About Ernest Johnson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Lower East Side Man Convicted of Murder for Shooting Death
Stemming from Decades-Old Dispute
That Started in a Small Village in China

Defendant Shot the Elderly Victim Three Times on a Sunset Park Street
Following Chance Encounter at Wedding

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 46-year-old man has been convicted of murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the 2015 fatal shooting of a 68-year-old man in Sunset Park.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant held a grudge for more than 20 years and used deadly violence to settle a score. A dispute that should have ended in a village in China instead resulted in gunshots on the streets of Brooklyn. He has now been held accountable for his actions.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Wu Long Chen, 46, of the Lower East Side in Manhattan. He was convicted yesterday of one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog, who set sentencing for July 17, 2017. The defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on December 7, 2015, at approximately 9:35 p.m., the defendant followed the victim after he left the wedding reception of a mutual friend, held at the Golden Imperial Palace restaurant on Sixth Avenue in Sunset Park. Both men had attended the wedding, but were seated at different tables.

The defendant was captured on surveillance video following the victim to Seventh Avenue and 61st Street, where he shot the victim in the head, chest and arm. When his gun jammed, the defendant dropped it and fled the scene. The victim walked into a Popeye’s Chicken restaurant, where he collapsed. He was taken by ambulance to Lutheran Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.

The victim, Ying Guan Chen, 68, was the father of the defendant’s former neighbors in China. Wu Long and the victim’s sons had heated arguments, decades ago in China, about Wu Long’s family building an additional floor in their property that hovered over the victim’s family’s home. Ultimately, there was a physical altercation between both families which, according to the defendant, resulted in a serious injury to one of his relatives. The defendant harbored a grudge, according to testimony, and since he couldn’t find the victim’s sons he sought retribution by killing the victim instead, even though he had no involvement in the dispute.

The defendant fled New York and was captured in Laredo, Texas on December 31, 2015, as he tried to make his way to Mexico.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Howard Jackson, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Lauren Silver, 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
Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Seeking Community Partners
For Youth Development and Crime Prevention Program

The Program Will Use Sports, Fitness and other Activities
To Positively Engage Youth Ages 11 to 19

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that his Office is seeking community-based organizations to partner in an upcoming youth development and crime prevention program that will operate in several Brooklyn neighborhoods. The program will focus on sports and fitness activities to provide a safe space for youth ages 11 to 19 to engage in recreational activities and minimize criminal justice involvement. In seeking the involvement of community-based organizations, Acting DA Gonzalez recognizes that they are uniquely qualified to best address the needs of youth in neighborhoods where young people too often engage in criminal activity for a lack of positive, productive ways to spend their time.

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Gonzalez said, “We are excited to offer this upcoming program to give Brooklyn’s youth a new opportunity to be active and engaged in a safe space in their communities. And to help get the most out of the program, we’re now hoping to draw upon the experience and expertise of community organizations – to help plan the program and ultimately partner with us in making it a success.”

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has issued a Request for Information (RFI), in advance of an upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP), to invite ideas and discussion from community-based organizations with relevant experience in youth development about options available for implementing the program in several Brooklyn neighborhoods.

The goals of the program include the following: 1) to create safe communities through innovative and impactful programming; 2) to prevent youth violence and youth victimization in high-crime neighborhoods; 3) to reduce violence and criminal justice involvement with youth; 4) to provide high quality skill-development activities; and 5) to improve relations between law enforcement and communities.

The program will join the portfolio of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Educational Programs Unit, which offers a range of programs to increase public safety and help Brooklyn residents further develop collaborative and proactive responses to community concerns. Current programs include the Police Athletic League Chess Program for at-risk youth, held in Bedford-Stuyvesant and East New York; Friday Night Lights, the Good Shepherd Services Drill and Play basketball program, held at the Miccio Community Center in Red Hook; Project Restart, a youth diversion program serving over-age, under-credited students transitioning into high school; and two alternative to incarceration programs for first-time offenders between the ages of 13 and 22 who meet eligibility requirements.

Organizations interested in reviewing and responding to the RFI can download it at http://brooklynda.org/youth-diversion-programs/#rfi or contact Maliek K. Branch at KCDAYouthRFI@brooklynda.org. Subsequent responses to the RFI must be submitted no later than July 28, 2017.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 26, 2017

North Carolina Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in Connection With
Trafficking 33 Guns to Sell on the Streets of Brooklyn

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 24-year-old man from North Carolina has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following his guilty plea last month to first-degree criminal sale of a firearm in connection with trafficking 33 firearms from his home state into Brooklyn.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentencing is further evidence of our commitment to stop illegal guns from being sold on the streets of Brooklyn. Lax gun laws down South are responsible for most of the guns used to commit crimes here. This defendant will now spend 10 years in a New York State prison for his actions, which put the safety of Brooklyn residents at risk.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Marcus Gamble, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was sentenced today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Murphy to 10 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. He pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sale of a firearm last month.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 5, 2016, the defendant sold 10 loaded firearms to an undercover police officer and, on December 13, 2016, the defendant sold the undercover 15 loaded firearms for a total of about $27,000. The sales took place inside a car in the vicinity of Flatbush Avenue and Maple Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn.

On December 20, 2016, as the defendant was waiting for a third sale to commence, he was arrested inside a Golden Krust restaurant located at 568 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Eight guns and parts of an assault rifle were recovered from his backpack, according to the indictment.

The 33 guns the defendant transported to Brooklyn were mostly pistols and revolvers, including Smith & Wessons, Colts and Rugers. Some of the weapons were purchased legally in North Carolina to be sold illegally in Brooklyn and others were reported stolen, the investigation found. The defendant grew up in New York City, has extensive family ties to Brooklyn, but has been living in North Carolina for the past couple of years, according to the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katie Lee Wright, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision Assistant District Attorney Jonathan R. Sennett, Deputy Chief of VCE, and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

South Carolina Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
For Trafficking 40 Firearms for Sale in Brooklyn and Manhattan

Made the Sales on 19 Occasions; Investigation Exposed Other Criminal Operations

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 28-year-old man from South Carolina was sentenced to 12 years in prison for transporting 40 firearms from his home state for sale on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The investigation into this defendant exposed other interconnected criminal schemes involving alleged gang members and their associates.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant took advantage of lax gun laws in his home state to bring dangerous weapons into Brooklyn streets. The firearms he sold would have undoubtedly caused violence in our communities, but they were intercepted thanks to this investigation by the NYPD and my Office. The defendant will now spend more than a decade in prison for his decision to endanger lives in order to make a buck.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Colin (“Rum”) Toney, 28, of Lamar, SC. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 12 years in prison following his guilty plea earlier this month to first-degree criminal sale of a firearm.

The defendant was the target of an investigation that revealed that between June 2015 and September 2016, on 19 occasions, he sold a total of 40 guns that were purchased in his home state to an undercover New York City Police Department detective in Brooklyn and Manhattan, according to the indictment. On seven of these occasions, the defendant was accompanied by his girlfriend, Dedra Shantel Wheeler, 22, of South Carolina, who, at times, allegedly conducted the transactions with the undercover. On four occasions, Toney was joined by Donte Smith, 25, also of South Carolina.

Smith had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sale of a firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison. Wheeler’s case is still pending.

During the course of the investigation, detectives learned of Toney’s past affiliation with a set of the Bloods gang based in New York City and started to monitor communications of two alleged gang leaders. Through them, the investigation exposed an alleged bank larceny operation as well as two weapon possession incidents. That part of the investigation led to charges against 16 additional individuals.

The case was investigated by Detective Brian McSweeney, with the assistance of Detective Frank Kolanovic of the New York City Police Department’s Firearms Investigations Unit, under the supervision of Sergeant Donald Morgan, Sergeant Alex Lago, Lieutenant Michael Jennings, Captain Jonathan Korabel, Deputy Inspector Brian Gill and Captain Jonathan Korabel, Commanding Officer of Firearms Investigation Unit, and the overall supervision of Inspector Richard Green and Assistant Chief James Essig of the Gun Violence Suppression Division.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Owen Sucoff of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney James Slattery, also of VCE, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jonathan R. Sennett, Deputy Chief of VCE, and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 19, 2017

East New York Man Indicted For Sex Trafficking of 14-Year-Old Girl

Defendant and his Girlfriend Charged with Promoting Second 14-Year-Old as Prostitute

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an East New York man has been charged in a 21-count indictment with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and related charges for offering two 14-year-old girls to men who paid to have sex with them.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants preyed on vulnerable young girls, selling them to men who had sex with them in exchange for money. Prostitution of minors is a dangerous and degrading crime and those who force others to work in the sex trade in Brooklyn will be prosecuted.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Anthony Young, a.k.a., Royalty, 30, of East New York, Brooklyn, and his girlfriend, Shaunda Swanson, 23, of the Bronx. Young was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which he is charged with sex trafficking, first-degree promoting prostitution and related charges. He faces up to 25 years in prison, and would have to register as a sex offender, if convicted of the top count. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on September 13, 2017. Swanson is expected to be arraigned next week. She is charged with first-degree promoting prostitution and related charges. She faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, between March and August of 2016, Young prostituted two 14-year-old girls in Brooklyn; Hempstead, Huntington and Westbury, New York; and Elizabeth, New Jersey, posting photos of them alongside advertisements for escort services.

It is alleged that the defendants rented several rooms at the Howard Johnson hotel on Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn, as well as at other locations. Men came to the locations and paid to have sex with the girls.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, it is alleged that Young drove the underage girls to other locations in Brooklyn, as well as Long Island and New Jersey to have sex with men for money. Young allegedly threatened one of the girls that she would be harmed if she did not comply. The girls allegedly had to turn over most of their earnings to Young.

It is alleged that his co-defendant, Swanson, assisted Young in promoting one of the 14-year-old victims, including providing her with false identification so she could rent a hotel room to have sex with men for money.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective David Mills of the Major Case Human Trafficking Team, Vice Enforcement Division, under the supervision of Lieutenant Christopher Sharpe and Captain Thomas Milano, and the overall supervision of Inspector James Klein.

The Acting District Attorney thanked Sergeant Patricia Gusmano, of the Special Victims Unit at the Union County, New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office, for her assistance in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney David Weiss, of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, with the assistance of Brooklyn Middleton, Senior Intelligence Analyst with the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies Unite, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Laura Edidin, Unit Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 19, 2017

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office to Celebrate Pride Month
With Event Honoring Leaders in the Community

Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Launches LGBTQ Initiative

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced the launch of an initiative to better serve the LGBTQ community, including office-wide training of prosecutors to ensure they are culturally competent in relating to LGBTQ crime victims and outreach to the LGBTQ community to get the word out that the District Attorney’s Office is a safe space to report crime, and, where appropriate, offer alternative sentencings with relevant programming for LGBTQ defendants.

The Acting District Attorney also announced that his Office will celebrate Pride Month with an event planned for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at Brooklyn Law School, Feil Hall, 205 State Street, 22nd Floor, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Food and refreshments will be served.

During the Pride Event, attorney Kylar W. Broadus of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund will receive the Legal Excellence Award and the Ali Forney Center, Brooklyn Community Pride and Caribbean-American Pride will receive Community Social Impact Awards. Jamel Gaines of the Jamel Gaines Creative Dance Outlet is set to perform.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “I am proud to announce the launch of our LGBTQ initiative which involves a combination of office-wide training in terminology and sensitivity, and outreach to the LGBTQ community. As prosecutors charged with keeping the community safe, it is important that we establish a safe space for the LGBTQ community to report when they are victims of crime, especially since crimes against this community have historically been underreported and violence against transgender women of color continues to rise. Also, in an effort to prevent future crimes, our office will offer, where appropriate, alternative sentences to LGBTQ youth defendants including programs that specialize in their particular needs to help reduce recidivism and connect them with appropriate services.”

Following is a brief outline of the initiative, which was launched this month:

1. Office-wide training on LGBTQ issues focusing on cultural competency, the community and law enforcement and how the community interacts with the criminal justice system, including specialized trainings for prosecutors in specialized bureaus such as the Domestic Violence Bureau and the Young Adult Court Bureau.
2. Community outreach with organizations and community spaces outside of the office to combat underreporting. Information regarding the process of filing a report and the role of the prosecutor, and services available to survivors of crime.
3. Research, create and enhance alternative to incarceration sentencing programs for LGBTQ defendants, including drug treatment programs, anger management programs and consideration of appropriate programs for vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ homeless youth and transgender individuals.
4. Creation of educational materials for use in office and out in the community, such as pamphlets containing information about LGBTQ service agencies, “How to Report” materials, information about KCDA’s Domestic Violence Bureau, Family Justice Center and KCDA contact information.
5. An annual June Pride Event hosted by KCDA during Pride Month to celebrate the history and culture of the LGBTQ community and to honor community leaders, advocates and organizations.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 16, 2017

Teen Indicted for Attempted Murder for Seriously Injuring
Police Officer by Intentionally Dragging Him with a Vehicle

Allegedly Sped off in Stolen Car as NYPD Officer Hung on

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 15-year-old Brooklyn teenager has been indicted for attempted murder and assault in connection with an incident that left a New York City Police Officer with life threatening injuries. The defendant allegedly sped away in a stolen car after the officer approached and then weaved the vehicle to cause the officer, who was attempting to hang on, to be thrown off and suffer severe head trauma.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The defendant in this case allegedly tried to escape during a lawful stop and, in doing so, seriously injured a dedicated police officer. This appalling and senseless criminal behavior will be prosecuted to the fullest extent because we simply won’t allow anyone to put our police officers in harm’s way. My thoughts and prayers are with Officer Veve and his family.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Justin Murrell, 15, of Brownsville, 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 and first-degree assault. The defendant was ordered held without bail and to return to court on August 22, 2017. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.

The Acting District Attorney said that on June 3, 2016, officers from the 67th Precinct responded to the corner of Tilden Avenue and East 53rd Street in East Flatbush to investigate a report of shots fired. Officer Dalsh Veve approached a black Honda Civic that was driven by the defendant and had three other passengers, according to the investigation.

When Officer Veve attempted to stop the vehicle, the defendant fled with the officer holding onto the car. The evidence shows that the defendant drove up to 56 mph while weaving through the streets. The Officer was able to discharge his weapon, striking the defendant in the jaw, and was then flung from the vehicle. He suffered severe neurological injuries and remains in a coma.

The defendant crashed the car and he and the three occupants of the Honda – which had been stolen – fled on foot, the investigation found. Murrell walked about 15 blocks to Kings County Hospital, but saw several police cars outside so he took an Uber to Brookdale Hospital and was admitted.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Carvajal, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Timothy Gough, Bureau Chief.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 15, 2017

Sheepshead Bay Man Indicted for Fatally Shooting Wife

Assaulted Victim’s Cousin as She Tried to Protect Her; Defendant Fled to Delaware

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 30-year-old man from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn has been arraigned on an indictment charging him with the murder of his 30-year-old wife, whom he allegedly assaulted before shooting her in the head last month. The defendant allegedly admitted to committing the murder before fleeing to Delaware.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant is charged with ruthlessly shooting to death an innocent and beloved woman who was out celebrating with her family. I am determined to hold him accountable for this cold-blooded murder.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Gabino Genao, 30, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree assault. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on August 2, 2017. The defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on May 26, 2017 at about 11:15 p.m., in front of 2714 West 36th Street in Seagate, Brooklyn, the defendant shot his wife, Iveliss Alvarado, multiple times in the head. The couple was not living together at the time and the victim was celebrating at a family reunion before she was fatally shot.

A cousin of the victim witnessed the defendant pummeling her cousin, intervened in an attempt to protect her and suffered bruises when the defendant allegedly punched her as well. The cousin fled as the defendant opened fire. After the shooting, the defendant was heard saying, “I killed her,” according to the investigation. He was apprehended in Delaware on June 2, 2017 and extradited to Brooklyn today.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Andres Palacio of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Richa Bhasin, of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Domestic Violence Bureau Chief.

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