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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Two Gang Members Sentenced to Up to Life in Prison

For Execution-Style Shooting of Three Individuals That Killed One

Defendants Were “Spinning” Through Rival Gang Territory When They Spotted their Victims, Then Ambushed Them in Canarsie Intersection 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that two Choo gang members, including rapper Culture Bermudez, a.k.a., CoachDaGhost, were sentenced to 60 years to life and 25 years to life in prison for the broad daylight ambush shooting of three young men – killing one, a 17-year-old boy, and injuring two others, ages 19 and 20. The defendants were convicted at trial earlier this month.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Bryan Sanon was just 17 years old, with his whole life ahead of him, when he was ambushed and killed in a calculated act of gang violence that also left two other young men seriously wounded. These lengthy sentences reflect the severity of this horrific crime and make clear that we will not allow violent gang rivalries to endanger lives and destabilize our communities. My office remains firmly committed to protecting the people of Brooklyn by holding those who carry out this kind of senseless violence fully accountable.”

he District Attorney identified the defendants as Culture Bermudez, 31, a.k.a., CoachDaGhost, of Brooklyn, and Naquan Pruitt, 30, of Pennsylvania. Bermudez was sentenced today to 60 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht, and Pruitt was sentenced by Justice Hecht to 25 years to life in prison. The defendants were convicted of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, on May 7, 2025, and May 5, 2025, respectively, following a two-jury trial.

he District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on the morning of March 13, 2021, the defendants, members of the Choo gang, were “spinning” in Woo gang territory in Brownsville and Canarsie, “hunting” for rivals, when they spotted Bryan Sanon, 17, and two other young men, ages 19 and 20. Pruitt, who was driving a rented Toyota Camry, “spun” around the block twice and then stopped the car at the intersection of East 82^nd Street and Farragut Road, waiting for Sanon and the others to walk into the ambush.

When the victims reached the intersection, Bermudez, who was seated in the backseat and armed with a handgun, and another man, who was seated in the front passenger seat and armed with a handgun, jumped out of the car, and opened fire, shooting all three victims multiple times. The 19-year-old was shot in both legs, the 20-year-old was shot in the face, and Sanon was shot multiple times, including a gunshot to his chest that caused his death.

Following an investigation, Pruitt was arrested in Pennsylvania on May 25, 2021, and returned to New York in June 2021, and Bermudez was arrested in Georgia on July 6, 2021, and returned to New York in December 2021.

The District Attorney thanked KCDA Detective Investigators, the Digital Evidence Lab, and Homicide Paralegal Sarah-Jane Quashie for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Steven Bravo, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Amanda Schaefer, of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Chief of the Homicide Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, May 23, 2025

Eight Individuals Indicted for Conspiracy and Sex Trafficking

Defendants Variously Charged in Superseding Indictment in Connection with Trafficking of

 Four Minors and One Adult in Brooklyn and North Carolina 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that six men and two women are variously charged in a 19-count superseding indictment and a separate five-count indictment with conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a child, promoting prostitution and related charges.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s indictments are the result of a continuing investigation into an allegedly widespread, multi-state sex trafficking ring. Five defendants were initially charged earlier this year, yet further investigation revealed the alleged involvement of three additional defendants and two additional minor victims. My office is committed to protecting   all young women from this type of exploitation and to holding traffickers accountable.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Mylord Williams, 26, of the Bronx, Terrel Chery, 27, of Nassau County, and Kinard Oliver, 27, of Brooklyn. Chery and Williams are charged in a five-count indictment for the alleged sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in 2022.

Defendants Williams and Chery, as well as Oliver are named in a 19-count superseding indictment along with defendants Layquan Highsmith, 30, of Brooklyn; Ronasia Robinson, 31, of Troy, New York; Tyshawn Crawford, 29, of Brooklyn; Richard Baker, 45, of Brooklyn; and Eyecess Chapman, 24, of Brooklyn that variously charges them with promoting prostitution, sex trafficking of a child, conspiracy, and related charges.

Chery was arraigned yesterday, and Williams and Oliver were arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. Chery and Williams were remanded without bail and Oliver was ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail or $1 million bond. All were ordered to return to court on August 13, 2025.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in July 2022 Williams allegedly rented two rooms in East New York, Brooklyn, and along with Chery, allegedly sex trafficked a 17-year-old girl, posting commercial sexual advertisements of her and collecting all the money she made by engaging in prostitution through October 2022.

A separate investigation began in November 2024, when a 19-year-old woman called 911 in Wilmington, North Carolina, and reported being forced to engage in prostitution in Brooklyn and North Carolina. She allegedly identified Highsmith, Robinson, Crawford, Baker, and Chapman in the illegal scheme.

Furthermore, it is alleged, a 15-year-old victim who had also been sex trafficked was identified, and further investigation revealed that Williams, Chery, Oliver, Highsmith, Crawford and Robinson, engaged in a conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of additional minors in Brooklyn and North Carolina. The conspiracy charges them with trafficking three minors from 2024 to 2025.

The defendants are variously charged in connection with the following additional incidents:

• Williams and Oliver allegedly sex trafficked a 17-year-old victim in Brooklyn in August 2024. That victim texted a friend asking for help and NYPD officers responded to the location. The investigation revealed that her trafficking had allegedly been going on since the beginning of February 2024.
• In October 2024, Chery, Oliver and Robinson allegedly transported a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old female to North Carolina where they engaged in prostitution in various cities and were required to give a portion of their earnings to Chery and Oliver.
• In mid-October 2024, after they came back from North Carolina the first time, Chery was complaining that the 15-year-old victim was not earning enough money for him so he then allegedly gave her to Highsmith, who then, along with Robinson and Crawford allegedly brought her, the two additional minors, the 19-year-old victim and other young adult women back to North Carolina to engage in prostitution.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective Kevin Deleon, along with now retired Detective James Rufle of the joint FBI-NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and citywide Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Lieutenant Amy Capogna, Lieutenant Joseph Picarello, Sergeant Kevin Kavanagh, and Captain Maripily Clase, commanding officer of the Human Trafficking Squad, and the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz. Detective Investigators from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office contributed to the investigation.

The District Attorney thanked Police Officer Tim Dewyngaert of the Wilmington, N.C., Police Department, Detective Joseph Wechsler of the Henrico, Virginia Police Division, Police Officer Sean Kehoe, Counselor Jacquelyn Wells and Sergeant Charles DePrima, of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department Youth Services Unit, Investigator Sean Tashjian of the New York State Police, Detective Jonathan Castro, of the Newark Police Department, and Undersheriff Tracey Quinn of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.

Additionally, the District Attorney thanked Deputy Chief Janette Lukowsky of the District Attorney’s Law Enforcement Assistance Unit, Human Trafficking Unit Deputy Chief Mary E. Monahan, Paralegal Specialist Aurora Martinez, Paralegal Aaliyah Antrobus, Social Worker Raquel Alger and Digital Evidence Lab Digital Forensic Analyst Taylor Mumley for their work on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Audrey Chao, of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, and Assistant District Attorney David Weiss, Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit, under the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Three Defendants Sentenced in Connection with Fatal Shooting of

17-Year-Old Boy in Ambush Outside Midwood Charter School

The Homicide Intensified a Years-Long Gang War in Brooklyn

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that three alleged gang members have been variously sentenced for the fatal shooting of Devonte Lewis in broad daylight outside of the victim’s Midwood charter school shortly after dismissal. The two shooters in the case were sentenced to 14 years to life and 15 years to life, respectively. A third defendant was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants, who were just 15 and 16 years old at the time, laid in wait and opened fire at their target outside a school—killing him and ruining their own entire futures. We vigorously prosecute and hold responsible gang members who engage in gun violence, which is part of the reason Brooklyn is experiencing a dramatic reduction in shootings. My thoughts today are with Devonte Lewis’s heartbroken mother and loved ones.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Malachi Simms, 19, Quran Smith, 20, and Frantzy Alexandre, 20, all of Flatbush, Brooklyn. Smith was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Blum to 15 years to life in prison. Simms and Alexandre were sentenced by Justice Blum to 14 years to life in prison and 10 years in prison, respectively, on Tuesday, April 15. Smith and Simms pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on March 17, 2025, and Alexandre pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on the same day.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on April 29, 2021, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Simms and Smith, each armed with a firearm, fatally shot an alleged gang rival, Devonte Lewis, a.k.a. Dior, 17, as he was leaving Urban Dove Charter School, a high school, on East 21^st Street near Avenue K. Alexandre accompanied the defendants to the school and was observed passing the firearm to Simms just before Simms fired the shots at Lewis. All three of the defendants belonged to the Folk No Love City gang.

Surveillance video shows the three defendants waited outside the school and hid behind the victim’s car until the moment they shot him. The video shows both defendants raising their arms to chest height to fire at the victim and continuing to fire after he falls to the ground.

Alexandre and Simms both got into the victim’s car right after the shooting and attempted to drive it away, before fleeing on foot to Simms’ house together. Smith fled the scene immediately after the shooting and went directly to Simms’ house.

The victim, a first-year Urban Dove student who had recently started a maintenance job with the New York City Housing Authority, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach and was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he died. Lewis was an alleged member of the Bloodhound Brims, who are rivals of Folk Nation and its subsets. His murder intensified the longstanding rivalry and led to a years-long war.

Police officers recovered .380 and 9mm shell casings and one live 9mm round at the scene of the shooting. A loaded .380 Taurus Spectrum Pistol fell out of defendant Smith’s pants when he was arrested on May 19, 2021 – and this gun was a microscopic match to the shell casings found at the scene.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gillian DiPietro, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Matthew Stewart, VCE Deputy Chief and Jennifer Cilia, VCE First Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Alfred DeIngeniis, VCE Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Brooklyn Driver Who Killed Mother and Two Daughters While Allegedly Speeding Through a Red Light Indicted for Manslaughter

Allegedly Blew Steady Red Light While Going Nearly Triple the Speed Limit

And Plowed Through Pedestrians in the Crosswalk

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn woman has been arraigned on an indictment charging her with reckless manslaughter and other charges for allegedly speeding through a steady red light before crashing into an Uber that was waiting for a family to finish crossing the street, plowing through the pedestrians as her car rolled over. A 34-year-old mother and her daughters, 5 and 8, died from the impact, and her 4-year-son suffered serious injuries.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This horrific fatal crash was one of the worst I’ve seen in over 25 years as a prosecutor. It wasn’t an accident. This defendant’s unconscionably dangerous driving wiped out a family. The consequences of her flouting traffic laws and commonsense were disastrous, and we will now seek to hold her fully accountable for this criminally reckless behavior.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Miriam Yarimi, 32, of Midwood, Brooklyn. She was arraigned today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment charging her with multiple counts of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, second-degree assault, and other related counts. She was ordered held without bail and to return to court on June 11, 2025. The defendant is facing a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on March 29, 2025, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the defendant was driving a 2023 Audi, turning onto Ocean Parkway. Video surveillance shows her car drive through a red light a block before the crash, narrowly avoiding other cars and continue north on Ocean Parkway.

At the next intersection, with Quentin Road, the mother, Natasha Saada, 34, was crossing Ocean Parkway from west to east, holding hands with her three children, Diana, 8, Deborah, 5, and Philip, 4. The evidence shows that a Toyota Camry was in the process of turning right from Quentin Road onto Ocean Parkway and was waiting for the pedestrians to finish crossing.

When the family was a step or two from the sidewalk, the Audi driven by the defendant sped through the intersection against the light, smashed into the back of the turning Toyota and plowed through the victims with her car continuing to roll over, stopping about 130 feet away. According to evidence obtained from the black box, the Audi was traveling at about 68 mph (in a 25-mph zone), was at full throttle (suggesting the gas pedal was floored) and zero brake was applied.

The mother and two daughters were killed at the scene. Her son suffered skull fractures, brain bleeding and had a kidney removed. The Toyota had five occupants – the Uber driver, a mother and her three kids – who sustained minor injuries. The Audi ended up upside down and had to be cut to get the defendant out. She suffered minor physical injuries.

The District Attorney thanked detectives from the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad for their assistance in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Boykin, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Green Zone Trial Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Aaron Gauthier, of the Green Zone, with assistance from Jennifer Nocella, Chief of the Street Safety Bureau, Paralegals Devi Kempadoo and Lauryn Mordaunt, of the Street safety Bureau, and Green Zone Supervising Paralegal Aneudy Mata, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Frank DeGaetano, Chief of the Green Zone.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, April 11, 2025

Five Individuals Indicted for Conspiracy and Sex Trafficking

Defendants Variously Charged in Connection with Trafficking of

 19-Year-Old and 15-Year-Old Girls in Brooklyn, North Carolina, and Albany

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that three men and two women are variously charged in a 14-count indictment with conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a child, promoting prostitution and related charges.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants allegedly preyed on vulnerable young women using violence, threats, and psychological coercion to traffic them across multiple states for profit. We are fully committed to protecting at-risk youth from this kind of exploitation and will use every legal tool available to hold traffickers accountable and deliver justice for the survivors.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Layquan Highsmith, 30, of Brooklyn; Ronasia Robinson, 31, of Troy, New York; Tyshawn Crawford, 29, of Brooklyn; Richard Baker, 45, of Brooklyn; and Eyecess Chapman, 24, of Brooklyn. They were variously arraigned today and over the past few weeks in Brooklyn Supreme Court on a 14-count indictment in which they are variously charged with fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a child, second-, third- and fourth-degree promoting prostitution, endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, and permitting prostitution. They were ordered to return to court on May 21, 2025.

The District Attorney said that, on October 5, 2024, one of the victims, a 19-year-old female, went to a concert in Times Square and was allegedly approached by Layquan Highsmith and several women. The defendant allegedly displayed a firearm and told the victim to get into a car with the group. She was driven to an apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Initially, the victim was allegedly forced to engage in sexual acts for money by Highsmith, Ronasia Robinson, Richard Baker, and Eyecess Chapman. All the money that was earned would allegedly go to Baker and Chapman and a cut would go to Highsmith.

Several days later, it is alleged, the victim was driven to North Carolina by Robinson and Highsmith and forced to engage in prostitution in several different cities. She was then brought back to New York and forced to engage in prostitution in Brooklyn and in the Albany/Troy region. In mid-October, it is alleged, a 15-year-old that had been reported missing joined the group and along with the first victim was allegedly sex trafficked by Highsmith, Robinson and Crawford.

It is alleged that Highsmith and Crawford were violent with the 19-year-old and beat her when she wanted to leave. One another occasion, it is alleged, Crawford took the victim’s phone and broke it when she was trying to contact her family.

On October 31, 2024, it is alleged, Robinson, Crawford and Highsmith brought the two victims to North Carolina to stay at hotels in three cities, where they recruited several other young women who were allegedly engaging in prostitution for Highsmith and Crawford.

Sexually explicit photos of the victims were used for online advertisements allegedly posted by the defendants.

On November 6, 2024, at the Red Roof Inn in Wilmington, N.C., the 19-year-old used a hotel phone to call 911 and report being suicidal. Police responded and she was brought to a hospital. She was released from the hospital on November 10, 2024, and given a Greyhound bus ticket to go back to her hometown in upstate New York. While at the Port Authority bus terminal looking for her gate, she was approached by Port Authority police and disclosed being trafficked in Brooklyn, Albany/Troy and North Carolina.

On January 27, 2025, the grand jury returned an indictment and arrest warrants were issued for all the defendants.

On February 6, 2025, prostitution advertisements were discovered with images of the missing 15-year-old victim as well as Robinson that were posted in Troy, NY. Investigators from the New York State Police obtained a search warrant and recovered the missing minor and placed Robinson under arrest.

On February 21, 2025, pursuant to the arrest warrant, Tyshawn Crawford was apprehended in Florida by the United States Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force and was extradited to New York City.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective James Rufle and Detective Kevin Deleon of the joint FBI-NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and citywide Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Lieutenant Joseph Picarello, Lieutenant Amy Capogna, Sergeant Kevin Kavanaugh, and Captain Maripily Clase, commanding officer of the Human Trafficking Squad, and the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz.

The District Attorney thanked Police Officer Tim Dewyngaert of the Wilmington, N.C., Police Department, Detective Joseph Wechsler of the Henrico, Virginia Police Division, Police Officer Sean Kehoe, Counselor Jacquelyn Wells and Sergeant Charles DePrima, of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department Youth Services Unit, New York State Police Investigator Sean Tashjian and his team, for their assistance on the case, as well as the United States Marshals Service and Fearless! Hudson Valley.

Additionally, the District Attorney thanked KCDA Deputy Chief Janette Lukowsky of the District Attorney’s Law Enforcement Assistance Unit, Human Trafficking Unit Deputy Chief Mary E. Monahan, Paralegal Specialist Aurora Martinez, Paralegal Aaliyah Antrobus, Social Worker Raquel Alger and Digital Evidence Lab Digital Forensic Analyst Taylor Mumley for their work on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Audrey Chao, of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, and Assistant District Attorney David Weiss, Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit, under the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 03, 2025

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and the NYPD 

To Offer $500 for Handguns at Bedford-Stuyvesant Gun Buyback

Will be Held at Cornerstone Baptist Church on Saturday, April 5

No ID Required, No Questions Asked

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced that a Gun Buyback event will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Cornerstone Baptist Church, located at 574 Madison Street in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Those who turn in operable guns and assault rifles will receive a $500 bank card.

Media availability will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 4 p.m. (members of the press are asked not to arrive before 3:30 p.m.).

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Brooklyn made historic progress in reducing gun violence last year, with shootings at their lowest level on record and homicides significantly down. That progress is continuing in 2025, and our gun buyback events have played a meaningful role, with more than 500 firearms turned in over the past few years. This Saturday, every New Yorker has an opportunity to safely turn in a gun, reduce the risk of harm, earn some money, and help make our neighborhoods safer.”

NYPD Commissioner Tisch said, “The NYPD’s intensified efforts to combat gun violence are paying off — shootings are down a record 23 percent this year, and more than 1,300 illegal firearms have been taken off our streets. Each gun removed is a life potentially saved, a tragedy averted — and a step toward safer communities. That’s why programs like this are so essential. We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and Cornerstone Baptist Church to help keep the safest big city in America even safer.”

Pastor Lawrence E. Aker III of Cornerstone Baptist Church said, “Cornerstone is intentional about partnering with the District Attorney’s Office to get guns off the street. We will continue to collaborate to create a safe community and improve the quality of life for all of Brooklyn. We look forward to once again sharing in this initiative with DA Eric Gonzalez and the NYPD.”

The District Attorney said that his office will offer money in the form of a $500 bank card for each operable gun or assault rifle turned in. There will be an offer of a $200 bank card for ghost guns or 3D printed guns with a maximum of two per person. Participants will also receive a $75 bank card for each rifle or shotgun and a $25 bank card for each air gun, imitation pistol or a non-operable firearm. Two ghost gun limit per participant and three guns in total per participant.

No identification is required, and all transactions will be anonymous, no questions asked.

The bank cards will be issued after each firearm is received and screened by officers on site. Guns should be unloaded and packaged in a paper or plastic bag or a box when brought to the event. If transported by car, the guns must be kept in the trunk. Both working and inoperable weapons will be accepted. Active or retired law enforcement officers and licensed gun dealers are not eligible for this event.

Cornerstone Baptist Church is located a short walk away from a B15 bus stop and approximately 10 blocks from either the Kingston-Throop Avenue or the Utica Avenue stations on the A/C subway lines.

The DA’s Office hosts periodic Gun Buybacks throughout the year and in different Brooklyn neighborhoods.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, March 17, 2025

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for
Rape and Sex Trafficking of a Child

Defendant Groomed 13-Year-Old Girl He Met on Social Media 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an East Flatbush man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for the rape and sex trafficking of a young girl he met on social media and then arranged for her to have sex with men for money.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant preyed on a vulnerable child, manipulating and exploiting her in the most depraved way imaginable. Today’s sentence ensures that he is held accountable for his horrific actions, but it also underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting children from predators who use social media to lure and traffic victims. My office will continue to seek justice for survivors and work tirelessly to dismantle networks that profit from such exploitation.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Kal Kirby, 45, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Kirby was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to nine years in prison and five years’ post release supervision. He pleaded guilty to second-degree rape and sex trafficking of a child on January 22, 2025. He must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The case against his co-defendant, Jordan Shepard Burnham, 46 of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, who is charged with second- and third-degree rape, endangering the welfare of a child, and related charges, is still pending.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, beginning in February 2022, the 13-year-old victim started communicating with Kirby on a social networking app called “Monkey” and then on Instagram. Shortly thereafter, they agreed to meet in person. Kirby sent a cab to pick up the victim at her Intermediate School and take her to his apartment. They played video games, ate fast food, and engaged in sexual intercourse. They continued to meet on a weekly basis through December 2022.

In September 2022, the victim went to Kirby’s apartment after school and there were four or five other men there. Each of the men engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim, who felt that she couldn’t refuse and complied, according to the evidence. She then left the apartment.

Furthermore, it is alleged, that on October 14, 2022, Kirby allegedly sent a photo of the victim in her underwear to Burnham and said he “had a young thing I wanted to introduce.” Burnham allegedly liked the image. On October 27, 2022, Kirby allegedly sent a naked video of the victim to Burnham and later set up a meeting for Burnham and the victim to engage in sexual intercourse.

Finally, it is alleged, between November 1, 2022 and December 23, 2022, Burnham and the victim engaged in sexual intercourse on three occasions. After the second time, he allegedly gave her a pair of headphones and after the third time, he allegedly gave her $200. In subsequent communications on Instagram, Burnham allegedly requested and received lewd photos of the victim.

In late December 2022, the victim disclosed what had been happening to her foster mother and police were notified.

The New York City Police Department investigation was led by Detective Liam O’Hara of the NYPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Kevin Kavanagh, Lieutenant Amy Capogna and Captain Maripily Clase.

The District Attorney thanked Police Chief Christopher Searle, Lieutenant Nicholas Curelli and police officers from the Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts Police Department and the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.

The District Attorney thanked Paralegal Special Aurora Martinez for her assistance on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mary E. Monahan, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney David Weiss, Unit Chief, under the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, February  4, 2025

Driver Sentenced to 3 to 6 Years in Prison for Running Red Light and Causing Collision that Killed Senior Citizen Crossing Street

Defended Pleaded Guilty to Second-Degree Manslaughter

 Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to three to six years in prison following his guilty plea to manslaughter for speeding through a red light in his Cadillac SUV and causing a collision that killed a 65-year-old pedestrian.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s reckless and selfish actions robbed an innocent man of his life and devastated a family that will forever mourn this senseless tragedy. No one should have to fear for their life while crossing the street. My heart is with the family of Jun Jin Yang as they continue to grieve their unimaginable loss. I remain steadfast in my commitment to holding reckless drivers accountable and making Brooklyn’s streets safer for all.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Isidro Rodriguez, 38, of Homecrest, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht to three to six years in prison. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter on November 12, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on May 30, 2022, at approximately 10:18 a.m., the defendant was driving a 2020 Cadillac Escalade north on West 1st Street in Gravesend when he sped through a red light and t-boned a 2016 Hyundai Sonata ride-share vehicle traveling east on Avenue P. The impact of the collision sent the Cadillac spinning toward a 65-year-old man who was crossing the street. The victim, Jun Jin Yang, attempted to move out of the way, but was instead pinned between the Cadillac and another vehicle.

Yang was taken to Maimonides Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The 32-year-old driver of the Uber was treated at Lutheran Hospital for minor injuries. Two passengers, a 29-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter, also suffered minor injuries and were treated at New York Community Hospital.

Data from the black box of the defendant’s Cadillac was recovered by the NYPD. According to the investigation, the box showed the defendant accelerating to 42 m.p.h. in the 25 m.p.h. zone seconds before the crash. The defendant did not deploy his brakes.

The defendant was arrested on July 20, 2022, following an investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Barg, of the District Attorney’s Orange Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michael Trabulsi, Deputy Chief of the Orange Zone, Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Bureau Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Nocella, Chief of the Street Safety Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, February  3, 2025

Brooklyn Contractor Indicted for Stealing Approximately $318,000

From Park Slope Couple Renovating Brownstone

Defendant Allegedly Charged for Construction Work That Wasn’t Performed,

Spent Money on Restaurants, Designer Goods, Hotels, and a Porsche

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Williamsburg contractor has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing approximately $318,000 from a Park Slope couple by charging them for a large-scale home renovation project but performing virtually no work. Instead, the defendant allegedly spent the victims’ money on a series of lavish purchases, including restaurants, designer goods and a Porsche.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly lined his own pockets by taking advantage of a Brooklyn family who put their trust in him. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute fraud in the home improvement industry and seek justice for those who are victimized by criminal conduct.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Hayk Safaryan, 43, of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree grand larceny. He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on April 2, 2025.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, beginning in December 2021, the defendant, a licensed general contractor in Williamsburg, contracted with the victims to perform major renovations to their brownstone in Park Slope.

On June 15, 2022, according to the investigation, the defendant and victims signed a contract that included an itemized list for demolition, site and structural work. The total cost of the project was budgeted at $1,290,000. Two days later, on June 17, 2022, the victims wired a deposit of $322,523 to the defendant’s bank account.

It is further alleged that other than approximately $4,000 that the defendant disbursed to a company to create a site safety plan, the defendant spent all the victims’ funds on purchases unrelated to the project. This allegedly included a $28,000 down payment for a 2018 Porsche Macan S.U.V.; $17,750 on back rent for his apartment; tens of thousands of dollars to cash advance lenders to pay off debts; thousands of dollars on designer goods, including Prada and Alexander McQueen; and thousands of dollars on hotels, bars, restaurants, and an Airbnb in Riverhead, New York.

On February 6, 2023, the defendant’s general contractor’s license expired and was never renewed.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, the defendant allegedly ignored repeated demands from the victims to return their money. Initially, the defendant allegedly offered a shifting series of explanations for the lack of progress on the project, including an audit from his insurance company. He allegedly ceased communication with the victims in the spring of 2023.

The investigation began following a report to the District Attorney’s Action Center.

The District Attorney thanked Financial Investigator Jociely Antigua of the Asset Forfeiture and Crimes Against Revenue Bureau for her assistance on the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel R. Tibbets, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gavin Miles, Chief of Intake for the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, Assistant District Attorney Gregory Pavlides, Chief of the Frauds Bureau, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, Deputy Chief of the 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, January 15, 2025

Canarsie Man Indicted for Stabbing Wife to Death

Allegedly Also Slashed 15-year-old Son with Knife when Teen Tried to Intervene

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been arraigned on an indictment charging him with murder for allegedly stabbing his wife to death during a jealous rage at their home in Canarsie. It is also alleged the defendant attacked the couple’s 15-year-old son with a knife when the teen tried to defend his mother.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This tragic case of domestic violence has left a family shattered—a woman’s life was taken, and her teenage son now bears the deep emotional scars of witnessing such a brutal act. No family should ever have to suffer this kind of pain, and we are fully committed to seeking justice for them while holding those who commit gender-based violence accountable. For anyone facing abuse, please know that you are not alone—help and support are available.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Gordon Lewis, 45, of Canarsie, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Deepa Ambekar on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held without bail and to return on court on March 5, 2025. The defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the top count.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 22, 2024, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the defendant fatally stabbed his 47-year-old wife, Antoinette Stewart-Gordon, during a jealous rage inside the couple’s home on East 81st Street near Flatlands Avenue in Canarsie.

The defendant and the victim had separated and were dating other people. According to the investigation, the defendant came home and observed a bruise-like mark or “hickey” on the victim’s neck and began to choke her. When the couple’s son tried to intervene, the defendant went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. He then stabbed the victim multiple times in the neck and body. The teen was slashed on the hand when he tried to help his mother, then went to an upstairs neighbor who called 911.

The victim was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

The teen was treated at the hospital and released.

The defendant turned himself in at the local precinct the next day.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Lauren Fitton, of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kori Medow, Bureau Chief.

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