About Ernest Johnson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 22, 2016

 

NYPD Officer Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Minor Child

Was a Friend of Victim’s Family; Repeated Abuse for Nearly Three Years

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a New York City Police Department Officer has been convicted of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child for the repeated abuse of a young girl for nearly three years, starting when she was 10.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This is a disturbing case where a young child was sexually abused and repeatedly violated by a family friend—now a police officer—whom she should have been able to trust. The victim had the courage to speak out against the abuser and we will now see that he is punished.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jacob Sabbagh, 34, of Midwood, Brooklyn. The defendant was convicted today of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alan Marrus. The defendant faces up to seven years in prison when sentenced on September 7, 2016.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, the defendant was a family friend of the victim and would sleep over at the victim’s home in Flatbush, Brooklyn, approximately every month. The investigation revealed that on each of these visits, between June 2005 and March 2008, the defendant repeatedly groped and fondled the victim and on occasion forced her to reciprocate. The defendant joined the police force in 2009.

The abuse began when the victim was 10 and ceased when she turned 13. The victim and her family moved out of the country and, when she was 16, the victim told her mother about the past abuse. The case was reported to law enforcement authorities in the country where the victim resided and later referred to the District Attorney’s Victim Services Unit.

In controlled telephone conversations between the victim and the defendant, the defendant is heard admitting to the sexual abuse and apologizing for his actions, according to evidence presented at trial.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Grace Brainard, formerly of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, and Kevin O’Donnell, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 17, 2016

 

Two Gang Members Convicted for Fatal Shooting of
Rival in Coney Island Street

Lured Victim from Store and Shot Him Repeatedly

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that two gang members have been convicted in connection with the death of a rival whom they lured out of a store and then ran up from behind him and shot him multiple times to death.

District Attorney Thompson said, “These violent defendants conspired to shoot and kill a man in the middle of the street. We will simply not allow gang members to fire guns in our communities, but will investigate each and every shooting and hold all perpetrators accountable.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as, Gregory (“Douggie”) Ammonds, 25, of Brownsville, Brooklyn, and Kevin (“Cheese”) Perry, 39, of Rockaway Beach, Queens. They were convicted yesterday of one count of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial in front of Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Michael Gary. The defendants face a maximum sentence of 55 years to life when they are sentenced on July 20, 2016.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on December 19, 2012 at about 6:15 p.m., after Perry lured Henry Dankwah out of a grocery store Ammonds and an accomplice, Michael (“Mikey”) Torres, 24, both shot and killed Henry Dankwah on West 36^th Street between Neptune and Mermaid Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

The evidence showed that earlier in the day Dankwah was heard making threats against Ammonds after which Dankwah went to a store in the vicinity of West 36^th Street and Neptune Avenue.  Perry started a conversation with him inside the store and then exited the store with him and the two of them proceeded to walk on West 36^th Street.  Torres and Ammonds, who were waiting across the street from the store, then crept up behind the victim and Torres shot him with a .45-caliber firearm and Ammonds with a .9-mm firearm a total of thirteen times.

The three perpetrators, all of whom were members of the “Sex Money Murder” street gang, were arrested in March and April of 2014, following an investigation.

Torres, of Castle Hill in the Bronx, pleaded guilty on February 17, 2016 to second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced on April 1, 2016 by Justice Gary to 15 years to life in prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick O’Connor, Deputy Chief, as assisted by Assistant District Attorney Ian Massar of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 16, 2016

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office to Hold
2nd Annual Brooklyn Immigration Forum

Panel Discussion and Workshops Offered on Immigration and Real Estate Fraud

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that the District Attorney’s Office will be holding its 2^nd Annual Brooklyn Immigration Forum, in recognition of Caribbean American Heritage Month, to help immigrants protect themselves against common practices of immigration and real estate fraud. The event will be held on Saturday, June 18, in Crown Heights.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Without proper knowledge of their rights, many in Brooklyn’s immigrant communities may be preyed upon by those who would exploit this vulnerable population for monetary gain. My office is partnering with agencies from across the city to provide immigrants – both documented and undocumented – with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves.”

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office will be joined by nonprofits and city agencies for panel discussions on issues regarding immigration fraud and real estate fraud, as well as breakout workshops and community resource tables.

The forum will be held on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at St. Matthews Church, 1345 Lincoln Place, in Crown Heights.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 16, 2016

 

Fugitive Who Fled During Trial Deliberations and Sentenced in Absentia
Captured and Returned to Court

Defendant Remanded to Serve 40 Year Sentence Imposed Last Month
For Shooting Five Members of One Family

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 25-year-old Bushwick man who was sentenced in absentia to 40 years in prison last month was captured yesterday afternoon and brought before the court where he was remanded to begin serving his sentence.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant brazenly shot and injured five members of the same family in broad daylight. Like a coward, he fled when it became clear that the evidence against him was overwhelming. He will now serve the 40 year sentence he so justly deserves.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Curtis Peterson, 25, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was sentenced in absentia to 40 years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Michael Gary on May 23, 2016. The defendant was convicted on April 6, 2016 of three counts of first-degree assault, one count of first-degree attempted assault, one count of second-degree assault, one count of first-degree reckless endangerment, one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of first-degree harassment last month following a jury trial. The defendant, who was free on $100,000 bail, absconded following summations.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on July 20, 2013, at approximately 2 p.m., the defendant, who was with a group of young men, approached the victims, who were on Menahan Street. He opened fire, striking Ronaldo Pizarro, 45, in the stomach, striking Pizarro’s wife Melody Amill, 37, in the knee, and striking his son, Ronaldo Jr., 22, in the leg. Pizarro’s aunt, Wanda Espinoza, 45, was hit in the stomach and another relative, Manuel Rivera, 62, was hit in the ankle.

Furthermore, according to trial testimony, Peterson had an ongoing dispute with Pizarro’s 18-year-old daughter whom he harassed on July 18, 2013, by showing up at her job in a McDonald’s and throwing a milkshake at her. Pizarro’s daughter, at the behest of her parents, reported the harassment to the police, according to testimony, leading Peterson to seek retaliation by confronting and shooting at her family members.

Finally, according to trial testimony, a 9mm Taurus semiautomatic handgun was found at the scene and the defendant’s DNA was present on the firearm. The defendant fled to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was arrested several days later.

Following summations the defendant stopped showing up for court and fled the jurisdiction. Detectives from the New York City Police Department’s 83^rd Precinct Detective Squad and the Warrants Squad apprehended the defendant yesterday afternoon after receiving credible information that he was staying in an apartment located at 731 Lexington Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

When the detectives arrived at the location the defendant fled, climbing out of a rear first-floor window and into a backyard and then jumping two fences. He was found hiding beneath a fire escape in a neighboring backyard. He was then taken into custody by members of the NYPD Warrants Squad.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Chief of the District Attorney’s Grey Zone Trial Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Ross Yaggy, also of the Grey Zone.

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Kenneth P. Thompson

District Attorney
Kings County

June 15, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Owner of Three-Quarter Houses and his Employee Indicted for
Fraud and Illegal Eviction

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that the owner of a company that operated three-quarter houses in Brooklyn and his employee have been indicted on two counts of first-degree scheme to defraud, six counts of unlawful eviction and related charges.

One defendant, Yury Baumblit, 65, of Brighton Beach, operated Back on Track Inc., a company that rented out three-quarter houses (also known as transitional houses or sober houses). Most tenants in his houses received shelter allowance from the New York City Human Resources Administration and others paid the landlord in cash. The second defendant, Edwin Elie, 42, of Canarsie, acted as Baumblit’s right-hand man and enforced his orders at the houses he operated.

It is alleged that between April 2014 and March 16, 2016, the defendants unlawfully evicted at least 10 tenants who occupied rooms for over 30 days – even though landlords cannot evict a tenant who occupied a room or a bed for 30 consecutive days without a court order. The defendants allegedly repeatedly engaged in tactics to unlawfully evict tenants at multiple residences, including removing tenants’ mattresses and belongings, destroying a stove, and locking buildings during the daytime to prevent residents form returning.

District Attorney Thompson said, “These defendants are charged with taking advantage of vulnerable New Yorkers who were in need of assistance. They provided them with the opposite – allegedly evicting these tenants unlawfully. They have now been indicted and we intend to hold them accountable for their actions.”

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

Read the full press release here.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 15, 2016

 

Owner of Three-Quarter Houses and his Employee Indicted for
Fraud and Illegal Eviction for Removing Tenants from Homes

Charged with Evicting at least 10 Tenants in Systemic Scheme to Defraud;
Allegedly Put Belongings on the Street, Broke Stoves and Locked Doors

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that the owner of a company that operated three-quarter houses in Brooklyn and his employee have been arraigned on an indictment that charges them with unlawfully evicting tenants in a systemic scheme to defraud. The defendant allegedly used various tactics to evict the residents without a court order, including putting their belongings on the street, removing their mattresses, preventing them from cooking by breaking stoves and locking the doors to the residences to prevent entry.

District Attorney Thompson said, “These defendants are charged with taking advantage of vulnerable New Yorkers who were in need of assistance. They provided them with the opposite – allegedly evicting these tenants unlawfully. They have now been indicted and we intend to hold them accountable for their actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Yury Baumblit, 65, of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and Edwin Elie, 42, of Canarsie, Brooklyn. They were arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a nine-count indictment charging them with two counts of first-degree scheme to defraud, six counts of unlawful eviction and one count of second-degree criminal contempt. The defendants face up to four years in prison if convicted of the top count with which they are charged.

The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, Baumblit operated Back on Track Inc., a company that rented out three-quarter houses (also known as transitional houses or sober houses). Most tenants in his houses received shelter allowance from the New York City Human Resources Administration and others paid the landlord in cash. Elie acted as Baumblit’s right-hand man and enforced his orders at the houses he operated.

It is alleged that between April 2014 and March 16, 2016, the defendants unlawfully evicted at least 10 tenants who occupied rooms for over 30 days – even though landlords cannot evict a tenant who occupied a room or a bed for 30 consecutive days without a court order. That constituted an ongoing scheme to defraud these tenants of their property. All the tenants were directed by Baumblit to attend a substance abuse program, even when they did not have a substance abuse problem.

One victim moved to 456 Glenmore Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn in May 2014 and resided there for over a year. During that period, Baumblit or his employee locked the residence during the day, according to the investigation. In addition, the victim had allegedly observed the defendant or his employees remove mattresses belonging to tenants and destroy the stove so tenants could not cook.

Another tenant in the residence, who paid Baumblit in cash from his disability payments, was allegedly evicted after six months in the home when the defendant removed his belongings and placed another tenant in his bed. The victim sued in Tenant-Landlord Court and obtained an order directing Baumblit to return the bed to him. The defendant refused and the victim slept on the floor for more than four months.

At that same residence, yet another victim, who moved there in July 2014, had surgery in early 2015 and, subsequently, was told by Baumblit he could not stay in the home during the day and had to attend his assigned program. The victim went to the program, collapsed in the street and was hospitalized for five days, according to the indictment. That victim allegedly observed employees, including Elie, evict at least six different tenants from the residence.

Tenants at two other locations – 345 Schenck Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, and 579 Ralph Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn – also alleged that tenants’ property was removed and left in the street or that the doors of the residence were locked during the day, effectively leading to an eviction during daytime hours.

The case was investigated by Detecitve Investigator Marvin Chalmers under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Robert Addonizio and Deputy Chief Edwin Murphy. NYPD Police Officer Courney Vishawadia, of the 73^rd Precinct, initially investigated the case and arrested the defendants.

Two attorneys from the New York City Law Department, William Vidal, Senior Attorney and Rachel Moston, Assistant Corporation Counsel, were prosecuting the initial summons issued to Baumblit and were cross-designated as Special Assistant District Attorneys to assist in the prosecution.

The case is being prosecuted by Felice Sontupe, Chief of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the Investigations Division, and Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.

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