According to the charges, Homer brought the victim to several hotels in Queens and Nassau County and made her have sex with numerous men in exchange for money, which was turned over to Homer.

By Forum Staff

A 24-year-old Jamaica, Queens man has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and promoting prostitution. Set to stand trial for forcing a 16-year-old girl into prostitution in September 2014. Robert Homer, 24, of 139TH Street, and his 21- year-old co-defendant, Kenyon Sultan, of 147TH Street also in Jamaica, Queens, have both pleaded guilty to felony sex charges have both been held in jail in lieu of $250,000 bail since their September arrests.

District Attorney Brown said, “By pleading guilty the defendants admitted that they forced a very vulnerable teenager to work as a sex slave for their financial gain. The defendants’ guilty pleas ensure that the defendants will be held accountable for their actions and allows the victim to move forward with her life. It also sends a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated in Queens County.”

Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard L. Buchter has indicated that he would sentence Homer to 21⁄2 years to 71⁄2 years in prison. Sultan’s sentence is scheduled for October 25, 2016, at which time Justice Butcher indicated that he would sentence Sultan to 1 to 3 years in prison.

According to the criminal charges, the then-16-year-old victim was introduced to the defendant Homer on September 4, 2014, by a 17-year-old girl he was pimping at the time. Homer and Sultan then brought the victim to a hotel room on North Conduit Avenue and told her that she had to work as a prostitute for them and turn the money she earned over to Homer. Homer then brought co-defendant Sultan to the hotel room and had him wait in the bathroom while the victim had sex with men in exchange for money that she turned over to Homer.

Additional charges say that Homer brought the victim and the other girl to several hotels in Queens and Nassau Counties between September 4, 2014, and September 11, 2014, and made them have sexual intercourse and oral sex with numerous men in exchange for money which was turned over to Homer.

Homer specifically told her to make at least $500 a day prostituting herself and to call him “Daddy.” He also posted prostitution ads on backpage.com. When the victim asked to leave and stop doing prostitution, Homer stated that she couldn’t and brought her back to the North Conduit hotel where he or Sultan took turns sleeping so they could keep watch on her and make sure that she did not leave. On one occasion, when the victim asked to leave the hotel room, Sultan told her that he had to go with her. On another occasion, the victim observed Homer slap the 17-year-old girl because she was talking on-line to another pimp, which was against his rules, and which caused the victim to fear him.

On September 11, 2014, an undercover New York City Police Department detective responded to a prostitution advertisement on backpage.com and was directed to the North Conduit hotel where he met the victim and the 17-year-old girl, both of whom agreed to have sexual intercourse with him in exchange for $100 cash each. Once inside the hotel room, both girls were arrested, as were Homer and Sultan who were found hiding together in the room’s bathroom. A check of the hotel records revealed that the room had been rented to a Mustafa Stewart and that Homer was in possession of photo identification in that name.

In pleading guilty yesterday, Homer admitted to promoting both the 16-year-old victim and the 17-year-old girl as prostitutes and admitted to having sex with the 16-year-old.

Prosecutors declined to prosecute the 16-year-old victim and charges against the 17-year-old girl was ultimately dismissed.

Anthony Collao, 18, was chased down a Woodhaven street and beaten to death by six attackers.

By Forum Staff

The last two defendants in the brutal, unprovoked beating death of Anthony Collao,, an 18-year-old openly gay man in March of 2011, have now entered pleas and will be sentenced later this month.

The attack took place in March of 2011, shortly after Collao and another man left a birthday party in Woodhaven. A pack of six teenagers chased down the two men after making derogatory and anti-gay slurs.  The assailants, three of whom were carrying what appeared to be a pipe, stick and a cane, caught up to Collao shortly before 1 a.m. on 90 Street, between 88 and 89Avenue, and threw him to the ground. They punched, kicked and bashed him with objects and a piece of lattice fencing before stealing his personal property – including an Atlanta Braves baseball cap and his sneakers.

About fifteen minutes after the attack, police apprehended five of the defendants in the vicinity of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue and recovered a metal pipe with blood on it near the victim and a piece of fencing. A sixth defendant was apprehended three months later.

Mr. Collao died two days later as a result of the injuries he sustained during the attack.

Four of the defendants have already been sentenced and have begun serving their time. Calvin Pietri, of Woodhaven, pleaded guilty in May 2013 to first-degree gang assault and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Luis Tabales, of Richmond Hill, pleaded guilty in May 2013 to first-degree gang assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Christopher Lozada , of Woodhaven, pleaded guilty in December 2013 to second-degree assault and was sentenced to four years in prison and Alex Velez, of Queens pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in April 2016 and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. All of the defendants in the case are now 22 years old.

The two remaining defendants, Jonathan Echevarria, of Greene Avenue in Brooklyn, who plead guilty to first-degree manslaughter, and Nolis Ogando of Ridgewood, who plead guilty to first-degree gang assault –will now face sentencing. Judges in the respective cases have indicated that their sentencing will be 18 years for Echevarria, with 5 years post release supervision and 8 years for Orgando also followed by 5 years post release supervision.

District Attorney Brown said, “The victim had just left a birthday celebration and was chased down as the defendants yelled anti-gay slurs. When they caught up to the 18-year-old recent high school graduate, the defendants punched, kicked and viciously beat him. He died a couple days later in a local hospital. The last two defendants in this case have now admitted their roles in this heinous attack that cost a young man his life.”

Kyung Song pleaded guilty in July to vehicular manslaughter for a December 2015 crash in which he slammed into the back of a parked yellow school bus in Flushing and killed his female passenger.

By Forum Staff

A 30-year-old Island Park Long Island man has been sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter for a December 2015 crash in which he slammed into the back of a parked yellow school bus in the East Flushing section of Queens and killed his female passenger.

Kyung R. Song, 30, pleaded guilty in July to first-degree vehicular manslaughter, and has been sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison. In his allocution before the court Song admitted that he was driving in violation of section 1192 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law (operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol), and upon his release from prison, he will be required to install an ignition interlock device for a period of two years on any vehicle he operates.

According to the criminal charges, Song was driving a black 2014 Porsche during the pre-dawn hours on December 18, 2015, when he crashed into the back of a yellow school bus that was parked on Sanford Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, they observed that the Porsche had severe front-end damage. The defendant, in the driver’s seat, was unconscious and and 24-year-old Nara An was in the front passenger seat. The young woman did not appear to be breathing or moving.

When Song and his passenger were being transported into ambulances at the scene, police observed that Song had both bloodshot and watery eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. An had sustained massive head injuries, from which she died shortly thereafter.

At the hospital, Song told police that he was driving 33 miles per hour when he came around a curve in the road and his tire slipped, causing him to hit the back of the school bus. He said that his passenger told him to slow down. Song explained they had been coming from a bar, and that he drank six beers and had three shots of liquor.

The crash took place on a residential street in front of P.S. 22 (Thomas Jefferson Elementary School) where the unposted speed limit is 25 miles per hour. A portable breath test administered to Song showed a blood alcohol content of .176, which is above the legal limit of .08 in New York State. Song was asked if he would submit to a blood test at the hospital which he refused.

A court order was issued following Song’s refusal to cooperate and a telephonic VTL 1194 blood order was then issued authorizing the taking of Song’s blood to be tested for the presence of alcohol and/or drugs. The results of that blood order showed Song had a blood alcohol level of .130.

“This was an absolutely senseless tragedy,” said District Attorney Brown. “A young woman was killed and her family is forever impacted because the defendant chose to drive fast and furiously. This case is yet another example of how deadly motor vehicles can be and the consequences of climbing behind the wheel of an automobile while intoxicated. The defendant – who must live with the fact that he killed his friend – is going to be locked up for a significant period of time.”

Investigators have asked for assistance from the public in identifying a particularly prolific south Queens armed robber.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police are asking the public for help in identifying a man wanted in connection with the armed robbery of a gas station, and the attempted armed robbery of two other stations in southeastern Queens this month.

According to police reports, on Sunday, Sept., 4, at 1:30 a.m., the man entered a BP station on Springfield Boulevard in St. Albans, displayed a silver handgun and demanded the employee fork over cash. She complied, and the suspect fled the location with approximately $4,000 in an unknown direction.

On Friday, Sept. 9, around 5 a.m., the same man entered the BP station on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, pulled out a firearm and demanded money. The employee did not comply, and the suspect fled the location in an unknown direction.

According to investigators, on Friday, Sept. 16, around 4:30 a.m., the suspect walked into the 76 Gas Station on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, showed the firearm and demanded cash. The employee did not comply and the individual fled the location in an unknown direction, cops said.

The suspect is described as a man, approximately 6-feet tall, who was last seen wearing black jeans, sneakers, gloves and a ski mask.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The grainy security footage depicts one of the suspected South Ozone Park attackers.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police recently reached out to the public for assistance in identifying one of three suspects wanted in connection with a violent August mugging that left a 61-year-old woman cut, shaken, and bruised on a South Ozone Park sidewalk.

On Friday, Aug. 5, around 2:25 p.m., three unknown black men approached the victim from behind and attempted to snatch her purse – but she refused, according to investigators.

The suspects then threw her to the ground on 111th Avenue near 123rd Street, punched her in the face, grabbed her bag, and fled in a sliver Chrysler Sebring in an unknown direction. The victim sustained minor bruising and lacerations to the face. She was treated at the scene by EMS, cops said.

The suspects were described as black men, 5-foot-6 to 6-feet tall.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

Phil Vetrano, pictured here with slain daughter, Karina, has indicated that he’d like to hire private investigators to help with the search for her assailant.

By Michael V. Cusenza

With frustration mounting, and fear of a cold case label only fueling the anger and anxiety, members of the Vetrano family this week announced that they are looking into organizing another fund to support ancillary investigative staff, equipment, and tactics.

“We always believed that if we raised enough reward money someone would say something. This did not happen. The reward is high enough,” Karina’s dad, Phil Vetrano, wrote on Monday on the Karina Vetrano Memorial Reward Fund’s web home at GoFundMe.com. “I want to start a fund to catch the killer that would be used to hire outside sources to track down and bring this person to justice. So if you still want to contribute to find justice for Karina this is what we are going to do. Thank you again.”

The memorial reward fund has raised more than $300,000. However, as Phil Vetrano alluded above, the cash has yet to move the needle.

“It’s hard to believe that with this kind of money available no one has come forward,” he said in a note posted last Thursday. “Someone has to know something, please help us.”

Karina, 30, was beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted in the evening hours of Aug. 2 on her daily run inside federal Spring Creek Park. Her father, Phil, discovered her battered body that summer night as he scoured the green space with detectives.

“It has not been going well,” said Phil Vetrano, regarding the 50-day investigation. “We need to find this killer. Please I know someone out there knows something, please say something.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

File Photo

A crew of mob-linked crooks terrorized Howard Beach, Ozone Park, and parts of Long Island in 2013-2014 through a series of lucrative home invasions.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Department of Justice once again has reputed Bonanno family capo Vinny Asaro in its crosshairs, with federal prosecutors looking to link the 81-year-old legend to a motley crew of mob associates responsible for a series of brutal home-invasion robberies in south Queens and Long Island, according to an explosive new report.

La Cosa Nostra expert Jerry Capeci, citing law enforcement sources in his Sept. 8 GangLandNews.com column, said that Asaro is one of the “subjects of an ongoing federal grand jury investigation” centered on the team of thieves that terrorized residences in Howard Beach and Ozone Park from 2012 to 2014.

Eastern District prosecutors seeking indictments have been presenting evidence and witnesses to the grand jury for several months about “dozens” of violent robberies in which masked intruders beat victims, force them to strip naked and tie them up before making off with cash and jewelry.

Federal attorneys, still smarting from Asaro’s acquittal last year following a dramatic trial that saw the government attempt to tie the Howard Beach resident to the 1978 Lufthansa heist, are reportedly relying on two star informants to cinch any loose ends.

“Feeding the feds the inside info on the home invasion ring, sources say, are Frank Nunziata, and Gene Borrello, two 31-year-old members of the robbery crew that also preyed on residents in other sections of Queens and on Long Island,” Capeci wrote. “Both men are said to be cooperating in a probe by the FBI, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office and the Queens District Attorney’s office.”

The offices of the Eastern District U.S. Attorney and Queens DA did not respond to requests for information on Nunziata. Court records show that he is due to be sentenced on Sept. 19 on drug and weapons charges. However, his sentencing appearance has been adjourned to a later date seven times since March 11, 2015, though it is unclear why.

As Capeci noted in his column, Nunziata has been cooperating with the NYPD since he was arrested in Howard Beach in 2013 for the drugs and guns. Borrello reportedly recently told federal investigators that, indeed, he has been working for Asaro.

Last November, after a three-week trial that featured testimony from turncoat mobsters, including two of Asaro’s cousins, and two days of jury deliberations, the reputed Bonanno captain was cleared on all counts of murder, murder conspiracy, racketeering, extortion, and other crimes.

Perhaps most notably, Asaro also beat the Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy charge for his alleged role in the infamous Lufthansa job at what is now known as John F. Kennedy International Airport, which netted the brazen Bonanno bandits nearly $5 million in untraceable cash and $875,000 in jewelry.

Asaro’s 2014 indictment included the 1969 murder of mob associate Paul Katz, because federal investigators have long believed that Asaro and Jimmy Burke whacked him. Some time in the 1980s, Asaro ordered his son, Jerome, to move Katz’s bones from an Ozone Park home, which was owned by Burke, because investigators were looking into Katz’s mysterious disappearance. According to the New York Post, federal agents acting on a tip descended on the house in 2013 and found Katz’s partial remains.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Karina Vetrano is seen in this surveillance clip jogging at 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 2. Her battered body was discovered hours later in nearby Spring Creek Park.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 It has been more than six weeks since the murder of Karina Vetrano, and it seems that the case that has rocked Howard Beach and inflicted irreparable damage on her family is gradually growing as cold as Jamaica Bay in January.

Once the picture of optimism, the investigation’s dead ends have left Karina’s father, Phil Vetrano, reeling.

“Another day gone by and no closer,” he posted last Wednesday to the GoFundMe page that hosts the Karina Vetrano Memorial Reward Fund, which has raised more than $300,000. “Please all look at that witness drawing, we need to speak to him. He might be our only lead.”

Detectives recently released a composite sketch of a man who they believe is a key witness to the brutal homicide. While the development sparked a marginal increase in tips, nothing has panned out, police said.

“It has not been going well,” Vetrano wrote on Sunday. “We need to find this killer. Please I know someone out there knows something, please say something.”

Later that day, Vetrano announced that the family is looking into other options.

“To all our loyal supporters, I am thinking of expanding our search with the help of some [private investigators],” he said. “This will cost a considerable amount. I am asking all of you to share with all you know. Let’s raise enough to get an army out there to track this scum down. Never forget.”

Karina, 30, was beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted in the evening hours of Aug. 2 on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park.

On Wednesday morning, Phil Vetrano, who discovered his daughter’s battered body, had some choice words for her assailant:

“I will never rest until he is caught. So if you, the scum, are following this you already know the world is against you. We will find you and believe me you will pay.”

Maya Ranot was brutalized by her step-mom for years in this 96^th Street home.

By Forum Staff

 The evil step-mother from Ozone Park who was convicted of beating and starving her stepdaughter in July, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Maya Ranot,12, was abused by Sheetal Ranot and her biological father Rajesh for two years, repeatedly being  denied food and suffering brutal beatings. On one occasion, the child was left on the kitchen floor of the family’s apartment with a cut to her wrist from a broken metal broom handle that was so deep, the bone was exposed. That beating resulted in surgery and a lengthy hospitalization.

District Attorney Brown said, “Not only did she refuse to provide basic nourishment for the child, but the defendant also wantonly beat and abused the girl inflicting pain still evident by the scars that mark her body today.”

The defendant Sheetal Ranot, 35, of 96^th   Street in Ozone Park, was convicted of first-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Maya’s father, Rajesh Ranot, is also charged with second- and third-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. The couple’s case was severed at the start of the proceedings and he will be tried at a later date.

Testimony in the trial shows that Sheetal Ranot repeatedly hit her stepdaughter about her body and face, causing bruising and severe pain. She locked the youngster inside her bedroom and for extended periods of time refused to feed her between December 1, 2012, and May 6, 2014. In one instance, on December 21, 2012, Sheetal Ranot kicked the girl in the face while wearing footwear, causing bruising, swelling and substantial pain about her eye and face. On another date, April 16, 2014, she struck Maya in the face with a wooden rolling pin causing a laceration, swelling and pain to her left cheek that required the girl to be treated at a local Queens hospital. Doctors observed the child to be underweight and thin, weighing just 58 pounds.

In May 2014, Sheetal Ranot hit Maya with a broken metal broom handle. The blow caused a deep laceration to the left wrist and right knee. When medical personnel arrived at the family residence, they found Maya lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen with the tendons of her left wrist exposed. At that time, Maya was transported to Elmhurst Hospital where she underwent surgery for her wrist and received stitches to her knee. Doctors observed several bruises, marks and scars in various stages of healing throughout Maya’s body.

Weeks plowed his car into a crowd of people on this sidewalk in Laurelton following a fight at a baby shower which he had crashed.

By Forum Staff

 A Laurelton man charged with second-degree murder will spend 18 years to life in prison for ramming his car into a crowd of people on a sidewalk in 2014 and killing a man.

Kevin Weekes, was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment, following a three-week bench trial.

Weekes was sentenced last week after he was convicted in April on murder, assault and other charges for ramming his car into a crowd of people on a sidewalk in November 2014 following a fight at a baby shower which he had crashed.

“A vehicle can be just as deadly as a gun. In this case, the defendant pushed his way into a baby shower and then later, following a dispute with invited guests, got behind the wheel of his car and drove into a crowd of people,” District Attorney Brown said.  “One man was killed and a woman was seriously injured. The sentence meted out by the Court reflects the seriousness of the crime.”

Trial records for the case show that Weekes crashed a baby shower being held at Vision’s Banquet Hall, located at 224-22 Merrick Boulevard, just after 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, 2014. Shortly thereafter, a fistfight ensued on the sidewalk in front of the location between Weekes and some of the shower guests. Weekes left the scene and got into his car. At first, the defendant drove away from the location, but made a U-turn and headed back to the setting for the fight. He accelerated his vehicle, jumped the curb and plowed into the people on the sidewalk, striking and injuring Antoinette Green, 21, of Brooklyn.

Kevin Lewis, 20, of Laurelton, Queens, was pinned underneath the vehicle and dragged by the vehicle until it came to a stop at the intersection of Merrick Boulevard and 225Street. At that time, Weekes exited his vehicle and fled on foot. Mr. Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hernandez allegedly fired into a vehicle parked near the intersection of 89th Avenue and 139th Street in Jamaica.

By Forum Staff

A 28-year-old Jamaica man has been charged with murder, attempted murder and other crimes for the fatal shooting death of one man and the injuring two others on Saturday, September 3, 2016.

 District Attorney Brown addressed the killing, pointing it out as yet another senseless act of violence plaguing our communities. “The defendant is charged with firing a loaded weapon into a vehicle occupied by several individuals. One man was killed and two others injured. Gun violence has no place in a civilized society and those involved must be held accountable and severely punished for this alleged brazen act.”

The defendant has been identified as Elvin Hernandez, 28, of 143^rd  Street in the Jamaica. The defendant was arraigned on a complaint charging him with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. He was held without bail and ordered to return to court on September 23, 2016.

According to the criminal charges, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, 2016, the defendant approached a vehicle parked near the intersection of 89^th Avenue and 139^th Street in Jamaica, and allegedly asked the three occupants “Are you kings?”

Seconds later the defendant allegedly fired several rounds into the car. A bullet hit 20-year-old Albert Schaper, of New Jersey, in the shoulder and traveled into his chest killing him. A second man was hit in each of his arms and a third male was sprayed by shattering glass and sustained multiple lacerations. Hernandez is alleged to be affiliated with a rival street gang.

If convicted, Hernandez faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

The suspects allegedly sold drugs and weapons to undercover cops during the year-long investigation.

By Forum Staff

Three gang members were among a dozen drug peddlers arrested and charged with selling drugs and weapons to undercover police officers at the New York City Housing Authority’s Astoria Houses after a year- long anti-drug initiative investigation. More arrests are expected.

Defendants in custody and other individuals are said to have sold heroin, crack, cocaine and other drugs to undercover police officers on nearly one hundred separate occasions since September 2015. Three of the defendants arrested have also been charged with separately selling a firearm to an undercover officer.

In a statement by District Attorney Richard Brown, he said that the investigation was part of an anti-drug initiative begun when he first took office over twenty-five years ago.  “Since that time, we have targeted hundreds of drug dealers operating in and around public housing developments throughout Queens and have put a significant dent in the drug trafficking which has long troubled the residents of these developments. We will continue to work together with our police officers and our elected officials and community leaders to keep our citizens safe.”

Brown continued explaining that the takedown started in September of 2015 and was designed to combat violence and narcotic sales in and about the Astoria Houses development a group that included alleged members of the street gangs ‘Kings of Queens’ and ‘G- Squad.’ “In all,” he said, “undercover officers allegedly made 98 buys for cocaine, heroin, ecstacy, MDMA, marijuana and other drugs, as well as firearms.”

Commissioner Bill Bratton commended the NYPD and Brown’s office for the arrests, saying,  “ Illegal narcotics and firearms serve only to fuel violence. The NYPD remains firmly committed to protecting communities such as the Astoria Houses and holding responsible those who engage in drug and gun trafficking.”

The investigation began in September 2015 when detectives assigned to the NYPD’s Queens Narcotics Division teamed up with District Attorney Brown’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau with the goal of identifying, disrupting and stopping drug dealers and drug-related violence in and around the Astoria Houses. During the course of the investigation, undercover officers purchased narcotics and marijuana, as well as firearms, on nearly 100 separate occasions.

Charges for the defendants include first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third- and fourth-degree criminal sale of marihuana, third- degree criminal sale of a firearm, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree grand larceny, possession of a gambling device, second- degree promoting gambling and fourth-degree criminal facilitation.

The Astoria Houses, which are owned and managed by the New York City Housing Authority, consists of twenty-two buildings that are six- and seven-stories tall. Completed in November 1951, the 32.3-acre Queens development houses some 3,175 residents in approximately 1,100 apartments. The Astoria Houses is bordered by 27 Avenue, 8 Street, Hallet’s Cove and the East River.

Police said they want to talk to the pair about an August incident in which they allegedly fired multiple gunshots into the air near an intersection in Richmond Hill.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 Cops have released surveillance video and still images to the public for help in identifying a man and a woman wanted in connection with what authorities have described as a reckless endangerment incident that occurred in Richmond Hill about a month ago.
On Friday, Aug. 12, at approximately 4:15 a.m., in the vicinity of 130^th Street and 90^th Avenue, the two suspects fired multiple shots into the air; no injuries were reported, according to investigators.

The first individual is a black man, in his 30s; last seen wearing a white T-shirt, dark-colored pants and white sneakers.

The second suspect is a black woman, also in her 30s; last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt and carrying a black purse.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

 Wright allegedly shot Lameak Williams twice near this St. Albans intersection.

By Forum Staff

A Queens Village man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting death of a 24-year-old Brooklyn man this past May 19. Following the shooting, the defendant allegedly purchased a ticket to the Caribbean and upon his return was apprehended at Kennedy Airport.

 “The defendant was identified by a witness in the shooting … earlier this year. This was a senseless killing before darkness set on a residential street in Queens. This brutal gun violence must end to keep everyone in our community safe. The defendant in this case has been apprehended and is facing a lengthy prison sentence,” said District Attorney Richard brown.

Dwayne Wright, 29, of 210 Place in Queens Village was arraigned on a criminal complaint charging him with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered to return to court on September 15, 2016.

According to the criminal charges, on May 19, 2016, near the intersection of 122 Avenue and Grayson Street in the St. Albans section of Queens, the defendant shot 24- year-old Lameak Williams at least two times. The victim was hit once in the torso and a second bullet pierced the man’s right leg. The victim was taken to a local hospital, but died the following day.

The DA’s office said that the defendant was apprehended at Kennedy Airport after disembarking from a flight which originated in Jamaica. Wright allegedly told police he bought the ticket to the Caribbean island the day after the shooting.

Wright, who is being held without bail, faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Transit Officers Tiffany D’Alessandro (l.) and Kara Brandofino.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 Two Transit cops on Sunday arrested a man for groping and attempting to rob a dormant woman on the 7 train, according to the NYPD.

Officers Tiffany D’Alessandro and Kara Brandofino were posted at the Main Street station in Flushing when they saw a man trying to hide what appeared to be women’s hand lotion as he exited the train. The partners then noticed a woman on the train who, according to the officers, was crying and visibly upset.

The woman told the cops that she fell asleep and awoke to the man forcibly touching her as he rifled through her purse. D’Alessandro and Brandofino quickly arrested the suspect who was later charged with grand larceny, forcible touching, criminal possession of stolen property, and sexual abuse, Police said.

According to the latest available CompStat figures, Transit crime in the Flushing area has remained steady over the past year: There have been 13 reported offenses through the first eight months of 2016 – the same amount as this period last year.

By Forum Staff

A routine traffic stop for tinted windows has landed the grandson of late mob boss John Gotti behind bars.

Police officers from the 106th Precinct pulled over Gotti, 23, and his passenger, Shaine Hack, 36, on Cross Bay Boulevard late Thursday afternoon. Gotti’s drivers license came up as suspended, and the pair were subsequently asked to step out of a late-model black Jeep. A search of the vehicle allegedly returned marijuana, hundreds of oxycodone pills, and steroids. Cops also allegedly found a gravity knife, which is illegal in the five boroughs, in the waistband of Hack’s shorts.

Both men were placed under arrest and taken into custody.

Gotti and Hack now face felony drug charges.

By Forum Staff

The State Senate recently voted to approve a bill that would increase penalties for graffiti intentionally written to encourage gang activity, express hateful bias or deface places of religious worship, and permit judges to require perpetrators to complete a diversity training program, according to Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach).

“Graffiti is a continuing neighborhood plague that causes all of us a great deal of frustration when shops, walls, sidewalks and other public places are covered with what is often mindless, unattractive scribbling,” Addabbo said. “However, when that graffiti turns into swastikas or hateful language, incites gang activity or is intended to mar institutions of religious faith, that’s when your garden-variety, irritating vandalism takes a step over the line and requires greater punishment.”

Under the legislation recently approved by the full Senate, penalties would be increased for graffiti intentionally motivated by bias against a person’s race, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, and other factors. Greater punishment for graffiti that seeks to promote gang-related activities or that defaces places of religious worship or items of faith – including scrolls, vestments, and religious vessels – would also be meted out under the bill, which creates two new “E” felonies punishable by up to four years in prison.

“This legislation also permits judges to require those convicted of bias-related graffiti to complete diversity training programs and to personally clean up and remove the ugly fruits of their vandalism,” said Addabbo. “Spending all that time and effort trying to remove their graffiti – while getting necessary instruction in humanity and respect for others – may make perpetrators think twice before they spew their hatred on our churches, synagogues, mosques, neighborhood streets, local businesses and other public places in our communities. No matter where it occurs, we need to strongly denounce graffiti that issues a call to arms for violence or that seeks to denigrate people based on their race, religion, nationality or any other human characteristic. While vandalism of any kind is certainly unwelcome in our communities, we need to take a strong stance against graffiti that belittles others and that makes all of us just a little smaller by its very existence.”

The bill is currently under review by the Assembly Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Somewhere, maybe that 1 Police Plaza in the sky, The Jackster is smiling.

The City Police Department this week made the crime data developed in the original CompStat model—created and honed by the late, legendary Jack Maple, a Richmond Hill native and deputy commissioner for Crime Control Strategies—available to the public. This new advancement, called

CompStat 2.0, will provide greater specificity about crimes through an interactive experience, according to the department.

“CompStat 2.0 changes the way crime data is reported. It provides the ability for anyone to search what matters to them: their street, their neighborhood, their borough. This sort of clarity is not merely about useful information, it also builds relationships between the police and the community,” Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said on Tuesday. “CompStat 2.0 is also a tremendous asset to my cops in the field and, coupled with the NYPD smartphones, they will have access to real time crime data and trends.”

Previously, crime data reporting was largely limited to the seven major crime categories—murder, rape, robbery, burglary, felonious assault, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto—with few exceptions. There was no additional context provided, such as date, time, or the specific type of crime within the broader category.

According to the NYPD, CompStat 2.0 addresses these issues. Now any member of the public can visit

https://compstat.nypdonline.org and conduct a crime data analysis that will provide all of these parameters, including accurate location mapping down to the nearest intersection. The CompStat 2.0 version used by police officers will go a few steps further, allowing officers to combat crime more quickly.

“New York City has the greatest police force in the world, and we’re proud that New Yorkers are safer now than they’ve been at any time in modern history,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Today, we’re taking CompStat into the 21st Century—and making our crime numbers clear and accessible for all New Yorkers. From launching CompStat 2.0 to giving every officer and patrol car smartphones and tablets, we’re proving once again that the NYPD is the most technologically advanced department in our country. These essential tools will help make our Police Department more accessible, more transparent, and more responsive to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”

In what the agency called a “separate but related initiative,” the NYPD continues its rollout of smartphones to all police officers. Approximately 25,000 phones have been distributed thus far, with the remainder slated for completion by this spring. As of today, all officers assigned to patrol precincts have smartphones. By the end of this week, all Transit, Housing and Special Operations Division officers will have them.

Using criminal asset forfeiture funds secured by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office through sanctions cases, the $160 million NYPD Mobility Initiative pledged in October 2014 to provide NYPD officers with up to 41,000 mobile devices, including tablet computers and smartphones. Bratton said the initiative “will clearly result in more efficient crime-fighting, counter-terrorism measures, and service to the people of New York City.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

As state lawmakers kick off another round of legislative work in Albany this month, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) has outlined some of his key priorities he hopes to help the legislature tackle over the next several months, including ethics reforms, paid family leave, and education reforms.

In 2015, New Yorkers watched leaders of both houses of state government be convicted on federal corruption charges including bribery, extortion, and conspiracy. As Addabbo returns to work in Albany this month, he expressed an interest in fighting for serious change to existing ethics policies, like outside income and influential campaign donations.

“Since 2000, 33 state elected officials have been removed from office in New York after being either investigated or convicted of ethical violations,” Addabbo said, citing a recent study by the good government group Citizens Union. “That number is outrageous and shameful, and it is time to send a strong message. Talk alone is not enough when it comes to ethics reform. We must take action and show New Yorkers that corrupt elected officials who abuse their power and take advantage of their jobs will not be tolerated.”

In addition, the Senator’s bill (S3004) to create Paid Family Leave in New York seeks to fund partial wage benefits for individuals who need time off from work to care for an ill relative or a new baby, while providing businesses with more productive employees.

“It is unfair and irresponsible for us to continue forcing workers to choose between their paychecks and their families at a time of need,” Addabbo said. “Enacting a Paid Family Leave bill into law will be a milestone for working-class families and businesses, and I look forward to being the lead advocate on this journey.”

Further, Addabbo prioritized the issue of raising minimum wage state-wide, along with improving senior health care, establishing more reliable veterans programs, and renewing mayoral control of city schools.

In addition, Addabbo restated a commitment to supporting reforms to Common Core, including altering a testing process that falls far short of credibly evaluating our children and their teachers.

“It is time to stop pretending that the success of students and educators can be properly measured simply by scores on standardized exams,” said Addabbo. “This process unfairly labels a students’ progress over an entire school year based on their performance on a few state tests, while also subjecting teachers to unreasonable evaluations.” The Senator gave credit to the teachers, administrators, parents, and students for speaking out on the Common Core issues and working with elected officials to effectuate the changes already implemented with the state tests.

Improved transportation in southern Queens, with an emphasis on public transportation, will be a major issue throughout the budget process and legislative session, according to Addabbo. Finally, other issues the Senator wants to promote during the session are assisting seniors and veterans, along with the need to create job growth.

St. Helen Catholic Academy

83-09 157th Ave.

Howard Beach, NY 11414