing one woman her life. Three other passengers were lucky to survive. The defendant made a terrible decision when he got behind the wheel while drunk. He has now been held accountable for his actions.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Joseph Auteri, 21, of Lamont Avenue in Staten Island. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice James Sullivan to three to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter in May.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on November 8, 2015, at approximately 6:30 a.m., the defendant was driving a car carrying four passengers on the eastbound side of the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. The defendant was speeding in the left lane and then began to cross multiple lanes of traffic in an attempt to reach the exit at 65th Street and Fourth Avenue. As the car approached the exit, it struck the road’s guardrail, flipping over and ejecting a female passenger from the front seat.

The defendant and all passengers in the car were taken to Lutheran Hospital, where the victim was pronounced dead. The defendant had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath and his blood alcohol level, at .11, was over the legal limit.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Natalie Riether of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau Blue Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Robert Walsh, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 29, 2017

Brooklyn Woman and the Hitman She Hired to Murder her Husband
Both Sentenced to Life in Prison

Wife Tried to Cash Out Life Insurance Policy Days after Killing

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a woman and man from Brownsville, Brooklyn were sentenced to life in prison for their convictions in connection with a murder-for-hire plot in which the hitman was paid to kill the woman’s husband. The wife, who hired the co-conspirator after two previous failed assassination attempts on her husband’s life, tried to cash out life insurance policies under her dead husband’s name days later.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “With their premeditated and callous actions, these two defendants forfeited their right to remain part of our society. They planned and carried out the heinous and cruel execution of an innocent man for nothing more than pure greed.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendants as Alisha Noel-Murray and Kirk Portious, both 29, of Brownsville, Brooklyn. Each of the defendants was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog to a life sentence without the possibility of parole following their convictions earlier this month to first-degree murder after a jury trial.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on February 24, 2013, at about 12:58 p.m., Omar Murray, 37, was shot three times and died inside his home, located at 204 Lott Avenue in Brownsville. The investigation led police to Damien Lovell, Noel-Murray’s boyfriend, who told investigators that his girlfriend had asked him to find someone to kill her husband after her attempt to poison him had failed. The first person shot at the victim on February 6, 2013, but missed, according to testimony.

Lovell then hired Portious and provided him with a $500 down payment and the gun, which he received from Noel-Murray, the evidence showed. The gunman was promised a total of $3,500. Noel-Murray had taken out nearly $900,000 in life insurance on her husband before the murder and attempted to cash out the policies within days of his death.

Lovell had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for a promised sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily Dean of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant Distant Attorney Ebonie Legrand, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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