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January 13, 2023

Happy New Year everyone!

I wish you prosperity, good health, joy and peace.

It is my strongest wish that 2023 be the year of turnaround in crime in the Bronx.

Shootings declined 10 percent in 2022, but there were still an unacceptable 408 shooting incidents with 484 victims.

Just one shooting ensures fear, trauma, and loss for a community. Too many young lives are being taken, too many neighborhoods are bearing the brunt of relentless gunfire.

We will continue in our laser-focused efforts to address gun violence, as well as crimes against children, gender-based violence, retail theft, economic crimes and alternatives to incarceration.

Here is a look back at some of the progress the Office has made in our mission to Pursue Justice with Integrity.

We look forward to your support and partnership in the coming year.

In service,

Darcel D. Clark

In 2022, a 23-year-old man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking 73 weapons and high-capacity magazines to the Bronx and Manhattan, where they were sold to an undercover NYPD officer. The defendant, originally from the Bronx, was attending Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee and transported guns from the South in duffle bags by bus.

In partnership with the US Drug Enforcement Administration of New York and Homeland Security Investigations New York, we indicted two Blood-affiliated gang members for selling 33 weapons to an undercover officer. The four-month long investigation recovered 25 semi-automatic pistols, five revolvers, three assault weapons, and15 large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

We will continue working to ensure those who threaten public safety face consequences for their actions. 

NBC News: College student indicted on over 300 counts after allegedly selling guns to undercover officer

Last year, we hosted and participated in anti-gun violence marches and a gun buyback event with the community to bring awareness to gun violence. We are thankful to have partnerships with the NYPD and many community organizations like Guns Down Life Up, Stand Up to Violence, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (BRAG) and Bronx Youth Peace Congregation.

In a unique partnership with the Osborne Association, we conducted the Bronx Osborne Gun Accountability and Prevention (BOGAP) program. This program is for people between ages 16-30 who have open cases in the Bronx Supreme or Criminal Court for a first-time felony charge of loaded-gun possession. First time offenders mandated to BOGAP in a plea deal are enrolled into a workshop training program to assist with legitimate employment, skills development, and personal growth. Through holistic intervention, the program seeks to prevent and reduce community violence and crime, and to transform participants’ attitudes and beliefs. The first group of nine offenders have completed the program and can move on with their lives. 

The long road to justice ended in 2022 as two leaders of the Trinitarios gang were convicted of second-degree Murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Six defendants pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter for their role in the fatal stabbing of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz and will be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12-18 years. The other five defendants are in state prison serving up to life sentences for the June 2018 murder.

In partnership with the NYPD, we indicted 20 G-side/Drilly gang members for murder, stabbings and non-fatal shootings that occurred over the span of three years. The defendants are prominent figures in the drill rap scene and boasted about the acts of violence they or their associates executed in music videos, which were posted on YouTube. A total of 18 guns were seized in the investigation.

ABC-7 Here and Now: the fight for NFL diversity, Bronx DA lays out her plan to curb gun violence

News 12: Power & Politics: Drill rap and gun violence

ABC-7: Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark urges Mastercard, Visa to cut ties with ghost gun sellers

As local and national officials tackle the complex issues of management, oversight and reform at Rikers Island, our office continues to attain justice for crime victims there. In 2022, we prosecuted dozens of cases at Rikers Island, including attacks committed by inmates against inmates, inmates on staff, as well as misconduct by Department of Correction Officers.

Bronx Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Punching NYC DOC Officer in Rikers Island Jail

Rikers Island Inmate Indicted for Attempting to Rape a Nurse in the Jail and for Forcibly Touching a Female DOC Officer

NYC Department of Correction Captain, Three Officers Indicted for Reckless Endangerment in Rikers Island Inmate’s 2019 Suicide Attempt

We prosecuted those who sexually assaulted, abused, or trafficked minors. In 2022, we attained a 10-year prison sentence for a man who sex trafficked a woman and teenage girl. A Bronx man was indicted for raping two women and sexually assaulted a third woman in his home; one victim was rescued after seeking help through a food delivery app. In 2022, there were more than 900 arrests for crimes against children and sex crimes last year, and of these our Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau drafted and prosecuted 664 cases, including 350 sex offenses. We will continue fighting for justice for adults and children who are sexually abused. 

Our Office has stepped up its outreach and support efforts last year to better aid victims of crimes. In 2022, our Crime Victims Assistance Bureau (CVAB) served more than 16,000 clients and therapist served more than 1100 clients. We are enhancing our services further in 2023, with outreach to gunshot victims and other response efforts. We look forward to helping and protecting crime victims in every way that we can. 

Fairness and integrity are values that must be upheld in our criminal justice system in order for true justice to prevail. After former NYPD detective Joseph Franco was charged with perjury in Manhattan, our Conviction Integrity Bureau reviewed and dismissed 257 convictions that were reliant upon his testimony and sworn statements. “His compromised credibility suggests a lack of due process in the prosecution of these defendants,” said District Attorney Clark. "Consequently, our Office could not stand behind those convictions."

The criminal charges against Franco are currently pending and he is awaiting trial.

NBC 4-NY: 500 NYC Convictions to Be Tossed Based on Cop's Alleged Perjury, DA Says

In 2022, there were 1,542 complaints of catalytic converter thefts in the Bronx. A woman died in a car accident near Yankee Stadium caused by a group of men who were being chased by police; they had numerous converters in their vehicle. Our Office teamed up with the NYC Police Foundation and the NYPD Patrol Borough Bronx to host a free event that etched serial numbers onto people’s catalytic converters. It’s a small step in helping law enforcement track and deter thieves. That day, we etched serial numbers on the catalytic converters of 300 cars.

Watch District Attorney Clark's News 12 interview on stopping catalytic converter thefts here.

We value our business community. In the past year retail stores were being devastated by theft.. Our Crime Strategies Bureau has arrest alerts for the top 57 recidivists for retail theft in the Bronx. Among the 57 priority recidivists, 17 (30%) are now incarcerated, 6 (11%) have taken treatment pleas, and 16 (28%) have pending cases. Our Office is working with Bronx Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the Retail Council, and loss prevention officers at big retail chains like Target, Burlington, and Rite Aid, as well as supermarket owners and smaller stores to prioritize the prosecution and treatment of the persistent recidivists.

Bronx Times: Adams hosts summit to combat retail theft across Five Boroughs

We held our first Bronx Mental Health and Criminal Justice Summit. We brought together representatives from state and city agencies, the courts, prosecution, defense, corrections, and mental health experts and boots-on-the-ground providers of crisis care to find solutions to the emergency in our Bronx communities. “I want to see a criminal justice system in the Bronx that provides treatment and services to people with mental health disorders and collaborates with community partners and clinicians to provide mental health services BEFORE they enter the criminal justice system,” said District Attorney Clark.

New York Amsterdam News: Bronx DA Darcel Clark holds inaugural mental health and criminal justice summit

Providing support and resources to our Bronx community is fundamental in manifesting positive change. More than 300 people attended our 5th Annual Child Safety Fair. As children got their face painted or played in a bouncy house, parents got information about the New York State Safe Child Identification Card and other resources to keep their kids safe.

At our 5th Annual 5K Run/Walk/Roll to End Domestic Violence, more than 300 people united against domestic violence. Survivors shared their stories of overcoming their circumstances to urge others to seek help.

At our 5K Run/Walk/Roll to End Gun Violence, more than 350 people gathered to say no more guns in our communities. No more needless pain caused by senseless thoughtless careless acts. We are all in this together and our Office looks forward to hosting these events again this year.