May 22, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This past weekend, we hosted our 13th gun buyback event at the Southern Baptist Church in East Elmhurst where we collected 108 guns.

These are weapons that will never be used to kill or injure. Each firearm collected represented a step toward safer neighborhoods and fewer instances of senseless gun violence.

Participants are given the opportunity at buybacks to drop off a working firearm in exchange for a bank card preloaded with cash with no questions asked.

This single event – co-sponsored with our partners at the NYPD and the Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James – resulted in the removal of 53 pistols, 31 revolvers, six assault weapons, six rifles, four derringers, three shotguns, one ghost gun and four other types of guns.

Since 2020, we have removed a total of 849 firearms through gun buyback events.

My top priority will always be keeping you and your loved ones safe.

In Friendship,

Melinda Katz

Queens District Attorney

Cases of Interest

• A Buffalo man was sentenced to 21 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for killing his former friend in September 2021 in Ozone Park.
• A defendant who went on a two-week stabbing spree in 2021 that killed one person and injured three others was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and other crimes following a jury trial. The 39-year-old Elmhurst man now faces up to 100 years to life in prison.
• A St. Albans man was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder for the November 2023 stabbing deaths of his girlfriend and two tenants inside the home they all shared. The 56-year-old man faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole at sentencing next month.
• An 18-year-old was arraigned on a murder indictment for the shooting death of Jaden Pierre, a 15-year-old who gathered with other teens at Roy Wilkins Park for a water gun fight. Another teenager is separately charged with punching and kicking the victim prior to the shooting.

More than 1,000 Pounds of Unregulated Cannabis Seized

My office recently seized more than 1,000 pounds of illicit cannabis products and closed a Bayside dispensary on Bell Boulevard that was not licensed to sell marijuana. The estimated value of the recovered items is $10 million.

The sheer volume of unregulated marijuana confiscated from the shop and a second-floor apartment is deeply alarming, particularly because Bell Boulevard is a well-known gathering area for families and teenagers.

This operation recovered more than 526 pounds of cannabis flower, 417 pounds of THC vapes, 284 pounds of cannabis edibles, 17 pounds of THC concentrate, 1,635 pounds of flavored tobacco vapes and 101 pounds of other tobacco products. Two people were arrested on felony-level charges.

After hearing from concerned community members, we investigated and shuttered the location as part of our ongoing enforcement efforts with the NYPD/NYC Sheriff Cannabis Task Force.

Information Wanted

If you have any information about the shooting death of Cleopatra Barlow, who was gunned down near 230th Place and 145th Avenue in Rosedale nearly 32 years ago, please contact NYPD Crimestoppers by calling 800-577-TIPS, or through the online form.

It is never too late for justice.

Memorial Day Remembrance

Memorial Day is an opportunity for our entire nation to reflect on the true heroes of America – those who sacrificed and served to ensure the freedoms we enjoy.

Yesterday we gathered at Elmhurst Park for our annual Memorial Day Observance. I had the privilege of honoring Seymour Schwartz, a World War II Army and Navy veteran; Michael Daughtry, a Vietnam War Army veteran; and Corporal Emmitt Henry, a Marine who served during the Sharp Edge, Desert Storm and Provide Comfort operations.

We also placed a memorial wreath to remember those no longer with us.

116th Precinct Community Room Dedication

It was a pleasure to join NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch and other elected officials for the dedication of the 116th Precinct's community room named in honor of Bess DeBetham. Mrs. DeBetham is a long-time and dedicated community advocate who fought for the creation of the 116th Precinct, which opened its doors in 2024.

Meeting with the 109th Precinct Community Council

It is important that people meet prosecutors in their communities and not just in the courthouse. I recently spoke at the regular meeting of the 109th Precinct Community Council at Saint Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Flushing.

I updated community members about emerging frauds and scams that target the elderly, and ways to protect themselves from being victims of deed fraud. 

QDA Mobile Office is Coming to South Ozone Park

Meeting Queens residents where they live and gather, the DA’s Mobile Office provides a perfect opportunity to get the answers you need.

Members of the DA's office meet with the public at area libraries, answer questions and provide information on available resources. The next stop for the Mobile Office is on May 28 at the South Ozone Park branch.