After 50 Years of Service, DA Richard Brown Still Going Strong

By Tamara Best

Over the better part of the past two decades, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown has just about seen it all.

Brown is the longest serving district attorney in county history and has more than 50 years in public service. On Thursday, Brown was honored with a plaque for his work by the John F. Kennedy Regular Democratic Club.

“We had him as a guest speaker and he’s a very special individual to us,” said Jeff Gottlieb, president of the club. “He’s very personable and approachable, He treats everyone the same and does a great job.”

Raised in Queens, Brown held several judicial positions including Justice of the Supreme Court in Queens County. He said having a judicial background has helped in his work as the district attorney.

In 1991, he was appointed Queens district attorney by then-Governor Mario M. Cuomo. Brown said he can still recall the struggle he faced when he was elected district attorney for the first time in the early 1990s.

“When I started out in 1991 it was a very bad year,” he said, adding that the county - much like other areas of the nation - grappled with the crack epidemic that left communities paralyzed with drug addiction and violence. “We had 361 homicides in my first year.”

Brown was later elected to a full four-year term as district attorney in the November 1991 general election and re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007.

In his role as district attorney, Brown said a key emphasis is being visible and accessible.

“I get to the crime scenes because it is important to maintain a close relationship with law enforcement,” Brown said.

Three days a week, he meets with different bureaus to stay up to date on the cases. “If I ask a question I want an answer,” he said adding that “it helps everyone stay on their toes.”

Over the years, Brown said he has dealt with many memorable and tragic cases such as the College Point massacre of 1995 in which six people held hostage in a Queens apartment were killed. However, out of all the cases he has worked on, Brown said the Sean Bell case was the most “physically and emotionally taxing.”

“The Sean Bell case was the most difficult case I’ve had in a long time,” said Brown. “Emotions were high on both sides.”

Sean Bell, a 23-year-old man Queens man, was shot and killed on Nov. 25, 2006 outside of a Jamaica strip club just hours before his wedding. Bell, along with two friends, was inside a Nissan Altima, when five officers fired 50 bullets into the car. It was later determined that Bell and his two surviving friends were unarmed.

At 5:30 that morning, Brown said he took immediate action after receiving a call from an assistant district attorney alerting him to what happened.

“That morning I called three people: the mayor, the police commissioner and Al Sharpton.”

The case sparked controversy across the country, centering on discussions of race and use of deadly force by police. In 2008, Justice Arthur J. Cooperman acquitted the officers of all charges they faced in Bell’s shooting death.

High profile cases aside, Brown said each year and situation presents new challenges. One of the most substantial in the last few years has been the budget.

“We’ve taken budget reduction since 9/11, about 20 percent,” he said, resulting in a decrease in the amount of assistant district attorneys and forcing law enforcement to do more with less.

When asked by members of the Democratic Club his thoughts on the current budget deadlock in Albany, he said he hopes it will resolve itself soon.

Despite the early days and late nights of the job, Brown said he still looks forward to going to work everyday.

“The agency is busy 24/7 and I love it,” Brown told the audience.

As for when he will retire, he says it’s too soon to tell. “It’s been a wonderful career and it’s not over by a long shot.”

District Attorneys Testify Against Proposed Budget Cuts

The Forum Newsgroup

The city’s five district attorneys recently urged the City Council to restore cuts proposed in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s executive budget during testimony at City Hall.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown was joined by Charles Hynes of Brooklyn, Robert Johnson of the Bronx, Daniel Donovan of Staten Island and Cyrus Vance, Jr., of Manhattan at a hearing held last week by the City Council’s Finance and Public Safety committees. They were joined by Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan.

District Attorney Brown noted that in the nearly nine years since 9/11, the budgets of the city’s prosecutors have sustained cumulative reductions from the city totaling about twenty percent, which he called “deep cuts that have greatly impacted on our ability to provide the level of prosecutorial service to which the people of this city are entitled to expect and which will keep them safe and secure.”

He said the reduction in city funding “is magnified by significantly reduced funding on the federal and state levels – both in terms of direct funding and with respect to the reduction or elimination of various grant opportunities.”

In addition, the number of NYPD detectives assigned to his office has been reduced, forcing the district attorneys to hire additional personnel.

Since 1993, arrests are up in Queens by more than eighty percent – from about 42,500 to almost 75,000 last year. The proposed funding reduction from the city “would have a profound impact on our operations and on the level of essential services that we will be able to provide to the residents of Queens County,” added Brown.

“While I recognize the serious financial difficulties that face the city in the years ahead and continue to be willing to do our fair share, it makes little sense to attempt to remedy the situation by cutting public safety dollars to the point where our ability to maintain the gains of the last decade is in jeopardy,” concluded Brown.

Manhattan Man Charged in Ridgewood Murder

By Conor Greene

Police have charged a Manhattan man in connection with the murder of a transgender woman who was found strangled in her Ridgewood apartment on March 30.

Rasheen Everett, 29, was taken into custody on April 9 in Las Vegas by members of the 104th Precinct Detective Squad and Queens Homicide Squad. He was charged last Wednesday with second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the murder of 29-year-old Edelbuerto “Amanda” Gonzalez-Andujar.

The victim was found inside her 62nd Street home after friends became worried because they were unable to contact her. Authorities say Gonzalez-Andujar was found naked, strangled with bleach poured over her body. Published reports say Everett was seen on surveillance tape leading the victim’s home with a laptop.

“The defendant is accused of violently taking the life of another human being in her own apartment and then tampering with the body by dousing it with bleach,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “This case will be vigorously prosecuted in order to secure a measure of justice for the victim and her family.”

Authorities say Everett entered Gonzalez-Andujar’s apartment at about 8:50 a.m. on March 27, where he remained alone with the victim. The pair are believed to have met online, and police say that several minutes after Everett entered the apartment, screams and loud banging consistent with a struggle were heard. About 17 hours later, Everett was seen leaving the apartment alone, carrying two bags that appeared filled with items.

On March 30, an officer entered the apartment after friends had said they were unable to contact her since several days before and saw the victim’s body on a bed. The subsequent investigation was conducted by the precinct’s detective squad.

Police have yet to release a motive in the killing, but reports suggest that that money, and not the victim’s gender identity, was at the center of the altercation. Everett is also reportedly wanted in Massachusetts regarding the attempted murder of his ex-wife.

DA: Ozone Park Man Bit, Battered Infant Daughter

An Ozone Park man was arrested and charged with first-and-second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the brutal assault of his infant daughter, Hailey.

Juan Gomez, 23, of 104-01 Liberty Avenue allegedly caused extensive injury to the child left in his care while her mother went to work.

The infant was taken Schneider Children’s Hospital last week with bruises to her chest and eye, a healing fracture in her foot, a fractured ankle, a healing fracture to the lower leg, a bite mark to the right leg, seventeen fractured ribs (sixteen of which were healing), a lacerated liver and difficulty breathing due to a disruption to the lining of the lung.

District Attorney Richard Brown said, “The extent of the physical injuries that this innocent and helpless child suffered in just the first few weeks of her life is beyond comprehension. That they were allegedly committed by her father boggles the mind. This case will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to the charges, Gomez was alone with Hailey and became frustrated because she would not stop crying. He then allegedly bit her on the right leg, leaving a bite mark. To conceal what he had done, Gomez allegedly bathed the baby for the following week so nobody could see the bite mark.

In statements made to police and prosecutors Gomez said that he would grab his daughter by the feet and ankles and push her legs back until the feet and ankles were bent back onto her chest, that he head butted the baby in her head and that his head piercings caused bruising to her head, and that he would throw his daughter up in the air – about a foot – and catch her by placing his hands over her rib cage.

If convicted, Gomez could face 15 years in prison.

Former Woodhaven Man Charged with Killing and Dismembering Wife

Woodhaven Woman Went Missing in 2007

By Patricia Adams

The investigation of a Woodhaven mother who went missing more than two years ago has culminated with the arrest of her husband on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.

U.S. Marshals arrested Edwin Fuentes, 42, outside a realtor’s office on Pitkin Avenue in Ozone Park late Wednesday afternoon for the murder of his wife Reina De Los Santos, who went missing in June of 2007. Frustrated Queens detectives put in more than thirty months and conducted a grueling investigation leading up to the arrest. According to one department insider, the case represents an intense effort by Queens Homicide to bring strong evidence to the DA.

Fuentes has long been a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, but police were continually stymied by the fact that no trace of the missing woman was found until 2008 when teens in Forest Park found a suitcase containing bones later identified as those of De Los Santos.

According to charges filed by DA Brown’s office, Fuentes allegedly dismembered his wife’s body and put some of her body parts in a suitcase. Brown said, “The defendant is accused of killing his wife and disposing of her body, leaving her two children without a mother. He was able to evade justice for more than two years but the diligence of police and prosecutors in pursuing this case means that he will now be held accountable for this crime.”

According to the criminal complaint, at some time between June 19, 2007 and June 22, 2007, Fuentes killed his wife inside their apartment on 88th Road in Woodhaven, later dismembering her. He then called police and reported his wife was missing.

When police arrived at the house to take the report one of the officers noticed that Fuentes had fresh scratches on his arms and what appeared to be a bite mark on his left hand. The defendant was also described as shaking, nervous and even stuttering during the interview with police, at which time he told them that the scratches were a result from playing with his children. He told police he had last seen his wife on June 20.

At the time of her disappearance, Fuentes launched a campaign to blanket the neighborhood with posters of his missing wife, even soliciting donations to cover the costs of printing. He was quoted during an interview with The Forum saying there was no reason he could imagine for his wife’s disappearance. “She is a very loving and supportive mother, everyone knows that. I don’t understand where she could be.” Asked if he had a message he would most like to get to his wife Fuentes said, “We love you and we miss you. Just come home safe.”

On March 4, 2008, four teenagers walking in Forest Park found a suitcase containing what appeared to be partial human remains. The suitcase was removed to the Queens County Morgue where the remains were identified as a human skull and various other body parts. The remains were later identified through dental records as those of Reina De Los Santos Reyes and following an autopsy her death was ruled a homicide.

Shortly after the remains were identified, Fuentes was picked up by police in connec- tion with what was termed an unrelated matter. The suspect had allegedly struck De Los Santos’ 17-year-old son Ariel, who was in his custody following the disappearance. The boy was from the victim’s first marriage and suffers from Tourette syndrome and additional dissociative disorders.

A caretaker, assigned to Ariel from the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), told police that she found the boy, on at least two occasions since December, with bruises on his mouth and face from being struck in the head. The couple also shared a biological daughter, Thais who is now with her father's family. Ariel is presently in the custody of his mother's family. Fuentes is prohibited by law from having any contact with either of the children.

Although there was insufficient evidence against him at the time, police investigators have now pieced together the deadly puzzle leading up to De Los Santos’ murder that is studded with domestic violence and death threats. In April of 2007 there is testimony from a witness who heard Fuentes threatening to kill his wife and another witness who reportedly observed the defendant choking the victim in May of 2007 and threatening to kill her if she ever left him.

In addition, Fuentes is also alleged to have told police that he was once a butcher. When asked by the police if he thought he was going to get away with the murder the defendant allegedly replied: “I sure as hell am going to try.”

If convicted he faces 25 years to life in prison.

DNA Cold Hit Links Woodhaven Man to Rapes

By Conor Greene

A Woodhaven father has been charged with two rapes over the past decade after police matched a DNA sample he provided following a recent grand larceny conviction to samples collected from his victims.

Mauricio Rosales, 32, of 88-17 Jamaica Avenue, has been charged in connection with both the 2000 rape of an 11-year-old girl inside the bedroom of her family’s Woodhaven home and the 2003 attack of a 19-year-old Kew Gardens woman in her driveway.

The charges were filed last week after investigators matched a DNA sample taken from Rosales following a petit larceny conviction last November for stealing $3,000 from a former employer. In 2004, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown indicted “John Doe” for the rapes based on the DNA samples from the victims to prevent the statute of limitations from running out before an arrest was made.

According to the charges, Rosales broke in a Woodhaven home at about 6 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2000, entered the 11-year-old victim’s bedroom and raped her while her family was asleep upstairs. He told her that he would kill her if she told anyone about the attack and stole several items before fleeing the scene.

In the second incident, Rosales approached a 19-year-old woman while she was sitting in front of her Kew Gardens home at 11 p.m. on July 17, 2003. He pulled her at knifepoint into her driveway where he allegedly raped and robbed her before fleeing, said police.

Authorities are now looking into whether Rosales is responsible for several other unsolved rapes, according to reports. He was arraigned last Thursday on an indictment charging him with two counts of rape and one count each of burglary, robbery, sexual abuse and attempted robbery. If convicted, he faces up to 50 years in prison.

The married father of five had been working as a food deliveryman in Brooklyn before his arrest. He was located at a Brooklyn food dis- tribution center by detectives from the Special Victim’s Squad after the State Police laboratory matched the DNA samples, the New York Times reported. Following his arrest, Rosales denied the rapes but admitted to being inside the 11-year-old’s bedroom and to encountering the 19-year-old victim.

“This case underscores the crucial importance of DNA evidence, which is irrefutable proof of innocence or guilt,” said District Attorney Brown, adding that “it is time for the legislature to once again expand the DNA law to authorize collection of samples from all convicted defendants – not just the approximately 50 percent of convicted defendants who now are required to submit DNA samples.”

Teacher Charged with Letting Students Wrestle in Classroom

A teacher and an aide assigned to PS 65 in Ozone Park have been arraigned on child endangerment charges for allowing two fourth graders to wrestle in the classroom in order to settle a dispute, authorities announced.

Teacher Joseph Gullotta, 29, and para-professional Abraham Fox, 43, both of Long Island, were arraigned over the weekend in Queens Criminal Court and released on their own recognizance. They are due back in court on February 25 and face up to a year in jail.

According to the charges, a 10-year-old student was having a dispute with a student inside the classroom on January 28 when Gullotta told him that he should instead take it out on a nine-year-old student. When the two boys began grabbing each other’s arms and shoulders and wrestling, Gullotta allegedly told another student to close the door.

During the wrestling match, the older student’s head struck the younger student’s mouth, resulting in injuries to both children. Even though he was inside the classroom at the time, Fox didn’t attempt to stop the boys or offer them assistance for their injuries. In addition, despite the students’ injuries and Fox’s observation that the younger might need stitches, neither adult offered the boys the chance to go to the nurse’s office until two periods later.

Finally, two hours after the wrestling match, Gullotta allowed just the younger boy to go to the nurse and allegedly instructed him to lie about how his injuries occurred. However, the student voiced concern about the other student, who had complained that his head hurt. The nurse told the student to go back to the classroom and get the other student. Gullotta is accused of escorting the older student to the nurse’s office and ordering him to tell the same made-up story the younger child had told the nurse.

The incident came to light when the parent of one of the students involved in the incident overheard them talking about it. The investigation at the school, located at 103-22 99th Street, was conducted by the 106th Precinct.

Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal DWI Hit and Run

Stole Running Vehicle Minutes Before Crash

By Conor Greene

A 28-year-old Middle Village resident has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for drunkenly mowing down two young pedestrians last February while speeding through the neighborhood in a stolen car, authorities announced.

Kenneth Guyear, of 64-02 72nd Street, pleaded guilty last Thursday to first-degree vehicular manslaughter and faces the maximum allowable sentence - between seven-and-a-half and fifteen years in prison - when sentenced on February 23.

In pleading guilty, Guyear admitted to killing 16-year-old Robert Ogle (right) of 62nd Avenue and Alex Paul, 20, of Cypress Hills, on Feb. 1, 2009. The pair was walking to the Ogle home after attending a nearby party and was near the intersection of 80th Street and 62nd Avenue when they were struck.

Guyear later confessed to stealing a 2001 Kia that had been left idling with the key in the ignition outside a deli on Woodhaven Boulevard near Alderton Street. After stealing the vehicle, Guyear drove at a high rate of speed through the residential area until he struck Ogle and Paul, who were just blocks from their destination. He was stopped near Dry Harbor Road and Woodhaven Boulevard a short time later by officers who were canvassing the area following 911 calls reporting the struck pedestrians.

Police immediately noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Guyear and took him to the 112th Precinct stationhouse, where an intoxilyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of.126. Guyear also admitted to police to having drank five or six alcoholic beverages and taking two Xanax pills before causing the wreck.

“The defendant has admitted his guilt to a terrible and tragic crime and will serve serious prison time, giving him time to reflect upon his reckless actions that resulted in the untimely death of two young men,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “This case once again underscores the impact of a person’s decision to get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of alcohol.”

Following the tragedy, a bill pushed by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) that raises the penalty for leaving a running vehicle unattended was signed into law. The fine, which was just $5 at the time, has since been raised to $250.

Ogle was a junior at Brooklyn Technical High School, where his mother teaches foreign language. Robert Ogle played football at Brooklyn Tech until breaking his leg during his freshman year, and previously played with the Pop Warner Queens Falcons team. An aspiring journalist, Robert also had a part-time job at the New York Hall of Science. Paul lived in Brooklyn and had met Robert that night at a mutual friend’s party.

Robert’s father, Brendan Ogle, said he has been in contact with Brown’s office and is “satisfied” with the plea bargain. While there were more serious charges that could have resulted in a longer sentence, there was also the chance Guyear could have been found guilty of a lesser charge. “We have no control over that and at least this gives it closure,” said Brendan. “I am relieved that this chapter ended. I can just go on with my life.”

According to police sources, Guyear has a long history of arrests and had been sent to Rikers Island eight times before the incident in Middle Village. His past charges include stealing a motorcycle while drunk on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and for robbery and assault after participating in a robbery during which the victim’s ribs were broken. He attempted suicide while in jail following his arrest for the Ogle and Paul deaths.

A civil suit filed by Robert’s parents against Guyear is still pending.

102nd Precinct Welcomes DA Brown

Robbery Pattern Also Discussed at Monthly Meeting

By Patricia Adams

District Attorney Richard Brown paid a visit to the 102nd Police Community Council meeting on Tuesday night as part of his yearly plan to visit each of the Queens police precincts. The DA was given a warm welcome and began by informing those in attendance that violent crime was down by 10% in Queens.

Brown went on to say that the 80 homicides in Queens in 2009 represent a tremendous reduction over the last 15 years—in 1991 there were 361. He also cited large drops in stolen cars. “This doesn’t happen by accident. A lion’s share of the credit goes to the men and women of the NYPD,” Brown said. “Last year we processed 78,000 cases put on our doorstep.” Brown informed his audience that Queens was way ahead of the rest of the city in moving cases through the court swiftly.

Before leaving he invited anyone to visit the DA’s office of operations at the court house. “We will be happy to see any of you for a visit. Just don’t come in handcuffs,” he joked.

Increase in Pattern Robberies

Capt. Armando DeLeon says that despite a plunge in crime in his precinct—it’s down about 41% over the last two years—there has been a recent spike in pattern robberies. The captain reported that there have been 8 robberies of late, 6 of which targeted women.

“We are looking for an individual who is approximately 5’4-5’5 tall, who carries a silver firearm.” The bandit approaches his victims with the handgun demanding their money and credit cards. Before leaving, the bandit demands his victims to surrender their PIN numbers for any ATM cards he steals. Most of the occurrences have taken place in the southern and western parts of the precinct, near the Brooklyn border.

A burglary pattern that police believe originated in the Bronx is also being perpetrated upon residents living in the 102. “We have individuals who are working in tandem, posing as utility employees in these incidents,” DeLeon explained. “They are ringing bells and representing themselves as workers from the gas company, ConEd or a cable company. You let the pair of them in and as one is looking at the boiler, a meter or the cable box, his associate is taking personal belongings in the house.”

The captain advised residents not to open the door under any circumstances. “If someone comes to your home, immediately call the company they say they are representing. Do not trust the fact that they have ID,” DeLeon warned, “there’s plenty of phony credentials circulating around.”

Residents can be relieved that there is increased police presence on their
streets from Monday through Friday 12 Noon to 7 PM. The police officers have been reassigned from other precincts and placed along Jamaica Avenue from 80th street to 118th street. The assignment of these officers has been very helpful according to DeLeon. “We have already seen major results from their presence,” commenting on a recent altercation among students from Richmond Hill High School that was quickly put to an end and a cell phone thief who was apprehended by the additional officers.

Before concluding, Capt. DeLeon suggested that residents should wear whistles and blow them as hard and loud as they can if they are accosted or face any danger. “It may sound corny,” said DeLeon, “but it will get everyone’s attention and it could save you.”

Robbery Victim Thanks 102 for Swift Action

On January 4, resident Harpreet Singh was walking to his home on 123rd Street off 97th Avenue with a friend when the two were accosted by three men who jumped out of a waiting car. The men brandished guns, holding one to Singh’s head and demanding his money and wallet. “They put a gun to my head,” said Singh, “and took everything I had in my pockets. I was very, very scared.” But Singh said the only thing that made him feel better about the situation was that almost immediately after he called 911, Captain

DeLeon and Officer McCoy of the 102 Pct were by his side. “These guys are great and I know they will get whoever did this.” Singh said that the thieves used his credit card to purchase gasoline in a nearby station minutes after robbing him. Luckily, Singh suffered no injuries.

General Business

President of the community council, Maria Thomson also informed residents that the 102nd Precinct is offering free NYPD Security Surveys for homeowners within the precinct. To arrange for the survey call the precinct at 718.805.3217 and speak to Detective Ronald Agunzo.

Form letters were also available for anyone whishing to contact Douglas Sussman, MTA Director of Community Affairs to protest the proposed elimination of the Q56 bus line and the Z train from the elevated J line.

The 102 Precinct Community Council meets at 8 PM on the third Tuesday of every month at the Moose lodge located on 118th Street off Jamaica Avenue, across the street from the 102nd Precinct stationhouse.

Boy Nearly Killed in Highland Park Stabbing

Two Teens Charged with Attack on 12-Year-Old

By Conor Greene

Police have now charged both a Brooklyn teenager and his girlfriend with the near-fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old in Highland Park on Saturday night. The attack occurred while the three were allegedly smoking pot in the vicinity of the park.

The victim, Luis Martinez, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in serious condition after a motorist spotted him alongside the Jackie Robinson Parkway. He was treated for multiple injuries, including four stab wounds to the torso and the back and two stab wounds to the chest. In addition, both his left internal and right external jugular veins were cut, causing extreme blood loss. He underwent reconstructive surgery and his condition was upgraded on Tuesday from critical to stable.

Initial reports indicated Martinez had been thrown from a moving vehicle, but police now say he was stabbed about a dozen times by 15-year-old Wayne Henderson of Ridgewood Avenue in East New York and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Carina Parache of Norward Avenue in East New York. Police say the attack occurred after Henderson and Martinez got into a brief argument that quickly escalated into attempted murder.

Police initially only charged Henderson in the attack after questioning and releasing Parache. Henderson was arraigned on Monday in Queens Criminal Court on charges of second-degree attempted murder and first-and-second degree assault.

However, on Tuesday night, authorities announced that Parache will face the same charges because she stood by as the attack took place and then kicked and stabbed Martinez before fleeing the scene with Henderson.

The pair was taken into custody by officers from the 104th Precinct shortly after the attack. Both are being charged as juvenile offenders and face up to then years in prison if convicted. Henderson was ordered held on $250,000 bail and is due back in court on January 25, while Parache was awaiting arraignment as of Wednesday morning.

“The 14-year-old defendant is accused of taking part with her boyfriend in a senseless but deliberate attack on someone they once called a friend,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “This is a sad case of young children throwing their lives away by allowing a verbal argument to escalate into deadly violence. Fortunately, the victim will survive but all three will carry the emotional scars of that night for the rest of their lives.”

Teacher Busted in Online Sex Sting

A 27-year-old Brooklyn high school teacher has admitted to attempting to arrange a sexual rendezvous with a person he met online and believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Alexander D. Kravitz, of 2107 East 7th Street in Brooklyn and a teacher at William E. Grady Vocational High School in Brighton Beach, pleaded guilty on Monday to first-degree attempted dissemination of indecent material to a minor. He is expected to receive 90 days in jail and five years’ probation when sentenced on February 24 and will be forced to surrender his state teaching credentials and computer and register as a sex offender.

“This case underscores the crucial importance of Internet surveillance initiatives by law enforcement to protect our children from sexual predators and should serve as a warning to parents to closely monitor their children’s Internet access and activities,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “It is particularly disturbing that the defendant in this case was a teacher who is entrusted to look out for the well-being of children.”

According to the charges, an NYPD vice detective was operating in his undercover persona as a 14-year-old girl from Queens between Nov. 13, 2008 and Jan. 7, 2009, during which time he received numerous instant messages from the defendant, who was using the screen name EVRYDAYGURLS. The defendant’s messages were sexual in nature and, on at least two occasions, included live video of him masturbating.

Kravitz was arrested when he appeared at a pre-arranged Queens location for what he believed would be a sexual encounter with the 14-year-old girl with whom he had been instant messaging. He was taken into custody after approaching a female undercover police officer and identifying himself as the person from the online chats.

Man Sentenced to 75 Years in Muggings of Elderly Women

A Queens man convicted of robbery, burglary and assault in the 2007 mugging of three women, including one who was 101 years old at the time – has been sentenced to 75 years in prison, or about one year for every dollar he stole from the three victims.

Jack Rhodes, 47, whose last known address was 1525 Ericksson Street in East Elmhurst, was convicted in October of first-degree burglary, first-and-second-degree robbery – all as hate crimes – and first-degree burglary, first-and-second-degree robbery and second-degree assault following a four-week jury trial. Last week, he was sentenced to 75 years in prison by Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory L. Lasak.

“The defendants disturbingly cowardly attacks on elderly and defenseless women – two of whom needed the aid of a walker to get around – has rightfully cost him his future,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “He will now spend the rest of his life behind bars, never again having freedom to breathe fresh air or the opportunity to prey on society’s most frail and vulnerable citizens.”

According to trial testimony, Rhodes accosted 51-year-old Angela Khan as she entered her 182nd Street residence in Jamaica through the basement garage on the evening of Dec. 30, 2006. Rhodes punched and kicked Khan while robbing her of cash and other personal property, causing her to suffer a fractured nose, black eyes and lacerations to her face which required six stitches. The attack was caught on surveillance tape.

Shortly before noon on March 2, 2007, the superintendent of a Devonshire Road building in Jamaica confronted Rhodes, who was trespassing in the basement, and ordered him to leave. The super watched as Rhodes left the property with a red, pink and black bike.

Less than an hour later, Rose Morat – who was 101 years old at the time and uses a walker – was caught on surveillance video exiting the elevator on the main floor of her Highland Avenue building. Rhodes approached her in the vestibule and offered to open the front door for her. Rhodes then repeatedly punched Morat on the left side of her face while demanding money from her. The defendant then grabbed her pocketbook, which contained $33 and her house keys, before knocking her to the ground and fleeing on a bike. Morat sustained a fractured cheekbone, bruises and facial swelling in that attack.

About a half-hour later, 85-year-old Solange Elizee, who also uses a walker, was getting on the elevator of her 170th Street building at the lobby level when she saw Rhodes already on the elevator. Elizee exited the elevator alone one floor below her apartment and waited for the next elevator. As she exited on her floor and entered her apartment, Rhodes blocked the door from closing and forced his way inside.

Once inside the apartment, Rhodes repeatedly punched Elizee in the face, knocking her to the floor. The defendant then removed two yellow metal rings from her hand and took her pocket book, which contained $32. Once again, Rhodes fled from the scene on a bicycle, and Elizee was taken to a local hospital for treatment for lacerations to her lip, abrasions and bruising to her forearm, face and buttocks.

Barbara Sheehan Speaks: Part II

By Patricia Adams

Last week The Forum brought you the first part of an interview with Barbara Sheehan, accused of shooting her husband, retired NYPD Sgt. Raymond Sheehan in February of 2008.

Now Sheehan is facing a murder trial and because of one judge’s ruling, will have to do so without the benefit of expert testimony to demonstrate the extent of the physical and mental abuse she suffered from for almost twenty years.

This week, Barbara Sheehan recalls her life as an abused woman and explains what happened on the day she shot her husband.

I SHOT MY HUSBAND

“I shot him because he was going to kill me. Finally he was going to end it all and shoot me. So I shot him.” Barbara Sheehan says that on the morning she killed Ray Sheehan he had been in the bathroom shaving, one of his handguns resting on the sink next to him. They had been arguing since the night before.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

“We went up to see my son at school. I brought him chicken cutlets and returned some laundry.” But as soon as they got in the car to leave Sacred Heart College, Ray Sheehan turned, without notice, and delivered a blow to her face that immediately sent blood gushing from her nose and pain shooting through her head. “I thought right away that it [my nose] was broken. There was so much blood and it hurt so much.” And Barbara says, “It didn’t stop there. He tried to throw me out of the car on the Merritt Parkway.”

Barbara Sheehan continued. “I was afraid to get out of the car. It was a wooded area and I was bleeding so much. No one was around.” All she wanted was to get home and go to the hospital. After arguing on the side of the road Ray Sheehan gunned the car back on to the parkway and headed toward home.

But the rest of the ride was filled with more verbal abuse, slaps, punches, pinches and anything else Ray Sheehan could manage from behind the wheel of the moving car. This episode had been brought on because Barbara had told her husband that she would not accompany him on a trip to Florida scheduled for the next morning.

“I was afraid to go away with him - to be alone with him in another state. My sister-in-law warned me not to go — she said he was going to kill me.” The sister-in-law she spoke of was married to Sheehan’s twin brother. The couple knew of Ray’s abuse and had gotten Barbara information on a domestic violence hotline and some support groups where she could go for help.

When they arrived home, Barbara was covered in blood--the cartilage from her nose displaced and moved completely over to one side. “I looked in the mirror and saw my whole nose on the side of my face. I just wanted to go to the hospital.”

But Ray Sheehan refused to take her. “I got my coat and left the house. I was going to walk to the hospital.” And on her way down the street Barbara used her cell phone to call her sister-in-law. “She told me to get out of here as quickly as possible, that Ray would probably be enraged because I had left.” As she hurried away, she heard the sound of a speeding car coming toward her — she turned and saw Ray Sheehan in their car. “I have to go,” she screamed into the phone, “he’s coming for me.”

Screeching to a halt, he pulled up and demanded she get into the car. They drove to St. John’s Hospital on Queens Boulevard. “He told me to get out and that he was going to wait right there. He wasn’t going in with me and warned me to keep my mouth shut.”

Inside the hospital Barbara Sheehan waited for treatment, but within a few minutes of her arrival, the cell phone began to ring. “He was calling to say that if he saw any police pull up he would know that I had called them. If that happened he said, hewould leave and go kill my family. ‘You know I have the guns with me—if you open your mouth, I’ll go out in a blaze of glory and your family will be dead.’”

Over and over her phone rang or beeped with text messages. Numerous calls and texts with more threats about keeping silent or paying the consequences. Finally when she grew too afraid to continue waiting for treatment, Barbara Sheehan left the hospital and returned to the car.

THE SHOOTING

The next morning the arguing continued, her husband infuriated over her refusal to go to Florida. “He was in the bathroom with one of his guns on the sink next to him. He was so angry because of Florida. And I knew. I just knew he was going to kill me.” It was then she says that he picked up the gun to threaten her. Barbara Sheehan ran into the bedroom where she grabbed another of Ray’s handguns.

“I came out of the bedroom with the gun. I wanted to get downstairs and get out of the house.” But Raymond Sheehan saw his wife heading for the stairs. Gun in hand, he turned and aimed it at her. “I knew he was going to shoot me and I just started firing.”

Media reports have consistently made inaccurate claims that she emptied 11 shots into the back of her husband, however, the autopsy report clearly proves that Raymond Sheehan was not shot in the back--the entry wounds were from the side of his body, consistent with Barbara’s story that he turned toward her aiming his gun.

After a documented history of almost twenty years of being beaten, Barbara Sheehan shot her husband. Ray Sheehan dropped to the floor; he was dead. Barbara Sheehan was downstairs on the phone. She called her sister, Robin, who arrived at the house minutes later. She found Barbara on the floor huddled in a fetal position. Robin called 911.

LOOKING TOWARD TRIAL

According to Barbara Sheehan’s attorneys, psychiatrists, psychologists and national experts on domestic violence all agree that those with little to no personal exposure to domestic violence are likely not capable of comprehending the harm which these abusers repeatedly levy on their victims.

Those unfamiliar with domestic abuse are most often unaware that this abuse devastates its victims with induced trauma on the emotional, psychological and physical levels. Typically, it is through the testimony and shared experience of expert witnesses that jurors can gain insight to the typical lives of abusers and their abused.

When Barbara Sheehan stands trial for her husband’s murder, she will have to do so without the benefit of such witnesses due to a ruling handed down in early November by Justice Arthur Cooperman. The ruling prohibits the inclusion of expert psychological and psychiatric testimony.

Now attorney Michael Dowd will search for a mechanism to overturn Cooperman’s decision — or find a way to bring a defense as strong as that which has been disallowed by the judge. “We’re in trouble here... what I don’t want is this terrific lady to go to prison,” said Dowd, “and be forced to stay there while we fight for an appeal. There is no reason for that. All we want is the right to present the evidence. We’re only asking for a fair trial by jury.”

LOOKING BACK

“When I think of life before, I just stop and try to think of life now. It’s so much better. I am safe. I may go to prison. But my kids and my family they are safe.” Then Barbara Sheehan comments on the irony. “Ray always told me that I could never escape him. He used to say that the ADA’s and the judges and the police ‘they all stick together Barbara.’ Now I see he was right—it’s as though he were reaching out from the grave.”

Photos: More than 400 rounds of ammunition recovered by police from Raymond Sheehan’s nightstand following his death. Following Raymond Sheehan’s death, investigators found evidence of his perverse sexual encounters with transvestites and crossdressers. Among things recovered were costumes (as shown above) and records of meetings with she-male sex partners discovered on the hard drive of his computer.

Barbara Sheehan Speaks

By Patricia Adams

This week The Forum brings you an exclusive interview with Barbara Sheehan, who is charged in the shooting death of her husband, retired NYPD Sgt. Raymond Sheehan.

Sheehan and her attorney, Michael Dowd, speak candidly about his murder, and how a judge’s recent decision could destroy their defense strategy.

The mother of two has been free on $1 million bail since the February 2008 shooting at the family’s Howard Beach home and is expected to stand trial in early 2010.

For the first time the defense speaks about questionable behavior by attorneys for the prosecution and discusses how the judge’s disapproval of Dowd’s tactics may affect the case.

The murder sent shockwaves through the quiet community but has since faded from the headlines. However, a recent decision by the judge in the case has thrust the story back into the news.

“We’re in trouble.” That is how defense attorney Michael Dowd describes what he terms the devastating consequences of the decision handed down by Justice Arthur Cooperman which will prohibit the testimony of expert witnesses in establishing the post traumatic stress disorder and battered woman’s syndrome defense in the murder trial of his client, Barbara Sheehan.

In the decision handed down on November 10, Cooperman cited “defense counsel’s disregard of this Court’s orders,” and “transparent excuses for delay and for disrupting a July 28 interview.” But Dowd says those claims are absolutely not true. “We went a long way to try to get the information about this case and the history to the psychologist. I personally spoke to Barbara’s family and friends urging them to cooperate by speaking with the prosecution psychologist, Dr. Kathy Yates,” he said.

Dowd explained further that there was some hesitancy at first because prosecution attorney Debra Pomodore had stated to a neighbor that Barbara was a murderer and that her children were liars. “Despite word of the prosecution’s comments, all of the family, including Barbara’s parents and both of her kids still agreed to speak with Dr. Yates,” said Dowd.

That interview, scheduled for July 28, is now a hotbed of controversy because of a series of events that occurred during the course of the day, subsequently causing the collapse of the process and leading to the “emotional breakdown” of Sheehan. The judge attributed the disturbances to Michael Dowd’s actions on that day, but the attorney says he wasn’t even there until after twelve noon.

“That morning my associate, Niall Giollabhui was there with Barbara. I was to get there later. He was checking out the rooms where the interviews were going to take place. He saw Debra Pomodore sit down on the couch and start talking to Barbara. That violates the disciplinary rules — no attorney is supposed to engage another’s client in conversation, especially an adversary,” said Dowd.

When the attorney crossed the room to find out what was going on, Pomodore told him she was just asking Barbara what she wanted for lunch. Barbara Sheehan didn’t wait long to tell her attorney what had happened.

“I told Niall she [Pomodore] was lying. What she said to me on that couch was “I want you to do your best in there. I know you are a very religious woman and you’re going to tell the truth because you’re so religious. I know you’ll tell the truth and it will all come out,” Sheehan said.

Sheehan continued, “I knew what she was doing. She had never even said hello to me in the courtroom. She never even acknowledged me and now she was talking to me this way... She was using some interrogation techniques... To me she was saying that I had been lying all along and now was the time when I could tell the truth.”

Barbara Sheehan described the encounter with Pomodore and her assistant Donna Aldea as what upset her so deeply on that day. “They’re saying it’s Mr. Dowd’s fault. But he had nothing to do with it. If anything he calmed me down. What caused problems that day was the behavior of Debbie Pomodore and Aldea.”

Sheehan qualified her remarks, “She started to talk loudly walking up and down the hallway — listen, she was saying, this has to get done here today. The room wasn’t ready and the camera was not set up.”

According to Barbara Sheehan, prosecutor Debbie Pomodore was acting wildly. Sheehan went on to say that Pomodore’s rant set her on edge.

“By the time I finally got in with Dr. Yates, I was physically sickened. I broke down with the first question she asked me. I asked permission to go to the bathroom. Aldea, Debbie Pomodore’s assistant was there and followed me to the bathroom. I wanted to be alone in the bathroom; to wash my face and compose myself. But she came right up behind me. I sat there in the stall to be by myself but when I came out she was just standing there waiting for me.”

Prior to the interview there was an abundance of psychological testing conducted by experts hired by Sheehan’s defense team. A judge’s order forced them to share all notes from such interviews with the prosecution prior to trial. “I fought that order because that was in the best interest of my client, but in the end the judge ruled and we had to turn over all the notes. Of course we complied,” explained Dowd.

Now Dowd says he is faced with the monumental task of coming up with a defense that will offer his client what he says is everyone’s entitlement. A fair trial.

At the heart of the objections from the defense team is the fact that the prosecution has all the benefit of the expert testimony from the notes that were provided them however, the same experts will not have the opportunity to explain the complex and dark details of Battered Woman’s Syndrome to a jury of Sheehan’s peers.

“We are not going to get any abuse victims on the jury," Dowd predicted. "The average person could not possibly know the level of sickness that is associated with the abusers and those they batter. Because of this and because the criminal process does not allow for an appeal before a guilty verdict is rendered by a jury, Barbara could very well end up in jail while waiting for an appeal. She simply doesn’t belong there.”

In next week’s edition we will explore the circumstances leading up to the murder, including years of documented battering Sheehan endured, as well as the events of the February 2008 morning when she shot her husband.

Middle VIllage Man Guilty in Murder Over Drug Deal Gone Bad

By Conor Greene

A Middle Village man and his high school friend have been convicted in Suffolk County in the murder and dismemberment of two Long Island men after a drug deal gone bad.

Darren Lynch, 29, of 68th Avenue, was found guilty of first-degree murder and James Wall, 28, of Coram, was convicted of second-degree murder charges after a jury deliberated for 90 minutes last Friday, according to the Suffolk County district attorney. Both men were also found guilty of first-and-second-degree kidnapping.

During the trial, Lynch testified that he shot and killed Joseph Odierno, 35, of Miller Place, and Jairo Santos, 22, of Washington Heights, because he was “infuriated” that the two men had sold him $30,000 worth of fake cocaine. He admitted on the stand that he shot the men, dismembered their bodies in his Middle Village apartment and buried the body parts behind his parent’s house in Coram.

A third defendant in the case, Lynch’s 24-year-old live-in girlfriend, Leah Reynolds, pleaded guilty in May to weapons possession and hindering prosecution charges and will be sentenced at a later date. However, the couple also faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon and drug possession in Queens as a result of items found in the 68th Avenue apartment following the murders, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.

Reynolds was arraigned on the ten-count indictment on October 19 and is due back in court in December, while a warrant has been issued for Lynch’s arrest on those charges.

In Suffolk County, Lynch faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole and Wall faces up to 25 years in prison. District Attorney Thomas Spota said the people will recommend maximum sentences for each at their formal sentencing on December 11.

Authorities say the trouble began when Lynch asked Odierno, Santos and a third man, later identified as Ricardo McKoy, to sell him a kilo of cocaine. After paying th dealers $30,000, he realized the bag contained sugar and baking powder, at which point he pulled a gun on Odierno, Santos and McKoy and forced them to drive him to Washington Heights to find the sellers who ripped him off.

McKoy was able to get away after Lynch instructed him to go inside the apartment to find the dealers. Lynch then brought Odierno and Santos to his Middle Village apartment, where he tied them up and shot them several times. He then placed the bodies in the bathtub and cut them up before transporting them to Long Island. Police accused Reynolds of helping Lynch transport the bodies and hiding three handguns at her parent’s Long Island home.

The investigation moved forward when Odierno’s wife activated the OnStar tracking system on her husband’s Cadillac several days after his disappearance and tracked the vehicle to Middle Village. The break in the case came when police located McKoy, who told them that Lynch had kidnapped Odierno and Santos.

Arrest in Fatal Shooting of 13-Year-Old Bystander

Police have announced an arrest in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old on Linden Boulevard near a Queens high school.

Nnonso Ekwegbalu, 16, of 183rd Street in Springfield Gardens has been charged with second-degree murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with evidence in connection with the shooting last Friday. He was arraigned on the charges Monday in Queens Criminal Court and ordered held without bail. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison and is due back in court on October 19.

Ekwegbalu is accused of shooting his weapon in front of 208-15 Linden Boulevard at about 3:15 p.m. in the direction of three unarmed teens with whom he had just been fighting. The three teens, who are known to the district attorney’s office, were running from the scene with the defendant opened fire. One of the bullets struck innocent bystander Kevin Miller in the head, killing him, and a second bullet struck an employee of a nearby car wash in the left thigh. Authorities say neither Miller nor the second victim were involved in the altercation. Ekwegbalu was arrested the following day by officers from the 105th Precinct.

“This case is another example of the mindless gun-related violence that too often takes innocent lives and recklessly endangers public safety,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “It is alleged that the 16-year-old defendant had an altercation with some other teenagers and fired a handgun, cutting short the life of an innocent 13-year-old child and injuring a second teenager.”

Both teenagers were students at Humanities and the Arts Magnet High School in Cambria Heights. Surveillance video showed that Miller, who just entered his freshman year, was struck while walking towards a nearby McDonalds restaurant. Ekwegbalu had no prior criminal record.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has pushed for stiffer gun control laws, weighed in on the incident to reporters. “I don’t know when we’re going just as a society finally say enough is enough... I don’t know what we have to do to get people to understand guns shouldn’t be in the hands of children,” he said.

Miller died at Long Island Jewish Medical Center several hours after the shooting. The other victim, a 17-year-old, was treated and released from North Shore Hospital.

The Forum Newsgoup/photo by ROBERT STRIDIRON

Man Charged in Immigration and Real Estate Fraud

Posed as ICE Agent; Stole $1 Million from Nearly a Dozen Victims

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by Port Authority Police Superintendent Michael A. Fedorko, held a press conference on Tuesday to announce that a Queens resident posing as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal government agent has been charged with defrauding nearly a dozen members of Queens County’s West Indian community out of more than $1 million. The defendant allegedly promised to assist them in obtaining “federally seized” properties at cheap prices or to help them get legal status in this country.

The defendant has been identified as Shane Ramsundar, 49, of 101-35A 120th Street in Richmond Hill, He is presently awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens, and is charged in two criminal complaints involving eleven alleged victims with the crimes of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud and first-degree criminal impersonation of a public servant. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

“Our immigrant community can be especially vulnerable to deception and fraud,” said District Attorney Brown, “when someone promises to help them navigate the process of obtaining the necessary documents to work and remain in the United States or get ahead by dealing in real estate.”

The DA explained that immigrants are often in a situation where they are earning very little money, having to work at more than one job. People put their faith and their finances in the hands of Ramsundar. According to DA Brown he “turned their American Dream into the American nightmare by ripping them off. They now face an uncertain future.”

Port Authority Police Superintendent Fedorko commented on the effectiveness of the investigation. “This is a classic case of good police work begetting good police work. Earlier this year, Detective Dewan Maharaj worked a great case involving an immigration scam. The hard work and integrity he brought to that investigation led victims in this case to come forward and seek his aid. The Port Authority Police Department responded with a careful and thorough investigation and I congratulate all of our PAPD officers on an excellent arrest.”

According to one of the complainants, Pete Baldeo, the owner of a tattoo parlor located at 127- 03 101st Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens, met Ramsundar in May 2008 after employing his teenage daughter at the store, which is a neighborhood gathering place for West Indian nationals.

At the time, Ramsundar allegedly identified himself as an agent for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) who was on loan to the FBI and Homeland Security as an undercover agent. Ramsundar allegedly showed Baldeo a Homeland Security badge and a black automatic handgun which he wore on his hip. It is alleged that Ramsundar told Baldeo and others in Baldeo’s presence, that he could use his insider access to get people green cards, have them removed from deportation lists and even get them off “terrorist watch lists” in exchange for sums of money.

For example, it is alleged that Samih Zabib, who is in the United States legally under the country’s amnesty program, met with Ramsundar in February 2008. Zabib allegedly hadreceived notice that his work authorization was not being renewed and he was petrified at being deported after raising his family and operating a business here for 22 years.

Ramsundar allegedly told Zabib that he could get him, a friend and a relative permanent legal status in the form of resident alien cards, though it would cost $42,000 and a one-time money order “processing fee” for $1,010 made out to U.S. Immigration and Customs. It is alleged that the money order was never cashed but merely requested so that it would appear that Ramsundar was legitimately processing the applications.

Ramsundar allegedly told Zabib he should act fast because he was from Lebanon and was now on the top of the terrorist watch list to be deported. It is alleged that due to Ramsundar’s threats of imminent deportation, Zabib decided not to go to court but instead provide Ramsundar with his actual immigration documents, his identifying and immigration paperwork and a total of $43,010 in cash in order for him to stop their deportation and enhance their immigration statuses.

When Zabib questioned Ramsundar why he had not received any official communications from the U.S. government, Ramsundar allegedly provided him with a phony case number that he could use to log onto the Immigration website. Zabib and the two others have never received any change in status from the U.S. government.

The complaint further alleges that Ramsundar repeatedly claimed to be able to help other victims with various immigration problems, including fixing expired tourist and student visas and, in one instance, offering to help a man who feared deportation following a divorce from his wife who was an American citizen. He allegedly told all of his victims he could obtain permanent resident status for them in exchange for large sums of money. In total, Ramsundar allegedly received a total of $237,030 from eight victims.

In a second complaint, Ramsundar is alleged to have stolen a total of $855,000 from four individuals – including one he allegedly defrauded in the immigration scam – through two real estate deals. In his guise as an ICE agent, Ramsundar allegedly informed Baldeo and Zabib that he could gain access to federally seized real estate properties in Florida, which they could purchase for minimal fees and then sell for large profits. Further allegations state that he showed Baldeo photographs of several houses and even planned a trip so they could view the properties and attend the closings but cancelled the trip at the last minute. It is alleged that Baldeo and Zabib paid Ramsundar $445,000 and $210,000, respectively, in cash and checks and never received title or ownership documents for the promised real estate.

The complaint further alleges that, in March 2007, Kowlessar Mahadeo and Ramish Ramcharran met with Ramsundar, who claimed he worked for the FBI. Ramsundar allegedly drove them around Queens and showed them residential properties that purportedly had been seized by the federal government. Having agreed to purchase the Queens properties and one in Florida, it is alleged that Mahadeo and Ramcharran signed three actual contractual agreements entitled “co-purchasing agreements” and “confidential agreement,” which had been provided by the defendant and listed the amounts they had to pay Ramsundar. In total, Ramsundar allegedly received $92,000from Mahadeo purportedly for the properties and a government-seized Mercedes Benz, and $108,000 from Ramcharran for the properties. Neither man received any title to, or ownership or possession of the properties or car.

District Attorney Brown said that today’s case was initiated when its alleged victims read press reports last month about the sentencing of Port Authority janitorial worker Nazim (“Tony”) Hosein who had defrauded five members of the West Indian community by promising to expedite and produce legitimate green cards and other U.S. documents after collecting a total of nearly $100,000 from them. As a result of that unrelated case, the alleged victims in the instant case contacted the Port Authority Police with information about Ramsundar.

Failure is NOT an Option: A Woman's Journey to Save Her Son

By Patricia Adams

Tracy Catapano-Fox is one of those people who almost need another business card to accommodate her full job title: Principal Law Clerk to the Administrative Judge, Civil Term of the Supreme Court State of New York - to be exact. And what does it all mean? Simply, Catapano-Fox works with Justice Jeremy Weinstein, running the Queens Supreme courthouse.

If you ask her what the job entails, Fox effortlessly rattles off a list of responsibilities that could exhaust a mere listener. Her job is to assist Justice Weinstein in the day-today operation of the courthouse which includes overseeing more than 500 judicial and non-judicial employees. She schedules the cases, organizes the calendar, is the research program administrator for the foreclosure program and handles matrimonial and commercial remediation. Yet another task is overseeing the film schedule at the courthouse, a very popular location for shooting movies and television. Oh and on Wednesdays during her lunch hour, the former aerobics instructor teaches a yoga class that’s open to employees at the courthouse.

At 35 years old, the wife and mother of two boys became the youngest ever President of the Queens Women’s Bar Association in June.

The lifelong Howard Beach resident has loved the law for her whole life. “I always wanted to be a dancer or a judge.” Although she treasures the years spent at Joe Stamford’s Dance Studio in Howard Beach, it was St. John’s University and Boston College Law that led her on a career path which started in the office of Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

After time spent as a prosecutor she worked for a law firm before taking a position as the Principal Law Clerk to another Howard Beach native, Supreme Court Justice Augustus Agate. “Tracy is one of the best attorneys I have ever known,” said Judge Agate. “It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with her and when she gets to the bench she will be a fantastic judge herself.”

To be a judge is the one thing that Catapano-Fox really looks forward to, as is obvious in the passion she exudes when speaking about the law she so loves. But as obvious as is her professional passion, there is something far more emotional for Tracy Catapano-Fox, the sons she shares with husband Charlie, eight-year-old Benjamin and five-year-old Ethan.

“Ethan’s my miracle and Benjamin is my blessing,” reveals Tracy who goes on to explain the designations for her two sons. “If Benjamin wasn’t such a great kid, I would never have had the time to do as much as I did to save Ethan.” Benjamin is further described by his mother as “the happiest kid in the world,” “the best kid on the planet,” and just a “good soul.”

The miracle associated with Ethan however, did not come as easily as Benjamin’s great personality. “When Ethan was 18 months it was bad,” Catapano-Fox began, “I had Ben and I kind of knew what a typical child would be like.” But things were not like they had been with Ben. Tracy told her husband before Ethan’s 18-month checkup what she thought. “Charlie,” she said, “we’re going to have a problem.”

The painful realization of what lay ahead was revealed when Tracy responded to her husband’s query. “What do you mean we’re going to have a problem?” he asked. Tracy answered her husband, “He doesn’t look at us. He doesn’t talk. He doesn’t acknowledge any one in our house. He doesn’t spend any time with us.”

The agony of the situation grew as the couple relived the details of the first 18 months of Ethan’s life. He hadn’t slept more than two consecutive hours in his life. When finally he did sleep it was only because he collapsed from the exhaustion of running around and around and jumping on and off everything in his path. Ethan refused to eat anything but bread, French fries and milk.

“He used to eat so many things,” Tracy recalled, “fruit, vegetables, cookies. Then it just switched off.” His family never heard Ethan speak. The only sounds he ever made were the cries that came from his night terrors. He would scream for three or four hours, and then pass out. Ethan would wake up and start screaming again. “He hated the sound of running water and electrical things,” Tracy explained, “I would hold him and he would bite me 50-60 times a day.”

The family took Ethan to be evaluated. “I didn’t know about autism,” Tracy admits. “The only association I had was headbanging and spinning.” But, she says, she knew that this was a likely diagnosis for Ethan. “When we first went for evaluation, they wouldn’t tell us anything.” She questioned whether it was autism but could not get a definitive answer. Frustrated and with no answers, Tracy decided to take Ethan to an evaluation center for autism in Manhattan. The answers she got didn’t make her happy but they were answers.

At 18-months old Ethan was diagnosed with autism. And from that minute Ethan’s mother started the journey to help her son. The family’s quest to save Ethan began in Rhinebeck, New York with autism specialist Dr. Kenneth Bock.

The ensuing fight against the mysterious disease began shortly after meeting with Dr. Bock who told the Fox’s he thought he could help Ethan.

A little more than three years later, after instituting a gluten-free, casein-free diet, utilizing hyperbaric and chelation therapy, Ethan has been re-evaluated. He is no longer silent. His diet is rich in variety. He talks. He smiles. He laughs. He sleeps. In September he will begin kindergarten at MS 207. Ethan is definably recovered; he shows no signs of autism.

Ethan’s parents are smiling too; as is the rest of his family. And in November, his mother will take some more steps for her son. Tracy Catapano-Fox can be seen nightly running through the streets of Howard Beach as she trains for the New York City marathon in which she will run for Ethan, her miracle, on behalf of Autism Speaks.

For Tracy Catapano-Fox the road back has been marked with a success hardly measurable by any normal standards. A predictable quality about Tracy Catapano-Fox after having spent an hour with her is of course to credit what she terms “an unbelievable support system. That system she says starts with her mother, Linda Catapano.

“For everything good that anyone sees in me, my mother is responsible. She is the greatest person on the planet.” And for Linda Catapano’s daughter, the woman who has managed to run a family and a career without missing a beat, well she is probably best described by a rectangular red button that rests on the base of her computer monitor; it reads simply, “Failure Is Not an Option.”

Transit Cop Sentenced for Public Lewdness

Keeps Pension Despite Incident in Kew Gardens Subway

A former NYPD captain will keep his pension despite pleading guilty to public lewdness after he was charged with exposing himself to a man inside a subway station last year.

Transit Bureau Captain Jeffery Klimas pleaded guilty last October to public lewdness and disorderly conduct after a 20-year-old man accused him of exposing himself inside a bathroom in the Union Turnpike subway station while on-duty in May 2008.

On Monday, he was sentenced to a conditional discharge after completing a court-ordered psychotherapy and resigning from the NYPD, according to a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

The victim told police that he was involved in a romantic relationship with Captain Klimas, 52, who is married and has been on the NYPD since 1983. Under the agreement with the district attorney’s office, he is allowed to keep his full pension but lost 11 vacation days he had accrued before his suspension from the force following his arrest.

Teen Charged with Arson at Kissena Park Golf Course

A 17-year-old Fresh Meadows resident has been charged with arson after allegedly setting a fire at the Kissena Park Golf Course that caused more than $400,000 in damages.

Christopher Casella, of 197-01 58th Avenue, has been charged with 39 counts of third-degree arson and one count of second-degree criminal mischief. He is accused of pouring gasoline and starting a fire that destroyed 38 golf carts and damaged the clubhouse pro shop. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and was awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court after his arrest on Monday morning.

According to the criminal complaint, Casella and two unknown accomplices were caught on video surveillance tapes at the golf course, located on Booth Memorial Avenue, around midnight on June 24. The three are seen climbing over a fence into a parking area where the 38 carts were parked. They then pour liquid over the carts before climbing back over the fence. At that point, a flame comes over the top of the fence onto the park carts and the entire area goes up in flames, according to authorities.

The golf course manager told investigators that a 50-gallon tank containing gasoline used to fuel the carts is kept within the parking area. The damage to the course and equipment is estimated to be in excess of $407,000.

“The defendant is charged with setting a fire that caused extensive damage to a recreational facility that serves the community,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “The fire could easily have caused serious injuries to responding firefighters or any people who may have been on or around the golf course. This was no teenage prank. It is a serious crime that will be dealt with accordingly.”

The investigation took a strange turn when, about five hours after the two-alarm fire was extinguished, police found the body of an Asian man in his 20s hanging from a tree in the woods near the scene. Investigators believe the death was a suicide and is not related to the fire.