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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 3, 2022

 

Sheepshead Bay Man Sentenced to 22 Years to Life in Prison
For Fatally Stabbing Professor in Prospect Park South Home

Defendant Gained Entry and Attacked Homeowner, Then Found Hiding in Closet

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 22 to years to life in prison for the murder of a New School professor in the basement of the victim’s house in Prospect Park South.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant broke into the victim’s home and when confronted, senselessly stabbed him to death. Hopefully, today’s sentence brings a measure of solace to his heartbroken family. The defendant has now been held accountable for his actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Mirzo Atadzhanov, 32, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 22 years to life in prison. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on November 4, 2021.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on May 7, 2018, just before 6 p.m., the victim’s wife placed a 911 call and, when police responded, officers discovered the victim, 66-year-old Jeremy Safran, in the basement of his Prospect Park South home. The victim was stabbed twice in the chest and three times in the stomach. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Prior to being attacked he had been working out in the basement.

The defendant, who broke into the basement and stabbed the victim, was discovered hiding in a closet in the basement. The knife used in the stabbing was subsequently recovered from the trunk of the defendant’s car, according to the evidence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ernest Chin, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Grey Zone Trial Bureau (formerly of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau).

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 22, 2022

 

Bronx Man Arraigned on Indictment Charging Him With
Hate Crimes for Allegedly Assaulting Woman, Spewing Anti-Hispanic Slurs

Victim Was Allegedly Punched as She Was Speaking into Her Cell Phone on Subway Platform

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for hate crimes after allegedly assaulting a senior citizen in an unprovoked attack in a subway station.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Bias-motivated attacks will not be tolerated in Brooklyn, which prides itself on its diversity and inclusion. This alleged attack on a Spanish-speaking senior citizen was particularly egregious because of the victim’s vulnerability and the defendant’s hateful language. We will now seek to hold him accountable for his alleged actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Lamont Dinkins, 43, of the Bronx. Dinkins was arraigned today on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree assault, second-degree attempted assault, third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault, third-degree menacing as a hate crime, third-degree menacing and second-degree aggravated harassment. He is being held on $50,000 bail and was ordered to return to court on April 1, 2022.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on January 18, 2022, at approximately 8:50 p.m., on the R subway line platform at Willoughby Street and Lawrence Street, a 72-year-old woman was speaking into her cell phone in Spanish and English when the defendant, Lamont Dinkins, allegedly cursed at her and said: “Stop speaking in Spanish, you Spanish b—h.” The defendant then allegedly punched the victim repeatedly in the face and head. He allegedly boarded a southbound R train and was arrested at the Barclays Center, which was the next stop.

If you believe you have been a victim of a hate crime, please call the District Attorney’s Hate Crime Hotline at 718-250-4949.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sharmalee Brooks-Gordon of the District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Ari Farkas, Deputy Chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli M. Muse, Chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 17, 2022

 

Brooklyn Man Arraigned on Indictment Charging Him With
Hate Crime for Allegedly Assaulting Asian Senior Citizen

Defendant Allegedly Punched Victim in Unprovoked Attack

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been indicted for hate crimes after allegedly assaulting an Asian woman in an unprovoked attack, and allegedly telling police that Chinese people are not supposed to be in this country.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This cowardly attack against a vulnerable member of our community will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. We will continue to work with our partners in communities across the borough to take a strong stand against hate crimes and pledge to bring to justice those who attack individuals based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Mercel Jackson, 52, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree assault, second-degree attempted assault, third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault, third-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, third-degree attempted assault, third-degree menacing as a hate crime, third-degree menacing, second-degree aggravated harassment and second-degree harassment. He is being held on $2,000 bail and was ordered to return to court on April 5, 2022.

The District Attorney said that on January 19, 2022, at approximately 9:18 a.m., on Classon Avenue near Greene Street, the victim, a 67-year-old Asian woman, was walking to the store when she heard yelling and saw the defendant walking towards her. The defendant then allegedly approached the woman and punched her about the face three times, causing bruising and swelling. Police responded and arrested the defendant after canvassing the area. He allegedly told police that Chinese people are not supposed to be in this country and that Chinese people are “a funny looking character” and “they look like the measles.”

If you believe you have been a victim of a hate crime, please call the District Attorney’s Hate Crime Hotline at 718-250-4949.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Prabhalya Pulim, of the District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Ari Farkas, Deputy Chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli M. Muse, Chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 9, 2022

 

Defendant Convicted in Double Homicide for Murdering
His Sister and Former Girlfriend Sentenced to 50 Years to Life in Prison

Andre Neverson was Convicted at Trial Almost 20 Years After Violent Spree

Brooklyn District Eric Gonzalez today announced that a former Brooklyn resident has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison following his conviction on two counts of murder for shooting to death his sister and former girlfriend in July 2002. The defendant then fled Brooklyn and remained at large until his arrest in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2018.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Justice has prevailed in this case and a man who committed two senseless murders nearly 20 years ago will now pay for his actions. I hope that the family and friends of the victims, who waited so many years for some closure, will find solace in today’s sentence.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Andre Neverson, 57, of Trinidad and Tobago. He was sentenced today to 50 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. The defendant was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial last month.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on July 8, 2002, Neverson fatally shot his older sister, Patricia Neverson, 39, in her Crown Heights, Brooklyn home following an ongoing dispute between them. She was shot in the head and body and was found later that same night.

Later that day, at around 6:20 p.m., Neverson picked up his former girlfriend, Donna Davis, 38, at Audrey Cohen College in Queens. After she got in his minivan, she was never seen again, until, according to the evidence, her body was found on July 11, 2002 dumped in an empty lot in East New York, Brooklyn, with a gunshot wound to her head.

Neverson fled Brooklyn, but was apprehended on September 4, 2018, in Bridgeport, Connecticut by the U.S. Marshals Service and returned to Brooklyn.

The District Attorney thanked Supervising Paralegal Jannette Ayala and Paralegals Meghan Brancato and Angelika Rostkowska, of the Homicide Bureau for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel M. Murphy, also of the Homicide Bureau.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 9, 2022

 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Establishes Helpline to Report Vaccination Fraud and Relief Program Abuse

Allocates Special Resources to Investigate and Prosecute Those Who Sell or Present Fake Vaccine Credentials or Scam Taxpayer-Funded COVID Relief Programs

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced the creation of a new helpline and email address to accept reports of the use or sale of fraudulent vaccination records to combat abuses that can endanger the public. The helpline will also assist the public in reporting the abuse of pandemic relief programs for businesses and individuals including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and unemployment benefits.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Falling COVID numbers are very encouraging, but those who selfishly sell or present fake vaccination credentials put our progress, our healthcare system, and the lives of vulnerable people at risk. We have no tolerance for this crime in Brooklyn, and I encourage anyone who has information regarding the use of fraudulent vaccination credentials or abuse of COVID financial relief programs to call our new helpline.”

The new helpline is (718) 250-2255 and the email address is vaxfraud@brooklynda.org. Calls and emails will be answered by trained specialists in the District Attorney’s Action Center and reviewed by a dedicated team.

Abuses of financial relief programs intended to assist individuals and businesses impacted by pandemic-related hardships have been a priority for the District Attorney’s Office since the onset of the public health crisis, including investigations into fraudulent applications for PPP and EDIL loans backed by the federal Small Business Administration. The Office also has pending investigations into fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits.

In December 2021, Governor Hochul signed New York’s “Truth in Vaccination Law,” which gives prosecutors stronger tools to hold accountable those who create, sell, or use fraudulent vaccine cards or digital proof of vaccination. Depending on the circumstances, violators could face misdemeanor charges carrying a penalty of up to a year in jail or felony charges carrying penalties of up to seven years in prison. The creation, sale or use of fraudulent vaccine cards also violates federal law.

The District Attorney noted several signs that a vaccine card may be fraudulent:

– Vaccine card edges that have been cut unevenly with scissors
– The vaccine card contains spelling errors or improper spacing or punctuation in the typed text
– The listed intervals between shots that are less than those indicated by the manufacturers (three weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech and four weeks for Moderna)
– The card is on paper thinner than the cardstock used by the CDC.

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is currently prosecuting three alleged cases of vaccine card fraud and several investigations remain ongoing.
Individuals who have lost their vaccine card and were vaccinated in New York City can obtain that vaccine record online from the City’s immunization database at https://myvaccinerecord.cityofnewyork.us/myrecord/. Digital proof of vaccination is available through the NYS Wallet app available in the Apple or Android app stores.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

 

California Man Indicted for Stealing Identity of Army Veteran,
Applying for Benefits, Including More Than $35,000 in Housing Subsidies

Defendant and Girlfriend Variously Charged in 84-Count Indictment;
Victim of the Alleged Scheme is the Ex-Husband of the Female Defendant

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office and Acting New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Daniel G. Cort, today announced that a California couple has been arraigned on an indictment in which they are variously charged with grand larceny, identity theft, welfare fraud and other charges for allegedly using the identity of a U.S. Army veteran to apply for government benefits, including through the Veterans Administration, for Section 8 housing in Brooklyn.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants are charged with brazenly stealing the identity of an Army veteran to fraudulently obtain benefits to which they were not entitled. Furthermore, they allegedly harmed his reputation by again using his name when one was arrested for an alleged domestic violence incident. Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners we will now seek to hold them accountable.”

Special Agent in Charge Algieri said, “VA OIG is committed to holding accountable those who perpetrate fraud against VA and its programs. We would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication in this collaborative effort.”

Acting DOI Commissioner Cort said, “Over nearly two years, these defendants not only stole public housing and benefit funds but steadily and repeatedly exploited the honor and integrity of the victim in this case, an Army veteran, according to the charges. The crimes charged in this indictment — identity theft, criminal impersonation, grand larceny and welfare fraud, among others — alter victims’ official data, undermining their livelihoods and creating avoidable legal and financial obstacles. DOI is proud to have partnered with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on this important corruption investigation.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Kevin Middleton, 40, and Tonni Chapman, 49, both of Los Angeles, California (formerly of Brooklyn). They were arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an 84-count indictment in which they are variously charged with third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery, first- and second-degree identity theft, second-degree criminal impersonation, third- and fourth-degree welfare fraud, and related charges. They were released without bail and ordered to return to court on March 23, 2022.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in February 2018, Kevin Middleton allegedly posed as Kevin Chapman and obtained a non-driver’s license identification card from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles in Kevin Chapman’s name. The I.D. card was issued in Chapman’s name and with his date of birth, but with Middleton’s photograph.

It is also alleged that Middleton obtained a replacement Social Security card in Chapman’s name under his Social Security number, and that the defendant forged Chapman’s signature onto the card. The defendant also allegedly obtained a New York State identification card in Chapman’s name, but with the defendant’s photograph.

Furthermore, it is alleged, the defendant posed as Kevin Chapman in May 2018 and went to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs office in Manhattan and applied for a replacement VA card in Kevin Chapman’s name. He allegedly used the fraudulently obtained non-driver’s license, NYS I.D. card and Social Security card as proof of identity. A replacement card was mailed to the defendant in Brooklyn, with his photo and Kevin Chapman’s name and date of birth on it.

Kevin Chapman, the victim in this case, is a U.S. Army veteran and the former husband of defendant Tonni Chapman, who is the girlfriend of defendant Kevin Middleton.

It is alleged that the defendants applied for benefits pursuant to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) using Kevin Chapman’s identity and received $1,000 in benefits from May 31, 2018 and January 13, 2020.

It is alleged that the defendants, using Kevin Chapman’s identity, received social services from the VA to which they were not entitled while living in a homeless shelter. In approximately September 2018, social workers from the VA assisted Middleton with his application for Section 8 housing, in Chapman’s name, which the New York City Housing Authority expedited because of his status as a military veteran. From November 2018 through the present, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development paid more than $35,000 to subsidize the defendant’s rent at the Boulevard Houses in East New York.

Furthermore, it is alleged, on June 8, 2019, police went to the apartment in response to a 911 call involving a domestic dispute and were allegedly told by Tonni Chapman that her assailant (who was not home at the time) was Kevin Chapman. The next day, the police returned to the apartment and arrested Kevin Middleton, who was allegedly posing as Kevin Chapman. When he failed to appear in court in July 2019, a bench warrant was issued for Kevin Chapman.

The case was investigated by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph DiBenedetto of the Cyber Crimes Unit of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau.

DOI Confidential Investigator Ardijana Ivezic assisted in the investigation, under the supervision of Assistant Inspector General Jeremy Reyes and Inspector General John Bellanie, and Chief Investigator Robert Joyce, Assistant Inspector General Briglantina Bujaj, and Deputy Inspector General J. Graham Forbes, under the supervision of Inspector General Ralph Iannuzzi, all under the direction of Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella and Acting First Deputy Commissioner Philip Hung.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph DiBenedetto of the Cyber Crimes Unit of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gregory Pavlides, Chief of the Frauds Bureau, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of the Investigations Division.

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