QUEENS, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has announced the arraignment of Dante Hunter and Shamel Capers following their indictment in connection with the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Joshua Taylor in Middle Village on July 23, 2023. Hunter is charged with murder, and Capers with attempted murder, among other charges.
The incident, which unfolded in the early hours of July 23 last year, began when a friend of Taylor’s threw a drink towards Capers and a friend outside a convenience store, sparking a verbal dispute that escalated into a shootout. Hunter, who joined Capers, is alleged to have fired the round that killed Taylor. The exchange of gunfire resulted in more than two dozen 9 mm shell casings recovered at the scene.
Hunter, 25, of Far Rockaway, faces charges including second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Capers, 24, of Brooklyn, faces charges of attempted murder and weapon possession. Both defendants could face up to 25 years to life if convicted of their respective top charges.
The investigation was spearheaded by Detective Christopher Gerardi of the NYPD’s 104th Precinct Detective Squad and Detective Lizabeth Klein of the Queens North Homicide Squad. Capers was arrested on May 16 in New Jersey and has been extradited to New York to face charges, while Hunter was already in custody on a parole warrant at the time of the indictment. Justice Michael Aloise has scheduled their next court appearance for June 18.
- Brooklyn liquor store sparks TAKE 5 frenzy after lucky ticket hits top prize
Winning Evening drawing ticket was sold at a Fourth Avenue liquor shop
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — One lucky New York Lottery player is holding a winning TAKE 5 ticket worth more than $30K after the top-prize ticket from Thursday night’s drawing was sold at a Brooklyn liquor store.
The winning ticket for the May 21 TAKE 5 EVENING drawing was purchased at Mike’s Liquor, located at 66 4th Ave. in Brooklyn.
Lottery officials said the ticket matched all five numbers drawn during the evening game, securing a top prize worth $30,895.
TAKE 5 numbers are drawn from a field of one through 39. Drawings are televised twice daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Winners of New York Lottery draw games have up to one year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize.
The New York Lottery said it remains the largest and most profitable lottery in North America, contributing $3.6 billion during the 2024-2025 fiscal year to support public schools across New York State.
Officials also reminded players that help is available for gambling addiction through NYProblemGamblingHelp.org, by calling the confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369), or by texting HOPENY to 467369. Standard text messaging rates may apply.
Players must be 18 or older to participate in New York Lottery games.
Key Points
- A top-prize TAKE 5 ticket was sold in Brooklyn Thursday night
- The winning ticket was purchased at Mike’s Liquor on 4th Avenue
- The Evening drawing prize was worth $30,895
- Bronx Gun Trafficking Ring Indicted After Undercover NYPD Buys Assault Rifle and Eight Handguns
Bronx, NY – Four men were indicted in a Bronx gun trafficking operation that allegedly sold nine firearms — including an AR-15-style rifle — to an undercover NYPD officer during a months-long investigation in the Concourse neighborhood, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
The firearms allegedly included seven pistols, a .300 Blackout semi-automatic rifle and another inoperable handgun, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. Investigators also said undercover officers purchased cocaine, oxycodone and alprazolam during the operation.
Prosecutors said one of the alleged gun deals unfolded inside a playground where a loaded handgun was exchanged in broad daylight.
Undercover Operation Targeted Bronx Gun Sales
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the 51-count indictment charging Junior Alvarado, 29, Brandon Suero, 29, Erick Martinez, 24, all of the Bronx, and Tajamar Daishah Hyatt, 29, of Florida.
The defendants face charges including criminal sale of a firearm, conspiracy, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal sale of controlled substances.
“These defendants allegedly provided high-powered pistols, and a semi-automatic rifle that fires ammunition suited for hunting and close-range combat,” Clark said. “They allegedly brought a loaded gun into a playground.”
According to investigators, undercover NYPD detectives conducted a series of purchases between July and November 2025 on East Clarke Place in the Concourse section of the Bronx.
Authorities allege Alvarado acted as the primary seller and is charged with first-degree criminal sale of a firearm for allegedly selling three or more guns within a year.
Key Points
• Four men were indicted after undercover NYPD officers allegedly purchased nine firearms in the Bronx
• Prosecutors said the weapons included an AR-15-style rifle and multiple handguns
• Investigators allege one loaded pistol sale happened inside a Bronx playground
Surveillance Captured Playground Gun Transaction
Investigators said the alleged trafficking conspiracy involved multiple suppliers who provided firearms for resale.
On July 7, 2025, prosecutors said Hyatt arrived at a playground on East Clarke Place carrying a black backpack containing a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol.
Authorities allege Alvarado took possession of the backpack after counting cash before selling the weapon to an undercover officer nearby.
Prosecutors said the exchange was captured on surveillance video.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the operation posed a major public safety threat in a residential Bronx community.
“The defendants in this case were part of a dangerous trafficking ring that funneled seven pistols, one semi-automatic rifle, and drugs into a thriving Bronx community,” Tisch said.
Investigators also recovered narcotics during the operation, including oxycodone pills, alprazolam pills and cocaine.
Defendants Face Weapons and Drug Charges
Alvarado was arraigned Monday before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis. Bail was set at $200,000 cash, $600,000 bond or $600,000 partially secured bond.
Suero and Martinez were arraigned earlier this month before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goldsmith, where bail was set at $30,000 cash, $100,000 bond or $100,000 partially secured bond.
Hyatt had not yet been arraigned as of Tuesday’s announcement.
The investigation was led by NYPD Narcotics Borough Bronx Major Case Unit detectives alongside the Bronx District Attorney’s Special Investigations Bureau.
Officials credited undercover officers and surveillance teams for dismantling the alleged trafficking network before more weapons reached city streets.
- Rikers Island Correction Officer Accused of Taking Bribes to Smuggle Drug-Soaked Papers to Inmate
Bronx, NY – A New York City correction officer assigned to Rikers Island faces felony charges after prosecutors said he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to smuggle documents purportedly laced with narcotics into a city jail.
Eric Rivera, 54, a New York City Department of Correction officer, was indicted on charges including bribery, official misconduct and promoting prison contraband, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators allege Rivera brought papers believed to be soaked with dangerous drugs such as K2 and fentanyl into a Rikers Island facility and delivered them to an inmate in exchange for payments exceeding $5,000.
Prosecutors Say Contraband Put Inmates and Staff at Risk
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced the indictment Thursday alongside New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata.
“Documents soaked in dangerous narcotics such as K2 and fentanyl threaten the safety of inmates and staff,” Clark said. “This defendant allegedly received money to bring in papers treated with drugs, ignoring the hazard of such contraband, and putting lives at risk.”
Rivera was arraigned Tuesday before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jay Young Kim on charges of second-degree bribe receiving, third-degree bribe receiving, official misconduct and second-degree promoting prison contraband.
He is scheduled to return to court on July 22.
According to prosecutors, the alleged bribery scheme took place on two occasions between June 1, 2025, and Sept. 15, 2025.
Investigators said Rivera accepted cash payments in exchange for transporting documents purportedly soaked in narcotics into the jail complex before handing them to an inmate.
Key Points
• A Rikers Island correction officer was indicted on bribery and contraband charges in the Bronx
• Prosecutors said Eric Rivera accepted more than $5,000 to smuggle drug-soaked papers into jail
• Officials warned narcotics-laced documents threaten both inmates and correction staff
Officials Highlight Growing Danger of Drug-Soaked Papers in Jails
Authorities said narcotics-infused papers have become a growing concern inside correctional facilities because substances can be absorbed through contact or distributed discreetly among inmates.
Commissioner Shihata said the alleged actions endangered both incarcerated individuals and fellow officers inside the jail system.
“Correction Officers take an oath to uphold the law and have a responsibility to safeguard people in their care,” Shihata said. “Instead, as charged, this defendant betrayed that oath by allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to smuggle contraband.”
The Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Correction assisted in the investigation alongside NYPD detectives assigned to the Bronx District Attorney’s Squad.
Case Targets Corruption Inside Rikers Island Facilities
The prosecution is being handled by the Bronx District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau, which investigates corruption and misconduct involving public employees and government operations.
Officials did not identify the inmate who allegedly received the narcotics-soaked documents or specify which Rikers Island facility was involved.
The investigation focused on allegations that Rivera knowingly bypassed jail security protocols in exchange for financial payments.
Prosecutors stressed that the indictment is an accusation and not proof of guilt.
Rivera remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
- Bronx Man Gets 75 Years to Life for Deadly New Year’s Shooting Outside Kew Gardens Hotel
Queens, NY – A Bronx man who opened fire outside the former Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens on New Year’s Day 2021, killing one man and wounding two others, was sentenced Friday to 75 years to life in prison, Queens prosecutors said.
Richard Swygert, 24, was convicted in March of murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons charges after prosecutors said he sprayed a group of young men with bullets following a confrontation outside the hotel near Queens Boulevard and 82nd Avenue.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the shooting marked the borough’s first homicide of 2021 and left lasting damage for the surviving victims.
“Richard Swygert opened fired in front of the former Umbrella Hotel on New Year’s Day in 2021 committing the first homicide of that year,” Katz said. “The bullets he unleashed killed one young man, critically injured another and left a third seriously wounded.”
Gunfire Erupted After Fight Outside Hotel
According to trial testimony and court records, Swygert arrived at the Umbrella Hotel shortly after 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2021, with a group of companions. Prosecutors said the group entered the hotel and waited near an elevator before crossing paths with three victims who had just exited.
Both groups later moved outside, where an argument broke out between one of the victims and one of Swygert’s associates. The dispute escalated into a physical fight before Swygert allegedly pulled out a handgun and opened fire.
Prosecutors said Swygert fired multiple rounds at the victims, striking 20-year-old Robert Deandre Williams five times. Williams later died at a local hospital from multiple gunshot wounds.
Two other victims, both also 20 years old, survived but suffered serious injuries.
One victim was shot repeatedly in the stomach, arms and legs and required emergency surgery along with additional operations to save his leg from amputation. The third victim was shot once in the thigh.
Investigators recovered 13 spent shell casings outside the hotel following the shooting.
Key Points
• Richard Swygert was sentenced to 75 years to life for a 2021 fatal shooting in Kew Gardens
• Prosecutors said the Bronx man killed one victim and injured two others outside the Umbrella Hotel
• A Queens jury convicted Swygert in March on murder, attempted murder and weapons charges
Queens Jury Convicted Swygert After Three-Week Trial
Swygert was found guilty following a three-week jury trial on charges that included second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant imposed the sentence Friday.
The prosecution was led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos of the Queens District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Veronika Podoprigora.
The Umbrella Hotel, once located near Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens, closed permanently not long after the shooting. The location had previously faced controversy and scrutiny from residents during its operation.
DA Says Sentence Reflects Consequences of Gun Violence
Katz said the lengthy prison sentence sends a message about the consequences tied to gun violence in New York City.
“We cannot normalize gun violence,” the district attorney said while announcing the sentencing.
The case stretched more than five years from the deadly shooting to final sentencing, with prosecutors relying on witness testimony and physical evidence recovered from the scene to secure the conviction.
Swygert will now serve a sentence of 75 years to life in state prison for the fatal attack that killed Williams and permanently altered the lives of two surviving victims.
- Man Charged in Anti-Gay Assault at Harlem Subway Station After 2023 Attack, DA Says
New York, NY — A 26-year-old man faces hate crime charges after prosecutors say he targeted and assaulted a stranger inside a Manhattan subway station while repeatedly using anti-gay slurs during the attack.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Thursday that Tavaughn Thompson was indicted on charges tied to a December 2023 assault at the 125th Street subway station in West Harlem. Prosecutors allege Thompson punched a 27-year-old victim multiple times after the two exited a northbound A train near West 125th Street and Eighth Avenue.
The victim suffered bruising and pain to the left side of the face and later went to a hospital for treatment, according to court records.
Alleged Attack Happened After Subway Ride
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Thompson and the victim were riding in the same subway car on a northbound A train traveling from the West 14th Street and Eighth Avenue station on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023.
At about 8:35 p.m., prosecutors say the confrontation escalated as both men exited the train at the 125th Street station. Thompson allegedly punched the victim several times while repeatedly shouting anti-gay slurs before and during the attack.
A bystander intervened and separated Thompson from the victim, prosecutors said.
Thompson now faces two counts of Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime and one count of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree in New York State Supreme Court.
Key Points
• Manhattan prosecutors charged a 26-year-old man in an alleged anti-gay subway assault in Harlem
• The attack allegedly happened at the 125th Street A train station on Dec. 29, 2023
• Prosecutors say a Good Samaritan intervened before the victim sought hospital treatment
Bragg Calls Subway Hate Violence “Unacceptable”
District Attorney Bragg said the case highlights ongoing concerns about bias-motivated violence in New York City’s transit system.
“New Yorkers deserve to be safe using our transit system without fear of violence, discrimination or harassment,” Bragg said in a statement announcing the indictment.
“As alleged, Tavaughn Thompson targeted a stranger because of their perceived sexual orientation in an unprovoked, bias-motivated attack,” he added. “Our Hate Crimes Unit is committed to protecting the safety and dignity of Manhattanites by holding accountable those responsible for these harmful acts.”
Bragg also encouraged victims and witnesses of suspected hate crimes to contact prosecutors by calling the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Unit hotline at 212-335-3100.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Ludtke of Trial Bureau 60 under the supervision of the Manhattan DA’s Hate Crimes Unit leadership, including Deputy Chief Constantine Coritsidis and Chief Hannah Yu.
Arrest Came More Than Two Years After Alleged Assault
Although the alleged assault occurred in late 2023, Thompson was arrested and arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court in February 2026, according to prosecutors. Officials did not publicly explain the delay between the incident and the arrest.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office credited the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force for assisting in the investigation, specifically thanking Detective Lysette Feliciano Tengco and other task force members.
The case arrives as New York officials continue facing scrutiny over safety concerns across the city’s subway system, particularly incidents involving harassment and violence targeting vulnerable communities.
Hate crime prosecutions in New York require prosecutors to prove a criminal act was motivated, at least in part, by bias against a protected group, including sexual orientation.
Investigation Remains Active
Court records indicate Thompson has been formally indicted, but prosecutors have not announced a trial date or disclosed additional details about the victim.