Seeking Accountability for Sexual Violence, Winston Williams pleaded guilty for stalking and trafficking a woman using coercive tactics. “Traffickers target vulnerable New Yorkers all too often, as this defendant did by specifically seeking out someone with substance use disorders. If you or someone you know has information about forced labor, sexual exploitation, or related forms of coercion, please contact our Human Trafficking Unit at 212-335-3400,” said D.A. Bragg.
Investing in Young New Yorkers Our office is awarding a total of $295,000 to eleven different community-based organizations to fund youth gun violence prevention initiatives this summer! For the fourth consecutive year, this funding will provide community-based organizations the ability to compensate young New Yorkers for engaging in meaningful programs intended to address the root causes of youth gun violence. “Our comprehensive strategy of prevention, collaboration and enforcement has led to a 45% decline in shootings in Manhattan during my tenure,” said D.A. Bragg.
Cracking Down on Ghost Guns Along with Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, we announced new legislation to combat the proliferation of 3D-printed auto sears, which are small, rapid-fire modification devices that can turn a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun. “Auto sears are dangerous weapons that further exacerbate gun violence and need to be treated extremely seriously. Our proposed legislation reflects a comprehensive legislative fix that would give us additional tools to hold people accountable who are using and developing illegal firearms,” said D.A. Bragg.
Prosecuting Gun Violence We announced the trial conviction of Avery Dunning for shooting a 41-year-old woman, who was his neighbor, after she and her husband confronted Dunning about allegedly committing acts of domestic violence against his girlfriend. “A jury of his peers determined that Dunning’s extremely violent conduct could have been fatal. It is miraculous that the neighbor survived such a horrific act of gun violence, but she continues to suffer from the significant, life altering effects of this shooting,” said D.A. Bragg
So far this year in Manhattan, major crime is down in nearly every category, including shootings and murders. While there is still more work to do, we are continuing to make progress reducing gun violence and keeping our borough safe.
So far this year in Manhattan, major crime is down in nearly every category, including shootings and murders. While there is still more work to do, we are continuing to make progress reducing gun violence and keeping our borough safe.
Seeking Accountability for Violent Crime We announced the prison sentences of three individuals for a conspiracy to rob and drug people outside of Manhattan nightclubs, which led to the deaths of John Umberger and Julio Ramirez. “We will never be able to undo the tragic losses of Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Umberger, but I hope these significant prison sentences can provide some closure to their loved ones,” said D.A. Bragg.
Jesse Diaz Ramos was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for stabbing a 32-year-old transgender woman after calling her an anti-gay slur. “Ramos, emboldened by his biases, selected and assaulted the victim, seriously injuring and traumatizing her,” said D.A. Bragg.
Muslim Brunson was indicted for allegedly attacking two women in broad daylight in SoHo. “These unprovoked attacks are deeply disturbing, and I hope the victims continue to heal from these terrifying assaults. Random acts of violence have no place in our city, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep Manhattan safe,” said D.A. Bragg.
We also announced the indictment of nine members of the alleged “Fast Life” criminal enterprise for a wide range of alleged street crimes and financial fraud, including homicides, gunpoint robberies, and stealing money through fraudulent checks. “The combination of street crime and financial fraud is incredibly dangerous, and we utilized our significant expertise in these areas to unravel this criminal enterprise and hold them accountable,” said D.A. Bragg.
Standing Up for Vulnerable New Yorkers We announced the guilty plea of an Upper West Side doorman, for stealing approximately $477,685 from a retired New York City schoolteacher and her husband. “Using more than two dozen stolen checks, Alfredo Mateo depleted the bank accounts these New Yorkers built over the course of decades of hard work,” said D.A. Bragg.
When bad actors take advantage of immigrant New Yorkers, we hold them accountable. Read more in D.A. Bragg’s op-ed in El Diario on our efforts to protect “hardworking New Yorkers who are targeted and exploited because they are perceived as vulnerable.”
Welcoming Our Summer Interns and Law Fellows We were excited to welcome our 2025 Summer College Interns and Law Fellows! Over the next few months, they will work closely with our Assistant District Attorneys and professional staff to gain first-hand experience with the criminal justice system.
Driving Forward our Legislative Priorities “I’m hopeful that the improvements to the discovery statute give us the tools we need to reverse the skyrocketing number of case dismissals we’ve seen in recent years,” said D.A. Bragg. Read D.A. Bragg’s op-ed in the New York Post on the meaningful changes to our state’s discovery laws.
It should not be legally permissible to have sex with someone who is so intoxicated that they cannot reasonably consent, no matter how they became intoxicated. Watch Inside City Hall to learn more about the pending legislation to close the voluntary intoxication loophole in our state’s rape laws as we continue to urge the New York State Assembly to pass the bill.
D.A. Bragg, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Tony Simone held a briefing on the SUPPORT Act, which will mandate the assignment of a care management team to individuals whose misdemeanor cases were dismissed by operation of law after being found unfit to stand trial.
Cracking Down on Fraud and Theft, Michael Lauchlan and Gary Zaydman were indicted for an alleged conspiracy to steal from customers of Coin Dispute Network, their allegedly fraudulent cryptocurrency asset recovery business. “As alleged, these defendants conspired to use Coin Dispute Network to defraud dozens of people desperate to retrieve their cryptocurrency, and used lies and deception to steal from nine New Yorkers,” said D.A. Bragg.
We were honored to be recognized by the Prosecutors’ Center for Excellence for our work with our law enforcement partners, business leaders, and community partners, and our retail theft strategy to “effectively prosecute offenders who are causing the most loss.”
Connecting With Our Community Students in the HeartShare St. Vincent's Services’ American Dream Program visited our office as they talked to D.A. Bragg about their career interests and learned more about our work by touring our Early Case Assessment Bureau and the courts.
D.A. Bragg stopped by the Team Roc and United Justice Coalition’s 3rd Annual Summit as they brought people together to learn about how we can collaborate to positively impact our communities and make our criminal justice system fairer.
As the school year comes to an end, we welcomed a dozen students from Talent Unlimited High School to learn more about our office’s work and tour the courts!
D.A. Bragg also stopped by our annual Washington Heights Senior Safety and Wellness fair as we provided health and public safety-related resources and helped seniors shred sensitive documents in Washington Heights.
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Manhattan DA Newsletter
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