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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, August 9, 2024

Brooklyn District Attorney Moves to Vacate Conviction of Brooklyn Man Who Served 16 Years for Homicide After Critical Video Wasn’t Turned Over

Defendant Requested to Watch Surveillance Tape Throughout Trial but Was Denied;

Technical Difficulties Prevented Showing it; Defense Lawyer Was Ineffective and Judge Unfair

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that following a thorough reinvestigation by his Conviction Review Unit (CRU), he will move to vacate the conviction of Arvel Marshall, 52, who was convicted of a 2008 murder in Crown Heights. He would have been eligible for parole in 2033. A surveillance video showing the gunman shortly before and right after the shooting was not turned over to the defense and seemingly never fully viewed by law enforcement. The video, requested by the defendant throughout the trial to no avail, would have likely led to a different trial outcome. In addition, the CRU found that the defense attorney “abdicated his role as an advocate” and the judge “abandoned his role of a neutral arbiter.” The full CRU report is available here.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “An investigation by my Conviction Review Unit found that everyone involved in this case – defense, prosecution, police, and the Court – failed, depriving Mr. Marshall of a fair trial. A critical piece of evidence was not turned over, leading to this unjust conviction. The CRU’s work often reveals systemic failures, and this is a prime example of that. We will continue to expose, correct, and learn from every wrongful conviction that took place in Brooklyn.”

The defendant will appear in court today at 10:00 a.m. before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic at 320 Jay Street, 15^th Floor.

The District Attorney said that on the night of July 15, 2008, 22-year-old Moustapha Oumaria was fatally shot in the head while sitting outside his Crown Heights home with three friends. Marshall became a suspect based on claims that he and the deceased, who dated the same woman as the defendant, had an ongoing dispute. The three friends who were at the scene identified Marshall as the killer (although initial accounts described the gunman as a teenager and the defendant was 36 at the time).

Marshall testified and professed his innocence throughout the trial. There was a video containing surveillance footage near the scene from which police made four still photos depicting two individuals, one of whom matched the clothing description of the shooter that was provided by witnesses. But the prosecutor was unable to play the video in court, making several attempts to do so. He said that his understanding was that the stills represented the pertinent parts of the footage, and that the video has “no evidentiary value.” It appears that no one actually watched the entire video, and the issue was not pursued later in the trial. Marshall was convicted and sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison.

The CRU was able to view the surveillance footage, which included two different angles. The footage shows a young man wearing a white t-shirt and dark pants, matching exactly the description of the shooter, walking along with another individual wearing all black. The footage shows the first man reaching under his shirt on his right side, removing an object from his waistband, handling the object by his right hip, then lowering his shirt back over his waist. When the two men go off screen, the footage shows two older men walking in the street in the same direction as the two young men. At one point the two older men stop and look toward the area of the shooting, then start walking back in the opposite direction while glancing over their shoulders. Moments later, the younger men in white and black are seen sprinting down the street away from the area of the shooting, never looking behind them. The one with the white shirt is seen with his right arm extended straight down by his side and slightly away from his body while appearing to be holding something.

A police note attached to the disc containing the surveillance footage lists several timestamps, none of which include the pertinent portions. The footage—which the defendant, in front of the jury, repeatedly asked to be shown to the jury—is grainy but seems to point to a different suspect. The CRU concluded that the videos were favorable to the defense and should have been turned over.

The reinvestigation also followed up on a pre-trial defense investigation (whose findings were not brought up at trial), in which a tipster claimed that the shooting was arranged by a drug dealer who lived next door to the victim and ordered a hit against a man he believed to be encroaching on his drug territory. The unknown tipster claimed that the deceased was killed by a 16-year-old in a case of mistaken identity. The dealer confirmed the drug trade dispute to the CRU but denied being involved in the murder.

Finally, the CRU identified serious errors that were committed by all parties. Defense counsel did not advocate effectively; his client raised valid questions that the attorney made clear were his client’s concerns and not his, effectively disparaging the defendant; he blindly accepted the representation that the video was unreadable, despite the fact that stills were made from it; and he didn’t prepare his client before he testified and did not question him on the stand. The prosecutor should have watched the video footage and not state without firsthand knowledge that the stills represented everything of significance in the footage. The judge responded to the defendant’s many outbursts with disdain; he instructed him to “shut up” and “be quiet” and told the defendant, in front of the jury, that the footage was “not relevant” despite never having watched it; when the defendant was testifying, the judge denigrated and belittled him in front of the jury; and he did not insist on playing the video. The police investigators didn’t seem to have watched the entire footage and likely falsely reported to the prosecutor that the stills showed all relevant parts of the footage.

Because of these mistakes and the failure to turn over evidence, Marshall was deprived of a fair trial. The District Attorney recommends that his conviction be vacated and the indictment dismissed. There are no viable avenues to further investigate the defense investigators’ claims.

To date, the work of the Conviction Review Unit has resulted in 39 convictions being vacated since 2014. Currently, CRU has approximately 60 open investigations.

This case was investigated by members of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, under the supervision of Charles Linehan, Unit Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Bushwick Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Teenage Girls

Allegedly Recruited Two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old to Engage in Prostitution;

Arrested Following Undercover Sting; His Cousin Allegedly Acted as Driver

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bushwick man has been arraigned on two indictments charging him with promoting prostitution and sex trafficking of a child for allegedly recruiting multiple victims, including three teenage girls, ages 15 to 17, to engage in prostitution. The defendant’s cousin allegedly acted as his driver, picking up one of 15-year-old victims and dropping her off at the defendant’s residence. The defendant was arrested at his apartment in Bushwick during an undercover sting.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants allegedly exploited three teenage girls, recruiting them to repeatedly engage in prostitution. I am deeply committed to bringing to justice individuals who prey on vulnerable young people in Brooklyn, and we will now seek to hold these two defendants accountable.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Terrence Rogers, a.k.a., Aura, 33, and Vashorne McClain, 28, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Rogers was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on two separate incidents in which he is charged with multiple counts of sex trafficking of a child; second-, third-, and fourth-degree promoting prostitution; third-degree rape; third-degree sexual abuse; sexual misconduct; endangering the welfare of a child; and unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on August 20, 2024. McClain was arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with sex trafficking of a child, third- and fourth-degree promoting prostitution, and endangering the welfare of a child. He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on September 18, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, between March 9, 2024, and April 12, 2024, Rogers allegedly recruited a 15-year-old girl to engage in prostitution on multiple occasions from his apartment at Halsey Street in Bushwick. The victim was allegedly introduced to the defendant by a classmate, also 15, who was engaging in prostitution for the defendant at the time. It is alleged that Rogers posted the 15-year-old’s photo on a website advertising sexual services. He also allegedly gave her a cellphone and instructed her on how to communicate with customers and how much to charge them.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, Rogers allegedly sexually assaulted the 15-year-old victim on April 12, 2024. More than a month later, the defendant allegedly messaged her on Snapchat and threatened to a post a nude photo of her online unless she continued to engage in prostitution. After the victim returned to the defendant’s apartment, he allegedly posted the nude photo on a website advertising sexual services before forcibly touching her.

On June 13, 2024, the victim reported the assault to a school social worker who contacted police. The District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit and the New York City Police Department then launched an undercover investigation.

On July 3, 2024, an undercover officer responded to a live online advertisement posting for prostitution in Brooklyn with images of the underage victims. The undercover officer called the phone number provided in the advertisement and was directed to the Halsey Street location. Inside the defendant’s apartment, the undercover officer made an agreement to have sex with a 22-year-old woman for $100. A field team then raided the apartment. As police were entering, Rogers was allegedly caught leaving the bathroom with a 17-year-old victim who was partially undressed. He was arrested at the location.

Investigators subsequently determined that there were approximately six other women engaging in prostitution at the address.

Investigators also determined that between March 9, 2024, and April 12, 2024, the co-defendant acted as a driver for Rogers, allegedly picking up the 15-year-old victim at her home and dropping her and other women off at the defendant’s apartment to engage in prostitution.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Detective Latasha Carter, Detective Joseph Azevedo and Detective Kevin Deleon from the NYPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Kevin Kavanagh, Lieutenant Amy Capogna, and Captain Maripily Clase, and the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz.

The District Attorney thanked Digital Forensic Analyst Richard Rojas from the District Attorney’s Digital Evidence Lab for his assistance in the case.

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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

East Williamsburg Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Axe Attack that Critically Wounded Girlfriend and Killed Her Pregnant Friend

Defendant Struck Victims, both Mothers, Multiple Times with an Axe

Inside Girlfriend’s Apartment Where her 4-Year-Old Daughter Was Present

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an East Williamsburg man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for a brutal axe attack in which he hacked his girlfriend multiple times, leaving her in critical condition, and fatally struck her pregnant friend.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This was a shocking and senseless act of violence that took the life of a pregnant woman and left a second woman with physical and emotional traumas she suffers to this day. Nothing will bring Savannah Rivera back, but I hope today’s sentence brings a measure of solace to her family and friends. The defendant has now been brought to justice.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jerry Brown, 39, of East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 25 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, and first-degree assault on June 18, 2024, following a bench trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on April 20, 2019, at approximately 1:35 a.m., the defendant attacked his 21-year-old girlfriend and her friend Savannah Rivera, 20, with an axe inside his girlfriend’s apartment in the Bushwick Houses on Flushing Avenue near Humboldt Street in East Williamsburg. His girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter was present in the apartment during the attack.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant fatally struck Rivera, hitting her repeatedly, and hacked his girlfriend multiple times, causing a severe laceration to the back of her head and gashes to her torso, arms, and throat. After the defendant left the apartment, the surviving victim made her way outside, approached an Uber car that was at a traffic light and the driver called 911. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition.

The victim subsequently underwent multiple surgeries while being treated for a fractured skull, broken ribs, collapsed lungs, and multiple stab wounds. To date, she continues to suffer from seizures and remains at heightened risk of developing life-threatening infections.

The defendant surrendered to police at the 90^th Precinct later that day at approximately 5:30 p.m. During an interview with investigators, the defendant confessed to attacking Rivera and said he threw the axe and his girlfriend’s cellphone into the building’s incinerator.

The District Attorney thanked Paralegal Meghan Brancato of the Homicide Bureau for her assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ernest Chin, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Cassandra Pond, also of the Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Brooklyn Math Teacher Charged with Allegedly Enticing

Teenagers to Send Him Explicit Sexual Images

Posed as a Young Teen and Allegedly Engaged in Graphic Conversations

On Snapchat; Charged in Connection with Six Child Victims Attending Elite Schools

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 37-year-old former math teacher has been charged with use of a child in sexual performance and promoting a sexual performance by a child as sexually motivated felonies, as well as other related counts, for allegedly enticing or trying to entice teenage students from four Brooklyn schools to send him images of nudity and sexual performances. The defendant, who used to teach at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights, allegedly pretended to be a young teen and fellow student when engaging in conversations of sexual nature over the messaging application Snapchat.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “A complicated investigation by detectives from my office revealed extremely disturbing conduct by this defendant, who allegedly posed as a peer to coax teenagers to send him sexually explicit images of themselves, which he then allegedly distributed. The fact that he was a teacher and a trusted figure among students make these allegations even more troubling. We will now seek to hold him accountable and will continue to work diligently to protect children from sexual exploitation.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Winston Nguyen, 37, of Harlem, New York. He was arraigned today in Brooklyn Criminal Court on a criminal complaint charging him with use of a child in a sexual performance, promoting a sexual performance by a child, first-degree disseminating indecent material to minors, third-degree conspiracy, third-degree criminal solicitation and endangering the welfare of a child. Bail was set at $30,000 cash or $75,000 bond and the defendant was ordered to return to court on October 17, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the defendant allegedly presented himself as a young teen when having conversations with children on Snapchat. He is charged with crimes against five girls and one boy who went to the independent Brooklyn schools Saint Ann’s School, Poly Prep Country Day School, Berkeley Carroll School, and Packer Collegiate Institute. It is believed that the defendant had similar online interactions with numerous other children.

The 11 charged incidents allegedly took place between October 2022 and May 2024. The first four involved a child who, starting when they were 14, received multiple video messages from an account called hunterkristoff depicting a nude boy masturbating, and was subsequently asked to send images of them nude or performing sexual acts. Investigators located the boy seen on the videos, who lives in another state and was 16 at the time.

The same account, hunterkristoff, was allegedly used to conduct prolonged communications that described and depicted various sexual acts and requested images of nudity and sexual performances from four additional victims, whose ages ranged between 13 and 15.

The sixth victim, who was 15, received messages from an account called haircutbongos that engaged them in similar conversations and made similar requests. In May 2024, the child sent a video depicting them perform a sexual act and was allegedly paid by the defendant. It is alleged that the defendant shared some of the explicit photos he received from the victims when chatting with other children.

The two Snapchat accounts mentioned above were connected to IP addresses associated with the defendant’s Harlem residence, according to the investigation. Other evidence includes digital communications and images, and accounts from victims.

Anyone with information about this case or this defendant is asked to email ReportSNAPCHATImages@brooklynda.org.

The case was investigated by KCDA Detective Investigators, with the assistance of Senior Digital Forensic Analyst Sourov Talukder and Digital Forensic Analyst Richard Rojas, of the District Attorney’s Digital Evidence Lab.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Brian Newcombe, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kevin O’Donnell, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Olatokunbo Olaniyan, First Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Bureau Chief.

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A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Brooklyn Men Who Stole Approximately $227,000 from

Elderly Clinton Hill Woman Sentenced to Prison

Former Neighbor of 94-Year-Old Woman Facilitated Theft Using a Power of Attorney

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney, U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office, today announced that two men convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly woman over six months have been sentenced to up to three years in prison.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants targeted an individual who is among the most vulnerable of our populations – a 94-year-old woman – while pretending to be neighborly and helpful. Instead, they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, their scheme was unraveled, and they have now been held accountable. I thank the Secret Service and my prosecutors for their work on this case.”

Special Agent in Charge Freaney said, “These men took advantage of an elderly woman, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars out from under her. Crimes like these that affect the most vulnerable among us are abhorrent, and the Secret Service is grateful to our partners from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for holding these men accountable and ensuring that justice was done.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Humberto Nunez, 68, of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn and Mahilima Baa, 52, of Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn. They were sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Adam D. Perlmutter. Both defendants were sentenced to an indeterminate term of one to three years in prison. The defendants were convicted of second-degree grand larceny and second-degree criminal possession of stolen property on March 20, 2024, following a jury trial. Baa was additionally convicted of two counts of first-degree identity theft.

The District Attorney said that, according to the trial testimony, between July 19, 2019, and January 7, 2020, the defendants, who are acquaintances, stole approximately $52,000 from a former business account associated with 684 Quality Cleaners, which was owned by Nunez’s former neighbor, Rose Kane, who is now deceased. Nunez, who lived two doors down from the victim and occasionally ran errands for her, was purportedly given power of attorney by her prior to her becoming incapacitated, moving into a nursing home, and having a guardian appointed.

Furthermore, on November 5, 2019, the defendants stole approximately $175,000 from a reverse mortgage line of credit the victim had since 2009.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, defendant Baa stole another $20,000 by impersonating the victim and opening two credit cards using her name, her address, date of birth and her Social Security number. He then added himself to the accounts as an authorized user. He used the funds to pay for various fees and personal expenses, a rental car, furniture for his children, office supplies, alcohol, restaurants and at a night club.

Nunez also used the funds for his personal expenses, according to the evidence, despite telling the reverse mortgage company the money was to be used to make badly needed and extensive repairs to the victim’s house. However, no repairs were made to the property and the defendants withdrew most of the $175,000 received from the reverse mortgage line of credit in cash, with the rest used to make credit card payments and personal purchases.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office and Detective Investigators assigned to the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau.

The District Attorney thanked Intelligence Analyst Yacelys Corona and Paralegal Sheila Jones, of the Investigations Division, for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Karen P. Turner, of the District Attorney’s and Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel R. Tibbets, both of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gregory Pavlides, Frauds Bureau Chief, 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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, June 14, 2024

Defendant Convicted of Murdering Young Father in Fort Greene

And Shooting Another Individual Sentenced To 28 Years to Life in Prison

Defendant was Convicted of Shooting Two Victims Following Jury Trial

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 28 years to life in prison following his conviction on one count of murder and one count of assault for shooting two young men at the Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene following a petty dispute.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This was a violent and inexplicable shooting of two strangers by this defendant who, after a minor verbal dispute, retrieved a gun and lay in wait for his victims. I hope that today’s sentence brings some closure to the friends and family of Jo’heem Hamilton, a young father, and to the surviving gunshot victim.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Earl Morgan, 54, of Fort Greene, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today to 28 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Johnson. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree assault on April 26, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on May 30, 2020, just after 2:00 a.m., in the vicinity of 24 Monument Walk, Jo’heem Hamilton, 25, and another man, age 36, were walking to a store to get some food when they encountered the defendant hanging out in and around the lobby. As the victims walked by, according to the evidence, the defendant approached them and engaged in a brief verbal altercation.

When the victims walked away, the defendant left the area and retrieved a loaded firearm, according to the evidence, and then returned and waited in a stairwell near the entrance of the lobby for the victims. When they returned, and their backs were turned, he fired multiple shots at point-blank range. He then put the gun in his waistband and walked away, according to the evidence.

Jo’heem Hamilton, who was father to an infant daughter, was shot in the back and died of his injuries. The second victim was also shot in the back and suffered serious injuries.

The defendant was arrested on June 16, 2020.

The District Attorney thanked Homicide Paralegal Angelika Rostkowska and Chief Analyst Alexandra Aber of the Digital Evidence Lab for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Bianco, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Amelia DiGirolamo, of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Brooklyn Woman Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for Striking and Killing Senior Citizen While Trying to Run Over Man With SUV

Defendant Convicted of Murder Last Month Following a Jury Trial

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a woman has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for striking and killing a 70-year-old woman with her SUV after she deliberately drove up onto the sidewalk and attempted to run over a male pedestrian.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentence holds this defendant accountable for her shocking and depraved actions that cost an innocent woman her life. While nothing can bring Brenda Ann Whidbee back to her family and friends, I hope this sentence offers them some sense of solace.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Layla Adredini, 33, of Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn. She was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Michael Kitsis to 20 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder on May 23, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on August 24, 2021, at approximately 9:20 p.m., the defendant was driving her 2003 white Ford Explorer in the vicinity of 2185 Pacific Street in Ocean Hill when she deliberately drove up on the sidewalk in an attempt to hit a 50-year-old male acquaintance. The defendant missed her intended target, and instead crashed into Brenda Ann Whidbee, 70, who was seated in a chair outside her home.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant attempted to flee the scene on foot before being stopped by neighborhood residents.

This week, the Virtual Currency Unit, pursuant to a court order, seized a network of 70 linked scam domains, all associated with the investment scam targeting Russian victims in Brooklyn and elsewhere. It identified over 20 Brooklyn victims from Brighton Beach, Borough Park, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, Ocean Parkway, Manhattan Beach, Kensington, and other neighborhoods. There were three additional victims from Manhattan. The victims ranged in age from 35 to 75 with the majority older than 50. They reported individual loss amounts ranging from $18,000 to over $117,000. In total, the New York victims lost over $1 million.

Whidbee, a grandmother and a fixture of her community for over 40 years, suffered severe injuries. She was taken to Brookdale Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Daphney Gachette, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Gianna Del Grippo, of the District Attorney’s Green Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for

Fatally Shooting Teenager in East New York

Defendant Wrongly Accused Victim of Being a Gang Member

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy in an unprovoked attack.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Justin Richey was brazenly and senselessly shot to death by this defendant in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon. Justin was killed just one day after his 16^th birthday. I hope today’s sentence brings a measure of solace to his heartbroken family and friends.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Ralief Bradford, 30, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Phyllis Chu to 25 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on March 28, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on July 15, 2018, at approximately 5:07 p.m., on Blake Avenue between Euclid Avenue and Pine Street, in East New York, Brooklyn, the defendant and two unapprehended individuals approached the victim, Justin Richey, and wrongly accused him of being in a rival gang. They then assaulted him, and the defendant brandished a gun and shot the victim three times in the torso.

The victim collapsed and was taken to Brookdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The defendant was arrested on July 18, 2018.

The District Attorney thanked Intelligence Analyst Lexie Giardina and Digital Forensic Analyst Taylor Mumley of the Digital Evidence Lab for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sarah Jafari, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Colt Rainwater, of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Man Indicted for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child

Defendant Allegedly Raped 15-Year-Old Girl, Tried to Persuade Her to Engage in Prostitution

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a man has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child and other charges for allegedly trying to convince a 15-year-old girl to engage in prostitution.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly exploited a vulnerable teenager, trying to convince her to engage in prostitution. Luckily, she reported him to the police. We will now seek to bring him to justice.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant Deandre Lee, 29, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which he is charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child, second-, third- and fourth-degree attempted promoting prostitution, third-degree rape, third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. The defendant was ordered held on bail of $100,000 cash or $500,000 bond and to return to court on August 7, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on April 28, 2024, the victim, a 15-year-old girl, was walking on Mother Gaston Boulevard in East New York when she met the defendant, who let her charge her phone in his car. He then asked her to walk around the corner to meet him, and he then allegedly drove her to Chipotle to get some food.

Furthermore, the District Attorney said, after they ate, the defendant drove the victim to the side of a highway in Brooklyn, gave her marijuana, then had sex with her. He then allegedly told the victim she could make money by stripping or selling her body in exchange for money. He then drove her home. The next day, the defendant and victim were texting, and the defendant again asked the victim if she thought about what they talked about. The victim then reported the rape to police.

The defendant was arrested yesterday in the Bronx, following an investigation.

The District Attorney thanked Human Trafficking Unit Paralegal Aurora Martinez for her assistance on the case.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective Paul Mastronardi of the New York City Police Department’s Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Kevin Kavanagh, Lieutenant Amy Capogna and Captain Thomas Milano, and the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz.

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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Crown Heights Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for
Fatally Shooting Teenage Girl at Party in East New York Apartment

Defendant Shot the Victim Once in the Chest After She Rejected His Advances

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Crown Heights man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting a 17-year-old girl once in the chest and killing her at a party in 2022. The defendant was convicted of manslaughter in March.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This senseless shooting took the life of a young woman with a bright future. Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for his actions and is a measure of justice for the victim’s grieving family.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Javone Duncan, 24, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today to 15 years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare. The defendant was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on March 25, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, at approximately 10:55 p.m., at 790 Elderts Lane, in East New York, Brooklyn, the defendant pointed a loaded gun at Raelynn Cameron, 17, pulled the trigger, shot her in the chest, and killed her. After the shooting, the defendant fled the scene without trying to help the victim, who had rejected his advances, according to the evidence.

Prior to the shooting, the defendant pointed the same gun at another young woman at the party and clicked the safety of the gun on and off, according to the evidence, and was told to stop pointing a loaded gun at people because it was dangerous.

The defendant was arrested on October 26, 2022.

The District Attorney thanked Homicide Paralegal Angelika Rostkowska and Victim Advocates Jennifer Rhoad, Vanessa Lozado, Kayla Richards, Sarah Obadeyi, and Shasha Dorsey for their work on the case.

Detective Investigators assigned to the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau assisted in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Evan Hannay, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Miguel Rodriguez, of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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