March 12, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am excited to announce grant funding for a violence prevention program in Queens County, sponsored by my office. I have stated on numerous occasions that we cannot prosecute our way out of the recent surge of violence that has plagued our borough and our City. We must continue to ensure that we are engaging with the community on meaningful prevention strategies and providing services to our young people so that they can choose a path to education, employment and success. As part of that effort, my office has put out Requests for Proposal (RFP) for qualified applicants to implement the Queens Community Violence Prevention Project. The work solicited in this RFP will advance our goals of improving public safety and promoting a fair and efficient criminal justice system, through the planning and implementation of community-based violence prevention projects. The goals and expected outcomes of funded proposals are to increase community mobilization and messaging around anti-gun violence activities and initiatives, increase community-led responses to denounce violent incidents, develop better connections to support services, increase positive engagements with the NYPD and ultimately reduce violent crime. I urge all those who are interested to visit our - new and improved - website at www.queensda.org for additional information and application download.

In Friendship, Melinda Katz Queens District Attorney

In The Courts

Queens County grand jury indicts car wash employee on vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving charges in death of woman struck while walking to her just-cleaned auto Three professional tax preparers in Queens charged with fraud for filing false returns that cheated city and state Fifth indicted defendant apprehended and charged with conspiracy in million dollar luxury goods heist from JFK Airport in 2020 Queens couple indicted on sex trafficking and other charges for transporting women from Korea and forcing them into prostitution

Protection from Scams and Frauds

Our recent Scam Awareness and Fraud Protection webinar provided an array of useful information on avoiding scams, reporting fraudulent activity, and benefiting from free resources provided by the Internal Revenue Service, the City Department for the Aging, the Office of the City Taxpayer Advocate, and Queens Legal Services. In case you missed it, click here to watch the webinar in full. If you or someone you know may have been a victim of a scam or fraud, please contact our Consumer Fraud helpline at 718-286-6673. If you believe that you have been a victim of an scam or fraud targeting the elderly, call our dedicated Elder Fraud Unit at 718-286-6578. We're here to help.

Information Needed

Almost 22 years ago, Antonia Stassi was found dead in Astoria, Queens and her killer was never found. No matter how much time passes, our quest for justice continues. As part of our weekly call for help, I am asking for any information regarding her death. Contact NYPD Crimestoppers with any information - no matter how insignificant the details may seem. All tips are confidential.

Advocating For Our Rights

The Chinese Christian Herald Crusades, NYC Commission on Human Rights, and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs hosted a virtual seminar titled Asian Voices: Advocating for Our Rights in NYC. I spoke about this office's dedication to protecting all Queens residents, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or who they love. I also encouraged the general public to remain vigilant about reporting hate or bias-motivated crimes to our dedicated Hate Crimes Bureau at 718-286-7010. We're here to help.

First But Not The Last

I had the pleasure of participating in a special panel this week by the Center For The Women of New York, titled "First But Not The Last," to commemorate Women's History Month. I was joined by the NYPD's first female Chief of Patrol, Juanita Holmes, and spoke about my experience of becoming the first woman elected to serve as the Queens County District Attorney. As women, we still face many obstacles, but this month, let us celebrate how far we've come and pay tribute to those who paved the way.

Women's History Month Celebration

On March 25, join our special celebration in honor of March as Women's History Month. We will have the distinct pleasure of hearing from our Keynote Speaker, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, who represents the US Virgin Islands’ at-large Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The program will also include special performances by female artists and recognition of distinguished Queens female community leaders as the honorees. Special thank you to the Queens County Women's Bar Association for co-sponsoring this event. Register today by clicking here.