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10
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES
17-COUNT INDICTMENT AGAINST TRAVEL AGENT
SECOND CASE THIS MONTH
GENERATED BY KCDA COMMUNITY RELATIONS BUREAU AND INVOLVING A
TRAVEL AGENT
Brooklyn, December 28, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the indictment of Brighton Beach travel agent
Peter Galin, 40, for stealing more than $26,000 from a dozen
clients.
Between October 2008 and December 2009, Galin,
the owner of TravelCenterOnline.com, at 229 Brighton Beach
Ave, accepted payments ranging from $400 to $5,500, to book
trips for clients, which he never arranged, according to the
indictment. All 12 victims received receipts saying their
trips had been fully paid for, but later learned their
tickets had not been purchased, according to the indictment.
One victim arrived at the airport, expecting to board a
flight, only to be told she had no tickets.
Victims, mostly Russian immigrants, hired Galin
to book a variety of vacations, including bus trips; flights
to Russia, Mexico, and other locations; and cruises,
according to the indictment. Most paid in cash.
To report the crime, victims contacted
representatives of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office’s
Community Relations Bureau, in the Russian-speaking
community. It is the second case this month involving a
travel agent charged with fraud, which was reported to the
Community Relations Bureau. The first involved the
Arabic-speaking community, in Bay Ridge.
Galin is charged with Grand Larceny in the Third
Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, Scheme to
Defraud and Petit Larceny. If convicted, he faces up to
seven years in prison.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and
not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant
District Attorney Elizabeth Moehle. Michael Vecchione is
Chief of the Rackets Division.
Contact: Jonah
Bruno
(718) 250-2300
09
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES 65-YEAR-SENTENCE FOR THE
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF THREE VICTIMS AT FORMER WORKPLACE
Brooklyn, December 22, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the sentencing of Jingzhi Li, 46, to 65 years in
prison for the attempted murder of three victims at the
seafood warehouse where he used to work. He was convicted
on December 10 on three counts of Attempted Murder in the
Second Degree and three counts of Assault in the First
Degree, and was sentenced today before Brooklyn Supreme
Court Justice Sheryl Parker.
Li worked at Long Li, a seafood warehouse at 169
Lorimer Street before he quit in November 2007. On January
4, 2008, Jingzhi Li made arrangements to meet with the
owner David Li and manager Lilly Ren to purchase a large
quantity of seafood. When the defendant got to the location
at 8:30 PM, only David Li, Ren and Linda Cheong, a worker at
the warehouse, were there. The defendant went upstairs to
the office where he spoke with the three victims. The
defendant went outside and then came back inside and asked
David Li to come downstairs to inspect the goods that he was
about to purchase. They entered the freezer where the goods
were located, and as David Li bent down, Jingzhi Li struck
him in the head and hands several times with a hammer,
knocking him unconscious and leaving him in the freezer.
Next, the defendant called out to Ren, telling her that
David wanted to see her downstairs. When she came
downstairs, the defendant encouraged her to go into the
freezer and even pushed her towards it. Suspecting that
something was wrong, Ren turned around and the defendant
struck her about the face and head with the hammer. Ren
closed her eyes and feigned death so the defendant would
stop attacking her.
Linda Cheong heard Ren’s
screams and called her husband Richard Ng, who was waiting
outside for her, and told him to call 911. She ran to the
office door and closed it, but the defendant got to the door
before she could lock it. He then hit her in the head and
hands several times with the hammer, rendering her
unconscious. While this was going on, Ren crawled to the
front door and exited the warehouse.
The defendant tried to flee in his vehicle but
Richard Ng chased and stopped him. When police arrived, Ng
pointed the defendant out and he was apprehended with blood
all over his clothes. All three victims suffered severe
injuries.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney
Kelli Muse and Assistant District Attorney Lauren Artese
from the Trial Bureau Grey Zone. Nancy Laxer is Chief of
the Trial Bureau Grey Zone.
Contact: Sandy
Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
08
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES 57 YEARS-TO-LIFE
SENTENCE FOR MAN WHO MURDERED EX-GIRLFRIEND AND ATTEMPTED TO
MURDER HER SON
DEFENDANT HAS ALSO BEEN
INDICTED IN MURDER OF ANOTHER EX-GIRLFRIEND
Brooklyn, December 16,
2009 – Kings
County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today announced
the sentencing of Jacques Dorcinvil, 33, to 57 years to life
in prison for the murder of an ex-girlfriend and the
attempted murder of her son. He was convicted on the top
charge of Murder in the Second Degree, on December 3, and
sentenced today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice
Matthew D’Emic.
Dorcinvil received 25 years
to life for the murder of the mother and another 25 years
for the attempted murder of the son. He also was sentenced
to one to three years for two counts of Aggravated Criminal
Contempt which will run concurrently. In addition,
Dorcinvil was sentenced to another seven years to run
consecutively for Assault in the Second degree for a January
2007 assault on the same victim.
On May 4, 2007, Dorcinvil was arguing with his
ex-girlfriend Claudette Marcellus in her Flatbush
apartment. The argument escalated and Dorcinvil picked up a
kitchen knife and began to swipe at her. The victim’s son,
12-years-old at the time, heard his mother screaming and
tried to intervene. Dorcinvil then knocked the boy to the
ground and began stabbing him and sliced his throat.
Claudette tried to protect her son, and Dorcinvil then
started stabbing her. She died in front of her apartment
building, but police found the child alive. He suffered a
slashed trachea and although he was unable to speak, he was
still able to identify his mother’s attacker by writing
Dorcinvil’s name for police. Dorcinvil had assaulted both
victims in the past and they had orders of protection
against him when Claudette was killed.
Dorcinvil was caught on video surveillance
fleeing the apartment. He was found in Miami on May 24,
trying to flee the country to Haiti.
Dorcinvil was also indicted
for Murder in the Second Degree and is awaiting trial for
the murder of another ex-girlfriend, Maria Santiago, 34, who
he stabbed in 2003.
Bureau Chief Elisa Paisner
and Senior Trial Attorney Amy Bedford from the Domestic
Violence Bureau, prosecuted the case. Wanda Lucibello is
Chief of the Special Victims Division.
Contact: Sandy
Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
07
DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES
J. HYNES HOSTS CHANUKAH PARTY
Kings County District Attorney
Charles J. Hynes and members of Brooklyn’s Jewish community
celebrated Chanukah 5770 at the DA’s office on December 15.
The occasion began with the lighting of the Menorah.
The Menorah has become an annual
event at the District Attorney’s Office, with the Menorah
representing a message of the triumph of freedom over
oppression and of light over darkness.
“It is a timely and reassuring
message, for the forces of darkness are ever present in our
lives, both here in the United States as well as in the land
of Israel,” said District Attorney Hynes.
“I hope and pray that this holiday of lights will bring
peace and prosperity to each of you and your families,” said
DA Hynes. He reported that crime is down in Brooklyn this
year and the borough is a safer place in which to live.
DA Hynes spoke about his crime
prevention initiatives and programs he developed since
taking office 19 years ago. He highlighted the Red Hook
Community Court, the Youth and Congregations in Partnership
program, and the Family Justice Center, a one-stop location
for victims of domestic violence.
The District Attorney also spoke
about Project Eden, a community-based initiative to address
domestic violence in the Jewish community in a culturally
and sensitive manner. This year, DA Hynes initiated Project
Kol Tzedek, a culturally initiative to address sexual abuse
in the Jewish Community.
Contact: J. Zamgba Browne
(718) 250-3850
06
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES GUILTY PLEA IN SHOOTING
AND ATTEMPTED ROBBERY OF CAB DRIVER
GUNSHOT SEVERED VICTIM’S
EYE
Brooklyn, December 15, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the guilty plea of Erica Belgrave, 21, for the
shooting and attempted robbery of a cab driver in August,
2008. Belgrave pled guilty to Assault in the First Degree
and Attempted Robbery in the First Degree. She will be
sentenced to 13 years in prison on January 4 before Brooklyn
Supreme Court Justice Cassandra Mullen.
On August 7, 2008, Belgrave and her two female
accomplices, April Pierce, 21 and Ivana Pittman, 19, got
into Enois Malbranche’s taxicab and asked to be taken to 433
Lafayette Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. When they arrived
at that location, the defendants got out and asked how much
the fare was. When Malbranche told them the fare, they
asked if he could break $100. The victim took out his money
and one of them pulled out a gun and they demanded his
money. They put the gun to the victim’s head and it went
off, striking him in the face and causing him to lose his
right eye. The three women fled as Malbranche had a
passer-by call police.
Belgrave was arrested on
August 11 while her accomplices were both arrested the same
week. The cases against the Pierce and Pittman are
pending. They have both been indicted on a top charge of
Assault in the First Degree.
The case was prosecuted by Caryn Teitelman,
First Deputy Bureau Chief in the Trial Bureau Blue Zone.
Jeffrey Levitt is Chief of the Trial Bureau Blue Zone.
Contact:
Sandy Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
05
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT OF TRAVEL
AGENT WHO STOLE MONEY FROM CLIENTS
DEFENDANT TOOK CASH FROM
CLIENTS FOR AIRLINE TICKETS, BUT NEVER PURCHASED THE
TICKETS, LEAVING CUSTOMERS STRANDED AT AIRPORTS
HERE AND ABROAD
Brooklyn, December 10, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the indictment of Fatma Aly, 42, of Fatma Travel
Agency, for stealing money from clients who thought they
were purchasing airline tickets to the Middle East and the
Balkans. However, Aly never actually made the purchases.
She was indicted on charges including Grand Larceny in the
Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, Scheme to
Defraud and Petit Larceny. If convicted, Aly faces a
maximum of seven years in prison.
Aly owns and operates Fatma Travel Agency,
located at 480 73rd Street in Bay Ridge, which
specializes in Middle Eastern destinations. From March
through October, 2009, Aly operated an ongoing scheme to
defraud clients who came into her travel agency to purchase
airline tickets. Aly insisted that the clients pay in
cash. When they paid, Aly would make airline reservations
online and tell her clients that they had E-tickets, but she
didn’t actually pay for the airline tickets. Eventually,
since Aly never paid for the tickets, the reservations
expired.
The customers were unaware of this scheme.
Often, travelers did not realize that they did not have
tickets until they got to the airport. In some cases, Aly
purchased a one-way ticket instead of a round-trip ticket,
leaving customers stranded abroad.
The case was referred to the District Attorney’s
Office by the Arab American Association and an investigation
was initiated in November. Six victims were duped out of
their money with a total loss of over $14,000. More victims
may yet be identified.
An indictment is an
accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
The case is being prosecuted
by Assistant District Attorney Andrea Clarke under the
supervision of Bureau Chiefs Gavin Miles and Maria Leonardi
from the Rackets Division. Michael Vecchione is Chief of
the Rackets Division.
Contact: Sandy
Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
04
WANDA LUCIBELLO RECIPIENT
OF THOMAS E. DEWEY PRESTIGIOUS MEDAL OF HONOR GIVEN BY NEW
YORK CITY BAR ASSOCIATION
Wanda Lucibello, Chief of
Special Victims Division at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s
Office, is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Thomas
E. Dewey Medal presented by the New York City Bar
Association.
Lucibello said she was gratified to
be selected for the Medal of Honor and proud of the New York
City Bar Association’s “steadfast commitment” to victim’s
rights. She said prosecutors have a critical role in
redefining successful criminal justice outcomes.
“I learned this from my boss for the
past 19 years, Kings County District Attorney Charles J.
Hynes, a true visionary, who is the current chair of the
American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section,” said
Lucibello.
Lucibello was among four other
district attorneys from each of New York City’s five
boroughs whom the Bar Association saluted on Monday in
recognition of their outstanding service and dedication to
the legal profession.
Every year since 2005, each of the
City’s five district attorneys has recommended a member of
his legal staff for the Thomas E. Dewey Medal. Lucibello is
the fourth recipient from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s
Office to receive the award.
The others include First Assistant
District Attorney Anne J. Swern, Michael F. Vecchione, Chief
of the Racket Bureau, Charles M. Guria, Chief of the Civil
Rights Bureau, and Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, Chief of the
Homicide Bureau.
The Dewey Medal is named for Thomas
E. Dewey who ushered in the era in which district attorney’s
office has been staffed by professional prosecutors chosen
on merit rather than through political patronage.
Dewey first came to the public’s
attention as a prosecutor in the 1930’s, instituting
successful criminal proceedings against gangsters,
bootleggers and organized crime figures of the day.
Dewey was elected District Attorney
of Manhattan, where he served one term before resigning to
run for governor.
Contact: J. Zamgba Browne
(718) 250-3850
03
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES CONVICTION OF DEFENDANT
IN THE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A WOMAN IN BEDFORT-STUYVESANT
DEFENDANT CAPTURED AFTER
USING VICTIM’S STOLEN CELL PHONE
Brooklyn, December 7, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the conviction of Christopher World, 27, for
sexually assaulting and stealing the property of a woman
whom he offered to help. He was convicted of Sexual Abuse
in the First Degree and Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree.
World faces a maximum of 11 years in prison when he is
sentenced on January 6 before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice
James Sullivan.
On June 24, 2008, the 19-year-old victim was
lost on a public street in Bedford-Stuyvesant when the
defendant approached and offered to help her. As they were
talking, World took the victim by the arm, pushed her into
the doorway of a nearby building and sexually assaulted
her. He also took her purse with the victim’s belongings
including a cellphone, metrocard, keys, cash and other
items.
The victim immediately reported the incident and
was treated at an area hospital the next day. Police
tracked the stolen cellphone which the defendant was using.
On June 25, World was spotted in the vicinity of Nostrand
Avenue and Vernon Avenue and arrested.
The case was prosecuted by Elizabeth Doerfler,
Counsel in the Sex Crimes Bureau and Assistant District
Attorney Adam Dlugacz. Rhonnie Jaus is Chief of the Sex
Crimes Bureau.
Contact: Sandy
Silverstein
(718) 250-2300
02
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES CONVICTION IN 1988
DOUBLE MURDER
DEFENDANT CONVICTED IN
1991, RETRIAL ORDERED ON APPEAL
Brooklyn, December 2, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced the conviction of Ramon Espinal, for murdering two
people on a Williamsburg street, in 1988, including one
15-year-old bystander.
Espinal was convicted in 1991, of two counts of
Murder in the Second Degree, and was sentenced to
58-and-one-third years to life in prison. That conviction
was overturned, on appeal, by the Eastern District of New
York, for ineffective assistance of counsel.
Today Espinal was convicted of Two Counts of
Murder in the Second Degree and One Count each of Assault in
the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the
Second Degree.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., on June 21, 1988,
Espinal exited a car on South 1st Street and
Bedford Avenue, in Williamsburg, and opened fire on a rival
drug dealer, Wilfredo Garcia. Garcia was struck twice in the
back and was killed. Alberto Maldonado, 15, on vacation from
Puerto Rico and visiting relatives, was hit once in the head
by a stray bullet and was also killed.
Within eight hours of the shooting, Espinal and
his brother, Renaldo – also a suspect in the shooting –
boarded a plane and flew to their native Dominican Republic.
Several months later both returned to the US. On June 19,
1989, police, acting on a tip regarding Renaldo’s
whereabouts, searched Renaldo’s girlfriend’s apartment and
found Ramon hiding in a closet.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney
Rupert V. Barry and Counsel to the District Attorney Lance
Ogiste.
Contact: Jonah
Bruno
(718) 250-2300
01
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY CHARLES J. HYNES ANNOUNCES
21-YEAR SENTENCE IN RAPE OF 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL
VICTIM’S CHILD LINKED TO
DEFENDANT THROUGH DNA TESTING
Brooklyn, December 1, 2009
– Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes today
announced a 21-year sentence for Frank Ryer, 49, who raped
and impregnated his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
Ryer was convicted of Rape in the First Degree
on November 6.
The rape occurred between May 15 and June 15,
2007, while Ryer was visiting the girl at her grandmother’s
Brownsville home, where the victim lived. The victim was
afraid to tell anyone about the attack, but several months
later, when her grandmother realized the victim was pregnant
– and took her to see a doctor – they alerted the police.
DNA testing confirmed that Ryer had fathered the victim’s
baby.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District
Attorney Christopher J. Laline. Rhonnie Jaus is Chief of the
Sex Crimes Bureau.
Contact: Jonah
Bruno
(718) 250-2300
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