QUEENS, NY – After an investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, DA Melinda Katz announced that Gulshan Gandhi, the front desk supervisor of the Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens, was arrested Monday on criminal nuisance charges for allegedly maintaining conditions that endangered the safety and health of hotel guests and the community at large.
“The defendant, who regularly worked as a supervisor for the 9 p.m. through 9 a.m. shift, was in charge during at least three nights of violence at the hotel, including shootings on July 3rd, August 9th and, most recently, a triple shooting on New Year’s Eve that took the life of a 20-year-old man,” DA Katz said. “The defendant allegedly – and repeatedly – allowed unsafe gatherings on the premises of the hotel, even after a shooting left bullet holes in its front door. This hotel has been a danger to the community.”
Gandhi, 68, of Kew Gardens, was arrested for two counts of criminal nuisance in the second degree, a Class B misdemeanor.
He received a Desk Appearance Ticket and will appear in Court at a future date. In addition to the shootings, the Umbrella Hotel has been the subject of several complaints regarding criminal activity, including assault, rape and sex trafficking. Detective Jean-Bernard Remy of the NYPD Queens District Attorney Office Squad is handling the investigation, under the supervision of Lieutenant William Negus. Housing and Worker Protection Bureau Chief William Jorgenson is prosecuting the case under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gerard Brave.
The hotel is currently listed as permanently closed down one week after a fatal shooting.