A grand jury has handed up a three-count indictment, including two hate crime charges, against a woman accused of targeting a stranger aboard an Upper East Side subway with a vile antisemitic attack during the morning commute, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
“As alleged, Woki Massaquoi unleashed hate-driven violence on a woman in an unprovoked attack in our transit system,” Bragg stated. “This harmful conduct is unacceptable, and no one should be targeted because of their religion.”
Woki Massaquoi, 35, faces two counts of Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime and one count of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree following the incident, which occurred on a northbound 4 train as it traveled through the Upper East Side in April.
“As alleged, Woki Massaquoi unleashed hate-driven violence on a woman in an unprovoked attack in our transit system,” said District Attorney Bragg. “This harmful conduct is unacceptable and no one should be targeted because of their religion. Our specially trained prosecutors are working diligently each day to bring cases forward, and we urge anyone who has been a victim or witness to a hate crime or bias incident to please call 911 or report it to our Office at 212-335-3100.”
“The defendants allegedly perpetrated a wide-ranging conspiracy motivated by profit and greed. In addition to allegedly forging and depositing stolen checks, they robbed random victims and put their safety at risk, once again demonstrating the connection between financial fraud and traditional street crime. Protecting the financial security of Manhattanites is a key component of public safety, and this Office will continue to prioritize uncovering and dismantling these pernicious schemes,” said District Attorney Bragg.
