Press Releases

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

 

Serial Killer Convicted of Murdering Three Brooklyn Shopkeepers

Used Same Rifle in Each Homicide, Linked to Crimes by Physical and Forensic Evidence;
Faces a Sentence of 75 Years to Life in Prison

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Staten Island salesman has been convicted of three counts of second-degree murder for the shooting deaths of three Brooklyn shopkeepers who were killed in separate incidents during the summer and fall of 2012. The defendant used the same rifle in all three murders and was linked to them through matching shell casings that were left in all crime scenes, through DNA and through other forensic evidence.

District Attorney Thompson said, “A mountain of evidence connected this serial killer to these murders, which took the lives of three decent, honest and hard-working business owners who all left behind devastated families. Thankfully, this ruthless and cold-blooded killer will now spend the rest of his life locked behind bars and Brooklyn will be much safer because of that.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Salvatore Perrone, 67, of 1173 Clove Road in Staten Island. He was convicted today of three counts of second-degree murder following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alan Marrus. The defendant will be sentenced on March 4, 2016, at which time he faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on July 6, 2012, the defendant shot Mohamed Gebeli, 65, once in the neck, killing him, inside the victim’s store Valentino Fashion, located at 7718 Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. On August 2, 2012 the defendant shot Isaac Kadare, 59, once in the head and then slit his throat inside the victim’s Amazing 99 Cents Deals store at 1877 86^th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. On November 16, 2012 the defendant fatally shot Rahmatollah Vahidipour, 78, in the head, face and chest inside the victim’s She-She Boutique at 834 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn.

After the third homicide, a photo of the defendant carrying a black duffle bag in the vicinity of the third crime scene was distributed to the media and he was arrested on November 21, 2012. A search at his girlfriend’s home led to the recovery of the duffle bag. In it, police discovered a .22-caliber rifle that was registered to the defendant and was used in all three murders, according to ballistic analysis of shell casings that were left at the three crime scenes, the evidence showed. The bag also contained a knife with blood that matched Mr. Kadare. Blood stains that matched Mr. Vahidipour were found on the bag itself.

Furthermore, the defendant’s fingerprints and DNA were recovered from the murder weapon, according to testimony. Cell phone data and surveillance videos placed him in the vicinity of the second and third homicides, the evidence showed. All three victims were killed around their stores’ closing time and their bodies were covered with clothes or other items in an apparent attempt to conceal the murders.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Carvajal, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief.

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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

 

Charges Upgraded in Airplane Gun Trafficking Case;
Superseding Indictment Charges Aggravated Enterprise Corruption,
Carries Penalty of Up to Life in Prison

Second Delta Air Lines Employee Charged in New Indictment

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, together with New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, today announced the filing of a 657-count superseding indictment charging three defendants who allegedly trafficked guns – including flying them to New York from Georgia on commercial flights – with aggravated enterprise corruption, which is the first time that the statute has been used in the entire state and carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

A total of four defendants were previously charged in the case for allegedly conspiring to sell 153 firearms, almost all of which were purchased in Georgia and destined for the streets of Brooklyn. One of those defendants is a former Delta Air Lines employee who allegedly carried backpacks and carry-on baggage full of guns and ammunition on commercial flights from Atlanta to New York on nearly 20 occasions. A second Delta employee, a ramp agent, has been charged in the new indictment with helping to smuggle the weapons on the planes for a fee.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Upon further investigation and review upgraded charges are appropriate in this case, which exposed a gaping hole in our airport and national security. These defendants, due to the very serious nature of the charges, now face life in prison under aggravated enterprise corruption.”

Commissioner Bratton said, “The subversion of a commercial airline for the purpose of trafficking illegal firearms is an egregious betrayal of the public’s trust. These defendants were intercepted through a coordinated investigation on the part of my detectives in the Firearms Investigations Unit, along with our federal and local partners. I commend the work of these investigators, particularly the undercover officers involved, who did not hesitate to go into harm’s way in order to hold these individuals accountable for their alleged criminal acts.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Eugene Harvey, 32, of 4635 Greenspring Road, College Park, Georgia; Mark Henry, 46, of 535 East 79^th Street, in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and 1987 Tiffany Lane, Jonesboro, Georgia; Ernest Leneau, 55, of 632 East 94^th Street, in Canarsie, Brooklyn; Adrian Alleyne, 25, of 9029 Farragut Road, in Canarsie, Brooklyn; and Grayling Smith, 52, of 1608 Prospect Place, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and 4339 Persian Court, in Snellville, Georgia. Harvey was arraigned on Monday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun and ordered held without bail. Leneau and Smith were arraigned today before Justice Chun. Leneau was held without bail and Smith was held on $700,000 bond or $350,000 cash bail. Henry and Alleyne, who were previously remanded, will be arraigned next week. All of the defendants were ordered to return to court on February 10, 2016.

The District Attorney said that the indictment is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the NYPD and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office between May 2014 and December 2014, during which time the defendants conspired to sell weapons purchased in Georgia to an NYPD undercover detective in Brooklyn. The weapons ranged from compact AR-15 and AK-47 assault weapons to 9mm handguns to Glock pistols. Approximately 153 guns were recovered during the investigation.

The District Attorney said that, the superseding indictment charges a total of five defendants – of the five, four are charged with enterprise corruption (a B felony, punishable by up to 25 years) and three are additionally charged with aggravated enterprise corruption (an A-I felony punishable by up to life in prison). Those three defendants are Henry, Leneau and Harvey, who during the time of the alleged trafficking worked as a Delta ramp agent. He was arrested in Georgia last week and brought to Brooklyn to be arraigned on the charges. The other four defendants had been previously charged with conspiracy and other charges in December 2014 and were arraigned on the new indictment today. The aggravated enterprise corruption statute went into effect in 2013 and this indictment is the first time it is being used in Brooklyn.

The indictment charges that the firearms trafficking enterprise had an ascertainable structure that was distinct from the pattern of criminal activity in that each participant had a specialized role within the enterprise. The enterprise was comprised of buyers, distributors, sellers and security access coordinators, all of whom contributed to the possession and sale of illegal firearms in Brooklyn.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, Mark Henry made 17 trips between New York airports and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, in Atlanta, Georgia, between May 8, 2014, and December 10, 2014. It is alleged that he purchased most of the guns through a website, www.theoutdoorstrader.com, purchasing between 10 and 20 guns at a time, picking them up from sellers in and around Atlanta, Georgia, and then flying to New York with them on the plane. Defendant Ernest Leneau then allegedly took the guns and sold them to an undercover detective.

During the course of the investigation it was discovered that Henry, whose mother is a retired Delta employee, traveled back and forth between Georgia and New York for a nominal fee by using his mother’s employee privileges, which allowed him to take unlimited flights for life. Additionally, Henry worked for Delta as a ramp agent between 2007 and 2010.

It is alleged that Harvey transported firearms into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport via an employee entrance, using his employee access to smuggle firearms obtained for eventual sale in Brooklyn into secure areas of the airport, circumventing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) protocols.

It is alleged that Henry met Harvey at home or outside the airport and gave him the guns to carry past security. On other occasions, it is alleged, that Harvey left his car unlocked so that Henry could leave firearms inside Harvey’s car the night before Henry planned to fly to New York. Harvey would then drive the firearms to the airport, bypass security and give them to Henry at pre-arranged meeting spots inside the airport after Henry had cleared security.

It is further alleged that defendant Adrian Alleyne purchased guns from Leneau and sold them to an undercover detective, and that defendant Grayling Smith supplied two firearms to Leneau, who later sold them to a different undercover detective.

The defendants are charged in a 657-count indictment with various offenses including aggravated enterprise corruption, an A-I felony punishable by up to life in prison; enterprise corruption, a B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison; conspiracy, manufacture, transport, disposition and defacement of weapons and dangerous instruments and appliances, first-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison; first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, a B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison; second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison; and criminal possession of a firearm, an E felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison.

The District Attorney thanked Delta Air Lines and the Transportation Security Administration for its assistance in this investigation.

The District Attorney thanked R.L. “Rusty” Edwards, Assistant Federal Security Director, Transportation Security Administration and George Taylor, John O’Dwyer and Pam Fears, of Delta Air Lines Corporate Security, for their assistance in this investigation.

The investigation was conducted by Detectives Jarrett Lemieux, Erik Hirsch and Daniel Grandstaff, of the New York City Police Department’s Firearms Investigations Unit, under the supervision of Lieutenant Michael Jennings, Captain Robert Van Houten and Deputy Inspector Brian Gill, and the overall supervision of Chief Thomas Purtell, of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tara Lenich, Deputy Chief for Special Investigations, Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau (“VCE”), and VCE Assistant District Attorneys Deirdre Moskowitz and Nicholas Hernandez, under the supervision of VCE Bureau Chief Nicole Chavis, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, 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
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

 

Bronx Man Sentenced to 18 Years to Life in Prison for
Killing Brooklyn Woman, Disposing of Her Body

Choked Victim, Cut off Her Fingertips,
Placed Body in Laundry Bag and Dumped it in Canarsie Pier

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 35-year-old Bronx man was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for fatally choking a Brooklyn woman and stealing her money. The defendant cut off the victim’s fingertips, threw the body off of the Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn and used the victim’s banking cards to withdraw cash and make purchases in stores and fast food restaurants.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This horrific murder was made even worse by this defendant’s barbaric mutilation and subsequent dumping of the victim’s body into Jamaica Bay.  Such sadistic acts show that the defendant is simply unfit to remain in society and deserves every day of the 18-year prison sentence that he will now serve.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Charles Wright, 35, of 1627 Fulton Avenue in the Bronx. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Michael Gary to 18 years to life in prison following his guilty plea on January 25, 2016 to second-degree murder and two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on July 25, 2014, the defendant got into an argument with Shaniqua Davis, 32, inside an apartment at 775 Blake Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn. He strangled the victim, used a knife to cut off her fingertips, tied her hands and feet, stuffed the body inside a large brown laundry bag, put her in the back of her car, drove her to the Canarsie Pier and threw her in the water. The body was found on a tidal island in Jamaica Bay inside the laundry bag on August 4, 2014.

The evidence showed that after killing the victim, the defendant used her ATM card to withdraw $141.50 from a grocery store across the street from her home. He also used her credit card to make purchases at a gas station, a Family Dollar store and Wendy’s and Burger King restaurants.

The defendant’s girlfriend Tamanika Evens, 39, who helped him dispose of the body, pleaded guilty to first-degree hindering prosecution and fourth-degree grand larceny on December 3, 2015, and is expected to be sentenced next month to two to six years in prison.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sara Kurtzberg, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief.

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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 9, 2016

 

Brooklyn Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Fatally Shooting Rival in the Head

Captured on High Definition Video Surveillance; Will Be Sentenced to 20 Years to Life

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 24-year-old Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally shooting a man in Flatbush, Brooklyn, killing him. The defendant will be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison as a result of the plea.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant was caught on tape shooting and killing another man in broad daylight.  He will now go to prison for a long time because we will not allow gang members like this to commit senseless violence on our streets.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Avon Simmons, 24, of 2505 Bedford Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn. He pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Murphy, who indicated he will sentence the defendant to 20 years to life in prison on March 2, 2016.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on August 13, 2014 at 8:30 a.m., the defendant fired multiple shots at Prinso Ulysse, 26, who was standing outside of 2149 Cortelyou Road in Flatbush, Brooklyn. A bullet struck the side of the victim’s head and he suffered extensive hemorrhaging and swelling to the brain. He died in Kings County Hospital on September 3, 2014.

The shooting was captured on high definition surveillance video that clearly showed the defendant stepping into the roadway, firing a gun at the victim, who was on the sidewalk, and then walking away. The defendant is a member of the G-Stone Crips gang and likely targeted the victim in retaliation for a past incident in which the defendant’s brother was shot.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 8, 2016

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Robbing Two Subway Riders after Attacking Them with a Hammer

Defendant Struck Victims From Behind and Took Their Cash

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 30-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for two separate robberies of subway commuters. In each incident, the defendant approached from behind, struck the victim’s head with a hammer as the victim purchased a MetroCard, demanded money and fled the scene.

District Attorney Thompson said, “In order for our city to be a place of law and order, people must be able to enter our subways without fear of being violently attacked.  This defendant caused such fear by ambushing subway riders from behind, smashing them over their heads with a hammer and running off with their money.  Without question, he now deserves to spend many years locked up in prison due to the extremely violent nature of his attacks.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Anthony Coward, 30, of 159 Hull Street, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice to 12 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision following a guilty plea on January 25, 2016 to two counts of first-degree robbery, which represent the top counts of the indictment.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, both incidents took place inside the Rockaway Avenue subway station, which serves the A and C subway lines and is located at the corner of Rockaway Avenue and Fulton Street in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

On May 4, 2014, at approximately 11 a.m., Cory Healy was purchasing a MetroCard from a vending machine when he was approached from behind and hit on the side of the head with a hammer by the defendant. The victim fell to the ground and the defendant demanded his property and continued to strike him with the hammer. The defendant then fled with the victim’s wallet, MetroCard, debit card and $58 in cash.

On May 7, 2014, at approximately 9:20 a.m., Brijanand Rishianand was purchasing a MetroCard when he was hit in the side of the head with a hammer by the defendant. The victim, bleeding, gave the defendant $140 and the defendant fled.

Both victims suffered pain, bruising and swelling to the head. The first victim also suffered bruising to the arm, while the second also suffered a concussion.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kori Medow, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau, Orange Zone, under the supervision of Janet Gleeson, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 5, 2016

 

Brooklyn Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for
Killing 13-Year-Old Boy in Brownsville Shooting

Fired Three Times at Group on Street Corner, Bragged about it in Prison Calls

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 21-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for killing a 13-year-old boy when he opened fire at a group of people on a Brownsville street corner in 2012.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This violent gang member senselessly murdered a 13-year old boy because he simply has no regard for human life – and even laughed about how he shot and killed that young child.  He will now spend many years behind bars, where one day he may come to truly regret the innocent life that he took.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Akbar Johns, 21, of 500 Thatford Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog to 20 years to life in prison following his conviction on January 20, 2016 on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on August 24, 2012 at 12:30 a.m., the defendant fired a .38-caliber revolver three times, killing Ronald Wallace Jr., 13, who was standing with a group of young people at the corner of Tapscott Street and Blake Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

The victim’s older brother and another eyewitness testified that they saw the defendant approach. He said, “What’s crackin?” then fired a gun at the group and tossed the weapon into bushes, according to testimony.

The defendant, a member of the Bully Crip set, was arrested on September 2, 2012 in Cumberland, Maryland, and subsequently gave oral and written statements admitting to committing the shooting. He later bragged about his involvement in recorded conversations from Rikers Island, the evidence showed.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 3, 2016

 

Fake Lawyer Who Falsely Claimed Brooklyn Bar Association as his Office
Pleads Guilty in Connection with Offering Bogus Immigration Services for a Fee

Faces 2 to 4 Years in State Prison at Sentencing

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced today that a Sunset Park man has pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree grand larceny and one count of first-degree immigrant assistance services fraud for posing as an attorney and charging thousands of dollars for immigration services which he failed to deliver.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This fake lawyer targeted and preyed on immigrants in need and who went to him for help. In Brooklyn, we must protect our immigrant communities from such con artists, and today’s conviction shows our commitment to do so.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Howard Seidler, 70, of 336 51st Street, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Seidler today pleaded guilty before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to third-degree grand larceny and first-degree immigrant assistance services fraud. The last felony count went into effect in February 2015 and today’s guilty plea marks the first conviction since it was enacted. Seidler is expected to be sentenced to an indeterminate term of two to four years in prison on the grand larceny count and one-and-a-half to three years on the immigrant assistance services fraud count, to run concurrently.

Between November 2014 and May 2015, the defendant posted advertisements in Sunset Park, identifying himself as an attorney who provides immigration services. The ads and his business card included the titles “Esq.,” PhD” and “J.D.”

A detective investigator from the District Attorney’s Office, working undercover, met with Seidler in the library of the Brooklyn Bar Association at 123 Remsen Street in Downtown Brooklyn, which he claimed to be his office. On April 8, 2015, the detective paid Seidler $3,085 to act as his attorney and help him obtain a green card and a Social Security card. The undercover was then provided with a written retainer contract.

The District Attorney said that on April 24, 2015, the undercover had another meeting with Seidler, who gave him a Social Security card and immigration paperwork purportedly filed on his behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. The investigation found that the Social Security card was forged, that the Social Security number did not belong to the name used by the detective and that no application was filed on his behalf with United States immigration authorities.

The investigation also revealed that the defendant is neither licensed nor registered to practice law in New York and that he is not licensed or accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals to provide any services with immigration authorities.

The District Attorney thanked Special Agent Matthew Macchiaroli of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) New York and Neisha Samaroo, a Special Agent with the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, who assisted in the investigation.

The case was supervised by Detective Investigator Rommie Woolcock, under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Thomas Farley and the overall supervision of Richard Bellucci, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jose Interiano, of the District Attorney’s Immigrant Fraud Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Chief of the Immigrant Fraud Unit, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the Investigations Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 3, 2016

 

Eighteen Alleged Members of Violent Folk Nation Street Gang
Indicted for Terrorizing and Shooting Up the Streets of Brooklyn
During Hunting Expeditions

Defendants Allegedly Plotted to Shoot and Murder Rivals in Canarsie, Flatbush and DUMBO,
Killing one rival, paralyzing an innocent woman and shooting many others;
Planned and Shared Their Exploits on Social Media

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, together with New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio, today announced that 18 alleged members of No Love City, a subset of the violent Folk Nation street gang, have been variously charged in a 76-count indictment with conspiracy to commit murder, weapons possession and other charges for multiple shootings throughout Brooklyn, including one that left a 25-year-old man dead and another that left a 60-year-old innocent woman paralyzed.

District Attorney Thompson said, “We must never allow violent street gangs to take over and terrorize our communities by going on hunting expeditions and roaming our streets shooting and killing people at will. This indictment makes clear that we will not cede our streets to armed criminals but will do everything in our power to keep our streets safe for all.”

Commissioner Bratton said, “These defendants are not just crew members but part of a criminal enterprise that has been responsible for a significant amount of the violence which has plagued the Flatbush and Canarsie sections of Brooklyn over the last two years. I commend the investigators and prosecutors who developed a substantial case against this group.”

Mayor de Blasio said, “The Gun Violence Suppression Division is using state-of-the-art policing to successfully investigate, arrest and prosecute violent criminals who attempt to wreak havoc on our city’s streets. I want to thank Commissioner Bratton, District Attorney Ken Thompson and the brave NYPD members who worked tirelessly together to secure these charges and keep our streets safe. NYPD will continue to quickly apprehend anyone responsible for gun violence in our city – and take every step to make sure they remain off our streets.”

The District Attorney said that 15 of the defendants were arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin P. Murphy and Justice Miriam Cyrulnik last week and this week and ordered held without bail. Another defendant is awaiting extradition from New Jersey and two others are being sought. The defendants who were arraigned were ordered to return to court on March 22, 2016. They face various penalties ranging from 25 years to life for second-degree murder and up to 25 years for second-degree attempted murder. All of the defendants are charged with second-degree conspiracy for which they face up to 25 years. (See defendant addendum).

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the defendants, whose ages range from 18 to 27 years old, are members of No Love City (NLC), a subset of Folk Nation, and operate primarily within the confines of the 63rd, 67th, 69th and 70th precincts, mostly in the vicinity of Flatbush Avenue, Newkirk Avenue and Ditmas Avenue in Brooklyn. During the course of the conspiracy the defendants variously allegedly agreed to commit crimes, including murder and assault, in order to maintain their dominance over that geographic area, particularly Flatbush.

Furthermore, the defendants also allegedly directed their acts of violence toward rival gang members living in and around Canarsie, Brooklyn, including members of the Crips subsets 100 Cloccs and GS9, as well as HQ Monopoly and the 1090s, in retaliation for the murder of NLC member Malik Bhola, 17, aka, Reckless, on January 1, 2014, in Bushwick. Bhola was shot in the chest following a fight over a girl at a party he had attended. Before he was shot he sent out a call for help – noting that there were “opps” in the area, referring to opposition members of gangs from Canarsie, also known as the “Flossy” in gang parlance.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, following the murder of Bhola, members of NLC, including some of the defendants, would go “riding out” in Canarsie, by which they meant going on hunting expeditions in vehicles and shooting individuals they suspected of being 100 Cloccs or HQ Monopoly, or merely being from the “Flossy.”

During the escalating violence, it is alleged, NLC members frequently discussed their intentions and efforts to engage in additional attacks and took credit for past attacks using social media. The violent attacks on their Canarsie rivals escalated further following the October 14, 2015, murder of NLC member Richard James, aka, “Money Bags.” James was shot to death outside the Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California.
It is alleged that during the conspiracy charged in the indictment, which is from September 27, 2013 until January 25, 2016, to further the criminal activities of the gang, NLC members committed various other crimes including selling prison contraband and robberies. They also communicated their intentions on social media, including Facebook, and during inmate calls made from Rikers Island, including ordering acts of retribution such as beatings and shootings of members of rival gangs. Many of the phone calls were allegedly made by or with Kwyme Waddell, aka, “K,” who is considered the “Big Homie,” or leader of NLC.

Among the acts of violence charged in the indictment are the following:

• On February 9, 2014, it is alleged, defendant Christian Williams shot and injured a rival on a commercial street, an instance of NLC members engaging in a “riding out” hunting expedition in Canarsie.
• On May 24, 2014, defendant Jerome Myrie fired from his vehicle at two individuals in another car whom he believed were rival gang members. The targets, who were on a residential street in Canarsie, attempted to flee in reverse. The victims’ car was shot up and at least one stray bullet went through the window of a home of an individual having nothing to do with the gang rivalry. No injuries were reported.
• On May 26, 2014, after Jerome Myrie allegedly discussed a plan to shoot up a party in Canarsie on Facebook, three individuals were shot and received non-fatal injuries while in the vicinity of a barbecue in Canarsie on Memorial Day. Myrie then took credit for the shooting on Facebook.
• On May 30, 2014, defendant Kenny Dorcean exchanged gunfire with a rival gang member in Flatbush, then a few minutes later Dorcean opened fire again, striking 60-year-old Deleta Crawford, who was grocery shopping on Flatbush Avenue. The shooting left her paralyzed from the waist down.
• On June 17, 2014, Jerome Myrie and Deleon Hutchinson, again “riding out” in the “Flossy,” shot a rival gang member from a car, then got out and shot him several more times.
• On November 12, 2014, after using a young woman as bait to set up a meeting on Facebook with a rival gang member, defendants (and brothers) Tyreek Hayes and Shaquille Hayes plotted to trap and execute him on the street in Canarsie. Instead of a date, the victim received a gunshot wound to the face that left him with a broken jaw.
• On April 17, 2015, defendant Oshane Fyffe shot and injured a rival gang member on Bedford Avenue, in Flatbush.
• On May 14, 2015, defendants Tyreek and Shaquille Hayes were arrested after a search warrant executed at their home led to the recovery of a handgun, which subsequently proved to have Tyreek’s DNA on it.
• On July 13, 2015, defendant Corey Roberts entered a courtyard at 866 Coney Island Avenue filled with people, including children playing on scooters, and opened fire, striking two innocent bystanders and narrowly missing two others. Before firing, Roberts allegedly declared his presence by announcing: “I’m Fresh, Corey is my name, from Ditmas, Newkirk.”
• On July 15, 2015, defendant Oshane Fyffe shot and killed an individual, Adetunji Ajakaye, believed to be a rival gang member from Rugby Road a day after defendants Fremont and Dorcean were overheard discussing a growing dispute with the gang on Rugby Road and declaring that Oshane must take care of that.
• On October 18, 2015, following the shooting death of Richard James in California defendants Javanni Moise, Jean Fremont, Jarmel Blake and others drove down to the DUMBO section of Brooklyn and engaged in a gun battle with rival gang members. After the gun battle, a black Cadillac was seen fleeing at a high rate of speed through Carroll Gardens. It was abandoned by Prospect Park and found to have multiple bullet holes, as well as Fremont’s fingerprints and Moise’s blood. Two weapons were discarded en route: a Glock 26 9mm had Moise’s DNA and matched shell casings at DUMBO and in the car; a Smith & Wesson 9mm matched Moise’s fingerprint on the magazine. Moise, whose DNA appeared in the Cadillac, was taken to Kings County Medical Center.
• On December 30, 2015, Rahim Vincent was observed using his phone to access Facebook, while driving, and instead of submitting to a vehicle stop, led officers on a brief high speed chase that ended in a three-car accident. Vincent and his passenger fled, leaving behind a pistol with a 30-round clip, containing 19 bullets, under the passenger seat.

The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Department Detective Kevin Muirhead, under the supervision of Sergeant Edward Deighan and Lieutenant Richard Zacarese of the Gun Violence Suppression Division.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Jane C. Kim of the District Attorney’s Crime Strategies Unit, assisted in the investigation under the supervision of Edward J. Carroll, Chief, and the overall supervision of Senior Executive Assistant District Attorney Mark E. Feldman, Crime Strategies and Investigations. Assistant District Attorney Lisa Berk, formerly of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, also assisted in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jonathan R. Sennett, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division and Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.

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

DEFENDANT ADDENDUM:
1. Alfaro-Barber, Paolo, dob: 7-28-91, Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
2. Blake, Jarmel, dob: 1-30-92, St. Marks Place, Brooklyn. Being sought by police.
3. Dorcean, Kenny, dob: 12-26-91, Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
4. Fraser, Jaquan, dob: 10-23-97, Sheffield Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
5. Fremont, Jean, dob: 6-25-91, East 25th Street, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
6. Fyffe, Oshane, dob: 11-4-96, East 21st Street, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
7. Hayes, Shaquille, dob: 7-30-96, Christopher Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
8. Hayes, Tyreek, dob: 1-4-89, Christopher Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
9. Hutchinson, Deleon, dob: 11-10-95, Hook Creek Boulevard, Valley Stream, N.Y. Bail status: remanded.
10. Julien, Marvin, dob:12-12-92, Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
11. Marcellus, Denzel, dob: 5-18-95, Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
12. Moise, Javanni, dob: 3-24-94, East 25th Street, Brooklyn. Awaiting extradition from Essex County, New Jersey.
13. Myrie, Jerome, dob: unknown, East 104th Street, Brooklyn. Being sought by police.
14. Roberts, Corey, dob: 5-22-92, Newkirk Avenue, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
15. Simonise, Dave, dob: 12-25-95, East 84th Street, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
16. Vincent, Rahim, dob: 2-16-95, 286 East 45th Street, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
17. Waddell, Kwyme, dob: 12-25-91, East 25th Street, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.
18. Williams, Christian, dob: 7-7-95, East 21st Street, Brooklyn. Bail status: remanded.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 1, 2016

 

Teen Gunman Convicted of Murder for Shooting Innocent Man On Crowded Bus in Bedford-Stuyvesant During Rush Hour

Victim Shot in Head and Killed by Gang Member

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Bedford-Stuyvesant teenager has been convicted of second-degree murder for pulling out a .357 Magnum revolver on a crowded city bus during rush hour and shooting an innocent 39-year-old man in the back of the head, killing him. The defendant opened fire on three rival gang members who were also on the bus.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Angel Rojas was an innocent and hardworking man who came to our country to pursue the American Dream. All of that was tragically and brutally taken away from him in an instant by a teenager caught up in the gang culture and the random and senseless gun violence that it spawns. Hopefully, this conviction will bring his shattered family some solace.”

​The District Attorney identified the defendant as Kahton Anderson, 15, of 660 Gates Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The defendant was today convicted of one count of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree attempted assault, one count of first-degree reckless endangerment and one count of first-degree criminal use of a firearm following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Riviezzo. The judge set sentencing for February 18, 2016, at which time the defendant, as a juvenile offender, faces up to 15 years to life in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on the afternoon of March 20, 2014, Anderson – a Stack Money Goons gang member – was on a southbound B15 bus when three members of the rival Twan Family gang boarded. Anderson, who was 14-years-old at the time, pulled out a .357 revolver from his backpack and opened fire.

Angel Rojas, 39, who was married and the father of an 8-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son, was sitting in a forward facing seat on the bus, talking on a cell phone. He was struck in the back of the head. After shooting Mr. Rojas, the defendant ran off the bus after his rivals and continued to shoot, emptying his gun. Mr. Rojas was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at Woodhull Hospital.

Anderson was convicted of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment at an earlier trial last year and is awaiting sentencing on that conviction.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Iris Das, of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 1, 2016

 

Bookkeeper Indicted For Stealing Approximately $755,000
From Brooklyn Property Management Company

Allegedly Used Funds to Pay for Investment Properties in Syracuse

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced a 34-count indictment charging a former employee with stealing almost $755,000 from a family-owned company that managed residential buildings in Brooklyn.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant allegedly used her employer here in Brooklyn as a personal piggy bank by stealing a staggering amount of money from several company bank accounts and then investing the stolen money into her own properties upstate.  She will now be held accountable for this elaborate scheme to defraud.”

The District Attorney said that the defendant, Jennifer De Coteau Ulanov, 44, of Syracuse, New York (formerly of Brighton Beach) was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which she is charged with one count of second-degree grand larceny, 21 counts of second-degree forgery and 12 counts of first-degree falsifying business records. She was ordered held on bail of $750,000 bond or $250,000 cash and to return to court on March 30, 2016.

The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, Ulanov was the sole employee of Guardian Property Management, a property management company based in Park Slope and owned by husband and wife partners. Guardian managed small to mid-size rentals, cooperatives and condominiums located in Park Slope, Williamsburg, Sunset Park and other Brooklyn neighborhoods. Its duties included maintaining clients’ funds, collecting rents, common charges and maintenance fees, hiring and paying contractors, and managing the purchase and sale of condominium units and cooperative apartments.

Guardian maintained separate accounts at Citibank for each of its clients, and a master account into which Guardian’s fees were deposited and from which it paid its operating costs, including rent, payroll and office supplies. Only the owners were authorized to sign checks from all of the accounts.

Furthermore, according to the indictment, Ulanov’s duties included opening mail, making bank deposits, preparing checks to pay contractors and vendors on behalf of clients, downloading Guardian’s clients’ bank statements and making entries into Guardian’s QuickBooks software.

It is alleged that between January 3, 2010 and December 31, 2014, Ulanov stole over $755,000 from Guardian in a number of ways, including:

• Depositing checks for rent, maintenance and common charges into her personal accounts instead of into client accounts by forging the clients’ signatures for endorsement.
• Forging the signature of her employers on scores of Guardian client accounts and depositing the forged checks into her personal account, then covering up the shortfalls by doctoring the Citibank statements to include false entries and false calculations.
• Forging her employers’ signatures on checks from the Guardian master account and making them payable to herself, as well as diverting client fees that should have been deposited into the Guardian master account into her accounts, as well as diverting client fees from the master account into her personal accounts.
• Illegally obtaining unrestricted access to Guardian’s accounts which allowed her to alter the monthly statements for Guardian client accounts so they appeared to have balances in excess of their true balances.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, among other things, the defendant used the money to pay down mortgages on and to maintain six investment properties in Syracuse, New York.

The case was investigated by Brooklyn District Attorney Supervising Financial Investigator Deborah Wey. It was additionally investigated by Detective Investigator Andrew Choi of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Michael Seminara, Deputy Chief Edwin Murphy and the overall supervision of Chief Richard Bellucci.

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

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