Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 12, 2015

Brooklyn Man Convicted of New Year’s Day Shooting Outside Flatbush Nightclub; Nine Shots Fired, Injuring Two Men

Shooting Captured on Videotape Surveillance Camera

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 31-year-old Brownsville man was convicted of one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault for opening fire outside a Flatbush nightclub on January 1, 2014, firing nine shots and striking two victims. He faces up to 25 years in prison for each victim when he is sentenced later this month.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant shot up the street outside a night club and put many people who were out celebrating the New Year at risk. He has now been held accountable and will face many years in prison when he is sentenced later this month.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Donald Munnerlyn, 31, of Marconi Place in Brownsville. He was convicted of one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault yesterday following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Guidice. He will be sentenced on June 25, 2015, at which time he faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years for each of the top two counts.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on January 1, 2014, at approximately 4:45 a.m., the defendant and one of the victims, Richard Cannon, engaged in a fist fight inside a nightclub called Temptations, located at 2210 Church Avenue in Flatbush. They were separated by security. At approximately 5 a.m., the victim was outside of the club with his friends when the defendant walked up to him and fired nine times. He was shot once in the abdomen and once in the back. An innocent bystander, Yves Edouard, who was waiting in line to enter the club, was shot twice in the right leg.

Furthermore, according to trial testimony, the head of security from the club identified the defendant as the shooter in a surveillance video recovered from the club.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Joshua Lee and Dovid Wolosow, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau IV, Green Zone, under the supervision of David Klestzick, Chief.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 12, 2015

Brooklyn Man Who Videotaped Alleged Accomplice Setting Fire To Sleeping Homeless Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Defendant Caught on Cell Phone Video Inciting Attack

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Cypress Hills man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a 2012 attack against a mentally-ill homeless man who was doused with lighter fluid and set on fire as he slept in the doorway of an East New York deli.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant took part in a horrific and inhumane crime against a defenseless victim. With his abhorrent behavior, he relinquished the right to be out in the streets of Brooklyn and today’s sentence ensures that outcome.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Lorenzo Fonerin, 23, of 246 Ridgewood Avenue, in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. He appeared today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Deborah Dowling, who sentenced him to 15 years in prison following his conviction of first-degree assault on March 13, 2015 after a jury trial. He is expected to be deported after finishing serving his sentence.

District Attorney Thompson said that, according to evidence at trial, Fonerin and alleged accomplice Suliman Ahmed were working in a deli on the corner of Pennsylvania and Cozine Avenues in East New York just past midnight on September 23, 2012. The two targeted a homeless man named Tasheen Hand, who was sleeping by the entrance of the store.

A cell phone video taken by Fonerin shows Ahmed allegedly dousing lighter fluid on the unsuspecting victim as the defendant eggs him on, saying “Do that.” A subsequent cell phone video depicts how Ahmed allegedly lights a book of matches and drops it on the victim, starting a fire. Hand can then be seen, according to evidence presented in court, waking up and running around aflame for more than a minute. The defendant eventually threw water on him to help put out the fire.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 19, 2015

 

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson Announces Initiative to Address Backlog of Summons Warrants by Helping to Resolve Them in a Fair and Efficient Manner

Begin Again, in Partnership with Local Churches, the NYPD, the Defense Bar and the Courts,
Aims to Unburden Thousands of Residents Who Have an Open Warrant

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced an initiative aimed at helping Brooklyn residents make a fresh start and have the weight of an open summons warrant lifted from their shoulders. Titled Begin Again, the program is designed to offer a solution to thousands of individuals who have an outstanding warrant because they failed to answer a citation for low-level offenses. Those estimated 1.2 million open warrants citywide carry a host of negative consequences.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Many of our Brooklyn neighbors are in danger of being placed in handcuffs and put through the system for failing to respond to a ticket for drinking alcohol in public, riding a bike on the sidewalk, walking a dog without a leash or being in a park after dark.  The summons itself might have been for a minor offense, but the warrant can have – and may have already had – a major negative impact and can put our police officers at risk unnecessarily.  During Begin Again events across Brooklyn, law-enforcement agencies and the communities we serve will work together to resolve this burden in a fair, efficient and supportive way.”

U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries said, “Over 200,000 Brooklynites have outstanding warrants as a result of low-level, non-violent offenses. We must be proactive in cleaning up this issue so that our justice system can be free to prosecute violent crime and keep hardened criminals off the streets. This initiative is a win-win for all involved and a good first step toward our goal of preventing nuisance offenses from ruining the lives of our young people across New York City. District Attorney Thompson should be commended for his commitment in bringing this essential program to life.”

New York City Criminal Court Administrative Judge Melissa Jackson said, “The Court is pleased to collaborate with the Brooklyn District Attorney, the Legal Aid Society, members of the clergy, NYPD and volunteer members of the community to bring about the two-day Begin Again event. We encourage individuals with outstanding summons warrants to take full advantage of this opportunity to vacate their warrants and dispose of their cases in this accessible and supportive environment.”

Public Advocate Letitia James said, “Over one million New Yorkers have open arrest warrants because they did not to respond to citations for low-level offenses, such as riding their bicycle on the sidewalk or being in parks after sundown. Begin Again is a means for individuals to resolve their warrants in a supportive way, without having to be arrested and spend a night in jail for minor offenses. Our criminal justice system should be a foundation that stabilizes our community, not an anchor that weighs us down. The cooperative, non-confrontational process of Begin Again will foster trust in the New York City legal system and help numerous individuals who have been victimized by the crackdown on low-level offenses.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, “The fundamental futures for tens of thousands of Brooklynites are at risk due to over a quarter of a million open warrants for low-level summonsable offenses in our borough. After patrolling our streets for 22 years as an NYPD officer, I know first-hand that we cannot tolerate quality-of-life disturbances. Still, we can all agree that the punishment must fit the offense. A young person that is arrested for failing to pay a summons at the age of 18 should not become unemployable at 21 due to an arrest based on a summons warrant. District Attorney Thompson is advancing justice and public safety alike through the Begin Again initiative, and I urge affected Brooklynites to avail themselves of this important program.”

District Attorney Thompson said that the first Begin Again event is being held on Father’s Day Weekend in partnership with clergy and other community leaders, elected officials, the New York City Police Department, the Legal Aid Society and the Office of Court Administration. It is taking place Friday, June 19^th and Saturday, June 20^th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church, located at 279 Lafayette Avenue, corner of St. James Place, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

Similar opportunities, all funded by the District Attorney’s Office, are planned for additional neighborhoods over the coming year.

More than 2,400 letters have been sent to people with outstanding warrants from the seven precincts surrounding Emanuel Baptist Church and walk-ins will also be processed. Individuals who did not receive a letter will first consult with attorneys from The Legal Aid Society to make sure only summons warrants are heard. All participants will then enter a makeshift courtroom, where a judge will be on hand to vacate warrants that resulted from the failure to respond to summonses for a multitude of low-level or “quality of life” offenses.

The District Attorney noted that, according to court records, there are approximately 1.2 million open warrants across the city – most of them issued over a year ago and some older than a decade – which were ordered after recipients failed to answer their summonses. About one quarter, or over 260,000, stem from summonses issued in Brooklyn.

These summons warrants, when left unresolved, can impede one’s ability to get a job, apply for citizenship or obtain public housing. They mean that any future contact with law-enforcement, even for a minor violation, will result in handcuffs, a trip to the precinct and possibly a night in jail. Moreover, the city’s already-overburdened courts must deal with an additional strain whenever those arrested for summons warrants are brought in front of a judge, delaying other proceedings. And warrants can put officers in unnecessary peril when they approach a person on the street or make a traffic stop as that person may resist or attempt to flee simply because of an old outstanding warrant.

Begin Again was created to address this problem. Participants will be taking an affirmative step by clearing up their warrants in a non-traditional, non-confrontational manner within a safe environment so they can move on with their lives. In addition, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office will host a neighborhood resource fair outside Emmanuel Baptist Church during the hours of the initiative. Over 30 local community-based organizations will offer vital information related to job training, legal advice, health services and more.

All outstanding summons warrants are eligible for Begin Again. Applicable offenses include, but are not limited to the following: unlawful possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of alcohol under the age of 21, consumption of alcohol in public, unlawful possession of handcuffs, littering, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, making unreasonable noise, animal nuisance, failure to have a dog license, unleashed dog, spitting, trespass, disorderly conduct, loitering, being in the park after closing, failure to comply with a posted sign in the park and transit fare evasion.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 25, 2015

 

Man Sentenced to 17 Years to Life in Prison
For the 2003 Murder of His Pregnant Girlfriend

A Gun Used by Defendant in a 2012 Burglary Attempt
Was Matched to a Shell Casing from the Open Homicide Case

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 42-year-old man was sentenced to 17 years to life in prison for killing his girlfriend, who was nine months pregnant when he shot her in the head inside her Flatlands home back in 2003.

District Attorney Thompson said, “A woman was violently murdered and the daughter she carried was robbed of a chance at life. Today’s sentence ensures that the person responsible for this horrific crime is held accountable and spares the family from reliving this terrible tragedy during a trial.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jefferson Jones, 42, who is currently serving a prison sentence at Five Points Correctional Facility. He was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog to 17 years to life in prison, following his guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder that was entered on May 28, 2015.

The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, on June 28, 2003, at about midnight, the defendant shot Lamethia McCollum, 28, twice in the head inside her apartment at 1394 East 48^th Street in Flatlands, Brooklyn. The body of the victim was discovered by her then 8-year-old daughter.

District Attorney Thompson said that on February 27, 2012, the defendant and an accomplice were spotted by a homeowner in the backyard of 176-10 145^th Drive in Springfield Gardens, Queens. Police was called and Jones was arrested with a 9-mm Glock handgun and charged with attempted burglary. Forensic analysis determined that a single spent shell casing that was recovered at the scene of the 2003 homicide matched the defendant’s gun.

Jones was sentenced in September 2012 to three and a half years in prison for first-degree attempted burglary in connection with the Queens case. He will finish serving that term in August 27, 2015, and will then begin serving his sentence for the murder.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 26, 2015

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced To 35 Years in Prison for 2014 New Year’s Day
Shooting Outside Flatbush Nightclub; Nine Shots Fired, Injuring Two Men

Shooting Captured on Videotape Surveillance Camera

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 31-year-old Brownsville man was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted earlier this month of one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault for opening fire outside a Flatbush nightclub on January 1, 2014, firing nine shots and striking two victims.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant could have easily killed someone when he opened fire outside that nightclub. He will now pay a steep price for the mayhem and injuries he caused through his senseless acts of gun violence.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Donald Munnerlyn, 31, of Marconi Place in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He was convicted of one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault following a jury trial earlier this month before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Giudice.  He was sentenced yesterday to 23 years in prison for the attempted murder of Richard Cannon and 12 years in prison for the assault on Yves Edouard. Justice Del Giudice ordered the sentences to run consecutive to one another, and also sentenced the defendant to five years’ post-release supervision.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on January 1, 2014, at approximately 4:45 a.m., the defendant and one of the victims, Richard Cannon, engaged in a fist fight inside a nightclub called Temptations, located at 2210 Church Avenue in Flatbush. They were separated by security. At approximately 5 a.m., the victim was outside of the club with his friends when the defendant walked up to him and fired nine times. He was shot once in the abdomen and once in the back. An innocent bystander, Yves Edouard, who was waiting in line to enter the club, was shot twice in the right leg.

Furthermore, according to trial testimony, the head of security from the club identified the defendant as the shooter in a surveillance video recovered from the club.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Joshua Lee and Dovid Wolosow, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau IV, Green Zone, under the supervision of David Klestzick, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 9, 2015

 

Thirteen Arrested in Raid of Alleged Drug Dealers
Who Operated Out of Two East Williamsburg Housing Developments

Sixth Narcotics Takedown in Brooklyn Public Housing
Since Last Summer Came After Months-Long Investigation;
Undercover Officers Repeatedly Purchased Drugs in Vicinity of Two Schools

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, together with New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, announced today that 13 defendants have been arrested and variously charged with selling narcotics or possessing drugs in and around the Bushwick and Borinquen Plaza Housing Developments in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Members of the community reached out to law-enforcement with complaints about narcotics and related violence, leading to this successful investigation. We will not allow hard-working people to be held hostage by violent gangs and drug dealers who operate in their midst and these arrests will bring a measure of safety to residents in these housing developments.”

Commissioner Bratton said, “Thanks to the ongoing efforts to thwart the illegal sale of narcotics in public housing, these alleged narcotic traffickers who operated in the Bushwick and Borinquen Plaza Housing Developments have been brought to justice. I want to thank the NYPD investigators of Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North and the prosecutors at the Brooklyn DA’s Office who worked tirelessly in this case to protect public housing residents and their quality of life.”

The District Attorney said that the investigation, led by the NYPD’s Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North, started in October 2014, following complaints about drug activity in the two housing developments. Undercover officers made 27 purchases of crack-cocaine, heroin and marijuana from six of the charged defendants. Since June 16, 2014, the District Attorney’s Office has teamed up with the police to execute seven takedowns of drug traffickers in Public Housing Developments in Brooklyn, which led to charges against over 50 defendants.

District Attorney Thompson said that a total of six suspects who were identified in the course of the investigation were arrested on Wednesday, July 8, 2015 along with seven additional individuals who were with them when search warrants were executed. The defendants are awaiting arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court. They variously face between one year in jail to a maximum of nine years in prison. More arrests are expected as part of the ongoing investigation.

The alleged dealers are variously charged in criminal complaints with criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school grounds, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree possession of a controlled substance and other counts. The other defendants are variously charged with third- and seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

In one search warrant location, 68 glassine envelopes of heroin, up to 10 grams of crack-cocaine and over $2,000 were recovered. In another location, 49 grams of heroin were recovered.

The Bushwick Houses are bordered by Flushing Avenue, Bushwick Avenue, Moore Street and Humboldt Street. Borinquen Plaza Houses are bordered by Siegel Street, Bushwick Avenue, Boreum Street and Humboldt Street. There are two public elementary schools – PS 257 and PS 147 – within 1,000 feet of these public housing projects.

The investigation was conducted by Detective James McCullough and Detective Lorne Kanover of Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North, under the supervision of Sergeant Kenneth Durkin, Lieutenant Kassandra Whitaker and Captain Timothy Wilson.

The District Attorney also thanked the undercover police officers whose work was instrumental in the investigation.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Maria Linares, Deputy Chiefs 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 Investigations.

 

Defendants charged with sale and possession of a controlled substance are: 

Steffon Best aka “Dogie,” 20, of 155 Siegel Street, Brooklyn.

Joaly Cruz aka “JuJu,” 24, of 155 Siegel Street, Brooklyn.

Miguel Forbes aka “Tan,” 24, of 1492 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.

Darryl Irick aka “D,” 52, of 370 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn.

Marion Johnson aka “Money,” 31, of 654A Halsey Street, Brooklyn.

Melquan Richey aka “Stu,” 21, of 120 Humboldt Street, Brooklyn.

 

Defendants charged with possession of a controlled substance are:

Leslie Perez, 28 of 811 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn.

Gary Brennerman, 29, of 90 Paladino Avenue, Manhattan.

Ricky de la Cruz, 18, of 77 Varet Street, Brooklyn.

George Erick, 56, of 370 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn.

Justin Erick, 23, of 370 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn.

Niagia Millsaps, 21, of 370 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn.

Michael Isler, 54 of 519 East 51^st Street, Brooklyn.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 9, 2015

 

Former Con Edison Employee Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Impersonating a Police Officer and Sexually Attacking Woman

Defendant Forced Victim to Engage in Sex Act by Threatening Her
With “Arrest” if She Did Not Comply

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 35-year-old former Con Edison employee was sentenced to 10 years in prison following his conviction last month for forcing a woman to engage in sexual activity in 2012 by impersonating a police officer and threatening her with an arrest if she did not comply.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant’s actions are particularly troubling because he pretended to be a police officer to take advantage of the victim and make her engage in unwanted sexual activity. Today’s sentence ensures that he’s off the streets and in prison, where he belongs.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Warren Taylor, 35, of Bushkill, PA.  He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alan D. Marrus to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of post-release supervision and sex offender registration. The defendant was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree criminal impersonation following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, the defendant approached the victim—who worked as a prostitute— on Vermont Street in East New York, Brooklyn on January 5, 2012.  The victim entered the defendant’s car where the defendant falsely stated that he was a police officer and drove her to a nearby location. The defendant then ordered the victim out the car where he handcuffed and frisked her. Once back in the car, the defendant forced the victim to engage in a sex act by telling her she would be arrested if she did not. The defendant used his Con Edison-issued handheld radio, according to court documents, to trick his victim into believing he was a cop.

District Attorney Thompson said that, according to trial testimony, following the attack, the defendant entered his phone number into the victim’s cell phone and later sent her numerous text messages. Upon his arrest, investigators recovered handcuff keys and a Con Edison issued radio. Further analysis of the defendant’s cell phone records placed him in the area at the time of the incident.

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

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 14, 2015

 

Crown Heights Man Who Allegedly Punched Gay Man
While Using Homophobic Slur Indicted For Assault as a Hate Crime

Unprovoked, Morning Attack Occurred As Victim Was Headed to Work

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today said that a Crown Heights man is being charged in a seven-count indictment with third-degree assault as a hate crime and other charges stemming from an incident earlier this month in which the defendant allegedly taunted the victim – to whom he was known – with anti-gay slurs and punched him in the face without provocation.

District Attorney Ken Thompson said, “In Brooklyn, everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or sexual identity, must be treated with dignity and respect. Brooklyn is celebrated for its diversity. Unprovoked attacks such as this alleged assault will not be tolerated here.”http://brooklynda.org/?p=3499&preview=true

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Luois Lloyd, 29, of Eastern Parkway, in Crown Heights. He is named in a seven-count indictment that was filed yesterday in which he is charged with third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault, third-degree menacing as a hate crime, third-degree menacing, second-degree harassment as a hate crime, second-degree aggravated harassment and second-degree harassment. He will be arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court at a later date. The top count carries a penalty of 1 to 3 years in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, at approximately 8 a.m., on July 6, 2015, in the vicinity of Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway, the defendant allegedly punched the victim, a 34-year-old openly gay man in the face and stated, “I am tired of you gay [expletive] staring at me and following me.”

The victim, who was on his way to the subway and beginning a new job, suffered jaw pain and swelling and after initially boarding the subway went back to Franklin Avenue and reported the attack to police. The defendant and the victim are known to one another from the neighborhood.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective Thomas Fisch of the Hate Crimes Task Force under the supervision of Captain Mark Magrone.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kelli Muse, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, under the supervision of Marc Fliedner, Chief, and the overall supervision of William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 16, 2015

 

Two Brooklyn Men Convicted in Connection

With the Shooting Death of a 16-Month-Old Baby

Child in Stroller Struck in Head by Bullets Meant for His Dad

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that two Brooklyn men were convicted in connection with the 2013 murder of a 16-month-old boy who was shot while being pushed in a stroller by his father – the apparent target of the fatal gunfire.

District Attorney Thompson said, “The tragic death of this innocent baby is an example of the devastation gun violence can wreck on our communities. These defendants showed utter disregard for human life and we will be asking that each of them receives the maximum sentence.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Daquan Breland, 25, of 187 Riverdale Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn and Daquan Wright, 21, of 24 Chester Street in East New York, Brooklyn. Following a jury trial, Breland was convicted today of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and Wright was convicted of the top count he was charged with, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

District Attorney Thompson said that, according to trial testimony, on September 1, 2013, at about 7:20 p.m., Wright handed a firearm to Breland, who fired several shots in the direction of Anthony Hennis who was pushing a stroller at the intersection of Bristol Street and Livonia Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The bullets struck 16-month-old Antiq Hennis in the head, killing him. Both defendants fled the state and were apprehended in Pennsylvania five days after the homicide.

The District Attorney said that an eyewitness testified at trial about seeing Wright handing the gun to Breland, who fired in the direction of Anthony Hennis, who was pushing his son Antiq in a stroller. A man who lived with Breland at the time testified that the defendant admitted to him shortly after the incident that he shot a rival, referring to the victim’s father by his nickname.

A jury convicted both defendants today following a trial in front of Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog, who set sentencing for August 18, 2015.

Breland faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison and Wright faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Friday 17, 2015

 

Brooklyn Man Convicted for Recklessly Killing Senior Citizen by

Punching Him, Causing Fall and Head Injury

Disoriented Victim, 69, Assaulted When He Mistakenly Tried to Open Defendant’s Front Door

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Bedford-Stuyvesant man was convicted of manslaughter and assault for a 2013 attack that caused the death of a 69-year-old cancer patient. The victim, apparently confused, attempted to enter a neighboring home, thinking it was his, when the defendant punched him twice and caused him to fall down a stoop and suffer a fatal head injury.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant viciously attacked and killed an elderly neighbor who simply needed help.  He will now pay a steep price for his senseless acts of violence that took an innocent man’s life.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Vaughan Keith, 34, of 635 Halsey Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He was convicted of the top counts of second-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault on Thursday, July 16, 2015, following a jury trial in front of Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice William Harrington, who set sentencing to August 3, 2015. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, Willie Davis, 69, suffered from cancer and diabetes – ailments that caused him to become confused and disoriented at times. On January 30, 2013, Davis, who resided at 631 Halsey Street, tried to use his home key to open the front door of 635 Halsey Street, a similar-looking building two doors away.

The defendant, who owned and lived in that building, confronted the victim, yelled at him and punched him in the face, according to witnesses who testified at trial. Davis staggered and held on to a rail. Keith then punched him a second time, causing him to tumble down the four-step stoop and hit his head on the concrete. The defendant then fled in his vehicle.

District Attorney Thompson said that a medical examiner testified that the victim suffered fractures to the orbital bones, skull, face, nose, and a hematoma to the head. He received emergency brain surgery at Kings County Hospital but succumbed to his injuries on July 1, 2013. The cause of death was ruled to be blunt trauma to the head.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau III, Grey Zone, and Assistant District Attorney Danielle Reddan.