Year: 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

 

Brooklyn Teenager Indicted for Allegedly Shooting
Eight-Year-Old Girl Sitting in Van

Bullet Struck Victim in the Back of Her Head

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 16-year-old Brooklyn teenager has been indicted for attempted murder and assault for allegedly shooting a child who was sitting in a van in Canarsie. The bullet struck the girl in the back of her head and lodged in her skull.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant had the audacity to allegedly open fire during rush hour in the middle of a busy street, striking an innocent young girl who thankfully survived. Senseless gun violence will never be tolerated in Brooklyn and this defendant will now face the consequences of his poor choices.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Tajay Richards, 16, of Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Riviezzo on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and related counts. The defendant was ordered held on $500,000 bail and to return to court on May 21, 2018. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

The District Attorney said that on February 26, 2018, at about 5:30 p.m., in the vicinity of Flatlands Avenue and East 83rd Street, the defendant allegedly opened fire on a group of individuals and struck an 8-year-old girl who was among a group of children sitting in a van, according to the investigation.

The bullet struck the girl in the back of the head and lodged in her skull, leaving her in critical condition.

The defendant admitted to police that he fired a gun toward a group of individuals at that location.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Vivian Dussek, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Sean Hughes, of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau Red Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Bureau Chief and Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Red Zone Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Division.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

 

East Flatbush Man Sentenced to 20 Years in State Prison
For Stabbing Death of Girlfriend

Victim was Stabbed Multiple Times

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an East Flatbush man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2015 stabbing death of his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter earlier this month.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant brutally stabbed and tied up his girlfriend, leaving her to die. He has now accepted responsibility for his despicable actions. We will not tolerate domestic violence and intimate partner abuse in Brooklyn, and will continue to prosecute such cases vigorously.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Daniel Romain, 35, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 20 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision following his guilty plea to one count of first-degree manslaughter earlier this month. The defendant was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision, to run concurrently, following his guilty plea earlier this month to first-degree attempted assault.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 5, 2015 at about 4:30 p.m., at 649 East 95th Street in East Flatbush, the police arrived and found the defendant with blood on his shirt and pants and wearing plastic grocery bags on his hands, which were also bloody.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, the police had been called to the apartment by the defendant’s stepfather, who had called 911. The police found the defendant’s girlfriend, Tisa Kelly, 46, of Kissimmee, Florida, stabbed to death in the bathtub, naked and tied with bedsheets.

The defendant was arrested after attempting to flee out the back door of the apartment.

In a separate case, the defendant pleaded guilty earlier this month in connection to an April 25, 2015 incident in which he fired a gun while attempting to gain entry to a birthday party in East New York to which he was not invited, grazing the head of an individual at the party.

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 27, 2018

 

NYPD Officer Indicted for Perjury for Allegedly Lying on
Search Warrant Application and in Subsequent Court Hearings

Swore He Saw Suspect Kick Box and Then Found a Firearm Inside, But He Was Not at the
Location When Gun was Recovered; Made Allegedly False Statements on Five Occasions

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, today announced that a New York City Police Department officer has been indicted for perjury, making a false statement and official misconduct for allegedly lying on a search warrant application and in subsequent hearings. The officer stated that, while arresting a suspect in Red Hook, Brooklyn, he saw the man kick a box from which he then recovered a gun. But an investigation by the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office revealed that the officer was not present inside of the apartment at the time and, after repeating the false statement during numerous court proceedings, the officer finally admitted that he was not, in fact, the one who recovered the gun.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Our police officers are expected to be truthful and honest at all times because people’s fates and the integrity of the justice system depend on that. We allege that the officer in this case failed to do that and instead repeatedly gave false testimony under oath. Such conduct diminishes public trust and is, in fact, criminal. We intend to now hold the defendant accountable.”

Commissioner O’Neill said, “It is imperative that New Yorkers are able to trust their police to tell the truth, especially when it comes to the extremely serious business of effecting arrests for gun possession and testifying about them in court. Police officers swear an oath to live up to a very high standard. And when they intentionally violate that promise, they tarnish the reputation of officers of high integrity, make their jobs much more difficult, and erode the trust we have worked so hard to earn in all of our communities.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Police Officer Joseph Moloney, 27, who was assigned to the 76th Precinct School Unit. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 24-count indictment in which he is charged with first-, second- and third-degree perjury, first- and second-degree making a false statement and official misconduct. The defendant was released without bail and ordered to return to court on June 13, 2018. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the top count.

According to the investigation, on May 6, 2016, at about 6:30 a.m., Officer Moloney and three other officers finished executing a search warrant in the Red Hook Houses on Columbia Street in Brooklyn and then went to look for a man who lived in the same housing complex and had an unrelated summons warrant. The officers went to the apartment and knocked on the door. Their target opened, was placed under arrest and was then allowed to go to his bedroom to get dressed. He became agitated and was removed from the apartment by Officer Moloney and another officer.

After getting a call at the precinct from their sergeants, the two officers returned to the apartment about 15 to 20 minutes later. Inside, they observed an already-opened black box that contained a gun, a wrist watch, cash and three ziplock bags containing marijuana. The sergeant instructed Officer Moloney to obtain an emergency search warrant for the apartment. In the search warrant affidavit, the official swore that, “As I was assisting [redacted] to get dressed, [redacted] kicked a black plastic box under the bed where the baby was sleeping. I then opened the black plastic box and observed a silver pistol inside the box.”

The officer swore to the search warrant and was examined by a Supreme Court judge later that morning. The search warrant was executed and an operable unloaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the black plastic box. Officer Moloney subsequently testified in a grand jury proceeding against the man and his girlfriend (who was also present inside the apartment), who were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other counts. In his testimony, he made two variations from the search warrant affidavit: he said the suspect pushed the box “towards the bed,” not under the bed, and added that “we opened the box,” instead of “I.”

In February 2017, Officer Moloney testified in Family Court, in a proceeding that was initiated by the Administration for Children’s Services because there were two children inside the apartment at the time of the arrest, in the vicinity of a gun and drugs. His testified that he did not observe the gun until after the search warrant was obtained, records show.

During the discovery process, photographs of the location revealed that that the box spring was resting directly on the floor, meaning the gun could not have been kicked under the bed – which led a Supreme Court judge to order a hearing. In that hearing, the officer repeatedly testified that the black box was pushed “away from the bed.” He further explained that the inaccuracy was “just a rookie mistake.” He insisted that he observed the defendant kick the box and that he was the one who opened it and saw the firearm. The judge ruled that there was probable cause for the warrant.

In July 2017, during preparations for additional pre-trial hearings, Officer Moloney informed the assigned prosecutor that, contrary to his previous statements, he did not open the black box nor did he see it being opened by someone else. That statement was voluntary and unprompted, the investigation found. Consequently, the case against the male suspect was dismissed (the case against his girlfriend was dismissed in March 2017 after DNA results excluded her as a contributor to the samples obtained from the firearm).

Interviews were conducted with the suspect and his girlfriend, who claimed that they never gave the officers consent to search the apartment or the black box. Interviews by the Internal Affair Bureau with the other officers who were in the apartment revealed that it was one of the sergeants who found the box and the gun, but they were uncertain as to whether Officer Moloney was present at the time or not, according to the investigation.

The case was investigated by Sergeant Joseph Flynn of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, under the supervision of Lieutenant John Orecchia and Captain Joseph Profeta.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Adriana Rodriguez, of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli Muse, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, and Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney’s Trial Division.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 26, 2018

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Announces Media Apprenticeship
In Collaboration With BRIC

Part of Initiative to Create Alternatives to Incarceration

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with BRIC President Leslie G. Schultz, today announced a media apprenticeship program for young men enrolled in court-involved youth programs. This partnership is supported by the Brooklyn Community Foundation and its Invest in Youth initiative.

Brooklyn District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Through this partnership we can put into place one of our Justice 2020 goals, which is reducing incarceration and working in collaboration with community partners to promote safety and strengthen our communities. This apprenticeship will introduce at-risk youth to media, film and television production through an intense set of workshops designed to provide them with the skills and training necessary to pursue a career.”

The BRIC Project Re-Direct Media Apprenticeship Program is funded through a $25,000 grant from Brooklyn Community Foundation and a $10,000 grant from the DA’s Office. The apprenticeship will be comprised of young men ages 16 to 22 ¬¬¬¬who are participants in Bureau of Youth Diversion programs, Project Re-Direct and Youth & Congregations in Partnership, who have expressed an interest in media production. The goal of this program is to teach the participants video production, storytelling and production skills.

Leslie Schultz, President of BRIC said, “Amplifying the voices of our Brooklyn youth is central to BRIC’s mission. This partnership expands BRIC’s commitment to arts and media for all, and allows us to offer talented young Brooklynites a powerful platform with which to share their stories and creative vision.”

As part of the media apprenticeship, the young men will learn how to produce podcasts, videos and short documentary films. The apprenticeship will have two levels of training: basic and intermediate. After successfully completing Level 1 and Level 2 training, the participants will be designated as BRIC “Certified Community Producers” which will allow them free access to the equipment and studio facilities of BRIC. Participants will produce their own original content which will be aired on Brooklyn Free Speech TV and its online platforms.

BRIC will also support the participants’ efforts to secure additional opportunities to extend their training and increase their potential for job placement by applying for the Made in New York Post Production Training Program which is administered by Brooklyn Workforce Innovations. BRIC media education staff will work with young people to review the program requirements and develop their applications.

Level 1 of the program’s daytime sessions will run from March 22 to April 19, and the evening sessions will run from April 26 to May 24. The Level 2 sessions will run from May 31 to June 28.

This apprenticeship is the result of a pilot program from last summer that was funded by the Brooklyn DA’s Office and BRIC, through $10,000 and $5,000 grants, respectively.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 23, 2018

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Killing his Ex-Girlfriend in
Brooklyn Bridge Park after Stalking and Threatening Her

Shot Victim Once in the Head as She spoke on Cell Phone; Stalked her Days Before;
Facebook Messages Showed Weeks of Growing Obsession after Breakup

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 55-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following his conviction of murder and other charges for shooting his 23-year-old ex-girlfriend once in the head after she left her job in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The defendant was increasingly obsessive and threatening in the weeks before the homicide and physically stalked the victim in the days leading up to her death.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The senseless murder of a promising young woman at the hands of this defendant was devastating and cruel, coming on the heels of an unacceptable campaign to terrorize her. I hope that today’s sentence brings a small measure of solace to her grieving loved-ones. My Office will continue to investigate all cases of domestic violence to ensure justice for victims.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Lamont Wright, 55, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht to 25 years to life in prison following his conviction earlier this month of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and stalking after a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on June 6, 2016, at about 9:20 p.m., the victim, 23-year-old Michelle Marks, left Fornino’s restaurant in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she worked as a waitress, and was walking toward her bus stop. She was talking on the phone with her boyfriend at the time when the defendant’s voice was heard in the background. The victim then said to her boyfriend, “Babe, he’s here, call the police, he’s got a gun,” at which point the call dropped. The victim was found shortly thereafter at the bus stop, bleeding from the head, and was subsequently declared dead.

The evidence showed that one day earlier, the defendant – with whom Ms. Marks broke up some time before – waited for the victim in the lobby of her Crown Heights building and followed her to her apartment door, where he pushed her, scattering groceries. Her boyfriend and mother intervened and the defendant fled by the time police arrived.

Three days prior to that, on June 2, 2016, the victim was walking with a co-worker in Brooklyn Bridge Park and saw the defendant waiting for her. She told the co-worker, “Look, there’s my stalker.” Later that night, when the two workers were on a cigarette break near Pier 6, the defendant jumped out of bushes and confronted the victim about her “kissing this white boy.”

The defendant was taken into custody on June 7, 2016 and charged with the incidents that preceded the murder. He claimed that he was home on the evening of June 6 and that he was speaking with a girl named “Emily from Ohio.”

An analysis of cell site data proved that the defendant was in the vicinity of the crime scene at the time of the murder and not in his home, located over five miles away. Facebook messages between him and the victim from May 15, 2016 through the day of the murder showed that Ms. Marks wanted to end their relationship but the defendant refused to accept that, with some of his messages being threatening or obsessive. In one audio message, he said, “I promise you you’re not done with me because either I’m gonna wind up in jail or I’m gonna wind up in a grave.”

Finally, a search warrant executed on the Facebook account of “Emily from Ohio” revealed that the defendant communicated with her before and after the homicide. Audio messages described the June 5 incident outside the victim’s apartment and, in another disturbing audio message, the defendant stated that ‘if he blew her f—ing brains out, everyone would say he did something wrong.’ The defendant was subsequently charged with Ms. Marks’s murder.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kaminsky, Chief of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Anne Volk of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Mark Feldman, Senior Executive Assistant District Attorney for Crime Strategy and Investigations.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

 

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Seven Years in State Prison
For Sex Trafficking Two Teenagers in East New York

Defendant Lured 14-Year-Old and 15-Year-Old to His House Under False Pretenses

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 25-year-old man who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and promoting prostitution has been sentenced to seven years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant preyed on innocent and naïve young girls, luring them to his house with false promises. Human trafficking is one of the most degrading crimes in which victims are treated like property, and it will not be tolerated in Brooklyn.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Blake Cherry, 25, of East New York, Brooklyn. The defendant was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to seven years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release. He pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and second-degree promoting prostitution before Justice Chun on March 7, 2018. A co-defendant, Quayshaun Canady, pleaded guilty to second-degree promoting prostitution on November 29, 2017 and was sentenced to an indeterminate term of two to six years in prison on December 20, 2017. He also must register as a sex offender upon release.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in April 2016, the defendant recruited a 14-year-old girl he met on Facebook to come to Brooklyn from Connecticut to be a model, claiming he was a photographer and that she could make good money. The victim ran away from home and boarded a Greyhound bus to the Port Authority, where she met Cherry, who took her to his East New York home.

The victim was forced to sleep on a couch in Cherry’s bedroom, where he slept with his girlfriend. The victim saw Cherry beat his girlfriend, putting the victim in fear of Cherry. She learned that Cherry was not a photographer and she would not be a model. She was then forced to have sex for money with men who answered an advertisement that Cherry placed on Backpage.com.

A few days later, the victim was introduced to Quayshaun Canady, who took her to a hotel and told her she would now work as a prostitute for him. She was forced to engage in sex for money with men over several days until she got sick and Canady then brought her back to Cherry’s house. She later escaped to a shelter and was reunited with her family.

In October 2016, a 15-year-old girl was lured to Cherry’s house under the guise of going shopping. She hung out at the house with Cherry and several other people and was plied with alcohol. Cherry then took pictures of her and posted them on the Backpage.com offering escort services. The victim told Cherry she was afraid and did not want to work as a prostitute. He then took her to his basement and forced her to have sex with him.

He subsequently drove her around Brooklyn and Queens and forced her to have sex with men for money. In an effort to escape, the victim took a screen shot of Cherry’s license plate and sent it to a family member who notified the police. The NYPD tracked the vehicle to Queens and the victim was rescued moments before Cherry intended to drive her to meet with a man who was to pay to have sex with her.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective Scott Velazquez and Detective James Rufle, of the Vice Major Case Team, under the supervision of Sergeant Gregory Graves, Lieutenant Christopher Sharpe and Captain Thomas Milano, and the overall supervision of Inspector James Klein.

The District Attorney thanked Detective Suzanne Laiuppa of the Bloomfield, Connecticut Police Department for her assistance in the investigation.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 15, 2018

 

Crown Heights Man Sentenced to 37 Years to Life in Prison for
Fatally Shooting Man Inside a Parked Car

Fired Eight Times Through Open Window

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 25-year-old Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 37 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a father-of-four who was sitting inside a parked car in Gravesend.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant’s callous actions took a man’s life and robbed four children of their father. This type of heinous gun violence will not be tolerated in Brooklyn and I will continue to keep our streets safe by ensuring that ruthless killers be brought to justice.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Deyshawn James, 25, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Evelyn LaPorte to 37 years to life in prison following his conviction last month of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that on September 12, 2015, at approximately 5:30 a.m., the victim, 32-year-old Clarence Bryant, was sitting in the back seat of a double-parked car on 86th Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn. According to trial testimony, the defendant approached the vehicle and opened fire through an open window. He struck the victim eight times – twice in the face and six times in the back.

The victim tried to crawl for his life to the front seat, where he bled profusely, the evidence showed. The driver of the car drove him to Coney Island Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. The defendant fled in a waiting vehicle, according to the evidence. The shooting was captured on surveillance video.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Stewart, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

 

Queens Man Who Allegedly Posed as Attorney and Allegedly Promised Wrongful Conviction Legal Services Indicted for Stealing Money from Desperate Inmates and Their Families

Defendant Allegedly Cheated 18 Inmates and Their Relatives

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Queens man who purported to be an attorney specializing in getting wrongful convictions overturned allegedly preyed on inmates serving lengthy sentences in prisons in New York and across the country, and their families, taking up to $15,000 to file post-conviction motions on their behalf – but instead filed no such motions on 16 cases and filed fraudulent briefs on two others.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This case is especially reprehensible to me because in Brooklyn we have a robust Conviction Review Unit that takes wrongful conviction claims seriously. This defendant allegedly took advantage of that exemplary work by targeting vulnerable victims and exploiting the hope of inmates and their families that they might be released from custody. He has now been exposed as an alleged con man and I urge anyone else who believes they have been victimized by him to contact my office.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Kenneth Moore, 53, of Glendale, Queens. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 75-count indictment in which he is charged with third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, third-degree attempted grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, unauthorized practice of a profession, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, second- and third-degree forgery, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, and second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal mischief. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the top count. He was ordered held on bail of $300,000 bond or $150,000 cash and to return to court on May 16, 2018.

The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, between April 1, 2012 and August 31, 2016, the defendant, through a company he created, Waymore Post-Conviction, LLC., engaged in a fraudulent scheme in which he purported to be a licensed attorney specializing in post-conviction review with the capability of filing court documents, requesting new trials, obtaining sentence reductions and offering legal assistance to incarcerated individuals. Moore maintained an office for Waymore at 10 Goodwin Place in Bushwick, Brooklyn from 2011 to 2016.

It is alleged that Moore targeted specific inmates serving lengthy sentences, including up to life in prison, for murder, manslaughter and other serious crimes, sending them certified letters offering to file post-conviction motions on their behalf, and maintained a website, www.waymorepostconviction.com. The inmates were serving time in prisons in New York, North Carolina, Kansas, Virginia and various other states. In one particularly egregious case, it is alleged, an out-of-state Innocence Project organization expressed interest in a New York inmate’s case and the defendant persuaded the inmate and his family to hire him instead.

Moore allegedly told inmates who responded to him that they should have a family member contact him to sign a contract and set up a payment plan. He allegedly took between $5,000 and $15,000 from each inmate’s family, but generally took $10,000. In the contract that was signed, the defendant specifically stated that 80 percent of the contractual balance must be paid before he filed the agreed upon post-conviction motions. It is alleged that once he received the money, he did not file the motions except in two cases where he filed post-conviction motions to set aside verdicts on behalf of inmates using the forged signature of an actual attorney who had no knowledge of the motions being filed.

In some instances, Moore allegedly told family members they would have to hire an expert witness, and had them send the fee for the witness directly to him, funds which he also stole.

Finally, according to the indictment, Moore typically stayed in contact with the inmates and their families while payments were being made to him, but after receiving the agreed upon payment or a substantial payment, and when family members asked about the lack of progress in the case, he stopped returning their calls or having any contact with them, sometimes changing his phone number.

Anyone who believes they were victimized by Moore should call the District Attorney’s Office at 718-250-2600.

The case was investigated by Detective Investigator Jacqueline Klapak and Supervising Detective Investigator Michael Seminara, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Chief Investigator Joseph Piraino. Supervising Financial Investigator Deborah Wey, Investigative Analyst Janelle Cacopardo and Investigative Paralegal Yulie Landan also investigated the case and paralegals and support staff, Orestes Romero, Petrona Solorzano, Zachary Gitman, Peter Holmes, and Catherine Urbanelli, assisted as well. Also, special thanks to Investigator Tareq Rabadi of the New York State Department of Corrections Intelligence Division.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Samantha Magnani, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division and Senior Assistant District Attorney Sara Walshe, of the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division and Mark Feldman, Senior Executive Assistant for Crime Strategies and Investigations.

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

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 12, 2018

 

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office Is Accepting Applications
For High School Summer Interns

Joint Partnership with United Federation of Teachers;
Will Give Students an Opportunity to Learn About the Criminal Justice System

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, today announced the launch of the application process for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in participating in the summer internship program. The five-week paid internship is open to students who live and /or attend high school in Brooklyn, and are interested in learning about the different careers and responsibilities within the criminal justice system. The internship runs from July 9 to August 10, 2018.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “We are thrilled to once again open our doors to high school students eager to learn about the criminal justice system. This type of exposure can help a student shape their goals and imagine themselves pursuing a career in law. This internship is a great opportunity to observe how all the parts of our criminal justice system work together.”

President Mulgrew said, “The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office gives our high school students real world work experience and quality mentoring. We are pleased to partner with District Attorney Eric Gonzalez on this project.”

Selected students will be assigned to one of the many specialized units within the DA’s office, while also getting an overview of the criminal justice system. They can expect to assist with legal research and analysis; assist prosecutors preparing for trial; work on discovery; file maintenance and organizing court documents; participate in trial zone workshops; participate in judicial, legal and law enforcement-related field trips; and observe criminal proceedings including trials, guilty pleas and sentencings.

Interns will receive a MetroCard to cover their transportation needs which are being provided by the United Federation of Teachers.

During the five-week paid internship participants will receive a $150 stipend per week, and a weekly MetroCard. Internship hours will be: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm. Applicants are required to provide their most recent school transcript, a one-page resume, one letter of recommendation, and must submit a 300-word typed essay (12 pt. font and double-spaced) on why they are interested in interning with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and what impact they think it will have on their future career goals and aspirations.

To apply, please visit: http://apply.brooklynda.org beginning today, March 12, 2018, to upload transcript, essay and resume. Only the recommendation letter should be emailed as an attachment to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office at hsinternships@brooklynda.org, with the subject line: Recommendation Letter (Applicant’s First and Last Name). All application materials must be received no later than Friday, April 27, 2018. For questions or assistance, please contact the High School Internship and Youth Initiatives Program Coordinator at (718) 250-4873.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 7, 2018

 

Former Owner of Three-Quarter Houses Sentenced to Up to Three Years in Prison for
Unlawfully Removing Tenants from Homes in Fraudulent Scheme

Forced Residents Out of Apartments During the Day,
Locked Doors, Put Belongings on the Street and Broke Stoves

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that the former owner of a company that operated three-quarter houses in Brooklyn was sentenced to one to three years in prison following his guilty plea to scheme to defraud. The defendant used various tactics to evict residents without a court order, including putting their belongings on the street, removing their mattresses, preventing them from cooking by breaking stoves and locking the doors to the residences to prevent entry after forcing them out during the daytime.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant preyed on vulnurable people who desperately needed a home. He did that to line his own pockets and deserves to be in prison for his fraudulent and cruel actions. His pattern of unlawful evictions and degrading living conditions were outrageous and I will not tolerate such behavior from any landlord in Brooklyn.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Yury Baumblit, 67, of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to one to three years in state prison following his guilty plea last month to first-degree scheme to defraud. The sentence will run concurrently with a two and a half to five years sentence stemming from a separate Medicaid fraud case that was handled by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, Baumblit operated Back on Track Inc., a company that rented out three-quarter houses (also known as transitional houses or sober houses). Most tenants in his houses received shelter allowance from the New York City Human Resources Administration and others paid the landlord in cash.

Between April 2014 and March 16, 2016, the defendant unlawfully evicted at least 10 tenants who occupied rooms for over 30 days – even though landlords cannot evict a tenant who occupies a room or a bed for 30 consecutive days without a court order. That constituted an ongoing scheme to defraud these tenants of their property. All the tenants were directed by Baumblit to attend a substance abuse program, even when they did not have a substance abuse problem.

One victim moved to 456 Glenmore Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn in May 2014 and resided there for over a year. During that period, Baumblit or his employee locked the residence during the day, according to the investigation. In addition, the victim observed the defendant or his employees removing mattresses belonging to tenants and destroying the stove so tenants could not cook.

Another tenant in the residence, who paid Baumblit in cash from his disability payments, was evicted after six months in the home when the defendant removed his belongings and placed another tenant in his bed. The victim sued in Tenant-Landlord Court and obtained an order directing Baumblit to return the bed to him. The defendant refused and the victim slept on the floor for more than four months.

At that same residence, another victim had surgery in early 2015 and, subsequently, was told by Baumblit he could not stay in the home during the day and had to attend his assigned program. The victim went to the program, collapsed in the street and was hospitalized for five days, according to the indictment.

The case was investigated by Detective Investigator Marvin Chalmers under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Robert Addonizio and Deputy Chief Edwin Murphy. NYPD Police Officer Courney Vishawadia, of the 73rd Precinct, initially investigated the case and arrested the defendant.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Vivian Young Joo, of the District Attorney’s Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division.

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