Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictments of NYPD detectives JONATHAN GONZALEZ, 33, WOJCIECH CZECH, 44, and WARREN GOLDEN, 31, for their roles in the theft of expensive champagne from the VIP area of the Electric Zoo Music Festival. GONZALEZ and CZECH are each charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree. GOLDEN and GONZALEZ are each charged with one count of Official Misconduct.^[1]

“In addition to the alleged theft that occurred, none of these Officers stepped up and stopped this activity. Public confidence in the criminal justice system depends on members of law enforcement acting with the utmost integrity while on duty and following the same rules that apply to everyone else,” said District Attorney Bragg. 

According to court documents and statements made on the record, on September 3, 2022, GONZALEZ, CZECH and GOLDEN were on duty for narcotics enforcement at the Electric Zoo Festival on Randall’s Island. At approximately 7:00 p.m. the defendants were in the VIP area, where attendees at a nearby table had ordered bottles of Ace of Spades champagne.

The attendees stepped away from the table and GONZALEZ took two of the unopened bottles, which cost a total of $2,900 and set them on a table where the defendants were standing as he retrieved a backpack. CZECH handed the bottles back to GONZALEZ, who put them into the backpack. One of the festival attendees witnessed the theft and when he and the rest of his group returned to their table, the defendants promptly left the area. At no time as the crime unfolded did GOLDEN, who observed the conduct, take any action to intervene to prevent the theft or restore the stolen property to its owners.

The defendants were then stopped by a festival security officer as they went into a restricted, staff-only area. GONZALEZ then identified himself as a police officer and insisted that he and his colleagues were authorized to pass through. At approximately the same time, two of the attendees from the VIP area, who had pursued the defendants, confronted them in front of the security officer.
The bottles were taken from GONZALEZ’s bag and returned to the attendees. The festival security officer notified his employer, who then notified the NYPD.

In addition to this investigation, the Office’s Police Accountability Unit announced the guilty plea of NYPD detective JOSEPH CONWAY, for making a series of fraudulent returns at REI. CONWAY was arraigned and pleaded guilty last week in Manhattan Criminal Court to one count of Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor. As required by his plea, CONWAY must resign from the NYPD, avoid further interaction with the criminal legal system for 12 months, pay $1,914 in restitution, and complete 100 hours of community service.

The Electric Zoo investigation is being prosecuted by Assistant D.A. Jana Loeb. Assistant D.A. Karl Mulloney-Radke and Investigative Analysts Alexander Hempel and Alexia Kaff also assisted with the investigation. The investigation into CONWAY is being handled by Assistant D.A. Karl Mulloney-Radke. Investigative Analyst Alexia Kaff is also assisting with the investigation.

Both investigations are under the supervision of Nicholas Viorst (Chief of the Police Accountability Unit).

Defendant Information:
JONATHAN GONZALEZ
Bronx, New York
Charged:

• Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
• Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
• Official Misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, one count

WOJCIECH CZECH
Queens, New York
Charged:

• Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count 
• Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count

WARREN GOLDEN
White Plains, New York
Charged:

• Official Misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, one count

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.