Crime

Another Day, Another NYC Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing A Student

In what now has become a trend, another New York City teacher is accused of sexually abusing a student.The latest alleged pervert is 29-year-old Rafael Sosa, who currently is accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old student at a Harlem elementary school.According to authorities, Sosa sexually abuse ... More >>

Plaza Hotel Rapist/Pal Of Saudi Prince Gets 10 Years In Prison. "Rape Cop" Michael Pena Will Die Behind Bars

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced yesterday that a pal of a Saudi prince was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2010 rape of a bartender at the Plaza Hotel -- which is 65 years to life less than the sentence handed down to Michael "Rape Cop" Pena for a vicious sexual attack on ... More >>

Rashad Tucker, Mattiyas Letang, Teen Inmates, Slashed in Troubled Adolescent Jail

Two teen inmates were slashed Saturday in the latest violent incident at the troubled jail for adolescents on Rikers Island, the Voice has learned. The gang-related incident took place in the law library at the Robert N. Davoren Center, which likely means that the attackers were able to slip weapon ... More >>

Brower Boys Street Gang "Taken Down" Thanks To Facebook And Stupid (Alleged) Criminals

Here's a tip for any potential criminals out there: don't bicker about the proceeds of robberies you've committed on Facebook. Believe it or not, cops also have access to Facebook, and monitor it for dopes dumb enough to announce to the world that they're criminals.That said, more than a dozen membe ... More >>

Netas Gangsters "Boobie," "J-Live," And "Lae" Charged In 2004 Shotgun Murders

Three members of the Netas, a street gang that's found its way from the prisons of Puerto Rico to the streets of New York, have been indicted on murder charges in the 2004 shotgun slayings of two rival gangsters.According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the three gangsters -- Alvaro Cabral, a.k.a. "B ... More >>

New York: Come For The Bagels, Stay For The Perfectly Legal Kiddie Porn

Attention, perverts: if you like kiddie porn, you'll love New York.Probably not the slogan New York State tourism officials were hoping for, but New York has (un)-officially become the Kiddie Porn State thanks to a ruling from the New York State Court of Appeals Tuesday that determined viewing kiddi ... More >>

"Rape Cop" Michael Pena's Not The Only Former NYPD Officer Headed To Prison

Former NYPD officer Michael "Rape Cop" Pena's not the only former cop headed to the hoosegow -- former NYPD officer Emmanuel Tavarez is the second former cop this week who's about to make the jump from officer to inmate. Unlike Pena, Tavarez, 33, didn't violently sexually assault a defenseless schoo ... More >>

Is Again Pursuing A Rape Conviction For "Rape Cop" Michael Pena Even Worth The Trouble?

Embarrassment to the badge Michael Pena, also known as "Rape Cop," was sentenced yesterday to 75 years to life in prison for the brutal sexual attack of a young teacher last summer, during which the now-former NYPD officer dragged the woman into an alley at gunpoint and forced her to have sex with h ... More >>

Senator Chuck Schumer Calls on House to Pass the Violence Against Women Act with Key Provisions

Senator Chuck Schumer this morning called on the House to pass a bill called the "Violence Against Women Act," which he says literally saves women's lives. A measure to reauthorize the act was approved by the Senate on Thursday with broad bipartisan support, despite some objections from Republican ... More >>

After Angry Birds Incident, Scott Stringer Writes Letter to Ray Kelly

This is a story about Angry Birds and a Manhattan pol who is probably going to run for mayor in 2013. More specifically, this is a story about an Angry-Birds-inspired police raid that prompted Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to write a letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. On Novem ... More >>

MS-13 Gangster Carlos "Silencio" Ortega Indicted For Attempted Murder Of Voice Source, Murder Of Two Others

The MS-13 gangster who admitted to shooting one of our sources in the head -- and fatally shooting one of his friends -- was formally indicted today by a federal grand jury. Additionally, Carlos "Silencio" Ortega, 22, was indicted in the machete-to-the-face murder of a fellow MS-13 gangster who refu ... More >>

How One Man Survived to Testify Against a Machete Killer

Witness against MS-13

No Rape Conviction For "Rape Cop" Michael Pena Hardly Means He Beat The Rap

​As we reported earlier, former New York City police officer Michael "Rape Cop" Pena has been convicted of several of the top charges against him for the vicious sexual assault of a teacher last summer. However, the jury was deadlocked on whether to convict him of two rape charges -- which is what ... More >>

MS-13 Gangster "Silencio" Earns High Marks For Gang-Name Mystique, Low Marks For Getting Away With Murder

​We're not going to venture to guess what an alleged MS-13 gang member has to do to earn the name "Silencio," but we'll give credit where credit is due: it's a badass friggin' gang name.Unfortunately for "Silencio," a.k.a. Carlos Ortega, 22, his badass gang name probably isn't going to get him off ... More >>

Bronx Pastor Michael Clare Accused Of Raping Teenager...Again

​For the second time in just over a year, Bronx pastor Michael Clare has been hit with charges that he had sex with an underage girl, this time for allegedly raping a 14-year-old who was a student at Harvest Preparatory Academy, where Clare had been the principal (breath easy -- the school told us ... More >>

NYPD's Reporting Problem

Reactions to our 'NYPD Tapes' confirmation came like a swift billy club to the skull

Crooked Cop Michael Carsey Convicted Of Lying To Get Search Warrant

​It sure is disappointing when the people we trust to keep us safe from the dregs of society turn out to be the dregs of society.Enter New York City police officer/convicted crooked cop Michael Carsey, 31, who was convicted this afternoon of lying under oath in order to get a search warrant for th ... More >>

The NYPD Tapes Confirmed

The report police hid for nearly two years that corroborates a Voice investigation — and vindicates a whistle-blower the NYPD tried to destroy

Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes: Scamming Old People Because They're Old Is A Hate Crime

​The best part about ripping off old people is that a lot of the time, they don't even know they're getting ripped off.However, it's still illegal, and, believe it or not, technically is a hate crime -- that's according to Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes, anyway.Hynes has charged a 36 ... More >>

South Beach Sex Offender Warnings!

They're the dark side of the "fun in the sun," harsh words that you might happen to run into while touring the hedonistic yet self-righteously responsible mecca known as Miami's South Beach. The above sign was posted in a park right across from my luxury hotel when I whizzed by this weekend.

NYPD Numbers Show Sharp Increases in Crime So Far This Year

That jump in the citywide crime rate has continued through the sixth week of the year, up over 5 percent so far, with thefts and robbery accounting for the increase. Robberies, burglaries and grand larceny are all up 10 percent citywide. Crime is up through Feb. 12 by double digits in three of the ... More >>

Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Attempted Murder of Ex-Girlfriend

​District Attorney Cyrus Vance has announced that Ramon Lalondriz-Castillo, 26, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision in connection with the shooting of his ex-girlfriend. Lalondriz-Castillo pled guilty to Attempted Murder in the Second Degree. O ... More >>

Bank Robberies Have Almost Doubled in the Last Year in New York City

​While the general message from the Bloomberg administration has been that crime is down, that people are healthier, that everything is groovy, the New York Times City Room blog reports on a crime increase in one area: Bank robberies in New York City nearly doubled from 2010, when there were 2 ... More >>

NYPD, FDNY Year-End Numbers Show Overall Good News, Some Trouble Spots

A bit of good news as the passing of 2011 nears: homicides were down five percent for the year, the overall crime rate was flat, and fires killed just 64 people, the second lowest number of fire fatalities since 1916, the mayor's office says. But the neighborhood crime numbers reveal several trouble ... More >>

Renewed Firestorm Over Orthodox Sex Abuse in Brooklyn

brooklynda.orgKings County District Attorney Charles Hynes​The relationship between Brooklyn's Orthodox and Hasidic communities and law enforcement has always been a delicate one. Our cover story last summer looked at how hard it is for victims of sexual abuse to get past religious leaders and ... More >>

He's No Angel

The federal informant the government doesn't want you to know about

Outrage

Tower Heist: Stealing From the Rich to. . . Make a Funny Movie

Sharon Stapel, Executive Director of the Anti-Violence Project, Named "Champion of Change" by the White House (Q&A)

​Sharon Stapel, the Executive Director of the New York Anti-Violence Project, was named a "Champion of Change" for her work with domestic violence in the LGBT community, the White House announced yesterday. "[I]n honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Valerie Jarrett will join White Hou ... More >>

SlutWalk NYC Preparing to Take Over Union Square

Occupy Wall Street is not the only protest in town. Starting around 11 a.m. today, SlutWalk NYC will be in Union Square Park to challenge sexual violence in New York and abroad. If you're expecting to see every participant strolling the streets dressed in lingerie and stilettos, think again. Organiz ... More >>

Edward De Sear, Law Firm Partner, Charged With Distributing Kiddie Porn

Edward De Sear, via LinkedIn ​Edward De Sear, a top-ranked capital markets lawyer and partner at international firm Allen & Overy, was arrested by the FBI yesterday at his New Jersey home on charges of distributing kiddie porn on the Internet. Reuters reports that he appeared in federal court ... More >>

Who Is — and Isn't — the Sunset Park Rapist?

Three weeks ago, the cops arrested William Giraldo, 24, for allegedly raping one of four women who they think are victims of a serial rapist in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn. But Giraldo (who was arraigned on the day he was supposed to be getting married in Florida) was charged with only one of ... More >>

NYPD Crime Stats: Half The Year Over, Neighborhoods Seeing Spikes in Burglaries and Larcenies

​Well, the year is nearly half over, and it's time to do a bit of handicapping of the city's crime statistics. In general, some sections of the city are experiencing a spike in assaults, and a rash of economic crimes--burglaries and grand larcenies, mainly. Overall, citywide crime, according ... More >>

Long Island Dead Bodies Reward Raised to $25,000

​Way too many bodies have been found since December along the Jones Beach, Gilgo Beach and Ocean Parkway area of Suffolk County, Long Island. The four identified so far -- Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes and Melissa Barthelemy -- are thought to be the work of a Lon ... More >>

NYC District Attorney Busts 25 in Child Porn Ring

​Twenty-five people were charged this afternoon with "possessing images or videos showing the sexual abuse of children," the New York Times reports, as announced by Manhattan district attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. The felony charges include promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessin ... More >>

Long Island Serial Killer Connection: Cocaine?

​This week's issue of New York magazine has the most in-depth feature yet about the serial killer search spooking locals this year, with body after body being found near Long Islando's Gilgo and Jones beaches. Though remains from 10 bodies have been discovered in the area, the case for a seria ... More >>

Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata, NYPD Officers, Found Not Guilty of Rape

Moreno on the stand​There is a verdict in the trial of NYPD officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata, who had been accused of raping a 27-year-old East Village woman they were called to help home on a drunken night in 2008. This comes on the seventh day of deliberations. Moreno, 43, and Mata, ... More >>

Wilbert Elvy, Drunk Driver, Really Quite Insistent on Driving Drunk

​We are fans of drinking, yes, but never drunk driving, because, you know, you could really hurt someone (and often do). Thus it is with great disappointment that we heard the tale of Mount Vernon man Wilbert A. Elvy, 46 (certainly old enough to know better!), who was arrested in the wee hours ... More >>

Long Island Serial Killer Could Have Wife and Kids: A Personality Profile in Order of Surprise

​Serial killer experts, criminologists, an ex-FBI profiler, and two New York Times reporters have worked together to bring us this terrifying personality profile for the man -- yes, he's almost definitely a man -- who could be responsible for the 10 sets of human remains found so far on Long I ... More >>

Long Island Serial Killer Victims, Plus Atlantic City Women, All on Facebook After Death

​Eight murdered women -- four found on Long Island among ten total bodies and four found in Atlantic City years ago -- have all shown up recently in fake Facebook profiles, the Philadelphia Daily News reports today. The creepy and sparse page for Kim Raffo, for example, found in 2006, features ... More >>

Today in El Diario: Murder-Suicides More Common Among Men Than Women

​Women who kill the entire family much rarer than men Murder-suicides and multiple murders are common among victims of domestic violence and their abusers, according to experts interviewed by Spanish-language daily. The news comes shortly after Lashonda Armstrong, 25, drove her car into the ... More >>

Serial Killer Dorothea Puente Is Dead, But Her Cookbook Lives On

Amazon.comFirst class murder, first class recipes​Convicted serial killer Dorothea Puente died in Central California Women's Facility prison on Sunday. But her legacy will live on past her death. And not just the legacy of her murders, but her culinary one. Yes, Cooking with a Serial Killer ... More >>

Anthony Callao, 18, Fatally Beaten in What NYPD Considers a Hate Crime

NY Daily News, via MySpace​The death of Anthony Callao, an 18-year-old who was fatally beaten Saturday night, is being investigated as a hate crime by the NYPD, according the the Daily News. Callao, who had recently graduated from high school, was attending a party in an abandoned house in Wo ... More >>

Brooklyn Heights Residents Reminded to Lock Doors Because They Live in New York City

Lock your doors. Even if you live here. ​This story kind of blows our minds. In Brooklyn Heights, people apparently feel so safe that they don't bother, most of the time, even locking their doors, or their windows. Maybe we're paranoid. (Yes, we're paranoid.) But, come on! It's the city! (We h ... More >>

NYC's Ten Worst Tenants

We hope you don't live next to these people

Jared Loughner Indicted on 49 Counts

​Jared Lee Loughner has been charged with 49 counts by a federal grand jury, Politico reports. The 22-year-old is being charged for the January 8 shooting in Tucson, where he allegedly killed six people and injured thirteen more, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke ... More >>

Lara Logan: The Rape Question, and a Scandalous NYPD Connection

Lara Logan​After news of the vicious attack last Friday in Cairo on CBS reporter Lara Logan, the worms started crawling out of the woodwork. So far, the foremost twit on Twitter has been NYU fellow Nir Rosen, whose crassness cost him his job, as my colleague, Joe Coscarelli, notes. But all this s ... More >>

Ruth Madoff Shunned at Son's Memorial

​When Mark Madoff, son of disgraced Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff, killed himself in December, his mother Ruth traveled to Greenwich, Connecticut for the memorial service, but was not allowed in by Mark's widow Stephanie, according to a report by People appearing in today's New York Post. Instea ... More >>

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day's Eve, Brooklyn Protest Against Recent Shootings of Five Teens

On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Brooklyn residents, clergy, and community leaders held an angry rally in Fort Greene protesting the most recent outbreak of violence in the borough. Among the tragedies prompting the Sunday rally, a 16-year-old girl was shot in the face Saturday in front ... More >>

Violent Robbers in the Bronx — New Ones

Cops are asking for help in finding the jerks responsible for a couple of violent robberies this week in the Bronx, one in the north and the other in Morrisania. On Monday, at about 5:50 p.m., a 74-year-old man was hit from behind by a scumbag at the corner of Park Avenue and Gouverneur Place in ... More >>