001
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES GUILTY
PLEA IN BIAS ATTACK
Brooklyn, January 6, 2006 -
Kings County District Attorney
Charles J. Hynes today announced a guilty plea in the apparent
racially motivated attack of 19-year-old Antonio Cortes by Charles
Tabona, in Sheepshead Bay last August.
In
pleading guilty to Second-Degree Assault, a Class-D Violent Felony,
Tabona, 17, admitted hitting Cortes in the head with a glass bottle
as Cortes rode his bicycle to work August 12. At the time Cortes was
carrying a backpack with an image of the Mexican flag, and when
Tabona was arrested, he made racial slurs about Hispanics in the
neighborhood. He was initially charged with Second-Degree Assault as
a Hate Crime.
Tabona will be sentenced to six months in jail, four-and-a-half
years on probation and will entered the Dynamic Youth Residential
Treatment Program, which will require up to 15 months in a
residential facility upstate and another year at an outpatient
center in Brooklyn. The program will involve drug treatment and
therapy to address violent, antisocial behavior.
Tabona also pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the
Third Degree in an unrelated incident, in which he shot himself in
the leg last October. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Executive Assistant District Attorney Paul Burns of the Green Zone
Trial Bureau prosecuted the case.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
002
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES SWORN IN FOR
FIFTH TERM
CITES 10 CONVICTIONS IN
POLITICAL CORRUPTION PROBE AND SUCCESS OF GUN COURT
Brooklyn,
January 10, 2006 - Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes was sworn into office today for his fifth four-year term.
In his acceptance speech, DA Hynes drew attention to his ongoing
investigations into public corruption, especially in the judiciary,
which has so far lead to 10 convictions, including one sitting judge
and one state assemblyman. Two Supreme Court Justices are currently
under indictment and awaiting trial.
District Attorney Hynes acknowledged that most public officials are
honest, hardworking people, but he warned those giving the rest a bad
name through their criminal acts.
I
mean to continue this inquiry for as long as it takes to liberate our
public servants from rumor, baseless allegations and suspicion, said
DA Hynes. Our investigations will continue until all those corrupt
officials are removed from office.
In addition to rooting out political corruption, the District Attorney
said, he has taken on violent criminals, by working to get guns off
the streets. Because of these efforts, the first Gun Court in New York
State was opened in Brooklyn. There 85 percent of defendants are
sentenced to upstate prison terms.
I am
particularly proud to report through the cooperative efforts of my
Domestic Violence Bureau and Mayor Bloomberg’s Office to Eliminate
Domestic Violence, this past July Brooklyn saw the opening of the
first fully staffed Family Justice Center in the country, said
District Attorney Hynes.
He also
referred to his record of innovation in response to both violent and
nonviolent crimes, with special courts like the largest Drug Court in
the state and the Mental Hygiene Court. He also operates programs
designed to assist parolees readjusting to life outside prison and to
divert young, non-violent offenders from jail, such as DTAP (Drug
Treatment Alternative to Prison), ComAlert, YCP (Youth and
Congregation in Partnership), STAR (Saving Teens At Risk), EPIC
(Ending Prostitution In Our Communities), and Project Respect.
At the
inauguration at Brooklyn Supreme Court, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
made opening remarks, and Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa was the Master of
Ceremonies. Also speaking were State Senators Martin Connor, Martin
Golden and Velmanette Montgomery and U.S. Reps Edolphus Towns and
Nydia Velazquez. Hon. A. Gail Prudenti, Presiding Justice of the
Appellate Division, Second Department, administered the Oath of
Office.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
003
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES INDICTMENTS IN THE DEATH OF
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD NIXZMARY
BROWN
Brooklyn,
January 17, 2006 – Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
today announced the indictments of Nixzaliz Santiago and Cesar
Rodriguez, in the murder of Santiago’s seven-year-old daughter,
Nixzmary Brown.
Nixzmary was found dead January 11, in her mother and stepfather’s
Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment from child abuse syndrome, blunt impact
trauma resulting in brain injuries and starvation and malnutrition.
Nixzmary’s body showed signs of long-term abuse, with ligature marks
on her ankles – where she was frequently tied with rope and bungee
chords – and wounds all over her body in various stages of healing.
Rodriguez, 27, is charged with Murder in the Second Degree,
Manslaughter in the First and Second Degrees, Sex Abuse in the First
Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment in the First Degree, Assault in the
Second Degree, two counts of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree,
nine counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree,
and Four Counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Santiago, also 27, is charged with Murder in the Second Degree,
Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Reckless Endangerment in the First
Degree, two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, Unlawful
Imprisonment in the First Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of
a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, and two counts of Endangering the
Welfare of a Child.
Police Officers from Brooklyn North Homicide, the 79th Precinct, and
the Brooklyn Child Abuse Squad worked on the case, as did the Child
Advocacy Center.
Ama Dwimoh, Chief of the Crimes Against Children Bureau is prosecuting
the case, along with Deputy Bureau Chief Catherine Dagonese, Unit
Chief Linda Weinman, and Deputy Bureau Chief Kelly Casey.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
004
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT IN POLICE SHOOTING
UNION LEADERS AND LOCAL
OFFICIALS JOIN HYNES TO PRAISE NEW SENTENCING STATUTE
Brooklyn,
February 1, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
today announced the indictment of Damien Henry, charged with firing an
Uzi assault rifle at two police officers in Flatbush. DA Hynes
gathered with union leaders and elected officials to tout the new law
mandating stiffer sentencing for people convicted of shooting at
police.
The indictment against Henry features two new crimes Attempted
Aggravated Murder and Menacing of a Police Officer.
If convicted of Attempted Aggravated Murder or Attempted Murder in the
First Degree, Henry would face a minimum of 20 years to life in prison
and a maximum of 40 to life. Previously, in such a case, a defendant
could only receive a sentence of 15-25 years to life. Henry is the
first person to be charged under the new law.
Hynes was joined by Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, State Senator Martin
Golden, New York Police Benevolent Association President Patrick J.
Lynch, and Ed Mullins, President of the New York City Sergeants
Benevolent Association.
Some crimes are so terrible that the people who commit them need to be
taken off the streets for the rest of their lives, said DA Hynes.
Anyone who fires a gun at a police officer must know that he is going
to face serious prison time, and this new law ensures Damion Henry
will spend a long time behind bars. I’d like to thank the PBA
President Lynch, SBA President Mullins, Assemblyman Lentol and Senator
Golden for joining me today as we announce the first indictment for
Attempted Aggravated Murder.
In addition, DA Hynes called on the government to renew the federal
ban on assault weapons, which expired in September 2004.
It is incomprehensible to me why federal legislation banning this Uzi
was permitted to expire, said District Attorney Hynes. The fire power
it produces can only put Police Officers at risk throughout this
country.
Senator Marty Golden, the sponsor of the Crimes Against Police Act in
the Senate stated, "As a former NYC Police Officer, I have looked into
the eyes of would-be cop-killers and attended the funerals of many
friends and colleagues. Police officers risk their lives everyday, and
those who threaten their safety should know that the law-abiding
citizens of New York will no longer tolerate such heinous crimes.
These new, harsher penalties recently adopted will bring an end to
such recidivism and will make safer all law enforcement officers."
PBA President Lynch said, "A person who will shoot at a police officer
will not hesitate to kill anyone. That is why the PBA firmly believes
that the penalty for killing a police officer should be death. The new
crimes against police laws can make an important difference in the
attitudes of criminals towards the police. Vigorous prosecution under
these laws will instill respect for the badge and uniform in the mind
of the criminal community. That will help to protect our police and it
will help us to protect our city.
There is no greater crime against society than the purposeful shooting
of a police officer during the performance of his duties, said SBA
President Mullins. Trying this gunman under the new law is a step in
the right direction. If ever a case screamed out for the harshest
penalty possible, this one does.
Assemblyman Lentol said, When a Police Officer is subjected to an
attempted assault in the line of duty, it is also an attack upon our
community. District Attorney Hynes is using the newly enacted
Attempted Aggravated Murder Law for the very first time in our home
borough of Brooklyn. For the sake of our community, I hope that the DA
is successful in this prosecution and that this statute proves to be a
deterrent to the unacceptable behavior that led to this prosecution. I
further hope that New York’s Finest derive some measure of protection
from the rigorous enforcement of this new law.
The incident occurred on January 21, 2006 outside of the Rag Top
Lounge located at 1308 Utica Avenue in the 67th Precinct. Henry, 24,
had been at the club earlier in the evening and returned at 4:00 AM.
Bouncers at the door frisked him and found a gun. They refused to let
him into the club and eventually called police.
Two uniformed officers, Sgt. Ajay Kapur and Police Officer Andrew
Rydlewski, remained out of sight, to avoid a possible shootout outside
a crowded club, and called for backup. When Henry drew his gun and
fired at the club, the officers came to the scene and shouted, Don’t
move, police, drawing their own weapons.
In the chase that followed, Henry turned around and fired his gun at
Kapur and Rydlewski, missing. Both officers opened fire and hit Henry
several times.
The new Aggravated Murder statute applies to situations in which the
defendant is over 18 years old and intends to kill a police officer.
The other new law, Menacing a Police Officer, can be applied when the
defendant uses a weapon to threaten or instill fear in an officer.
Both laws require the defendant to know the police officer is on
duty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Joseph
Alexis and Lekha Varghese. Vinoo Varghese of the Assault on Police
Officer Unit also worked on the case. Angelo Morelli is Chief of the
Assault on Police Officer Unit.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
005
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES SENTENCING OF RAPIST CAUGHT ON DNA
MATCH
ATTACK OCCURRED DURING HOME
BURGLARY
Brooklyn, February 3, 2006 – Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes today announced the sentencing of Bryant Gill, 44, to 40 years
to life, for raping a woman who came home as he was burglarizing her
apartment, March 1, 2003.
Gill was
about to become eligible for parole in a two-to-four-year sentence on
an unrelated burglary conviction, when he was indicted for the rape,
preventing his release.
After the 2002 conviction, a sample of Gill’s DNA was entered into the
statewide DNA database. That sample matched a rape-kit swab taken from
the woman, who was 27 when she was raped.
She had just come home from work and found Gill in the process of
burglarizing her apartment. He attacked her, striking her several
times and raping her. He then fled with her CD player and other
items.
In addition to the top charges of Rape in the First Degree and
Burglary in the First Degree, Gill was also sentenced on charges
including Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, Robbery in the Second
Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Assault in the Third
Degree.
Since the DNA database was created, there have been 76 cold-hit
indictments which involved 104 victims in Brooklyn. Those 104 cases
would not have been solved if not for the DNA database.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Bureau Chief Rachel Schmidt from the
Sex Crimes Bureau. Rhonnie Jaus is Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
718-250-2300
006
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES 30-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE IN BEAUTY
SALON ROBBERIES
Brooklyn, February 3, 2006 – Kings
County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced the
sentencing of Piru Umoja to 30 years in prison for participating in
gunpoint robberies of nine people in four beauty salons in August
2004.
Umoja, 26, and his brother, Kevin Williams, 23, targeted beauty salons
in the 77th, 79th, and 81st police precincts of northern Brooklyn. The
majority of the people in the salons at the time were women, as were
seven of the victims. The defendants took cash from the registers and
customers, as well as jewelry, cell phones, and on one occasion,
beauty supplies.
In one robbery they stole the purse of a woman who was nine months
pregnant, on her way to her baby shower and happened to have her
mortgage payment – in cash – in the purse Umoja and Williams took.
Williams pleaded guilty in November 2005, but Umoja decided to take
his chances at trial, where he was convicted of nine counts of Robbery
in the First Degree. Williams was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexis of the Trial Division and Bari
Altberg of the Blue Zone prosecuted the case.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
007
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES INDICTMENT OF PHONY VETERINARIAN
CAT DEPUTIZED FOR UNDERCOVER STING
Brooklyn,
February 8, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
today announced the arrest and indictment of Steven Vassall, who is
charged with posing as a licensed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and
conducting risky surgeries on people’s pets.
The indictment charges that, with no training or license to practice
medicine, Vassall, 28, conducted an operation on a five-year-old
Boston terrier, Burt, which nearly took the dog’s life. Burt’s owner
sent him to Vassall to have an ailment diagnosed, and Vassall quickly
recommended surgery to remove a foreign object from the dog’s
intestines, after only examining the outside of Burt’s stomach.
After
difficulties in the operation, Vassall recommended euthanizing the
dog. At the owner’s insistence, Burt was kept alive and returned
along with a bill for $985 with infected sutures in his stomach.
The dog required additional treatment, at a legitimate vet, to fix the
problems caused by Vassall’s botched surgery. Burt’s owner questions
whether the first operation was necessary.
Animal cruelty is among the most heinous crimes, because people’s pets
are the most innocent victims, said DA Hynes. We will make sure this
so-called doctor faces the maximum penalty for what he did to these
animals.
Crucial to the investigation was an eight-month-old former stray cat
named Fred, who was deputized by Detective Investigators at the
District Attorney’s Office and went undercover to work on the case.
Investigators
wired a Brooklyn apartment with hidden cameras and microphones and
told Vassall to come take Fred to be neutered. Vassall told Detective
Investigator Stephanie Green-Jones that he would neuter Fred for $135.
But as soon as he walked away from the house with $135 in cash, and
the cat in a carrying box, Vassall was arrested.
When Fred was rescued from the streets by New York City Animal Care
and Control, he was a four-month-old kitten with pneumonia so severe
he only had the use of one half of one lung. He has since been fully
rehabilitated and is being adopted by his foster family.
AC&C is so happy that one of their own, a little stray kitten who got
a second chance at life, distinguished himself in his first undercover
assignment. Fred and his human partners have ensured that no animal is
harmed by this veterinary imposter, said Mary Martin Executive
Director or New York City Animal Care and Control.
None of the patients’ owners ever saw Vassall’s veterinary offices. He
would retrieve the animals at their homes, take them to an undisclosed
location for surgery, and then return them, sometimes in worse
condition than before their operations.
Vassall is
charged with Overdriving, Torturing and Injuring Animals. He is also
chargedwith Unauthorized Use of a Professional Title and Unauthorized
Practice, both Class-E Felonies. He faces up to four years in
prison.
The
investigation is ongoing, and Vassall is suspected of having seen
numerous patients illegally. Anyone who believes their pets were among
Vassall’s victims should call the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Citizen
Action Center, at (718)250-2340.
To check the
credentials of a veterinarian, go to the New York State Education
Department’s Office of the Professions website, for a listing of all
individuals in the state licensed in the various professions and any
disciplinary history. (www.op.nysed.gov)
Senior
Assistant District Attorneys Karen Turner and Tanisha Simon of the
Investigative Division are prosecuting the case. Michael Vecchione is
Chief of the Investigative Division.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
008
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES POLICE COMMISSIONER RAYMOND W. KELLY AND
DEPARTMENT OF INVESTIGATION COMMISSIONER ROSE GILL HEARN ANNOUNCE
INDICTMENT IN TISSUE THEFT
BONES FOR TRANSPLANT TAKEN FROM
CORPSES WITHOUT CONSENT
Brooklyn, February 23, 2006 – Kings County District Attorney Charles
J. Hynes, New York Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, and
Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn today
announced the arrest and indictment of Michael Mastromarino, Joseph
Nicelli, Lee Crucetta and Christopher Aldorasi for participating in a
scheme to steal tissue from the corpses of people who never gave
consent to be donors. The tissue was then sold to tissue transplant
companies where it would be used in surgical procedures around the
world.
District Attorney Hynes said, “What happened here stealing tissue from
the dead and selling it for transplant without consent of a family
member and without taking any medical precautions to ensure that
transplants were free from disease or defect is like something out of
a cheap horror movie. But, for the thousand of relatives of the
deceased whose body parts were used for profit, and the recipients of
the suspect parts, this was no bad movie. It was the real thing.
I’d like to thank Police Commissioner Kelly and DOI Commissioner Gill
Hearn for their cooperation in this investigation,” DA Hynes added.
DOI Commissioner Gill Hearn said, "The conduct uncovered in this
investigation is monstrous. It is a family's worst nightmare that a
loved one entrusted to the care of a funeral home was actually
defiled. The deceased and their families have not been able to rest in
peace.
And, this ghastly conduct has sent a ripple of fear to anyone who has
had a medical implant. I offer condolences to the grief-stricken
families victimized by the crimes charged here today. I say to them,
justice will be served."
Commissioner Kelly said, “Detective Patricia O'Brien and her fellow
detectives are to be commended for tenaciously pursuing the ghoulish
criminal activity in this case. She extracted from crucial witnesses
the first chapter in a horror story which would shake the funeral
industry to its core.
According to the 122-count indictment, the team forged death
certificates and organ-donor consent forms to create the appearance
that the tissue was harvested legally. Though tissue transplant
guidelines set age limits and health requirements for donors, the
defendants falsified the ages of their victims, so in one case, a
95-year-old cancer victim was listed as a healthy 85-year-old who died
of heart failure.
It is illegal for people to sell their tissue or other body parts.
They can only be donated, and only with the expressed, written consent
of the donor, before the person dies. However, on the open market, one
body can bring in as much as $250,000 for harvesting and transplant
companies.
Mastromarino, a former oral surgeon, got into the tissue business
after losing his dentist’s license. Nicelli, of 49 Clifton Ave.,
Staten Island, owned Daniel George & Son funeral home at 1852 Bath
Ave., Brooklyn, before partnering with Mastromarino in a tissue
trading company, BioMedical Tissue Services and BioTissue
Technologies. The companies were licensed in New Jersey but had
offices in Brooklyn. Crucetta and Aldorasi both worked with Nicelli
and Mastromarino removing body parts.
The investigation began after people who bought Daniel George from
Nicelli found numerous inconsistencies in the bookkeeping. They came
to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office to complain that money paid
in advance for future funerals was missing from the business’s
accounting records. The investigation that followed uncovered a scheme
to steal bones from unwilling donors.
In a secret room in Daniel George & Sons, Mastromarino would remove
bones, tendons, heart valves and other tissue from recently deceased
people. When the bodies were of people who had not consented to the
procedures, or were too old or ill to donate tissue, Mastromarino and
Nicelli doctored their death certificates and forged consent forms,
according to the indictment. In those cases, Mastromarino replaced the
bones with plastic polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, piping and repaired the
incisions, so they would not be noticed at the funeral.
Nicelli also owned a business transporting bodies to funeral homes and
would be notified of deaths. In this capacity he could supply
Mastromarino with corpses. Two of the funeral homes involved included
Daniel George & Sons, at 1852-56 Bath Avenue, Brooklyn, and New York
Mortuary, at 2242 First Avenue, Manhattan.
The charges against the defendants include Enterprise Corruption, a
Class-B Felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, Body Stealing
and Opening Graves (Class-E Felonies), Unlawful Dissection (an
unclassified Misdemeanor), Forgery in the Second Degree, Grand Larceny
in the Third Degree (Class-D Felonies) and Falsifying Business Records
in the First Degree (a Class-E Felony).
The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.
From the Department of Investigation, Deputy Inspector General Stephan
Zander, NYPD Deputy Inspector John Walsh, and NYPD Detective John Woo
worked on this case.
Detectives Paul Courtney and Patricia O’Brien and Sgt. Timothy Breen
from the NYPD’s Major Case Squad also worked on the case.
DA’s Office Detective Investigators Anthony Nelson, Michael Seminara,
and Patrick Lanigan assisted in the investigation, under the
supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator Robert Intartaglio.
Assistant District Attorney Josh Hanshaft, Rackets, Deputy Bureau
Chief, is prosecuting the case and is being assisted by Patricia
McNeill, Rackets, Bureau Chief. Michael Vecchione is Chief of the
Investigative Division.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
009
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES YCP GRADUATION
Brooklyn, February 28, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes is proud to announce the graduation of 46 people enrolled in his
YCP (Youth and Congregations in Partnership) program. The ceremony
will be held Tuesday, February 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Brooklyn
Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street.
YCP is a community-based early intervention program for Brooklyn’s
court-involved and at-risk youths, ages 13 to 22, promoting
rehabilitation, education, and civic responsibility before they
develop long-term problems.
This year, 46 graduates completed the one-year program.
They will receive special awards from the DA and most of their court
cases will be dismissed or sealed. Along with DA Hynes, several church
leaders will speak at the ceremony, praising the graduates’ hard work
and accomplishments. This year, recording artist and producer Kwame
will be the special guest speaker. He has worked with artists such as
Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J and Nick Cannon and relates well to young
people. Kwame will encourage them to start new, productive lives away
from crime. Some of the award recipients will give their own
presentations, as well.
Throughout the intensive program, participants attend training and
educational programs, are given access to comprehensive services, and
are mentored by a committee of trained, adult volunteers. They receive
counseling for substance abuse, anger management, and conflict
resolution, as well as mental health services, family counseling,
educational support, career readiness training, and job placement.
They also participate in cultural and artistic projects.
YCP was established in 1997 by District Attorney Hynes, as one of the
DA’s alternative-to-prison, rehabilitation programs. The program is a
collaboration between the District Attorney’s Office and the Brooklyn
religious community and includes social workers, churches, and
community service providers. After a juvenile is arrested, the court
must first approve the referral into the mentoring program. YCP gives
young people a second chance.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
718-250-2300
010
KINGS COUNTY
DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES AND POLICE COMMISSIONER
RAYMOND W. KELLY ANNOUNCE INDICTMENT IN MURDER OF IMMETTE
SAINT GUILLEN
BOUNCER FACES LIFE
WITHOUT PAROLE
Brooklyn, March 23, 2006 Kings County District Attorney
Charles J. Hynes and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
today announced the indictment of Darryl Littlejohn, 41,
in the murder of John Jay College graduate student Immette
Saint Guillen.
In a three count indictment, Littlejohn is
charged with one count of Murder in the First Degree and
two counts of Murder in the Second Degree for the death of
Saint Guillen. If convicted of the highest count, he faces
a maximum sentence of life in prison without the
possibility of parole.
This indictment shows what can be
accomplished when the top minds at the DA’s Office, the
NYPD, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner work
together to solve a difficult case,” said District
Attorney Hynes. “Immette Saint Guillen’s horrific murder
will not go unpunished.
"Detectives and prosecutors did outstanding,
painstaking work in identifying and indicting a dangerous
killer. The fact that he remains in custody brings a
measure of comfort to all concerned," said Commissioner
Kelly.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 25, 2006,
Immette Saint Guillen, 24, entered The Falls bar on
Lafayette Street in Manhattan for a final nightcap. Less
than seventeen hours later, her body was found wrapped in
a dirty bedspread and dumped on the side of a deserted
stretch of Fountain Avenue, just north of the Belt Parkway
in East New York. Her hands and feet were bound, she had
been sexually abused, her mouth was gagged and her head
completely wrapped in tape. She died of asphyxiation.
Littlejohn, who lives in Jamaica, Queens, had
been employed by the management of the The Falls Bar to
provide security for that establishment, as a bouncer.
This case was investigated by Detectives Mark
Brooks and Maria Quinones of the 75 Pct. Detective Squad,
commanded by Lt. Patrick Johnston, as well as Detectives
Sean McTighe and James Kennedy of the Brooklyn North
Homicide Squad, commanded by Lt. John Cornicello. Other
participants in the investigation were the Major Case
Squad of the NYPD, including Sgt. Francis Murnane and his
team, the NYPD Crime Scene Unit, the NYPD Police Lab, and
the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and its Forensic
Biology lab. The police Investigation was headed by Chief
Robert Giannelli.
Deputy District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief
of the Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case.
Contact: Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
011
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCED THE
MURDER CONVICTION OF TROY HENDRIX AND KAYSON PEARSON
DEFENDANTS
FACE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE
Brooklyn, March 23,
2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the conviction of Troy Hendrix and Kayson
Pearson for the kidnapping, rape and murder of 19-year-old
Hunter College student Ramona Moore, in April 2003.
They were also convicted of kidnapping and raping another
woman, who survived, to testify against them.
District Attorney Hynes said, I am hard pressed to find a
more evil case. I am satisfied that these defendants will
never see the outside of a prison cell, and I grieve with
the family of Ramona Moore, for their loss.
A jury convicted Hendrix, 22, and
Pearson, 24, of Two Counts of Murder in the First Degree,
Two Counts of Kidnapping in the First Degree, and One
Count each of Rape in the First Degree and Sodomy in the
First Degree.
When they are sentenced April 11, they face a maximum of
life in prison without parole.
Pearson and Hendrix face additional charges for a January
courtroom outburst that resulted in a mistrial. In that
incident, Pearson and Hendrix are charged with stabbing
Pearson’s defense attorney and two court officers, with
sharpened pieces of plastic they snuck into the courtroom.
Assistant District Attorney Anna-Sigga
Nicolazzi, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, tried the
case. Deputy District Attorney Kenneth Taub is Chief of
the Homicide Bureau.
Contact: Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
012
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES ARREST OF 10 PEOPLE FOR ORGANIZING
ILLEGAL SPORTS BETTING
ORGANIZATIONS GROSSED MORE THAN
$45 MILLION ANNUALLY
Brooklyn, March 26, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles
J. Hynes today announced the arrest of 10 people, for running illegal
gambling operations that took in excess of $45 million annually on
sports bets, including $300,000 on March Madness, the NCAA college
basketball tournament. DA Hynes was joined by heads of New York
State’s five Off-Track Betting agencies, in a call for legalized
sports gambling.
Money gambled
illegally on sporting events is the funding that fuels the business of
organized crime, said District Attorney Hynes. If sports betting were
legal, that money could go toward funding education, health care and
fighting terrorism, instead of being used to fund murders and
extortion, as it is now.
Investigators
with the Brooklyn DA’s Office learned of the gambling operations from
confidential informants, who told investigators how they could place
sports bets over the phone, between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. on
nights when the games were played. Once investigators discovered the
addresses of the otherwise empty apartments or Wire Rooms where
the phones were answered, they obtained warrants to search the
locations.
Saturday
investigators executed 20 search warrants for the defendants’ homes,
wire rooms, safe deposit boxes and vehicles in Brooklyn, Queens and
Manhattan. They arrested 10 people on felony gambling charges and
seized $300,000 in cash, in addition to computers and records showing
the various operations took bets totaling more than $45 million
annually. Six of the nine locations searched were controlled by people
with suspected ties to the Chinese Fukanese street gang. Others were
controlled by people with links to the Gambino crime family and more
traditional organized crime.
OTB officials
estimate that $230 billion is wagered on sports games in America each
year and 33 percent of that is on college sporting events, like March
Madness. Nationwide last year as much as $4 billion was wagered on the
NCAA basketball tournament, and Nevada, the only state which allows
such betting, took in $90 million in legally placed bets. On the Super
Bowl, approximately $4 billion is also gambled nationwide, with $75 to
$80 million bet legally in Nevada.
The
investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected.
The raids
were executed by the District Attorney’s Detective Investigators,
under the direction of Chief Joseph Ponzi, and NYPD Detectives from
the Kings County District Attorney’s Squad, under the direction of Lt.
Leonard Z. Fuller.
Executive
District Attorney Christopher Blank, of the Investigative Division, is
prosecuting the case. Michael Vecchione is Chief of Investigations.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
013
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES AND HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION
COMMISSIONER VERNA EGGLESTON ANNOUNCE WELFARE FRAUD INDICTMENT
CHARGES INCLUDE FRAUDULENT
CLAIMS TO FEMA FOR KATRINA AID
Brooklyn, March 23, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes and Human Resources Administration Commissioner Verna Eggleston
today announced the indictment of Donna Fenton for Welfare Fraud and
Grand Larceny.
The indictment charges that Fenton applied for, and received welfare
payments, based on the bogus claim that her 14-year-old daughter lived
with her. But her daughter had been adopted by another family in
1994.
In an application for hurricane Katrina assistance from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Fenton claimed to live at 110 S. 21st St.
Apt 3, Biloxi, Miss. However, there is no 21st Street in Biloxi, and
financial records show that Fenton was in Brooklyn when the hurricane
struck. The indictment charges that she received more than $3,000 in
funding targeted to people who suffered losses in the storm.
Fenton is charged with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third
Degree, two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, and one
count each of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, Welfare Fraud in the
Fourth Degree, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First
Degree. She faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
According to District Attorney Hynes, HRA’s Bureau of Fraud
Investigation began an investigation after receiving an internal
complaint. Special Investigators Katey Courtney and Supervising
Investigator Frank Pira worked on the case.
"The staff at HRA work hard to ensure that people who are
in need of temporary assistance are directed to the appropriate
source. They work equally as hard to identify those who file false
application, when there is no real need at all. This is an example of
one of those cases,” Commissioner Eggleston said.
Assistant District Attorney Frank Dudis, of the Public Assistance
Crimes Bureau, is prosecuting the case. Lauren Mack is Chief of the
Public Assistance Crimes Bureau.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
014
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES HATE-CRIME CONVICTION OF STEPHEN
POMIE
VICTIM BEATEN BECAUSE OF
SEXUALITY
Brooklyn,
March 28, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the conviction of Stephen Pomie of Assault in the First
Degree and Assault in the First Degree as a Hate Crime. A jury
delivered the verdict in Pomie’s trial just before 6 p.m. yesterday.
When he is sentenced, April 24, Pomie faces a maximum of 25 years in
prison.
Pomie, 23, was convicted of the top counts against him, for attacking
26-year-old Dwan Prince because Prince was homosexual. The attack
occurred at 11:48 p.m. June 8, 2005, as Prince walked home along E.
94th Street at Kings Highway. Pomie, a reputed member of the Crips
street gang, assaulted Prince in the street, beating him unconscious,
kicking him in the head and shouting anti-gay slurs. A witness called
911 and Prince was taken to Brookdale Hospital in a coma.
Assistant District Attorney Tom Ridges of the Homicide Bureau and
Assistant District Attorney Lyle Smith prosecuted the case. Kenneth
Taub is Chief of the Homicide Bureau.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
015
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES MURDER INDICTMENT AGAINST RETIRED
FBI AGENT AND TWO MOB HIT MEN IN MULTIPLE MURDER CASES
FORMER AGENT DEVECCHIO CHARGED
WITH AIDING MAFIA ‘HITS’
Brooklyn, March 30, 2006
Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced the
arrest and indictment of retired FBI Agent Roy Lindley DeVecchio and
two men Craig Sobel and John Sinagra associated with the
Colombo crime family, who have all been implicated in mafia murders
from 1987 to 1992.
The murders all took place when DeVecchio was assigned to work with
FBI “top echelon informant and Colombo Family king pin Greg The Grim
Reaper Scarpa, in Brooklyn. Sobel and Sinagra are charged with being
triggermen in two mob hits, and DeVecchio is charged with acting in
concert in four mob-related killings.
This is the most stunning example of official corruption that I have
ever seen, said District Attorney Hynes. Four people were murdered
with the help of a federal law enforcement agent who was charged with
keeping them safe. Lindley DeVecchio deserves the maximum sentence of
25 years to life for each of these killings.
In 2004 US Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.), a member of the House
Judiciary Committee, was involved in preparing for hearings to look
into allegations against FBI agents involved in organized crime
investigations. The pre-hearing investigations uncovered discrepancies
regarding DeVecchio and his relationship to Scarpa during 1980s and
early 1990s. Delahunt referred the case to the Brooklyn District
Attorney’s Office and recommended an investigation, which became this
case.
Congressman
Delahunt said, I wish to commend District Attorney Hynes and the
Brooklyn DA's Office for undertaking the investigation and prosecution
of this case involving evidence of serious FBI misconduct based on
information referred by my office, to the District Attorney. Pursuant
to its oversight responsibilities the Judiciary Committee will closely
monitor the proceedings in this case, and review all the evidence
presented concerning FBI misconduct.
The first murder victim, Mary Bari, 31, was the stunning brunette
girlfriend of Colombo consigliore Alphonse Persico, brother of then
Colombo Family boss, Carmine Persico. The indictment charges DeVecchio
told Scarpa that Bari had been speaking to federal authorities and
should be taken care of. On September 25, 1984, she was shot and
killed in a Brooklyn social club by Scarpa and other members of the
Colombo crime family.
DeVecchio is also charged with urging Scarpa to kill Joseph DeDomenico,
a Colombo soldier who was considered a threat, because he had been
using drugs, committing crimes without involving Scarpa and courting
Born-Again Christianity. DeDomenico, 45, was killed September 17,
1987, by Scarpa and other Colombo associates.
Sobel is charged with firing two blasts from a sawed-off shotgun that
killed 17-year-old Dominick Masseria on the steps of Our Lady of
Guadalupe Church on 15th Avenue and 72nd Street in Brooklyn, October
31, 1989. Earlier that Halloween night Masseria had been present at an
egg-throwing incident which turned violent, and involved several other
youths from the neighborhood. While walking home he was the victim of
a drive-by shooting. Present in the car were triggerman Sobel, Joseph
Scarpa Greg Scarpa’s teenage son and his friend Patrick
Porco.
In May of 1990 Porco was questioned by detectives at the 62nd Precinct
about Masseria’s murder. DeVecchio contacted Greg Scarpa to tell him
that Porco, 18, had been speaking to authorities about Joseph Scarpa’s
involvement in the Masseria shooting. Sinagra is charged with carrying
out a Scarpa-ordered hit on Porco, to prevent him from speaking about
Masseria.
The final murder charged is of a criminal rival of Scarpa’s, Lorenzo
Lampasi, during the war within the Colombo crime family. Scarpa
informed DeVecchio that he wanted to kill Lampasi, 66, and DeVecchio
is charged with providing Scarpa critical information – obtained
during law-enforcement surveillance regarding Lampasi’s address
and personal habits. May 22, 1992 Lampasi was murdered in his driveway
at 4 a.m., the time that Lampasi left his home every morning.
District
Attorney Hynes added, For their full cooperation throughout this
investigation, I’d like to thank the Office of Roslyn Mauskopf, the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; FBI
Director Robert Mueller and the staff at FBI Headquarters in
Washington, DC; the New York Office of the FBI; the New York Office of
the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Pennsylvania Office of the
Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Marshals Service;
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Brooksville Field Office;
and the Criminal Apprehension Team of the Las Vegas Nevada Metro
Police Department.
Assisting in the Investigation were District Attorney’s Office
Investigators Chief Joseph Ponzi, Al Lombardo, Greg DeBoer, Patrick
Lanigan, Anthony Nelson, Thomas Dades, Dennis Bootle, Robert Kenavan,
and David Reilly; and retired NYPD Detective Joseph
Piraino.
The case is being prosecuted by Chief of the Investigations Division
Michael Vecchione and Bureau Chief Noel Downey and Assistant District
Attorney Brian Wallace.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
016
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCED THE INDICTMENT OF CONVICTED
MURDERERSTROY HENDRIX AND KAYSON PEARSON
Brooklyn, April 4, 2006 – Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes today announced an indictment of Troy Hendrix, 22, and Kayson
Pearson, 24, for a courtroom attack on an attorney and a court
officer, while the defendants attempted to escape during a trial for
the kidnapping, rape and murder of 19-year-old Hunter College student
Romona Moore.
The 40-count indictment charges that on January 19, the defendants
smuggled into the courtroom two knives, or “prison shivs,” made of
sharpened plastic. The indictment also charges that Pearson stabbed
his attorney, Mitchell Dinnerstein, in the neck, while Hendrix jumped
over a table and tackled Senior Court Officer Sgt. James Gorra, in an
attempt to take the officer’s gun.
The outburst before the jury led Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Albert
Tomei to declare a mistrial. A new jury convicted Hendrix and Pearson
of Murder in the First Degree and other charges, March 23. They face a
maximum sentence of life without parole, plus up to 15 years on the
new charges.
They will be arraigned on the new indictment and sentenced on the
conviction April 11.
Pearson and Hendrix are charged with Attempted Robbery in the First
Degree, Attempted Robbery in the Second Degree (Six Counts), Attempted
Assault in the First Degree (Four Counts), Assault in the Second
Degree (10 Counts), Attempted Assault in the Second Degree (Two
Counts), Attempted Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Attempted
Assault on a Peace Officer, Assault in the Third Degree (Five Counts),
Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, Attempted Escape in the
First Degree (Two Counts), Promoting Prison Contraband in the First
Degree (Two Counts), Attempted Criminal Possession of Weapon in the
Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth
Degree (Three Counts).
Senior Trial Attorney Robert Walsh, of the Homicide Bureau is
prosecuting the case. Deputy District Attorney Kenneth Taub is Chief
of the Homicide Bureau.
Contact:
Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
017
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES SENTENCING IN TAX EVASION SCHEME
CO-OWNER OF RESTAURANT PAID BACK $2 MILLION IN RESTITUTION
Brooklyn, April 5, 2006 Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes today announced the guilty plea and sentencing of Paul Tang, 56,
for filing false corporate tax returns, drastically understating his
restaurant’s sales receipts. Tang pled guilty today before Judge
Richard Allman to Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Second
Degree, a class A misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail on
weekends. The restaurant, Jade Plaza Restaurants, Inc., pled guilty
to Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class
E felony.
Tang
surrendered himself to the District Attorney’s office on March 29. He
paid back $2 million in restitution on back taxes and fines.
An investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Office, the NYC
Department of Finance and the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
revealed that Tang has been filing these false quarterly sales tax
returns with the NYS Department of Finance on behalf of Jade Plaza
since 2002. Restaurants are supposed to contribute 8.6 % in sales tax
to the government. By drastically understating the sales receipts,
the restaurant reduced its sales tax payments to the city and state.
Tang is a partner in the Chinese restaurant located in Sunset Park,
which has been operating since 1994. He is charged because he was the
individual who signed the tax returns.
It was also found that Tang would sometimes collect the sales tax from
his customers and pocket the money. At other times, he merely did not
charge customers with sales tax if they were paying in cash or came in
with a large party. Also as part of the investigation, undercover
detectives from the District Attorney’s office ate at the restaurant
without being charged sales tax.
In April 2005, a search warrant was issued and business records were
seized including day books, customer receipts, employee time cards,
financial ledgers and bank deposit slips. The records indicated that
the defendant was underreporting the tax returns since 2002.
District Attorney Hynes said, The defendant in this case tried to
cheat the government out of a substantial amount of money in taxes.
The records seized showed that the sales receipts did not match what
was reported on the tax returns. Obviously, there was a discrepancy.
This arrest goes to show you that if you try to cheat the system,
sooner or later, you are going to get caught.
NYC Department of Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark said, When
restaurants and other cash businesses fail to their pay fair share of
taxes, all New Yorkers suffer. We will continue to work with our
partners in law enforcement to aggressively pursue tax cheats, while
also encouraging businesses to come forward voluntarily.
Bureau Chief Gregory Mitchel from the Investigative Division is the
Supervising Assistant District Attorney prosecuting the case along
with Assistant District Attorney Jordan Rossman from the Money
Laundering and Revenue Crimes Division. DA Hynes thanked the City’s
Department of Finance, including Harry Mozes, Gary Wong, and Fernando
Gonzalez-Rios from the Enforcement Division, who established tax
liability and conducted the financial investigation.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
718-250-2300
018
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT IN TWO 1992 MURDERS
LINKED TO RUSSIAN ORGANIZED CRIME | 