About Ernest Johnson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 21, 2017

 

Former City Tax Auditor Indicted for Allegedly
Stealing over $243,000 from Sheriff’s Office Trust Accounts

Deposited Checks to Personal Account and Spent Money on Plastic Surgery,
High-End Fashion, Jewelry, Car Lease, Furniture and Other Expenses

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters, today announced that a former tax auditor who was employed by the New York City Sheriff’s Office has been charged with grand larceny and related counts for allegedly stealing over $243,000 from Trust Accounts that were under her authority. After depositing checks to her personal accounts, she allegedly used the money on a host of extravagant personal expenses, including plastic surgery, travel, car leases, Louboutin products and Raymour & Flanigan furniture.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “What this defendant allegedly did was the ultimate betrayal of trust, taking money she was charged with safekeeping and spending it on her own lavish lifestyle. I will remain vigilant in prosecuting any form of public corruption.”

Commissioner Peters said, “As a City Tax Auditor this defendant was entrusted with the significant responsibility of accounting for and disbursing funds on behalf of the City. Instead, she is now charged with exploiting that access, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. DOI thanks the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for its continued partnership.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Kasara Wilson, 30, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. She was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice James Sullivan on an indictment in which she is charged with second-degree grand larceny, third-degree attempted grand larceny and an administrative code violation for failure to account to comptroller. She was ordered held on a $20,000 bond and to return to court on March 29, 2017. The defendant faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count with which she is charged.

The Acting District Attorney said that the defendant worked as a City Tax Auditor at the New York City Sheriff’s Office, a division of the Department of Finance that maintains Trust Accounts for each of the city’s five boroughs. These accounts contain funds that the Sheriff holds in escrow for distribution after legal disputes are resolved. The defendant had access to the Trust Accounts and the authority to distribute funds to appropriate parties.

It is alleged that between July and December 2013, the defendant, without permission or authorization, deposited checks written from the Queens County Sheriff’s Trust Account in the amounts of $4,871, $7,800, $104,804 and $38,585 into her personal accounts with Municipal Credit Union and JP Morgan Chase. In September 2014, she allegedly deposited an $87,593 check from the Kings County Sheriff’s Trust Account into her personal account. The total of all five checks was $243,654. In May 2016, the defendant allegedly deposited a $19,686 check from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Trust Account into her Chase account, but the bank returned that check. The defendant was suspended and subsequently resigned in June 2016.

The investigation found that money from the accounts into which the checks were deposited was spent on a host of personal expenses, including a trip to Miami and the leasing of a Nissan vehicle that was later upgraded to an Infiniti. In addition, the defendant made dozens of purchases at various businesses, such as: $1950 at a plastic surgeon’s office, $1,600 at Christian Louboutin, over $3,500 at Diamond Hut Jewelry, over $400 at Gucci, over $1,500 at Michael Kors and over $9,500 at Raymour & Flanigan.

The Acting District Attorney thanks the New York City Sheriff’s Office for its assistance with the investigation.

The investigation was conducted by DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for the City Department of Finance, specifically Special Investigator Renee Hassel, a DOI attorney who has been assigned to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau, and Confidential Investigator Anthony Ginyard, under the supervision of Inspectors General Clinton Daggan and Chin Ho Cheng, Associate Commissioner Susan Lambiase, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Michael Carroll, and First Deputy Commissioner Lesley Brovner.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sara Walshe and Assistant District Attorney Katherine Zdrojeski of the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau, with the assistance of Financial Investigator Vincent Jones, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michael Spanakos, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 21, 2017

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is Accepting Applications
For Summer High School Internships

Joint Partnership with the United Federation of Teachers; Program Offers Unique Exposure
To the Inner Workings of the Criminal Justice System

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, today announced the open application period for a summer internship program for high school students who live or attend school in the borough. Students with an interest in criminal justice or public service will participate in the comprehensive five-week program.

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Gonzalez said, “We are excited to host this hands-on and interactive internship program offering high school students the chance to work directly with Assistant District Attorneys and gain valuable real world experiences. Participating students will receive an insider’s view of the criminal justice system and the chance to be mentored in a professional workplace setting. We are proud to partner with the United Federation of Teachers to provide this opportunity for Brooklyn students.”

President Mulgrew said, “Internships can make a real difference in students’ lives, giving them a grounding in the workplace and a better understanding of what they will need—including further education—to create a career for themselves.”

Selected students will be assigned to units within the DA’s office to support the work of Assistant District Attorneys and other members of the DA’s staff. They can expect to assist with legal research and analysis using the Internet, news articles and legal periodicals; assist attorneys on pretrial matters; work on case preparation, discovery, file maintenance and organizing court documents; participate in trial zone workshops; participate in judicial, legal and law enforcement-related field trips; and observe criminal proceedings including trials, guilty pleas and sentencings.

The program is open to qualifying sophomores, juniors and rising seniors who must be able to commit to the entire duration of the program. It will run from July 10, 2017 to August 11, 2017, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Students will receive a $150 weekly stipend and commuting costs. Applicants are required to supply their most recent school transcripts, a one-page resume, two letters of recommendation and evaluation forms from either a teacher, coach or mentor, and must submit a 300 word typed essay (12 pt. font and double-spaced) on why they are interested in interning with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office and what impact they think it will have on their future personal and professional endeavors.

To apply, please visit www.brooklynda.org/internships, no later than May 5, 2017.

For further information, please contact us at hsinternships@brooklynda.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 20, 2017

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Creates First-in-the-City
Comprehensive Campus Sexual Assault Response Initiative

Task Force to Offer Outreach to Students and Administrators

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced his Office’s creation of a Campus Sexual Assault Response Initiative that will work proactively with college students and administrators to raise awareness of sexual assaults on campus, protect and support student survivors and foster cooperation among schools and law enforcement.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Every student who enjoys our borough’s rich educational resources should learn and grow free from the threat of campus sexual assault and dating violence. We are the first District Attorney’s Office in New York City to dedicate specific resources to these crimes in the campus setting. Brooklyn joins this important national conversation, not only with our unequivocal commitment to every person affected by this conduct, but also with concrete action.”

As part of the initiative, the DA’s Office and the campuses will partner with campus officials to improve and institutionalize a coordinated response to campus sexual assaults, enhancing reporting and investigation while ensuring an appropriate, comprehensive response. Representatives of the Office, in partnership with community organizations, will speak directly to new students arriving on campus during orientation and back-to-school activities. The Office will also offer training programs for campus staff.

The initiative’s task force will work to connect every campus survivor to the comprehensive services of the Office’s Victim Services Unit, even in cases which do not result in criminal prosecution. Early access to complete services will enhance the investigative process while minimizing any additional trauma from involvement with the criminal justice system and ensuring that victims are fully and accurately informed as early as possible.

Finally, the Office will designate a staff member as a single point of contact for campus officials and law enforcement seeking guidance on issues related to campus sexual assault. Our community prosecution model has proved that dedicated contacts with law enforcement and community officials improve access and consistency while building lasting partnerships that improve case outcomes.

The Office launched the initiative last week, hosting representatives of 14 institutions of higher education to provide an overview of its vision and resources. The representatives, including Title IX coordinators, also heard from some of our partners, including: a member of the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Squad; a social worker from our Victims Services Unit; and representatives of the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Sexual Assault Response, and the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Finally, the audience heard a survivor story from an advocate at Day One, which provides education and training to youth under age 24.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 17, 2017

 

Bushwick Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for
Shooting Girlfriend to Death

Shot Victim in Face inside his Drug-Filled Apartment

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 36-year-old man from Bushwick, Brooklyn was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting his girlfriend in the face, killing her instantly. The defendant, who had a large amount of narcotics in his apartment, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and narcotics possession earlier this month.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s lengthy sentence is warranted to hold this defendant accountable for a completely senseless shooting death. We will continue to vigorously prosecute gun violence and cases involving domestic violence, as we have done in this tragic case.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Bryan Gonzalez, 36, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic to 20 years in prison following his guilty plea on March 3, 2017, to first-degree manslaughter and to 12 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision following his guilty plea to first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both sentences will run concurrently.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on August 22, 2015 sometime after midnight, the defendant joined the victim, Tanya Collazo, 33, who was hanging out with family and friends. The defendant and victim, who were dating on and off, left around 5 a.m. and went to the defendant’s Suydam Street apartment.

At 7:30 a.m., the defendant went into a nearby deli and asked an employee to call the police because he had just killed his girlfriend. Responding officers found the victim shot in the face inside the bedroom and a loaded .40-caliber pistol in the hallway outside the bedroom. The defendant told police the shooting was accidental.

Inside the defendant’s bedroom, police recovered over eight ounces of heroin and over half an ounce of cocaine, along with drug paraphernalia suggesting that narcotics were being processed at the premises.

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 8, 2017

 

22 Virginia Residents, Many with Gang Ties, Indicted for Gun Trafficking;
Weapons Purchased in Virginia to be sold on the Streets of Brooklyn

217 Firearms, Including 41 Assault Weapons, Purchased During Course of Investigation

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, today announced that 24 individuals — 22 of whom are residents of Virginia — have been charged in a 627-count indictment with weapons offenses and conspiracy for trafficking guns purchased in Virginia to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “In this unique case, we charged more defendants and recovered more firearms than in any other case in Brooklyn’s history. We will go wherever we must, including other states, to continue fighting the scourge of firearms trafficking. We will not rest until every individual allegedly importing illegal guns into our borough – and with them death and violence – has seen their names on an indictment like this one.”

Commissioner O’Neill said, “The illegal firearms sold during this investigation amount to a sizable arsenal. When twenty-four individuals can readily engage in interstate trafficking of 217 handguns, rifles and assault-type weapons, this nation has a serious gun-control problem. Over and over again, New York City finds itself the final destination for illegal firearms. Too often our citizens become victims of the associated gun violence. Our investigators and prosecutors will continue to relentlessly pursue those responsible for trafficking in illegal guns, wherever they are.”

The Acting District Attorney said that the defendants, many of whom are allegedly associated with Bloods gangs in Virginia and Brooklyn, allegedly used proceeds from the gun sales to fund a lavish lifestyle, purchasing drugs, jewelry, clothing, and sneakers, in addition to sending money to jailed associates. In court ordered wiretaps, the defendants are allegedly heard labeling themselves traffickers and mocking Virginia’s weak gun laws.

The Acting District Attorney identified the leaders of the conspiracy as Damian King, a.k.a. Havoc, Jacquan Spencer, a.k.a. Madcat, and Levar Shelborne, a.k.a. Wavy Boy. The defendants have been variously charged in a 627-count indictment with first-, second-, and third-degree criminal sale of a firearm; second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree conspiracy, and other related charges. The defendants were arrested last week, most in Virginia, and are being arraigned this week and last before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice William Harrington. (See defendant addendum).

The Acting District Attorney said the indictment is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the New York City Police Department’s Firearms Investigations Unit and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Between June 2016 and February 2017 the defendants allegedly conspired to sell guns purchased in Virginia to a purchaser in Brooklyn. The investigation included the use of electronic communications intercepted pursuant to court order, as well as physical and video surveillance. The weapons recovered during the course of the investigation include assault weapons such as AK-47s, AR-15s, Thomson Industries (a.k.a. Tommy guns), Mossberg 715Ts, and MAC-10s. The handguns include a .45 caliber Desert Eagle 1911, Glocks with extended ammunition magazines and 50 round ammunition drums, and handguns of various calibers including .45 caliber, .40 caliber, .380 caliber, and 9mm.

It is alleged that one arm of the criminal organization operated in the area of Henrico and Richmond Counties, while the other arm of the conspiracy operated in the cities of Hampton and Newport News. The individuals comprising each arm of the conspiracy received direction from higher ranking members from each geographic area, who coordinated and organized the joint firearms trafficking operation between the two areas.

The indictment charges 10 of the defendants, including King, Spencer, and Shelborne, with bringing anywhere from two to 12 guns at a time, to Brooklyn or Manhattan from Virginia. The defendants allegedly travelled by automobile or took the bus to travel to New York with the firearms and meet the purchaser to complete the sale. Other defendants are accused as so-called ‘straw purchasers,’ individuals who, while legally entitled to purchase firearms under Virginia law, allegedly did so in this case only in order to give them to other defendants for illegal resale.

According to the investigation, the sales took place at various locations in Brooklyn, including in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Fort Greene, Sunset Park, and Boerum Hill. The firearms and ammunition were sold at a significant profit. The purchaser paid on average between $800 and $1,200 per hand gun and approximately $1,800 to $2,200 for the assault weapons.

It is also alleged that Spencer was aided in Brooklyn by Aaron Perry, who lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant and that he acted in concert in the alleged trafficking of weapons including allegedly acting as a lookout during a number of transactions. Perry allowed Spencer to stay at his residence, and to conduct at least eight transactions there.

The Acting District Attorney said that prosecutors assigned to his Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, working with detectives from the New York City Police Department’s Firearms Investigations Unit, have taken almost 1,000 guns off Brooklyn streets since VCE was created in 2014.

The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Department Detectives Erik Hirsch and Daniel Grandstaff, under the supervision of Sergeants Donald Morgan and Alexander Lago, Lieutenant Michael Jennings, Captain Jonathan Korabel, and Deputy Inspector Brian Gill and the overall supervision of Assistant Chief James Essig of the Gun Violence Suppression Division.

The Acting District Attorney thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in this matter, as well as the Henrico and Richmond Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Elizabeth Kowell and Jared Mogil, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Sennett, Deputy Chief for Special Investigations and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of Investigations and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.

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

DEFENDANT ADDENDUM:

1. Damian King (Havoc), 27, of Bristow, VA.
2. Jacquan Spencer (Madcat), 22, of Hampton, VA.
3. Levar Shelborne (Wavy Boy), 29, of Richmond, VA.
4. Antwan Walker (Twan), 21, of Highland Springs, VA.
5. Tevin Richardson (Stay-lo), 25, of Washington, D.C.
6. Dwayne Lamont Rawlings (Ding Dong), 30, of Hampton, VA.
7. Kenneth Threatts (Trey), 21, of North Chesterfield, VA.
8. Renardo Maye (Nardo), 20, of Richmond, VA.
9. Aaron Horowitz (Gringo), 24, of Richmond, VA.
10. Aaron Perry, 22, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
11. Cameron Fobbs (Bam or Bambino), 20, of Richmond, VA.
12. Clifford Perryman (Nino), 28, of Richmond, VA.
13.  Neftali Ramirez (Doe Flacko), 25, of Woodbridge, VA.
14. Dajon Yearty, 25, of Newport News, VA.
15. Euneece Robinson, 28, of Richmond, VA.
16. Aaron Seabrook, 22, of Richmond, VA.
17. Corey Russell, 20, of Richmond, VA.
18. Naquan Trapp, 20, of Richmond, VA.
19. Chauncey Walker, 20, of Richmond, VA.
20. Walter Alston (380), 29, of Richmond, VA.
21. Malyk Hawthorne (Wink), 21, of Richmond, VA.
22. Michael Vordjorbe (Stacks), 21, of Richmond, VA.
23. Antoine Smyre (Fats Pomc), 28, of Richmond, VA.
24. Donald Houston (Doozie), 27, of Richmond, VA.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 7, 2017

 

Boerum Hill Drug Dealer Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for
Fatally Shooting Man during Fistfight, Wounding another

Bloods Gang Member Shot Unarmed Victim who was Crawling Away

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 29-year-old gang member was sentenced to 35 years in state prison for shooting an unarmed man to death and wounding another man during a 2009 fistfight that erupted over marijuana sales in a Bushwick courtyard.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant brought a gun to a fistfight and callously shot to death a man who was trying to save his own life by crawling away. Today’s sentence protects the public from a clearly dangerous individual who quickly resorted to lethal force to settle a senseless dispute.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Anthony Reyes, 29, of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Mondo to 35 years in prison. He was convicted on February 3, 2017 of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on May 17, 2009, at about 8 p.m., a fistfight broke out in the courtyard of 1454 Greene Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The defendant fired a .380-caliber firearm at an unarmed Allen Wilson, Jr., 24; the first shot missed but the defendant fired again, striking Wilson in the torso as he was crawling on the ground, trying to escape. The evidence showed that the bullet entered Mr. Wilson’s chest and pierced his heart. The defendant also shot and wounded an unarmed Darryl Rembert, then 23.

The fistfight followed an earlier dispute between Wilson’s brother and two teenagers who were selling marijuana at the location on the defendant’s behalf, according to testimony. The defendant received a phone call about the dispute immediately before arriving at the courtyard armed with his gun. Before the fight began, the defendant threatened to shoot Wilson if the victim hit the person he was arguing with, the evidence showed.

The defendant fled to the Dominican Republic in the days after the homicide and was apprehended in August 2014 while re-entering the United States. He subsequently confessed to the shooting, describing himself as a member of the Bloods street gang who was involved in the drug trade.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick O’Connor, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Katie Lee Wright, also of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of Investigations, and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 7, 2017

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Announces New Career Education
Opportunity for Underserved Youth
in Partnership with the New York City Exploring Program

Unique Work-Site Based Initiative Pairs Prosecutors with Young Mentees,
Program Designed to Build Leadership and Career Skills

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with the Boy Scouts of America Greater New York Councils Deputy Scout Executive Christopher Coscia, today announced the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Explorers Post program—a new career exploration and mentoring initiative designed to introduce young men and women to the expansive work of a prosecutor’s office and provide them with an in-depth overview of the criminal justice system.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “In Brooklyn, we recognize that our future rests in the success of our youth and by partnering with New York City Exploring we continue to provide wide-ranging programs that strengthen community relationships and give young people opportunities to reach their full potential. Through the Explorers Post program, dozens of students will work hands-on with prosecutors to gain invaluable experience and insight into the criminal justice system, while volunteering prosecutors have a chance to learn more about the communities they serve.

Deputy Scout Executive Coscia said, “Exploring Aims to provide positive and meaningful real-world career experiences for NYC teenagers. We are proud to partner with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office as we launch this new innovative program. The Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America helps New York City kids be prepared for success in school, career, and life.”

Over the course of three months, starting today, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Explorers Post program, created in partnership with the Greater New York Councils Explorers and Learning for Life—both affiliates of the Boy Scouts of America—will host approximately 25 young men and women in five evening sessions at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Guided by five Assistant District Attorneys from diverse trial zones and specialized units, the students will receive an expert overview of the criminal justice system and will be exposed to various phases of a criminal case from investigation to sentencing. Additionally, Explorers Post participants will have an opportunity to learn about the many law enforcement and legal careers that exist within the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the criminal justice system in general.

The Explores Post program will be administered by the District Attorney’s Youth Diversion Programs Bureau and builds upon the Office’s ongoing youth-centered crime prevention and educational initiatives, including the ‘Friday Night Lights’ youth basketball program in Red Hook, an after-school chess program in Bedford-Stuyvesant and East New York as well as a series of high school internships. All of these programs help to build relationships between law enforcement and the community.

Participating Explorers Post students were selected by New York City Exploring.

Created in 1954, the Exploring program is a hands-on program open to young students between the ages of 14 and 20 years of age and seeks to provide experiences that help young people mature and prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.

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