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Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 30, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Landlords Plead Guilty to Defrauding
Rent Regulated Tenants by Unlawfully Evicting Them from
Buildings in Bushwick, Greenpoint and Williamsburg

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo yesterday announced that two Brooklyn landlords have pleaded guilty to scheme to defraud and unlawful eviction for forcing or attempting to force rent-stabilized tenants out of their homes by destroying their apartments and making them uninhabitable in order to collect significantly higher market-rate rents.

An investigation by Governor Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit, the Brooklyn DA’s Office and City agencies found evidence of hazardous construction intended to harass tenants in many of the approximately ten buildings owned and managed by the defendants in Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint.

The Acting District Attorney said that the defendants, Joel Israel, 35, and his brother, Amrom (aka Aaron) Israel, 38, both of Borough Park, Brooklyn, and their corporations, JBI Management Inc., Linden Ventures LLC, 324 Central Realty LLC, Salmor Realty 2, LLC and Salmor Realty LLC pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of first-degree scheme to defraud and various counts of unlawful eviction

The defendants entered into a plea agreement in which they will receive five years’ probation; each be required to perform 500 hours of community service; and to make restitution of approximately $248,000 to be shared among eight tenants who were harassed while they variously lived at the following locations: 98 Linden Street in Bushwick, 324 Central Avenue in Bushwick, 300 Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint, 15 Humboldt Street in Williamsburg and 386 Woodbine Street in Bushwick.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Landlords across Brooklyn should be put on notice by today’s felony guilty pleas that illegal actions they may take to harass and intimidate tenants in rent regulated apartments will not go unpunished. Anyone trying to cash in on soaring market rents by breaking the law and abusing tenants will face serious consequences. I promise to continue to vigorously prosecute building owners who brazenly flout the law as they try to illegally evict protected tenants.”

Tenants who live in rent-regulated apartments and believe they are being harassed should contact the TPU at (718) 739-6400 or TPUinfo@nyshcr.org. For more information about the Governor’s Tenant Protection Unit go to:www.nyshcr.org/TPU.

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 Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 23, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Brownsville Father Sentenced to 4 to 12 Years
For Shaking 7-Week Old Daughter, Causing Her Death

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez yesterday announced that Eryk Ford, 24, of Brownsville, has been sentenced to four to 12 years in prison following his manslaughter conviction for violently shaking and throwing his infant daughter, causing her death.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the defendant’s own admissions, on January 15, 2012 at approximately 5:50 a.m., the defendant’s 7-week-old daughter, Aniyah Ford, was crying in the living room of the defendant’s apartment when he picked up the child and violently shook her. The defendant then threw the child into her car seat, which was on the floor. The child’s body went limp and she eventually stopped breathing, according to the investigation.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant failed in his responsibility as a parent which was to protect his child from harm. He must now spend time behind bars knowing that he caused his daughter’s death and robbed her of a future. This case should once again serve as a reminder that never, under any circumstances, should a child be shaken.”

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 22, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Defendant Who Allegedly Targeted Older Women in Midwood
Indicted For Robbery as a Hate Crime and Other Charges

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 27-year-old man has been named in a 20-count indictment in which he is charged with second-degree robbery as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly robbing three Russian women in their 60s, who were allegedly targeted because of their age.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on October 12, 2016, the defendant, Akmaljon Abakulov, 27, of Midwood, allegedly pushed a 64-year-old woman against a parked van outside of an ATM on Kings Highway, rummaged through her purse and stole an envelope containing $700. Then on October 24, 2016, on East 14th Street between Avenues O and P, the defendant allegedly grabbed the purse of a 61-year-old woman, pushed her to the ground and ran off with the purse. Most recently, on November 1, 2016, the defendant allegedly stole the wallet of a 61-year-old woman while she was shopping at a T.J Maxx on East 15th Street.

A police officer recovered video from T.J. Maxx that captured the theft. The defendant was arrested the next day when the store manager called police to alert them that the defendant was in the store.

The investigation revealed that the defendant selected older women because he perceived them to be vulnerable to attack.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly targeted older women to rob because he believed they were easy marks. Cowardly attacks such as these will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. We will work vigorously to prosecute all crimes based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity.”

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

Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 17, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Man Charged in 2004 Cold Case Murder
Of 17-Year-Old Bushwick Girl

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 38-year-old man has been indicted for the murder of a teenager from Bushwick in 2004. A DNA analysis of the victim’s fingernails, requested this summer by the New York City Police Department’s Cold Case Squad and the District Attorney’s Forensic Science Unit, was a match to the defendant.

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Kwauhuru Govan, 38, formerly of Gates Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today on one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree kidnapping and ordered held without bail. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the body of Sharabia Thomas, 17, was discovered on the afternoon of February 11, 2004 inside two laundry bags on the side of an alleyway next to 130 Palmetto Street in Bushwick. The victim suffered blunt force trauma to her head, face and torso and had visible ligature marks on her wrists and ankles. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia by neck compression.

The investigation determined that Sharabia did not go to school that day and was last seen alive earlier that morning when her siblings left for school. DNA testing in 2004 yielded no results.

In June 2016, the NYPD’s Cold Case Squad and the District Attorney’s Forensic Science Unit requested that fingernail clippings taken from the victim at the time of the autopsy be located and tested for DNA. A DNA profile was sent to the National DNA database and it matched the defendant, whose DNA was in the database following a 2014 arrest for an armed robbery in Polk County, Florida, according to the investigation.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Sharabia bravely fought for her life when she was attacked and the evidence that helped to find her alleged killer was discovered under her fingernails. It is my hope that solving this terrible crime will offer a small measure of comfort to Sharabia’s family, who suffered such an unspeakable loss. I am determined to continue the important work of our Forensic Science Unit to ensure that even if justice is delayed, it is not denied.”

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

Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 15, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Hit-and-Run Driver Indicted for Recklessly
Killing Cyclist in Williamsburg

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 56-year-old Williamsburg man has been indicted on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related counts stemming from the July 2016 hit-and-run death of 35-year-old Queens cyclist and advocate Matthew von Ohlen.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in the early morning on July 2, 2016, the defendant, Juan Maldonado, 56, of Williamsburg, was speeding in a black Chevy Camaro near Grand Street and Manhattan Avenue when he allegedly swerved into a bike lane on Grand Street, sped through a red light and struck von Ohlen from behind, knocking him off his bike. According to the investigation, the defendant continued driving, running over the victim and dragging him 10 to 20 feet as he sped away.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “A young man who was an active member of Brooklyn’s biking community lost his life because a speeding driver struck him in a designated bike lane and sped away. This was not an accident, but rather a reckless act for which we intend to hold this defendant accountable.”

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

Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 10, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Sheepshead Bay Man Convicted of Trying to
Kidnap 9-Year-Old Girl who was Playing in her Front Yard

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 39-year-old man has been convicted of attempted kidnapping and other charges for trying to abduct a 9-year-old girl, who was playing in the front yard of her Sheepshead Bay home.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on the morning of June 11, 2015, the 9-year-old victim was playing in the front yard of her home on Ford Street in Sheepshead Bay. The defendant, Robert Drach, 39, of Sheepshead Bay, entered through the front gate and tried to drag her out. The victim struggled and screamed. Her father heard the screams, ran out and restrained the defendant until police arrived.

According to the evidence, the defendant stated that he was walking to a friend’s home when he saw a girl he liked, that she told him she was 18 and that she invited him to her house, saying her father wasn’t home. He also admitted to grabbing the victim and to exposing himself.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “It is disturbing that this defendant attempted to kidnap a little girl who was playing outside her home in broad daylight. She was lucky to be saved by her quick-thinking father and we will now see that the predator who attacked her is held accountable.”

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

November 9, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

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

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

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

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

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

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 28, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

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

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

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

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

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Read the full press release here.

Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 27, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Eric Gonzalez

Acting District Attorney
Kings County

October 26, 2016

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

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

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

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

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

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

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Read the full press release here.