NYPD Announces Citywide Crime Statistics for March 2023

 

Intelligence-Driven Policing Continues to Reduce Shootings, Murders, and Other Violent Crime

For the month of March 2023, New York City saw a 26.1% drop in shooting incidents compared to March 2022 (85 v. 115), extending the 23.2% drop in shooting incidents citywide through the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year (222 v. 289). Additionally, homicides fell by 11.4% (31 v. 35) for the month of March, extending the 12.7% decrease in homicides over the first three months of 2023 (89 v. 102).

Overall index crime was virtually flat in March 2023 compared to the same period a year ago, increasing by 0.1% (10,008 v. 9,999) – a difference of nine major crimes. Four of the seven index crime categories saw decreases this month, including murder down 11.4% (31 v. 35), rape down 0.8% (130 v. 131), robbery down 1.4% (1,253 v. 1,271), and burglary down 12.5% (1,185 v. 1,355). For the first quarter of 2023, New York City saw reductions in five of the seven index crime categories, including murder down 12.7% (89 v. 102), rape down 7.4% (373 v. 403), robbery down 1.8% (3,758 v. 3,826), burglary down 6.1% (3,560 v. 3,970), and larceny down 2.4% (11,719 v. 12,007).

The NYPD remains focused on eradicating gun violence in every neighborhood, and March 2023 saw reductions in shooting incidents in each of New York City’s five boroughs, led by a 39.5% decrease in the Bronx (23 v. 38) and a 29.4% decrease in Manhattan (12 v. 17). This trend is further reflected in the data for the first quarter of 2023, with reductions led again by the Bronx down 41.2% (60 v. 102) and Manhattan down 19.2% (42 v. 52). The reduction in shooting incidents further led to a citywide decrease in shooting victims, with a drop of 23.7% in March 2023 compared to March 2022 (100 v. 131). This extended the 17.5% decrease in citywide shooting victims over the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period last year (268 v. 325).

“The continuing drop in shootings, homicides, and other violence in New York City is a direct result of the hard work performed each day and night by the women and men of the NYPD,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “While we are encouraged that five of the seven index crime categories decreased in the first quarter, felony assaults and grand larceny autos remain persistent issues.  The NYPD will continue to address these conditions while also remaining focused on further driving down violence. As we go about this vital work, the NYPD will do so in close collaboration with all of our law enforcement partners and, most importantly, the people we serve.”

NYPD officers continue to proactively combat crime and disorder citywide through intelligence-based, precision policing. Through the first quarter of 2023, index crime arrests are at a 24-year high – fueled by a 15.0% increase (12,576 v. 10,933) over the first quarter of 2022, and a 7.9% increase in March 2023 compared to March 2022 (4,343 v. 4,025). Arrests for these most serious crimes are up in every New York City borough, for every month of 2023. Overall arrests for March 2023 were up 12.3% from March 2022 (19,027 v. 16,939), and up 23.5% for the first three months of this year (54,576 v. 44,199) – representing a four-year high.

Data shows that gun crime in New York City has been driven by gangs and street crews, and the NYPD is committed to ending this cycle of violence. In the first three months of 2023, the NYPD’s Detective Bureau, in collaboration with the department’s law-enforcement partners, concluded 34 long-term investigations, including 12 targeting gang activity. These major case operations resulted in 232 arrests and the seizure of 196 illegal firearms – ongoing work that makes the city and the people who live, work, and visit here safer. 

*All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revision, or change.*

Index Crime Statistics: March 2023

	March 2023	March 2022	+/-	% Change
Murder	31	35	-4	-11.4%
Rape	130	131	-1	-0.8%
Robbery	1253	1271	-18	-1.4%
Felony Assault	2102	2063	39	1.9%
Burglary	1185	1355	-170	-12.5%
Grand Larceny	4129	4113	16	-0.4%
Grand Larceny Auto	1178	1031	147	14.3%
TOTAL	10008	9999	9	-0.1%

Additional Statistics For March 2023

	March 2023	March 2022	+/-	% Change
Transit	213	187	26	-13.9%
Housing	513	461	52	11.3%
Citywide Shooting Incidents	85	115	-30	-26.1%

Hate Crimes Statistics Summary for March 2023

(Representing March 1st – March 31th for calendar years 2023 and 2022)

Motivation	2023	2022	Diff	% Change
Asian	5	17	-12	-71%
Black	6	7	-1	-14%
Disability	0	0	0	0%
Ethnic	1	3	-2	67%
Gender	3	1	2	200%
Hispanic	0	1	-1	-100%
Jewish	32	21	11	52%
Muslim	1	1	0	0%
Religion	1	2	-1	50%
Sexual Orientation	4	9	-5	-56%
White	2	0	2	***
TOTAL	55	62	-7	-11%

Note: Statistics above are subject to change upon investigation, as active possible bias cases may be reclassified to non-bias cases and removed from counted data.

Rape Incident Reporting Statistics: March 2023

(Reports filed from March 1 – March 31 in years indicated)

Year	Total  Incidents  Reported	Incident  Occurred  Same Year	Incident  Occurred  Previous  Year	Incident  Occurred  2 Years  Prior	Incident  Occurred  3 Years  Prior	Incident  Occurred  4 Years  Prior	Incident  Occurred  5+ Years  Prior
2023	128	92	15	6	1	2	12
2022	131	79	24	8	3	3	14
2021	140	86	17	8	4	4	21
2020	103	75	20	3	3	1	1
2019	158	114	17	6	4	1	16
2018	160	102	21	6	10	5	16

Rape continues to be underreported. If you are a victim of sexual assault, please come forward. The 24-hour NYPD Special Victims Division hotline is: 212-267-RAPE (7273).

Cryptocurrency Founder “Bruno Block” Pleads Guilty To Tax Crimes

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that AMIR BRUNO ELMAANI, a/k/a “Bruno Block,” the founder of the cryptocurrency “Oyster Pearl,” pled guilty yesterday to tax offenses.  In connection with his guilty plea, ELMAANI admitted that he had secretly minted and sold for his own gain Pearl cryptocurrency tokens, which caused the price of Pearl tokens to plummet, and that he did not pay income tax on certain cryptocurrency profits.  ELMAANI agreed that he caused a tax loss of over $5.5 million.  ELMAANI pled guilty before United States District Judge Colleen McMahon.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Amir Elmaani violated the duty he owed to pay taxes on millions of dollars of cryptocurrency profits.  As he admitted, he also violated the trust of investors in the cryptocurrency he founded.  Our Office will continue to bring groundbreaking cases, like this one, to ensure participants in cryptocurrency markets play by the rules.” 

Based on the allegations in the Indictment, in the Superseding Information to which ELMAANI pled guilty, the plea agreement, and other statements made and documents filed in court:

In September and October 2017, ELMAANI began promoting online a new cryptocurrency known as Pearl tokens.  Using a variation of his online pseudonym “Bruno Block,” ELMAANI stated that he planned to develop an online data-storage platform, known as Oyster Protocol, which would allow users to purchase online data storage with Pearl tokens.  Instead of using his real name, ELMAANI operated almost exclusively online under the pseudonym “Bruno Block.”  ELMAANI concealed his true identity from his prospective employees and business associates and never met them in person.

In late October 2018, although the number of Pearl tokens was purportedly fixed, ELMAANI used his access to the blockchain technology used to create Pearl tokens to mint new tokens, which he took for his own personal use (the “Exit Scheme”).  ELMAANI thereby increased the total volume of Pearl tokens.  Shortly after creating the new tokens, ELMAANI converted the Pearl tokens he had obtained to other types of cryptocurrency on an online marketplace or exchange.  As a result of ELMAANI’s conduct, trading in Pearl tokens halted on that exchange and the price of Pearl tokens held by investors dropped substantially.  Pearl tokens were subsequently de-listed from the primary exchange where they were traded.  Subsequent to the Exit Scheme, ELMAANI used his friends and family to receive cryptocurrency and to transfer funds to a bank account in his name. 

While ELMAANI initially attempted to hide even “Bruno Block’s” involvement in the Exit Scheme, he later effectively admitted to the conduct online under his “Bruno Block” pseudonym.  In a recorded call with the then-chief executive officer (“CEO”) of Oyster Protocol Inc., after the Exit Scheme, the CEO asked ELMAANI why he had to take the additional new Pearl tokens if he had already cashed out millions of dollars’ worth of Pearl tokens in the past.  ELMAANI responded, in part, that “taxes are pretty nasty.”  ELMAANI carried out the Exit Scheme only days before the exchange he had used to cash out his Pearl tokens was set to require “know your customer” personal identifying information from its users. 

In connection with his plea, ELMAANI admitted in the plea agreement that:In or about 2017, using the alias “Bruno Block,” I began an online project called the “Oyster Protocol.”  In support of this project, an initial coin offering (“ICO”) was held in or about October 2017, in which a token named “Pearl” (“PRL”) was issued.  I stated in public forums that after the ICO, the supply of PRL would not increase, and that the smart contract that created PRL would be “locked.”  Contrary to these statements, on or about October 29, 2018, I used the smart contract to mint new PRL, without telling anyone, including others who worked on the Oyster Protocol project.  I then sold these newly minted PRL on a digital trading platform.  I was aware that the counterparties who were buying these newly minted PRL likely were not aware of my reopening of the smart contract, and did not know that I had just substantially increased the total supply of PRL.  After Oyster management learned of my reopening of the smart contract and alerted the public, the price of PRL plummeted.       

ELMAANI filed a false 2017 tax return stating that he had only approximately $15,000 of income from a “patent design” business, and he filed no return and reported no income to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in 2018.  Nevertheless, ELMAANI spent, in 2018, over $10 million for the purchase of multiple yachts, $1.6 million at a carbon-fiber composite company, hundreds of thousands of dollars at a home improvement store, and over $700,000 for the purchase of two homes, one of which was titled in the name of a shell company and the other in the name of two of his associates.  The tax loss to the United States from ELMAANI’s conduct was approximately $5,523,794.

ELMAANI, 31, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return for the year 2017, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, and one count of failure to file a tax return for the year 2018, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.  ELMAANI also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of at least $5,523,794. 

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS and also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for its assistance. 

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul on Parole Revocation Process for Tyresse Minter

 

"My top priority is public safety. Earlier today, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision issued a warrant for Tyresse Minter, and he is now in custody. DOCCS is initiating the parole revocation process due to his indictment for criminal negligent homicide and manslaughter. We will continue working closely with the Bronx District Attorney's office throughout this process as it prosecutes the charges, and we will continue coordinating with our partners in law enforcement to strengthen public safety across the State."

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR KILLING 15-YEAR-OLD STEPSON

 

Defendant Allegedly Compressed Boy’s Neck Until He Lost Consciousness

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for Manslaughter and Criminally Negligent Homicide in the death of his 15-year-old stepson.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly got into a dispute with his stepson, and restrained him by grabbing his neck, causing a lack of oxygen which led to the boy’s death. It is horrific that his life was taken at such a young age.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Tyresse Minter, 28, was arraigned today on second-degree Manslaughter and Criminally Negligent Homicide before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Naita Semaj-Williams. The people asked for remand, but the defendant was released and is due back in court on June 20, 2023.

 According to the investigation, on January 23, 2023, the defendant—who was released from prison a month earlier and was on parole--allegedly got into a dispute with his 15-year-old stepson, Corde Scott in their home on Doris Street in the Parkchester area. Minter allegedly put Corde in a neck hold to restrain him causing his neck to be compressed and cutting off his oxygen supply. The defendant then allegedly wrapped his legs around the boy to secure him. The boy lost consciousness. He died at the scene. The defendant did not call 911 to report the victim’s death until approximately 20 minutes after the restraint.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Robert Cintron of the Bronx Homicide Task Force, as well as Detectives Paula Aguero and Airam Cruz-Sheppard of the 45th Precinct Detective Squad for their assistance in the case.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked Brenda Guzman of Safe Horizon for her support.

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