View as Webpage

August 30, 2024

Greetings, 

Our Office has had an eventful Summer!

It was heartwarming to see residents and police come together for National Night Out Against Crime despite three to six inches of rain. The turnout at precinct events all over the borough showed the true strength of Bronxites and their desire to keep the Bronx safe. Thank you to my staff who ventured out to volunteer at every National Night Out site.

It has been a pleasure to participate in community events and spend time with Bronxites during the Family Fun and Old Timers Days.

Since our last edition, one of those community events was the Bronx Dominican Day Parade. The Bronx is home to one of the largest enclaves of Dominicans in the US. It was a joy to celebrate the Dominican culture and heritage.

Thank you to the Summer Youth Employment Program for partnering with us for the second year in a row. We hosted eight young people in an internship program that addressed issues of youth violence.

We continued our effort to make the Bronx safer, with prosecutions of alleged fraudsters, violent gang members and gun traffickers.

With Labor Day quickly approaching, I want to express gratitude to the Bronx’s vibrant and growing workforce. Thank you for contributing and remaining committed to the greatness of our borough. Good luck to all our students as they embark on a new school year.

Lastly, I offer my heartfelt condolences to Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and her family on the loss of their matriarch, Phyllis Gibson. BP Gibson is an ardent supporter of the work of our Office as well as a friend. May Mrs. Phyllis Gibson rest in peace. 

In service,

District Attorney Clark

Click here to read the full press release.

To read more out this case in CBS News, click here.

Click here to read the full press release.

To read more out this case on ABC7, click here.

Rain or shine... during this year's National Night Out Against Crime, we got both, and regardless of the weather, the Bronx showed up in solidarity with law enforcement and their neighbors to take back their streets from crime.

Resident councils and tenant associations all over the borough came together to promote unity in their communities at Family Fun Day celebrations. District Attorney Clark and the Community Engagement team have participated in these events since the start of the summer, showing support in every corner of the borough.

Click here to read the full press release.

On August 22nd, the Bronx chapter of the National Latino Peace Officer Association honored Trial Bureau 30 Chief Julie Deleon for her contributions and dedication to the field of law enforcement. ADA Deleon is a veteran prosecutor who serves the community outside the courtroom.

On July 31, District Attorney Clark announced that Windella Sanderson Wells, 54, of Hollis, Queens, has been indicted for defrauding ten people out of $73,000. Posing as an attorney, the defendant preyed upon individuals looking to improve their immigration status, she promised her victims she would get their applications approved. Sanderson Wells was arraigned on a 44-count indictment charging first-degree Scheme to Defraud, second-degree Grand Larceny, third-degree Grand Larceny, third-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, third-degree Unlawful Possession of Personal Information, Practicing or Appearing as Attorney-At-Law Without Being Admitted and first-degree Falsifying Business Records. The defendant was placed on supervised release and is due back in court on November 1, 2024.

On August 8, District Attorney Clark announced that an NYPD officer Omar Habib, 40, was indicted for allegedly using an illegal chokehold while attempting to place a man under arrest. The chokehold allegedly caused the suspect to lose consciousness. This is the first indictment of a police officer in Bronx County under New York City Statute 10-181 entitled “Unlawful methods of restraint” that specifically applies to police officers. 

On August 13, District Attorney Clark announced that Frank Blackshear, of the Bronx, has been indicted on Grand Larceny and other charges for defrauding his wife’s grandfather, Milton Roberts, out of the deed to his Soundview house while the 89-year-old man was in a nursing home. According to the investigation, between February 14, 2023, and May 19, 2023, Blackshear allegedly transferred the property of the elderly victim to himself through a deed transfer. The house was valued at $698,000.

On August 14, Silfredo Castillo Martinez, who owned a Williamsbridge daycare was sentenced to 20 years in state prison on a guilty pleas to first-degree Criminal Sexual Act and other charges for sexually assaulting a boy, and for creating child pornography. According to the investigation, on May 3, 2022, authorities of the U.S. Secret Service and NYPD conducted a search inside Lina’s Garden Daycare on 3525 Decatur Avenue, which was owned by the defendant, and seized 30 devices. They discovered that Castillo Martinez possessed thousands of child pornography images of boys, including some of a young boy who was in his care.

Mirda Degracia, 52, was indicted for fatally stabbing her boyfriend, Reynaldo Luna Brioso, following an argument the couple had in her Bronx apartment. Degracia allegedly then contacted the victim’s family by phone to tell them that she had killed Brioso and texted photos of his body via the WhatsApp messaging app to members of his family. The defendant is due back in court in November. 

Our latest Reentry Fair for those returning from prison or jail was held on August 20th, at the Webster PAL Center. The focus was employment and educational resources with some partner agencies offering "on the spot interviews." The event included amenities such as a free barber and selection of donated business attire. Our Office is invested in Bronx residents.

Eight young people by way of NYC's Summer Youth Employment Program, participated in a six-week internship program called Bronx Residents Against Violent Encounters, (BRAVE). Under the guidance of the Community Engagement Unit and Crime Prevention Coordinator Carlos Torres, they learned about the Bronx, the Bronx DA's Office, violence in the borough, and brainstormed ways to curb the violence from the point of view of a teen. Their experience culminated in a presentation showcasing conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, social media vs. reality, health/safe relationships, and civic literacy & engagement. They developed a mission for the BRAVE internship program, which is "to help provide Bronx youth with the tools and the support to be informed of legal consequence and grow to be confident, capable, and compassionate leaders."

Thank you to our partners at SYEP.

The Summer interns of the Information Technology Bureau collaborated with the IT staff to redesign an existing application to a new web-based one with a modern look. They worked on several apps to make them easier to use and more secure. Zhiying Li, Tanmay Pawar, and Omkar Pawar did incredible work.

On August 29th, District Attorney Clark and members of the Unidos ERG attended the Queens County Latino Lawyers Association event, where they engaged with college and law students. 

On August 9th, District Attorney Clark was keynote speaker at NYC's Department for the Aging’s annual Staff Retreat and Development Conference. She spoke to senior management and front line staff about the importance of supporting our elderly residents and the value of their public service.

On July 28th, District Attorney Clark and members of the BXDA office community marched along the Grand Concourse in the Gran Parada Dominicana del Bronx. The day was filled with great energy as Dominican residents expressed pride in their culture.

The Bronx District Attorney’s Office is one of the largest employers in the Bronx. We are committed to pursuing justice with integrity by providing services to victims of crime and prosecuting the accused fairly. Whether you intern or join our staff, you will be provided with training, mentorship and opportunities for professional development. The collegial and collaborative environment will provide you with not just a job, but a home for building a career in criminal justice. Check out the wide variety of opportunities– IT, interpreters, digital forensic examiner, and clerical staff–we have available.