News
18-to-life sentence in fatal 2024 East Village stabbing 
Alejandro Piedra was sentenced yesterday to 18 years to life in state prison for the fatal stabbing of Clemson Cockfield and the wounding of two others during a violent June 2024 attack in the East Village.
He beat a man in the subway while shouting gay slurs. 3 years later cops finally found him. 
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced last week that 26-year-old Tavaughn Thompson has been indicted for the alleged anti-gay assault of a 27-year-old person in a West Harlem subway station.
D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment In $188K Pension Theft 
“A conductor for New York City Transit saved over the course of his career, intending for his daughter to inherit his hard-earned pension,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Instead, we allege, after he passed, his wife stole the pension death benefits that should have gone to her stepdaughter. City employees work too hard for their retirement savings to be drained through theft, and I thank the New York City Department of Investigation for its partnership combatting fraud.”
D.A. Bragg Announces Takedown Of Dark Web Drug Trafficking Operation 
“Michael Chase and Jose Colon allegedly used the dark web to sell dangerous drugs in exchange for cryptocurrency, before moving the funds into fictitious business accounts. They allegedly shipped drugs to all fifty states, jeopardizing the health and safety of individuals across the country,” said District Attorney Bragg. “I want to thank our partners at USPIS and the Suffolk County D.A.’s Office for their partnership in this investigation.”
Statement from D.A. Bragg on the Sentencing of Alejandro Piedra 
“Alejandro Piedra has been sentenced to a state prison term for murdering Clemson Cockfield and brutally stabbing two other New Yorkers,” said District Attorney Bragg. “This horrific violence unfolded on busy East Village streets, leaving a family in mourning and significantly harming the two survivors. We hope this outcome brings a measure of justice to the survivors, who continue to navigate the reeling effects of the attack. My thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Mr. Cockfield as they continue to mourn his loss.”
NY moves to ban 3D printers that make guns, but can it be enforced? 
Bragg also defended the proposed law in a statement to the Times Union. "This new law delivers an innovative response,” Bragg said. "This measure targets the root of the issue and gives law enforcement another critical tool to enhance public safety."

Manhattan District Attorney's Office