QUEENS, NY – District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday that James Fraley, a 73-year-old St. Albans resident, has been convicted of attempted murder and drug and weapon possession charges. The charges stem from a 2021 shooting of a deli owner in Briarwood and subsequent discovery of significant quantities of heroin in Fraley’s residence. Fraley was on lifetime parole for a 1989 murder conviction at the time of the offenses.
On Thursday, August 12, 2021, Fraley entered Rojas Deli on 146-10 Hillside Avenue, shot the owner, Rufino Rojas-Flores, in the chest, and then demanded cash from the owner’s daughter, who was working behind the counter. After fleeing with the money, Fraley was later identified from surveillance footage and a wanted poster. Upon his arrest, officers found two guns and more than 12 ounces of heroin in Fraley’s home. Sentencing is set for June 16, and Fraley faces up to 55 years in prison.