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The victim’s body was discovered in the conference room of his law office located on 82nd Avenue in Jackson Heights.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A Bronx man has been indicted by a borough grand jury for the August 2021 stabbing death of a 65-year-old Jackson Heights attorney, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday.
Nando Perez, 64, was arraigned on Thursday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Pandit-Durant continued to hold the defendant without bail and ordered him to return to court on Oct. 12.
According to the charges, sometime after 4:20 p.m. on Aug. 4, Perez entered the law office of Charles Zolot on 82nd Avenue near 37th Street in Jackson Heights. The defendant, who had once been a client of the attorney, allegedly attacked Zolot in his second-floor conference room, stabbing him approximately 20 times before fleeing the scene. The lawyer’s body was found the following morning by a custodian.
File Photo
“This was a brutal killing that stunned the community,” DA Katz said.
“This was a brutal killing that stunned the community. The victim was found dead inside his Jackson Heights office with multiple stab wounds and a former client is accused of settling a disagreement with violence.”
According to his website, Zolot excelled “in all areas of family law,” including:
- Guardianship
- Pre and Postnuptial Agreements
- Alimony payments
- Child custody and Child Support
- Estates
- Adoption
- Visitation Rights
- Bankruptcy
The firm’s site also characterized Zolot as “one of the most sought after bankruptcy, divorce lawyers and family attorneys in Queens.”
If convicted, Perez faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
