Attorney General James Announces Arrests in New York City Deed Theft Ring

 

Five Individuals Stole Homes Owned by Elderly and Vulnerable Residents in Southeast Queens

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the indictment of five members of a deed theft ring for allegedly stealing three homes worth more than $1 million in total from elderly, vulnerable homeowners in the Queens neighborhoods of Jamaica and St. Albans. The defendants impersonated the real homeowners of these properties by using forged driver's licenses and social security cards. They then used that forged information at contract signings and closings on the properties and forged the real owners’ signatures on deeds and real estate contracts.

“No one should face the nightmare of having their home stolen from them without any warning, knowledge, or reason,” said Attorney General James. “Deed theft is a merciless crime that targets seniors, and often people of color, who are asset rich but cash poor, and reliant on their homes as a stabilizing force for their families and loved ones. My office will continue our work to combat deed theft until we can ensure no other New Yorker is forced to endure this heartbreaking, life-altering loss.”

“I thank Attorney General Letitia James as well as our agency and law enforcement partners for their diligent efforts on behalf of New Yorkers,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “Deed fraud is an increasingly pervasive crime that robs homeowners of their single most valuable asset. Though it is a growing challenge throughout Queens County, those who choose to victimize others for their own financial gain will be held to account in this borough.”

“Deed Fraud continues to be a priority of our office that victimizes the most vulnerable homeowners of New York City,” said New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda. “Perpetrators prey upon the elderly, the financially disadvantaged, and the medically infirmed through deception and a variety of nefarious schemes. The Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation will continue to coordinate our effort to protect homeowners and investigate these horrific thefts along with all of our law enforcement partners in the city. We commend the actions of the New York Attorney General’s Office Real Estate Enforcement Unit for their investigation which resulted in today’s arrests and thank them for their continued efforts in this area.”

The five individuals indicted are:

•    Marcus Wilcher, 47
•    Stacie Saunders, 51
•    Anyekache Hercules, 47
•    Jerry Currin, 66
•    Dean Lloyd, 61

Beginning in September 2019, Wilcher located homes in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens in poor or run-down condition with absentee owners. Saunders then marketed the homes to investors at prices significantly below market rate for quick sales. After an investor expressed interest in purchasing a home, Wilcher would secure personal information about the real owners, including social security numbers and birth dates, to create falsified drivers’ licenses, social security cards, and bank cards. Wilcher and Saunders then found people to impersonate the true owners of the properties at contract signings and closings.

Hercules created certain forged legal documents used in the theft of the homes. As she was disbarred and could not practice law in New York, Hercules fraudulently used a practicing attorney’s email and name on legal correspondence. Lloyd or one of three other individuals that have yet to be apprehended would appear at the closings with forged deeds and contracts. Currin appeared at the closing on his family home with an individual who pretended to be his sister, the executor of the family estate. This person has not yet been apprehended. Currin also submitted a false affidavit in support of a second estate sale for a different stolen property, written as a long-time family friend.

After the sales were finalized, the defendants opened bank accounts in the names of the homes’ real owners using the impostor sellers’ forged drivers’ licenses and social security cards. He and his co-conspirators then used these bank accounts and other entities and LLCs they controlled to funnel more than $1 million in proceeds to themselves.

The stolen properties are:

•   161-14 121 Avenue, Queens, New York
•   112-39 176 Street, Queens, New York
•   168-11 119 Avenue, Queens, New York

Saunders, Hercules, and Currin were arraigned yesterday before Supreme Court Judge Evelyn Braun in Queens County. The defendants, as detailed in the indictment, have been charged with the following crimes: Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a class C felony; Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony; Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony; Practice of Law by an Attorney Who Has Been Disbarred, Suspended or Convicted of a Felony, a class E felony; Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony; Forgery in the Second Degree, a class E felony; Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class E felony; and Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor. The maximum sentence on the top count is 15 years.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

While three members of the deed theft ring have been arraigned, another five remain at large: Wilcher, Lloyd, and three individuals that have yet to be identified. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is now seeking the public’s help in bringing them to justice.

The above three individuals impersonated homeowners and have yet to be found. Images have been taken from falsified identification cards.

The OAG encourages anyone familiar with one or more of the co-conspirators at-large to contact OAG’s Public Integrity Bureau confidentially by calling (212) 416-8090 or emailing public.integrity@ag.ny.gov.

The OAG thanks the New York Department of State for the criminal referral and its assistance with this investigation and prosecution. The OAG also thanks the New York City Department of Finance for its help. The OAG also thanks the Yeadon Pennsylvania Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, and the New York City Police Department. 

“Deed theft is a shocking and highly lucrative criminal scheme that preys on some of New York’s most vulnerable communities,” said K. Scott Kohanowski, Director of Homeowner Stability Project, City Bar Justice Center. “It can have a devastating effect on New Yorkers resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars, often of inter-generational family wealth in a way that worsens the racial wealth gap. We applaud the Attorney General’s efforts to hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable and put their like-minded copycats on notice.”

Former Government Official Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Defraud Government Program For Disadvantaged Small Business Owners

 

 The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 8, 2022, James A. Coccagna, age 67, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit violations of the Major Fraud Act.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between 2003 and 2014, Coccagna, then Chief of the Engineering and Planning Division in the Directorate of Public Works at Letterkenny Army Depot, in Chambersburg, worked with a number of unnamed coconspirators to defeat the rules and purpose of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program. Coccagna admitted to steering federal government contracts to certain participants in the 8(a) Program, knowing that those companies and their existing employees, if any, were not playing any meaningful role in performing contracts awarded to them.

The 8(a) Program requires socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to exercise unconditional control over their own companies. It also requires these companies to commit to performing at least 15% of the cost of any contract with their own employees. When companies meet these criteria, they can enter the 8(a) Program for a period of up to nine years and then bid on contracts reserved for companies in the 8(a) Program. These reserved contracting opportunities are often referred to as “set-aside” contracts.

Coccagna admitted to conspiring with three individuals who worked in the field of construction—known in the information as coconspirator 1, coconspirator 2, and coconspirator 3—to get set-aside contracts at Letterkenny awarded to a series of 8(a) Program participants controlled by the three unnamed individuals. These 8(a) Program participants included a company known as 8(A) company 1, which was affiliated with another unnamed individual known as coconspirator 4 in the information.

Starting around 2007, Coccagna and coconspirators 1, 2, 3, and 4 began conspiring to obtain 8(a) Program set-aside construction contracts at Letterkenny Army Depot, a facility under the command structure of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. Coccagna recommended that the Letterkenny contracting office select 8(A) company 1 for a series of contracts because he knew of 8(a) company 1’s affiliation with coconspirator 1, coconspirator 2, and coconspirator 3. Coccagna made similar recommendations for several other 8(a) Program participants, likewise on the basis of their affiliation with coconspirator 1, coconspirator 2, and coconspirator 3.

In order to make it appear falsely that 8(A) company 1 was meeting the 15% self-performance requirement, coconspirators 1, 2, 3, and 4 moved actual laborers who were on site at Letterkenny Army Depot onto the 8(A) company 1 payroll. This same practice was also carried out with the other unnamed 8(a) Program participants dating back to 2003. Coccagna was aware of this practice and, more generally, was aware that coconspirator 4 and her existing employees, if any, were not performing on-site work. Furthermore, coconspirator 4 was rarely, if ever, present at Letterkenny Army Depot following an initial meeting with Coccagna and the other unnamed conspirators in 2007.

For several years starting around 2007, coconspirators 1, 2, and 3 were simultaneously affiliated with both 8(A) company 1 and one of the other 8(a) Program companies. Their representations about which company they were affiliated with depended on which contract a job fell under. From Coccagna’s perspective, however, the day-to-day performance of the work was unaffected by which company’s name coconspirators 1, 2, and 3 were operating under.

Coccagna also admitted that coconspirator 1 solicited, and Coccagna unlawfully provided to coconspirator 1, confidential information in order to help coconspirators 1, 2, 3, and 4 win a $60 million construction contract in 2009.

The total value of the contracts associated with this conspiracy exceeded $100 million. Coccagna understood that there was a financial benefit to the individuals who were, on paper, the heads of the various 8(a) Program participants to which he steered maintenance and construction contracts, such as coconspirator 4.  

The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

New York Man Convicted Of Robbery And Firearms Offenses In Connection With 14 Armed Robberies

 

Justin Hampton Robbed 14 Stores in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens Over Three-Week Span

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against JUSTIN HAMPTON on robbery, armed robbery, and firearms counts.  HAMPTON is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Justin Hampton terrorized hardworking New Yorkers with his three-week spree of gunpoint robberies, brandishing a loaded firearm and stealing cash, lottery tickets, and cigarettes.  A jury has now found Hampton guilty, and he faces prison time for his crimes.”

According to the superseding Indictment and the evidence at trial:

Between October 18, 2021, and November 10, 2021, HAMPTON and co-conspirators committed 14 robberies of dollar stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants. HAMPTON operated as the gunman for the robbery crew.  He entered each of the commercial establishments late at night or early in the morning, brandished a firearm at employees, and demanded cash, large volumes of lottery tickets, and cigarettes.  HAMPTON and his co-conspirators typically fled the scene in HAMPTON’s car and, on multiple occasions, cashed stolen lottery tickets to obtain lottery winnings shortly after the robberies.

After HAMPTON and his crew committed 12 robberies, law enforcement seized HAMPTON’s car and later recovered a gun hidden in the car’s ceiling.  Despite the seizure of his car and gun, HAMPTON went on to commit two additional robberies using a motorized scooter and a pellet gun that resembled a real gun. 

HAMPTON, 34, of New York, was convicted on one count of robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Joint Robbery Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the New York City Police Department.

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in the Bronx

 

 The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of Daniel Rivera, who died on December 5, 2022, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on December 4, 2022.

In the early morning hours of December 4, NYPD officers encountered Mr. Rivera near 161st Street and Summit Avenue in the Bronx. Mr. Rivera allegedly held a gun. Five officers discharged their weapons, and other officers were nearby. A total of 29 shots were fired. Mr. Rivera was then taken to a local hospital, where he died the following day. The NYPD recovered two guns at the scene.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

These are preliminary facts and subject to change. 

Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Improve Safety Standards for Electric Space Heaters

 

Legislation (S.7863A/A.9181B) Requires Electric Space Heaters to Have Thermostats, Automatic Shut-Offs, and Additional Testing and Certification

Improves Safety Standards for Electric Space Heaters After Heater Sparked Deadly Bronx Twin Parks Fire

 Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.7863A/A.9181B) to require electric space heaters to have thermostats, automatic shut-offs, and be certified by a testing and certification body recognized and approved by the United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This measure comes less than a year after the tragic fire in the Twin Parks apartments claimed 19 lives. The bill is intended to prevent any more senseless deaths and injuries as New Yorkers heat their homes this winter.  

"After flames engulfed the Twin Parks apartments last year, we worked to help impacted families recover and vowed to never forget the tragedy and to protect New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "As the weather gets colder once again and we crank up the heat in our homes, this legislation will help prevent future disasters and keep New Yorkers safe as we ensure higher safety standards for all electric space heaters sold in our state."   

Legislation (S.7863A/A.9181B) amends the general business law to prohibit any retailer of electric space heaters from selling them in New York State without a thermostat, automatic shut off, and certification by a testing and certification body recognized and approved the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  

Permits Filed For 672 Union Avenue In Woodstock, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 672 Union Avenue in Woodstock, The Bronx. Located between East 152nd Street and East 155th Street, the lot is the blocks from the Jackson Avenue subway station, serviced by the 2 and 5 trains. Abraham Biller under the 494 Jackson LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 74-foot-tall development will yield 29,240 square feet, with square feet designated for residential space and 2,012 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 37 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 735 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar, a 36-foot-long rear yard, 17 open parking spaces, and two enclosed parking spaces.

P. Georgopoulos Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS 26 MEMBERS TO SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD

 

Board Members Tasked with Advising on and Guiding Long-Term Sustainability and Resiliency Goals of NYC

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointments of 26 board members to the New York City Sustainability Advisory Board to guide the city’s long-term resiliency and sustainability goals. Board members will advise the city on a range of potential climate initiatives, including energy, transportation, waste management, and expanding New York City’s green space, among other areas of importance.

 

“The Sustainability Advisory Board serves as a crucial thought partner to the city on climate change and will help make New York City a global leader in adaptation as we combat one of the greatest threats we face,” said Mayor Adams. “I’m proud to announce the appointments of these distinguished civic leaders, drawn from the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. This board will ensure that environmental justice is threaded into our climate policy and will help advance equity and public health for all New Yorkers.”

 

“The hearts and minds of this talented group are both in the present and a decade ahead,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “And armed with this critical perspective, they are eager to get to work, all united by a common goal: To make New York City a greener, more equitable city. We are excited to have them on board.”

 

“As we near the 15^th anniversary of the city’s first climate strategic plan, PlaNYC, we know much more than we did then and recognize that climate change is the work of generations,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “These board members will guide our work on the new plan, offering nation-leading ideas on how cities can adjust to a changing climate. These academics, private sector leaders, and advocates are long-time experts in their fields and valued partners in making a stronger, more resilient, and just city.”

 

“Our advisory board members will be crucial allies as the city shapes its 2023 strategic plan on climate and works to meet its sustainability and resiliency goals going forward,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) Executive Director Kizzy Charles-Guzmán. “They are visionary, diligent, and creative leaders and partners who bring diverse perspectives and expertise to the complex work of climate change policy. I’m proud that so many have made environmental justice a central cause of their professional lives.”

 

The board members will advise Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Aggarwala and MOCEJ Executive Director Charles-Guzmán on climate, sustainability, and resiliency goals for the city over the coming years. Most immediately, the board will help to guide the upcoming MOCEJ strategic climate plan, PlaNYC, to be released in April 2023.  

 

The appointees represent a diverse array of arenas including environmental advocacy, environmental justice, planning, architecture, design, engineering, coastal protection, construction, critical infrastructure, labor, business, and academia. The advisory board also includes New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection Chair James Gennaro. 

 

The 26 Sustainability Advisory Board members include: 

 

• Adrienne Adams, Speaker, New York City Council
• James Gennaro, Chair, New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection
• Donnel Baird, Founder and CEO, BlocPower
• Amy Chester, Managing Director, Rebuild by Design
• Peter Davidson, CEO, Aligned Climate Capital
• Minelly De Coo, Deputy Director of Infrastructure, New York State Executive Chamber
• Kate Fillin-Yeh, Director of Strategy, National Association of City Transportation Officials
• Tonya Gayle, Executive Director, Green City Force
• Eric A. Goldstein, New York City Environment Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Jasmine Graham, New York Senior Policy and Campaign Manager, Building Decarbonization Coalition
• Chris Halfnight, Senior Director of Research and Policy, Urban Green Council
• Shari C. Hyman, Vice President of Public Affairs, Turner Construction
• Sonal Jessel, Director of Policy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
• Kyle Kimball, Vice President of Government, Regional and Community Affairs, Con Edison
• Stacey Matlen, Vice President of Innovation, Partnership for New York City
• Dina Rabiner, Vice President of Economic Development and Strategic Partnerships, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
• Damaris Reyes, Executive Director, Good Old Lower East Side
• Dana Robbins Schneider, Director of Energy, Sustainability and ESG, Empire State Realty Trust
• Maritza Silva-Farrell, Executive Director, ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York
• Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President, Regional Plan Association
• Carter Strickland, Vice President of Mid-Atlantic Region and New York State Director, Trust for Public Land
• Julie Tighe, President, New York League of Conservation Voters
• Amy E. Turner, Senior Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School
• Arif Ullah, Executive Director, South Bronx Unite
• Claire Weisz, Founding Principal, WXY architecture + urban design
• Cortney Koenig Worrall, President and CEO, Waterfront Alliance

 

These forward-thinking individuals will work together to address complex questions on climate change of the 21^st century and beyond. The re-constitution of the Sustainability Advisory Board will help the city reach its climate goals and deepen its commitment to “Getting Stuff Done” for all New Yorkers.

 

“Mayor Adams is a transformational mayor, who is leading the nation on innovative urban policies, and I am proud to partner with his administration to drive creativity and bold, new ideas in the city’s climate policy,” said Donnel Baird, BlocPower.

 

“Without thoughtful planning and investments, climate change will exasperate inequities and can uproot lives and livelihoods,” said Amy Chester, Rebuild by Design. “The original 2007 PlaNYC left a vision for the next generation of how to mitigate carbon, improve our quality of life, and make room for an increased population. The challenge before us today is to ensure that we adapt to climate change equitably and leave no New Yorker behind.” 

 

“As the clean energy transition spreads across the country, I am honored to serve my hometown to make sure that New York leads the way,” said Peter Davidson, Aligned Climate Capital. “I am committed to working with this board to craft a climate strategy that will ensure that we meet our long-term climate goals.”

 

“As Governor Hochul often says, we are the first generation to experience the impacts of climate change — and the last generation able to do anything about it,” said Minelly De Coo, New York State Executive Chamber. “I’m honored to help ensure that the city and state are working hand in hand to tackle the climate crisis and expand environmental justice and develop a plan that will set New York City on the path to achieve our shared long-term climate goals.”

 

“New York City is a world climate leader — with so much more that we can do,” said Kate Fillin-Yeh, National Association of City Transportation Officials. “New York City must reclaim its mantle as the city with the most transportation climate innovation. The city’s bold pledge to build 300 miles of protected bike lanes and 150 miles of bus lanes will help more New Yorkers get where they need to go, safely, all while we work to meet the enormous climate challenges of our time.”  

 

“I am honored by and excited about the opportunity to partner with the Adams administration on the critical topics of climate and environmental justice,” said Tonya Gayle, Green City Force. “I look forward to supporting New York City’s priority of a just transition, under the leadership of MOCEJ Executive Director Kizzy Charles-Guzmán and Chief Climate Officer Rohit Aggarwala.” 

 

“I look forward to centering equity in the upcoming strategic climate plan, especially as it relates to building decarbonization,” said Jasmine Graham, Building Decarbonization Coalition. “I am excited to continue the work required to reduce climate emissions, protect the safety and public health of residents, and build climate resiliency.”

 

“New York City’s climate planning sets the bar for cities across the country and beyond,” said Christopher Halfnight, Urban Green Council. “I’m honored to join distinguished colleagues to support Mayor Adams and the MOCEJ staff’s development of a next-generation climate plan to secure a healthy and resilient built environment for all New Yorkers.”  

 

“Securing a resilient and adaptable future for New York City is one of the most important efforts this administration can undertake,” said Shari C. Hyman, Turner Construction. “I am eager to ensure that the city continues to lead the way in protecting New Yorkers from the effects of climate change.”

 

“New York City has diverse neighborhoods that are dealing with a wide variety of environmental and climate crises,” said Sonal Jessel, WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “And that is why the city is a leader in advancing climate and environmental justice. I look forward to helping create policies and programs that will prepare and protect communities and build a healthier New York.”

 

“I look forward to sharing the expertise I have been privileged to gain in over 20 years in this field to drive continued partnership and effective policy, informed by successful practice, to deliver on Mayor Adams’ vision for a net zero New York City,” said Dana Robbins Schneider, Empire State Realty Trust. “We will prove the technical and economic case for decarbonization while we deliver a healthy and equitable built environment, innovation, and job creation for all New Yorkers.”

 

“New York State’s Climate Act is among the most ambitious climate laws in the world, and New York City will play a critical role to ensure our goals are met,” said Maritza Silva-Farrell, ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York. “I am honored to receive Mayor Adams’ appointment to the advisory board for the city’s strategic climate plan and look forward to ensuring our city leads the way on climate action.” 

 

“Since New York City created its first long-term climate plan in 2007, I have been a strong advocate of a forward-thinking vision that also improves equity, mobility, and sustainability in the near and now,” said Kate Slevin, Regional Plan Association. “I will work to ensure all New Yorkers live healthier and better lives without having to rely on a car to get around.” 

 

“I look forward to centering equity and justice, as well as the experiences of communities on the frontlines of climate change as I help develop the city’s next long-term climate strategy,” said Arif Ullah, South Bronx Unite.

 

“Climate action is a critical path across all five boroughs of New York City and integral to the design of all of our places and spaces,” said Claire Weisz, WXY architecture + urban design. 

“I am excited to contribute to the future of the built environment alongside MOCEJ, Mayor Adams, and my fellow board members, who are making equitable and resilient infrastructure a model for New York City and the region.” 

 

“When transformational decisions about the future of New York City are challenged and complicated by our climate future, it is an honor to be included as an appointee,” said Cortney Koenig Worrall, Waterfront Alliance. “I look forward to working with the mayor and the city to chart a path toward a robust and resilient future for all New Yorkers.”

 

Learn more about the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice.

 

TWO RIKERS ISLAND INMATES INDICTED FOR SEPARATE ASSAULTS ON FELLOW DETAINEES

 

One Victim Slashed in the Head and Finger Over Phone Usage, One Victim Slashed in Unprovoked Attack

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. ClarkAccording to the investigation, on October 9, 2022, at 2:20 p.m. in the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC), Williams took a sharp object from his waistband, approached the inmate from announced that two Rikers Island inmates have been indicted on separate assaults on fellow inmates in the jail.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants allegedly slashed other inmates leaving large lacerations; one resulting in disfigurement. One assault came after an argument about the use of a jail phone, and the other was unprovoked. These mindless acts of brutality must stop. We will continue to hold violent inmates accountable, but more must be done to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place.”

 District Attorney Clark said defendant Jerry Brown, 37, was arraigned on December 6, 2022 on second and third-degree Assault, first-degree Promoting Prison Contraband and fourthdegree Criminal Possession of a Weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The defendant is due back in court on February 28, 2023.

 According to the investigation, on August 27, 2022 at approximately 3:00 p.m., inside the Robert N. Davoren Complex (RNDC), the defendant allegedly argued with an inmate over phone usage. The defendant allegedly slashed the victim with a sharp object causing large lacerations to the top and left side of his head, right side of his neck and his right index finger. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital for his injuries.

 District Attorney Clark said defendant David Williams, 30, was arraigned on December 5, 2022 on first-degree Assault, (disfigurement), second-degree Assault, first-degree Promoting Prison Contraband, and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The defendant is due back in court on December 20, 2022.

 According to the investigation, on October 9, 2022, at 2:20 p.m. in the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC), Williams took a sharp object from his waistband, approached the inmate from behind and allegedly slashed him across the face, causing a long laceration. The incident was captured on video. This was an unprovoked attack.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the NYC Department of Correction Investigators Walter Holmes and James Ruiz for their work in the investigation on the Brown case.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYC Department of Correction Captain Johanna Banks, Investigator Cecil Phillips, Correction Officer Malik Staggers and Rikers Island Liaison Walter Holmes for their work on the Williams case. 

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