001
DA
HYNES HONORS EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN
DURING AWARDS CEREMONY AT POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
Brooklyn, April 3 –Kings
County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes honored 33 of Brooklyn’s
Extraordinary Women at Polytechnic University on March 30. The
honorees included volunteers, educators, executive directors and
many other professionals nominated by Brooklyn residents. During the
awards ceremony, every woman received a certificate for her
outstanding achievements.
District Attorney Hynes told the
guests that he considered it a great privilege to celebrate Women’s
History Month and to single out these individuals whose
extraordinary contributions to their families, friends,
neighborhoods and communities make Brooklyn a better place. More
than 200 people attended the ceremony.
He said, “These women are our
mothers and grandmothers, our social workers, our teachers, our
church and community leaders, women who not only nurture their
families and friends, but also dedicate themselves to taking care of
countless others in their neighborhoods and larger communities.
These women have contributed their time to tutor those who cannot
read, to care for the sick and the elderly, to lend their expertise
to educate others about issues of health and safety, and to feed the
hungry in their neighborhoods.”
The District Attorney also told the
audience that he was devoted to his mother, whom he described as a
survivor of domestic violence. He said that her “great strength and
other qualities” were very similar to this year’s honorees.
He also emphasized that these women
include immigrants who came to America to build a life for
themselves and their families, and then provided assistance for
other immigrants.
Vote for next year’s Extraordinary
Woman by clicking the Women’s History banner on our Web site at:
www.brooklynda.org.
Contact: J. Zamgba Browne
718-250-2300
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002
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES
INDICTMENT IN DEATH OF NEWBORN
MOTHER CHARGED WITH
MURDER
Brooklyn, April 13, 2007 – Kings County District Attorney
Charles J. Hynes today announced the indictment of Laura
Sergio, 25, in the murder of her newborn baby daughter.
Sergio is charged with Murder
in the Second Degree, Manslaughter in the First Degree,
Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Endangering the
Welfare of a Child. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 25
years to life in prison.
The indictment charges that
Friday April 6, after Sergio gave birth in her Bay Ridge
home, the baby was left outside in a plastic bag. That
evening Sergio was admitted to Lutheran Medical Center for
bleeding. Several hours later doctors there determined that
she had recently delivered and alerted police, directing
them to Sergio’s home to look for the baby. They found the
newborn baby girl in a bag on the building’s back porch. The
child died of asphyxia and hypothermia.
An indictment is merely an
accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
Assistant District Attorney
Jacqueline Kagan is prosecuting the case. Ama Dwimoh is
Chief of the Crimes Against Children Bureau.
Contact: Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
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003
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES
SENTENCING OF CLARENCE NORMAN, JR.
WILL SERVE ONE TO THREE
YEARS FOR EXTORTION
Brooklyn, April 16, 2007 – Kings County District Attorney
Charles J. Hynes today announced the sentencing of former
Assemblyman Clarence Norman, Jr. to one to three years in
prison for extorting money from a judicial candidate in
2002.
“This trial showed
how Clarence Norman manipulated the judicial selection
system and perverted the way judges are elected in this
county,” said District Attorney Hynes.
In February, Norman,
a former chairman of the Kings County Democratic Committee,
was convicted of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a
Class-D Felony; Attempted Grand Larceny in the Fourth
Degree, a Class-A Misdemeanor; and Coercion in the Second
Degree, also a Class-A Misdemeanor. He was sentenced to one
to three years in prison for the felony, to run concurrent
to two one-year sentences for the misdemeanors. He was also
ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to former Judge Karen
Yellen, the candidate he was convicted of extorting.
The payments were
supposed to cover the costs of election-day campaign
operations provided by Norman’s political allies. Yellen
believed the work would not benefit her, but Norman
threatened to withdraw the Democrat party’s support of her
campaign if she did not pay one operative $9,000 and another
$1,000.
The sentence handed
down today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus will
follow two other consecutive one-to-three-year sentences
Norman has previously been ordered to serve, bringing his
total sentence to three to nine years in prison. The first
was for a felony election-law violation, and the second was
for Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, which Norman was
convicted of after depositing a $5,000 campaign contribution
into his own bank account for personal use.
The case was
prosecuted by Rackets Division Chief Michael Vecchione and
Assistant District Attorneys Monique Ferrell, Kevin
Richardson, Gavin Miles.
Contact: Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
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004
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES LIFE
SENTENCE FOR ARSONIST
TORCHED APARTMENT BUILDING
AS PART OF REAL-ESTATE SCAM
Brooklyn, April 18,
2007 – Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the sentencing of Sherman Rivers, 38, following
his conviction on three counts of Arson in the First Degree.
Brooklyn Supreme
Court Justice Deborah Dowling ordered Rivers to serve 35
years to life, in addition to 25 years he received last
August for an unrelated arson, for a total of 60 years to
life in prison.
Rivers was convicted
in March of setting two fires in a Bedford- Stuyvesant
apartment building as part of a scam to assume ownership of
the property. While the building’s owner was in prison,
Rivers befriended the man’s wife and convinced her to give
him power of attorney over the building. He then conspired
to sell it to a friend and split the profit - up to
$300,000. However, the contract stipulated that the building
had to be vacant at the time of sale.
When several tenants refused to
leave, preventing the deal from going through, Rivers
ordered an associate to pour gasoline on the stairs and set
them on fire, at 5:30 AM May 25, 2004. A tenant woke up and
called 911 shortly before the flames could reach the
apartment, where she lived with her young daughter.
Five days later,
Rivers hired two men to throw a Molotov cocktail through the
window of the building owner’s ground-floor apartment, where
the owner’s cousin had been staying. The apartment erupted
in a ball of fire, but cousin was able to escape without
injury.
The case was
prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys John Holmes and
Dennis Ring, of the Rackets Division. Michael Vecchione is
Chief of the Rackets Division.
Contact: Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
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005
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES
SENTENCING IN LAUNDROMAT ROBBERY
DEFENDANT USED UZI TO ROB
SAME LAUNDROMAT TWICE
Brooklyn, April 18, 2007 -
Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the sentencing of Jesse Stuckey, 21, to nine years
in prison for two robberies of the same laundromat. Stuckey
was arrested on January 6, 2007 as he was about to rob the
same laundromat for the third day in a row. He pleaded
guilty to the top charge of Robbery in the First Degree and
was sentenced before Justice Patricia DiMango.
On January 4, 2007, Stuckey
entered the Jin Fang Laundromat on New Lots Avenue with an
Uzi automatic assault rifle. He approached the manager and
demanded money. The manager gave him $300, but he called
police and reported the incident after Stuckey left. The
next day, Stuckey robbed the same laundromat again. This
time, he took another $300 and a laptop computer. The
police were notified again.
The following day, January 6,
police nabbed Stuckey as he was heading toward the same
laundromat. He had the loaded Uzi strapped to his chest.
Two patrolling officers recognized Stuckey and arrested
him.
The case was prosecuted by
Senior Trial Attorney Michael Vista from the Trial Bureau
Red Zone. Paul Gliatta is the Bureau Chief of the Trial
Bureau Red Zone.
Contact: Sandy Silverstein
718-250-2300
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006
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES
CONVICTION OF EX-JUDGE GERALD P. GARSON
TOOK CASH BRIBES AND GIFTS
FROM AN ATTORNEY
Brooklyn, April 19,
2007 – Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the conviction of former Brooklyn Supreme Court
Justice Gerald P. Garson on charges of Bribe Receiving in
the Third Degree, a Class-D Felony, and two counts of
Receiving a Reward for Official Misconduct in the Second
Degree, both Class-E Felonies.
He was convicted after a
five-week trial before Justice Jeffrey G. Berry. When he is
sentenced June 5, Garson will face a maximum sentence of
five to 15 years in prison.
The top count, Bribe Receiving
in the Third Degree, is based on a relationship the former
judge had with an attorney, Paul Siminovsky, in which
Siminovsky bought Garson numerous lunches, dinners and
drinks in exchange for favorable treatment and lucrative
court appointments. The other two counts stem from two
incidents, caught on video surveillance, in which Siminovsky
first gave Garson a box of expensive cigars and later $1,000
in cash.
The case was
prosecuted by Chief of the Rackets Division Michael
Vecchione and Assistant District Attorneys Bryan Wallace,
Joseph Alexis, and Seth Lieberman.
Contact: Jonah Bruno
718-250-2300
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007
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES CELEBRATES
NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS’ WEEK
DA’S COUNSELORS TO VISIT
LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO CRIME
VICTIMS
Brooklyn, April 20, 2007 – Kings
County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced
that counselors and victim advocates from his Counselor
Services Unit will visit the DA’s local neighborhood offices
during the week of April 22 – April 28 in conjunction with
National Crime Victims Week. National Crime Victims’ Rights
Week is held every April all across the country to honor
crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.
Throughout this
week, counselors and advocates will provide important
information to crime victims including what services are
available to them and how they can seek assistance. Victims
will be instructed on how to access services and how to
report a crime. The advocates will inform people at these
neighborhood offices about the various programs and services
that the DA’s Office provides. There will be counselors
available who speak Russian, Spanish, French and Japanese at
the various local neighborhood offices.
The schedule for visits to the neighborhood offices is:
Monday, April 23rd Bay Ridge Center for
Older Adults
10:00am – 12:00pm 6935 Fourth Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY
Tuesday, April 24th Borough Park, West
End Gardens
10:30am – 12:30pm 1002 44th Street,
Brooklyn, NY
(Russian speaker at this location)
Wednesday, April 25th Williamsburg, People’s
Firehouse
10:30am – 12:30pm 113 Berry Street,
Brooklyn, NY
Thursday, April 26th Flatbush, Youth
for Education & Sports
1:00pm – 3:00pm 681 Oceane,
Brooklyn, NY
(French, Japanese, Spanish, Russian speakers at this
location)
Friday, April 27th Coney Island
Gospel Assembly
10:30am – 12:30pm 2828 Neptune Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY
(Russian speaker at this location)
In addition, there
will be a city-wide crime victims’ vigil on Sunday, April 22
at 2:00 PM at the West End Collegiate Church, located at 368
West End Avenue at 77th Street in Manhattan. The vigil is
sponsored by NY State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and
the Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims. It is designed
to engage people in the community to empower and educate
individuals about domestic violence, violence against
seniors and children, sexual assault and other crimes, and
the rights of victims to seek help and justice.
District Attorney Hynes said,
“We need to educate victims about their rights. Until
victims report crimes against them, know and exercise their
rights, and receive the help that they need, there is still
a lot of work to be done. Our office will continue to
outreach and make sure that all residents of Brooklyn are
aware of the resources that are available to them and seek
help if they are victimized.”
The theme for 2007 National
Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Victims’ Rights: Every
Victim. Every Time.” The mission of NCVRW is “to provide a
time of nationwide remembrance, reflection, and
re-commitment for crime victims and survivors and those who
serve them in order to raise individual, victim, and public
awareness about the rights and needs of crime victims; the
challenges that victims face in seeking help and finding
hope in the aftermath of crime; and the positive impact that
individuals and communities can have by providing services
and support to victims and survivors of crime.”
The National Crime
Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) was implemented in 1981 by
President Ronald Reagan. Each April since 1981, the United
States Department of Justice/Office for Victims of Crime has
helped lead communities throughout the country in their
observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Rallies,
candlelight vigils, and a host of commemorative activities
are held each year to promote victims’ rights and to honor
crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.
Contact: Sandy Silverstein
718-250-2300
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008
KINGS
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES SECOND
INDICTMENT IN DEATH OF NEWBORN BABY
Brooklyn, April 25, 2007 – Kings
County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced
the indictment of Andria Sergio, 27, for her role in
disposing of the body of her sister’s dead newborn. She was
indicted on charges of Hindering Prosecution in the First
Degree, Hindering Prosecution in the Second Degree,
Hindering Prosecution in the Third Degree, Improper Disposal
of a Dead Body of a Human Being and Tampering with Physical
Evidence. She faces up to seven years in prison.
District Attorney
Hynes said, “The death of this child was a horrific tragedy
and violent crime that could have been prevented. Pregnant
women who do not want to keep their babies need to realize
that there is a program, Baby Safe Haven, that allows them
to legally leave their unharmed newborns at hospitals,
firehouses, and churches throughout Brooklyn.
On April 6, Laura
Sergio gave birth in her Bay Ridge home to a baby girl she
is charged with murdering. Her sister Andria is charged
with trying to conceal the birth by cleaning the home and
with helping to dispose of the body.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of
the defendant’s guilt.
The case is being
prosecuted by Jacqueline Kagan, Deputy Bureau Chief in the
Crimes Against Children Bureau. Ama Dwimoh is Chief of the
Crimes Against Children Bureau.
You can receive more
information about Baby Safe Haven by visiting
www.brooklynda.org.
Contact: Sandy Silverstein
718-250-2300
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