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Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 9, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Man Who Targeted Chinese Women Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
Following Guilty Plea to Robbery as a Hate Crime

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree robbery as a hate crime for robbing five Chinese women and attempting to rob a sixth woman in separate incidents in Borough Park. The defendant admitted targeting them because of their race.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in the early morning of April 6, 2015, near 55th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, a 23-year-old woman of Chinese descent was walking alone when the defendant approached her from behind and repeatedly pulled on her purse, causing her to fall to the ground. He then stood over her and stated: “Give me all of your money.” According to the investigation, a bystander happened upon the attempted robbery and saw the defendant with his arm around the victim’s neck in an apparent struggle and called 911. Police apprehended Israel about 20 minutes later approximately six blocks from the scene.

Further, the defendant admitted that he committed five similar additional robberies of women of Chinese descent, ages 21 to 43, between March 21 and April 4, 2015, all in the vicinity of Fort Hamilton Parkway between 55th and 71st Streets, and was subsequently charged with those crimes. The investigation revealed that he selected women of Chinese descent because he perceived them to be vulnerable to an attack.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentence shows that hate crimes such as these, which are based on a person’s race, gender, sexual identity or ethnicity, will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. The defendant specifically targeted Chinese women walking alone because he thought he could overpower them and escape prosecution. He’s now been held accountable.”

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 28, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Brownsville Woman Who Fatally Stabbed Boyfriend
Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brownsville woman has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison for fatally stabbing her live-in boyfriend after opening her apartment door for him while armed with a knife following an argument.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to testimony, in the early morning of February 23, 2014, the defendant, Latrina Crocker, 48, and the victim, Michael Artist, 52, were engaged in an argument inside their shared apartment. As the dispute ended, the victim left and returned a short while later, asking the defendant to open the apartment door. The defendant opened the door with a knife in her hand, continued to argue, and then stabbed the victim in the arm and chest. Afterwards, the defendant dragged the victim’s body into the hallway before calling 911.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “A domestic dispute was needlessly escalated when this defendant chose to kill a man she once cared for. We, in Brooklyn, take seriously all forms of intimate partner violence and I am committed to holding all offenders accountable.”

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 27, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Announces Chess Program for
At-Risk Youth in Partnership with Police Athletic League

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced a new initiative in East New York and Bedford-Stuyvesant to provide high-quality chess programs to at-risk youth.

The chess program, created by Brooklyn native and International Hall of Fame chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley, will take place as two sessions a week over the course of 15 weeks on-site at PAL’s East New York and Bedford-Stuyvesant locations. The program kicked off last week and will continue through August 2017 – with two cycles during the school year and one summer cycle.

The program is open to third- and fourth-graders in Bedford-Stuyvesant and to grades five through eight in East New York. Approximately 300 students are expected to take part in the program, which is being funded by a grant from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

The chess instruction will reinforce logic and critical thinking skills while promoting a love of the game. At the end of each cycle, participants will compete in a center-wide tournament, which will culminate in a Brooklyn-wide competition.

Maurice Ashley is a native of Brownsville, Brooklyn, and the first African-American international grandmaster. He was recently inducted into the International Chess Hall of Fame. In addition, Mr. Ashley, the author of Chess for Success, will be teaching some of the classes.

The idea for the program came from late Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, whose son is an avid chess player.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “It is an honor for me to carry out DA Ken Thompson’s vision for a chess partnership with the Police Athletic League that will benefit hundreds of young people, teaching them not only to carefully consider their next move in chess, but will also help them think strategically about their next moves in life. We couldn’t have a better leader in this effort than Maurice Ashley, who is not only a chess grandmaster, but a native Brooklynite and wonderful role model.”

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Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 26, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Man Who Targeted Chinese Women Pleads Guilty to
Robbery as a Hate Crime

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that Manuel Israel, 21, of Manhattan, has pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery as a hate crime for robbing five Chinese women and attempting to rob a sixth woman in separate incidents in Borough Park, targeting them because of their race. The defendant is expected to be sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in the early morning of April 6, 2015, near 55th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, a 23-year-old woman of Chinese descent was walking alone when the defendant approached her from behind and repeatedly pulled on her purse, causing her to fall to the ground. He then stood over her and stated: “Give me all of your money.” According to the investigation, a bystander happened upon the attempted robbery and saw the defendant with his arm around the victim’s neck in an apparent struggle and called 911. Police apprehended Israel about 20 minutes later approximately six blocks from the scene.

Further, the defendant admitted that he committed five similar additional robberies of women of Chinese descent, ages 21 to 43, between March 21 and April 4, 2015, all in the vicinity of Fort Hamilton Parkway between 55th and 71st Streets, and was subsequently charged with those crimes. The investigation revealed that he selected women of Chinese descent because he perceived them to be vulnerable to an attack.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant specifically robbed Chinese women because they walked alone and he believed they wouldn’t fight back or be able to identify him. Hate crimes based on a person’s race, gender, sexual identity or ethnicity destroy the fabric of our communities and will not be tolerated. This defendant has now been held accountable.”

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 21, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Nineteen Defendants Charged in Three Indictments with
Gun Trafficking, Weapons Possession and Bank Larceny

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that 19 defendants have been variously charged in three separate indictments for allegedly selling 40 trafficked firearms, possessing two illegal guns and attempting to steal about $60,000 from bank accounts. The charges all stem from a long-term investigation that relied on electronic surveillance and revealed interconnected schemes and alliances between alleged gang members and their associates.

The initial target of the investigation was Colin (“Rum”) Toney, 27, of South Carolina. Between June 2015 and September 2016, Toney and co-defendants allegedly sold a total of 40 guns that were purchased in his home state to an undercover NYPD detective in Brooklyn and Manhattan, according to the indictment.

During the course of the investigation, detectives learned of Toney’s past affiliation with a set of the Bloods gang based in New York City and started to monitor communications of two alleged gang leaders. Through them, the investigation exposed an alleged larceny operation, in which one of the defendants arranged the opening of bank accounts for the deposit of fraudulent checks and withdrawal of funds before banks could identify the bogus transactions. The defendants allegedly tried to steal approximately $60,000 from the banks and succeeded in withdrawing at least $37,000.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These indictments are a testament of our resolve to continue going after firearm traffickers, who endanger the safety of our communities for profit, and gang members, who often fund their crimes through larceny and fraud. Gun runners and those who aid them should be on notice that they are not safe from prosecution just because they live out of state – we will arrest them and bring them to Brooklyn to face justice.”

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Read the full press release here.

Kenneth P. Thompson

District Attorney
Kings County

October 6, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Queens Man Sentenced For Trafficking Firearms and Narcotics

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a gun trafficker who sold firearms and crack cocaine to undercover police officers over two months during an operation in Brooklyn and Queens was sentenced to 10 years in prison following a guilty plea earlier this year.

The District Attorney said that, starting in November 2014, the defendant, Everton Gonzalez, 24, of Ozone Park, Queens, sold a variety of firearms, along with several ounces of crack cocaine, to undercover police officers in East New York and Far Rockaway. In total, the defendant and two co-defendants sold the undercover officers 17 firearms, including various pistols and revolvers. The two-co-defendants were previously convicted and sentenced to five years and seven years in prison.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This investigation highlights our continued effort to stop the influx of drugs and firearms into Brooklyn. This defendant put public safety at risk by selling guns and his conviction and sentence is another step toward ending gun violence in our communities.”

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Read the full press release here.

Kenneth P. Thompson

District Attorney
Kings County

September 30, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Man Convicted of Stealing Bedford-Stuyvesant
Home by Forging Judge’s Signature

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 54-year-old man has been convicted of grand larceny, forgery and related charges for stealing a building in Bedford-Stuyvesant by forging a judge’s signature to claim possession of the house, which he then sold.

The District Attorney said that, according trial testimony, on January 6, 2015, the defendant, Joseph McCray, 54, of Niagara Falls, NY, filed a fraudulent court order purportedly signed by Brooklyn Civil Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Lewis, which effectively granted him ownership of 119 McDonough Street. Four months later, using the forged order, the defendant sold the building for $500,000, from which he received two checks totaling almost $250,000 (the rest of the funds were used to pay for outstanding liens on the property).

The forgery and sale followed more than a decade of legal actions by the defendant to assert ownership of the building, where he was a holdover tenant, but never paid rent. He had been evicted in September 2002, but continued to reside in the building — at various points in the ensuing years presenting himself as the landlord, collecting rent and filing fraudulent papers in Civil Court.

District Attorney Thompson said, “After spending years trying to game the court system, this defendant brazenly forged a judge’s signature in an attempt to steal the home of a long-standing Bedford-Stuyvesant resident. This case illustrates the commitment of my Real Estate Fraud Unit to protect Brooklyn homeowners and my continued determination to hold fraudsters accountable.”

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Read the full press release here.

Kenneth P. Thompson

District Attorney
Kings County

September 29, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Brooklyn Man Convicted of Killing His Former Lover’s Fiancé

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that Mikhail Chernyaev, 49, of Brighton Beach, was convicted of murder after admitting to killing the new boyfriend of his former lover in 2012. The defendant stabbed, suffocated and strangled the victim, then went to great lengths in a failed attempt to cover his tracks. He now faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, the victim, Charles Butler, 56, was a successful businessman from Florida who, in 2012, traveled frequently to his native New York City to spend time with his daughter. While here, Butler met the defendant’s former lover, Anna Lioznov; they started dating and were making plans to get married.

On September 18, 2012, during a visit of Butler’s to Lioznov’s apartment on Brighton 8th Street, surveillance cameras captured the defendant’s van pulling into her building’s garage after Lioznov had left the building. An hour and a half later, the defendant’s vehicle was seen leaving the garage and cell tower data tracked both the defendant’s and Butler’s phones to Port Jervis, NY.

That same day, the victim’s daughters received suspicious text messages in broken English from their father’s phone and Lioznov received a text message, purportedly from Butler, to the effect of, “Forget about me. I’m going back to Florida.”

The evidence further showed that on October 15, 2012, a fisherman outside Port Jervis, NY, discovered decomposed human remains. Using a sketch constructed from the skeleton, a single useable fingertip print and DNA analysis, the body was later identified as Butler.

District Attorney Thompson said, “A man senselessly lost his life out of sheer jealousy, leaving behind two grieving daughters and a young son. I would like to commend the dedicated prosecutors, police officers and forensic experts who solved this complicated case and helped hold a calculated killer accountable.”

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Read the full press release here.

Kenneth P. Thompson

District Attorney
Kings County

September 27, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Brooklyn Man Convicted of Murder in Death of Williamsburg Landlord
During Botched Robbery and Kidnapping

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson yesterday announced that a 29-year-old Brooklyn man has been convicted for his participation in the kidnapping and murder of Menachem Stark, 39, on January 2, 2014.

The District Attorney said that, on the night of January 2, 2014, Stark was approached and accosted on the street by the defendant, Kendel Felix, 29, of Crown Heights, and another individual as Stark left his office in Williamsburg, according to trial testimony and surveillance videos. After an extended physical struggle with those individuals, Stark was forced into a waiting vehicle and abducted from the location.

On the following afternoon, approximately 17 hours after the kidnapping, Stark’s body, which had been partially burned, was discovered by Nassau County Police in a garbage dumpster at a gas station located in Great Neck, Long Island.

According to trial testimony, including his own confession, the defendant did construction work for Stark and he and others suspected in the murder believed that Stark owed them money. They kidnapped him with the intention of robbing him, but Stark resisted and was killed when one of the kidnappers sat on his chest. They then drove out to Nassau County to dispose of the body, throwing it in a dumpster, throwing gasoline on it and setting it on fire.

The investigation into the other participants is ongoing.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant waited for Menachem Stark outside of his office and forcibly kidnapped him, killing him in the process. As a result, his wife and seven children were robbed of their husband and father. The jury has now held him accountable for his actions.”

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Read the full press release here.

Kenneth P. Thompson

District Attorney
Kings County

September 26, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Former East Williamsburg Assistant Principal Convicted of
Raping Former Student

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 47-year-old Queens man has been convicted of third-degree rape for abusing a former student at Progress High School for Professional Careers, in East Williamsburg, where he served as an assistant principal..

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, between June 17, 2009 and July 31, 2009, the victim—then a 17-year-old recent graduate of Progress High School—worked in the defendant’s school office during the 2009 summer school session. The defendant, William Abreu, began making inappropriate sexual advances to the teenager. Aware of the victim’s status as an undocumented immigrant, Abreu threatened to contact immigration authorities if she did not comply and then proceeded to grope and rape her. He further threatened immigration action if the victim did not continue to work for him.

Abreu was fired by the New York City Department of Education in November 2013.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant was an assistant principal who violated the trust of a vulnerable teenager when he coerced her to engage in an unwanted sex act using her immigration status as leverage. This young woman had the courage to speak out against this abuse. He’s now been held accountable for his deplorable actions.”

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Read the full press release here.