Year: 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 2, 2015

Brooklyn Man Who Shot NYPD Emergency Service Officers Convicted of Aggravated Assault Of a Police Officer

Officers Shot After Defendant Barricaded Himself Inside An Apartment He Shared With His Pregnant Girlfriend And 10-Month-Old Son

District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 36-year-old man was convicted last night of two counts of aggravated assault upon a police officer and other charges for shooting at and injuring five members of the New York City Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit when they responded to a call at the defendant’s Sheepshead Bay apartment. The police were called after reports that the defendant had pointed a gun at someone during an earlier altercation.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us all safe. This defendant not only had the audacity to fire at our police officers, he recklessly put the pregnant mother of his baby in harm’s way. The jury has spoken and now the defendant will spend many well-deserved years behind bars.”

The District Attorney said that the defendant, Nakwon Foxworth, 36, of 3301 Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault upon a police officer, three counts of attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing, following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog, who set sentencing for April 23, 2015, at which time the defendant faces up to life in prison. The defendant is a mandatory persistent violent felony offender.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on April 8, 2012, the defendant got into a verbal dispute with movers in his building over items left in a hallway. The defendant pulled a gun on the workers and the police were called. The defendant then returned to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, Jessica Hickling, and their 10-month-old son, armed with a gun.

Approximately an hour after police arrived, the defendant allowed Hickling and the baby to leave the apartment. The defendant then opened fire on the responding officers, injuring three of them. The officers then returned fire and struck the defendant. Three guns were recovered from the defendant’s apartment.

The District Attorney said that Officer Matthew Granahan was shot in the leg, Officer Michael Keenan was shot in the knee and Officer Kenneth Ayala was shot in the pelvic area and the foot. All of the officers were hospitalized and have recovered from their injuries.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Andres Palacio of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Thomas Teplitsky under supervision of Deputy District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief of Homicide Bureau.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 3, 2015

City Adult Protective Services Employee Charged In $214,000 Theft From 94-Year-Old Woman in Her Care

Case Manager Used Online Banking To Steal From Greenpoint Woman’s Accounts

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson and Philip R. Bartlett, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, today announced that a case manager with the city’s Adult Protective Services has been charged with looting her 94-year-old client’s bank accounts of more than $214,000.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant was entrusted by the city to help an elderly woman live safely at home. Instead, she allegedly defrauded the victim in a shameful act of greed and deception against a 94-year old woman.”

Inspector-in-Charge Bartlett said, “The defendant used her position of trust as a Case Worker for Adult Protective Services to allegedly steal from the very person placed in her care. Her alleged conduct is heartless, despicable and will not be tolerated. She will be held accountable for her actions.”

District Attorney Thompson identified the defendant as Cecile Davidson, 50, of 117-21 164^th Street in Jamaica, Queens, and of Conyers, Georgia. She was arrested in Georgia, returned to New York and arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jo Ann Ferdinand. In the 51-count indictment the defendant is charged with second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and first-degree identity theft. The defendant was remanded. She is to return to court on May 8, 2015. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

District Attorney Thompson said that, according to the indictment, Davidson has been employed since July 9, 2012 as a case manager for Village Care of New York, a sub-contractor for Adult Protective Services, a program run by the city’s Human Resources Administration.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the victim was a client of APS at Village Care from January 10, 2013 to September 13, 2013 and from January 24, 2014 to September 8, 2014, and Davidson was her case manager during both periods.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, online banking was established to access the victim’s accounts at Capital One Bank on July 23, 2013 and a debit card was sent to the residence in Greenpoint. After online banking was established, it is alleged, $105,851.34 in online checks were issued from the account in the name of Davidson and a day care center in Georgia where Davidson previously worked, and mailed to Davidson’s Post Office box in Brooklyn.

Davidson allegedly also used the debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs and purchase Postal Service money orders at U.S. Post Office locations in transactions totaling $67,366.43. The money orders were made out to Davidson’s relatives and other people connected to her in Georgia.

Investigators at Capital One alerted the Postal Service to the debit card purchases of money orders, and a Postal Inspector reviewed surveillance recordings at Post Offices and stores where the victim’s debit card was used and determined that Davidson had used it.

The District Attorney would like to thank Major Case Investigator at Capital One Peter D’Angelo, U.S. Postal Inspector Joseph Marcus and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force for their assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Karen Turner of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, under the supervision of Felice Sontupe, Chief of the Frauds Bureau, and William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the Investigations Division.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Former Reception Hall Waiter Sentenced To Prison For Stealing Donation Box From Borough Park Synagogue

Defendant Received Two to Four Years in Prison for Burglarizing Former Employer

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Bensonhurst man has been sentenced to two to four years in prison for burglarizing a Borough Park synagogue which had once employed him as a waiter at its reception hall.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant used his position as a former employee to steal from a house of worship. He will now pay the price for his shameful conduct.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Peter Podziewski, 23, of 1818 79^th Street, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The defendant was today sentenced to an indeterminate term of two to four years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Ingram. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree burglary before Justice Ingram on March 17, 2015.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on March 23, 2014, the defendant and another man, Daniel Roscher, entered Congregation Beth Jacob located at 5610 12^th Avenue, in Borough Park, and stole a donation box by ripping it off of a wall. Both men had formerly worked as waiters at a reception hall affiliated with the synagogue.

Roscher, 25, of 1491 Shore Parkway, in Bensonhurst, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary for his part in the incident last July and was sentenced to one to three years in prison. That sentence is to run concurrent to a five-year sentence he received at the same time for an unrelated case in which he pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mark Berkowitz, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau V – Orange Zone, under the supervision of Thomas C. Ridges, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 22 Years to Life in Prison for Raping 13-Year-Old Girl In Basement Laundry Room in Gravesend

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced that a 42-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for first-degree rape and other charges for the 2013 attack of a 13-year-old girl in the basement laundry room of her Gravesend apartment building after threatening her with scissors.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This young girl’s innocence has been lost and her life forever changed as a result of this vicious attack. This defendant will now likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, where he belongs.”

The District Attorney said that the defendant, Bennett Castello, 42, of East 29th Street, in Midwood, Brooklyn, was sentenced yesterday to 22 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. The defendant was convicted in February of two counts of predatory sexual assault, two counts of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree burglary as a sexually motivated felony, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on April 29, 2013, at approximately 3:30 p.m., in the vicinity of West 2^nd Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn, the victim, a 13-year-old girl, entered her apartment building and was followed inside by the defendant. He then followed her into the elevator, pressed the button for the basement and forced her out while threatening her with scissors.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, the defendant then forced the girl into the laundry room where he groped and raped her, then threatened to kill her if she told anyone. After the defendant fled, the victim ran upstairs to her apartment, told her parents what happened and they called 911.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Deborah Cohen of the District Attorney’s Sex Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Three Queens Men Indicted For Trafficking Firearms and Narcotics

Seventeen Handguns Purchased During Course of Two-Month Operation

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, together with New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, today announced that three men have been arraigned on an indictment for allegedly selling firearms and crack cocaine to undercover officers over two months during an operation in Brooklyn and Queens. District Attorney Thompson said, “This investigation highlights our continued effort to stop the influx of drugs and firearms into Brooklyn.

I commend all of the undercover officers and prosecutors who worked on this case for their dedication to ending gun violence.” Commissioner Bratton said, “I want to thank the NYPD’s Brooklyn North Narcotics Division and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for working closely together to remove these illegal firearms and narcotics from our streets. We will continue to focus our efforts on public safety and improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers.” The District Attorney identified the defendants as Everton Gonzalez, 23, of Ozone Park, Queens, and Omar Cobb, 20, of Arverne, Queens.

The defendants have been variously charged with second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, first-degree criminal sale of a firearm, second-degree conspiracy and other related charges. They were arraigned this morning before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. Gonzalez is being held on $500,000 bail and Cobb is being held on $250,000 bail. A third defendant, Zameer Khan, of Arverne, Queens, was arraigned on the indictment last month and is being held on $300,000 bail. The District Attorney said the investigation included undercover police officers making multiple purchases of weapons and crack cocaine in the vicinity of Liberty Avenue and Drew Street in East New York, Brooklyn, and later, in the vicinity of Beach 59^th Street and Larkin Avenue, in Far Rockaway, Queens. The District Attorney said the investigation began in November 2014, when an undercover police officer allegedly made multiple gun and narcotics purchases from Gonzalez, who later allegedly sent his cousin, Cobb, to deliver the guns. The sales were later made in Queens after Cobb complained that he didn’t have a car and couldn’t get to Brooklyn, instead asking that the undercover travel to Queens to purchase the weapons. It is further alleged that Khan also acted in concert with Cobb in selling weapons and drugs, including selling 60 grams of what was purported to be crack cocaine for $3,500 to an undercover. The alleged drugs later tested negative for narcotics.

The District Attorney said that the defendants allegedly sold a wide variety of firearms to the undercover, including: a .9 mm Mac-11 assault weapon, .22 caliber Walther pistol, a .44 caliber Ruger revolver, a .9 mm Hi-Point pistol, a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a .357 caliber Ruger revolver, a .40 point caliber Hi-Point pistol, a .38 caliber Taurus revolver, a .38 caliber Armi Fabri pistol, a .9 mm Bryco Arms pistol, a .38 caliber Argentina revolver, and others. The defendants also allegedly sold four ounces of crack cocaine and two ounces of purported crack cocaine to the undercover over the course of multiple purchases. In addition, in executing multiple search warrants the police recovered a quantity of ammunition, a magazine for a .40 caliber firearm, a holster, forged check, books and records and marijuana.

The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Department Detective William Warren, Narcotics Borough Brooklyn North, under the supervision of Lieutenant William Buchanan, and the overall supervision of Inspector Joseph Kenny. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Hanna Karsevar, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Tara Lenich, Deputy Chief for Special Investigations and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of Investigations.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 13, 2015

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Fatal Crash That Left Newlywed Couple and Their Premature Infant Dead

Defendant Convicted of Manslaughter for Slamming Into Livery Cab
While Speeding Through Streets of Williamsburg

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 46-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following his conviction earlier this year on second-degree manslaughter and other charges in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Williamsburg in 2013 that left a young couple and their premature infant dead.

The District Attorney said, “Today’s sentence shows our determination to get justice for Nathan and Raizy Glauber, and their son, Tanchem, whom the defendant killed by driving recklessly and then just walked away. Hopefully, it will help in some way to bring solace to their families.”

The District Attorney said that the defendant, Julio Acevedo, 46, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog. The defendant was convicted of two counts of second-degree manslaughter, one count of criminally negligent homicide and two counts of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting in February, following a jury trial. The defendant faced up to 15 years in prison on the top count, but because he was deemed to be a persistent felony offender, in the Court’s discretion, based on his criminal history he received an enhanced sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, at approximately 12:15 a.m., on March 3, 2013, Acevedo, who was driving a BMW, was traveling northbound on Kent Avenue at approximately 70 miles per hour, passing cars and switching lanes on Kent Avenue when he crashed into a livery cab traveling westbound on Wilson Avenue, being driven by Pedro Nunez-Delacruz. The livery cab was easing into the intersection to make a left turn when it was struck. Backseat passengers Nathan Glauber, 21, and his wife, Raizy, also 21, who was seven-months pregnant, were killed. Their son, Tanchem, was delivered alive, but died the next day. The cab driver suffered minor injuries.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, Acevedo jumped out of his car after crashing into the livery cab, observed the carnage and then fled the scene. He was arrested by the New York City Police Department’s Warrant Squad in Pennsylvania on March 7, 2013.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gayle M. Dampf, Chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau III – Grey Zone.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Brooklyn Woman Indicted For Stealing Approximately $300,000 From 10 Friends and Acquaintances in “Affinity Scam”

Claimed She Needed Loans to Gain Access To Multi-Million Dollar Inheritance

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Bedford-Stuyvesant woman has been indicted for stealing approximately $300,000 from friends and acquaintances after telling them she inherited a multi-million dollar estate but needed money to clear encumbrances. She allegedly promised the victims a large return in exchange for the loans.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant allegedly ripped off people who trusted her because they all shared a Caribbean heritage. I would strongly urge anyone who is offered a lot of money for an alleged short-term loan to be very wary, as it is often a scam and a sure way to lose your hard-earned savings.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Lurene Elias, a.k.a., Helen Lurene Elias, 48, of Fulton Street, in Bedford-Stuyvesant. She was arraigned yesterday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which she is charged with two counts of first-degree scheme to defraud, three counts of second-degree grand larceny, five counts of third-degree grand larceny and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. The defendant was ordered held on bail of $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash and to return to court on June 24, 2015.

The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, from December 28, 2010 to May 15, 2013, the defendant stole money from at least 10 people, convincing them to give her money by saying that she had inherited a multi-million dollar estate but needed money to clear various encumbrances such as liens and taxes. She allegedly promised to return the borrowed money with substantial interest in a short time period, sometimes promising to double their money. The victims allegedly gave the defendant varying amounts of cash ranging from $3,000 to $105,000.

The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, when the victims asked for repayment, the defendant stalled and claimed that she needed more money to clear additional encumbrances and pay various fees and expenses. If they did not have more money, she urged them to reach out to family and friends for financial assistance so the encumbrances could be lifted and everyone could be paid.

To lend credibility to her story, according to the indictment, the defendant provided fraudulent documents to her victims, including an altered bank account statement reflecting a balance in excess of $13 million. Additionally, she signed and gave I.O.U.s or promissory notes to the victims.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detectives Gerard Amato and Paulette Simpson, of the District Attorney’s NYPD Squad and Financial Investigator Vincent Jones, of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Maria Leonardi and John Holmes of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Felice Sontupe, Chief and Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Cold Case Homicide Suspect Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison

Defendant Fled to Jamaica, West Indies, Following 1997 Murder of a 16-Year-Old Boy

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced that a 45-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the shooting death of a Bushwick teenager nearly 15 years ago.

District Attorney Thompson said, “The defendant was on the run for over 10 years thinking he got away with murder and cowardly living his life on the island of Jamaica. With this long prison sentence, the defendant will have plenty of time to think about the lives he destroyed, including his own.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Michael Keating, 45, of 13 Biscayne Avenue, 9 miles, Bull Bay, Jamaica, West Indies. He was sentenced yesterday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alan Marrus to 25 years to life in prison. He was convicted of second-degree murder last month following a jury trial. 

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on September 6, 1997 on Linden Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the defendant – who at the time of the incident was a 27-year-old drug dealer – accused John Eric Ogaldez’s friend of trying to take over his turf. Keating opened fire at Ogaldez’s friend, who ran away. The defendant then turned around and shot Ogaldez in the back and stomach – where he was left to die between two parked cars. Shortly afterwards, the defendant fled to Jamaica, West Indies. He was extradited back to Brooklyn to face the charges in April 2013. The jury deliberated for an hour before deciding to convict the defendant.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Phyllis Chu, Counsel to the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief of Homicide Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Former Manager of Goal Ball Team and Two Others Charged With Stealing $65,000 From Paratransit Access-A-Ride Program

Visually Impaired Defendants Allegedly Reimbursed For Falsified Taxi Rides

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, together with Metropolitan Transportation Authority Inspector General Barry L. Kluger, today announced that three men have been charged with second-degree grand larceny and other charges for allegedly stealing approximately $65,000 by using falsified taxi receipts to receive reimbursement from the MTA through a transportation program available to the disabled.

District Attorney Thompson said, “Many disabled people depend on the Access-A-Ride program for transportation. These defendants allegedly exploited their own disability and that of some teammates to steal from the program. Their alleged acts are egregious and they will now be held accountable.”

Inspector General Kluger said, “Stealing from a reimbursement program designed to further assist our disabled fellow citizens is a particularly heinous and heartless act. Along with our investigation, we recently issued a report to the MTA NYC Transit Paratransit Division recommending specific measures for improving both fraud prevention and detection. I want to commend the Paratransit employees for their diligence in identifying suspicious activity, and thank the District Attorney for furthering our investigative efforts and prosecuting this case.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Lamar Brown, 34, of the Bronx; Eric Randolph, 43, of Manhattan; and Ibraheem Shahadat, 23, of Brooklyn. Brown and Randolph are charged in a criminal complaint with one count of second-degree grand larceny, 740 counts of first-degree falsifying business documents, 740 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and 740 counts of third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. Shahadat is charged in a separate complaint with third-degree grand larceny, 206 counts of first-degree falsifying business records and 206 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.

Brown, who was arrested this morning, is presently awaiting arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court. Randolph and Shahadat were arraigned on April 9, 2015 and released without bail.

The District Attorney said that, according to the complaint against Brown and Randolph, between December 2011and August 2013, the defendants engaged in a scheme to steal approximately $51,784 from the New York City Transit Paratransit Access-A-Ride program by submitting 740 falsified car service receipts to Paratransit headquarters in Brooklyn. The receipts purportedly reflected trips from eight different car service companies costing between $30 and $80 a trip and traversing all five boroughs. The defendants received $51,784 in reimbursement checks as a result of the scheme.

The District Attorney further said that, according to the complaint, in addition to receiving reimbursement for falsified trips taken in their own names, the defendants also received reimbursement for trips in the names of five other visually impaired persons, four of whom were on the same goal ball team.

The District Attorney said that, according to a separate complaint, between March 2010 and November 2012, defendant Shahadat engaged in a scheme to steal approximately $13,778, from the New York City Transit Paratransit Access-A-Ride program by submitting 206 falsified car service receipts to Paratransit headquarters in Brooklyn. Each of the receipts purportedly reflected trips from Skyline Car Service costing between $30 and $80.

The District Attorney said that the alleged theft was discovered by Paratransit after some odd ride patterns were discovered, e.g., one person seeking reimbursement for five trips in one day traversing the entire City.

The case was investigated by Metropolitan Transportation Authority Office of the Inspector General Senior Investigative Attorney Maura Daly, former Auditor Marco Dias and Senior Principal Investigator John Flannery with the assistance of Detective Sonia Wakefield of the New York City Police Department’s Brooklyn District Attorney Squad.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Cooper W. Gorrie, of the District Attorney’s Cybercrimes Unit, 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.

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           A criminal complaint is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Bushwick Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life In Prison for Stabbing Death of Girlfriend

Victim Found In Her Bed, Beaten About the Face and With Stab Wounds to the Neck

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a 43-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the stabbing death of his girlfriend. The victim was found dead in their Bushwick apartment days after the murder when her family became concerned because they could not reach her and alerted authorities.

District Attorney Thompson said, “This defendant not only repeatedly stabbed and brutally beat his girlfriend, but he also then left her in a locked apartment to die alone. We hope that his long prison sentence will provide some comfort to Ms. Figueroa’s heartbroken family.”

District Attorney Thompson identified the defendant as Nathan Rosa, 43, of 849 Flushing Avenue in Bushwick. The defendant was today sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ruth Shillingford to the maximum term of 25 years to life in prison. He was convicted of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon on March 23, 2015, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, in the early morning hours of April 30, 2011, the defendant and his girlfriend, Angie Figueroa, 40, returned to the apartment they shared at 101 Humboldt Street in Bushwick, and sometime after that the defendant stabbed the victim twice in the neck, lacerating her jugular vein. She had also been badly beaten about the face and head.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, the victim’s family tried to reach her without success as she did not return their telephone calls or text messages. When asked where she was, the defendant, who had with him the victim’s two Pomeranian dogs, claimed he did not know. This alarmed her family because she was never without her beloved dogs, so they called police. Ultimately, the New York City Fire Department broke down the apartment door. The victim’s body was found in bed covered by a comforter.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sabeeha Madni of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Bureau Chief.

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