Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the sentencing of DWIGHT WILLIAMS, 59, to eight years in state prison for stabbing an employee of a Lower East Side laundromat after he was told to leave. On October 26, 2022, WILLIAMS was convicted by a New York State Supreme Court jury of Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Assault in the Second Degree.
“Dwight Williams attacked a fellow New Yorker who was doing his job. We want everyone to feel at home in this borough and we will hold accountable anyone who carries out disturbing attacks like this one,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Nobody should ever feel unsafe in their place of work, and we will continue to be laser-focused on these incidents. My thoughts are with the victim as he continues to heal.”
As proven at trial, in July 2021, WILLIAMS stabbed the 54-year-old worker after arguing with him at the laundromat on Delancey Street. WILLIAMS complained that his clothes weren’t drying properly and when the victim told him he needed to add more quarters to the machine, WILLIAMS launched racist and xenophobic statements at the victim, saying, “F-ck you, Chinese. Chinese dog. Chinese pig. Get out of America,” and threatened to kill him.
Williams threatened the worker by saying, “I have a knife,” while he pushed WILLIAMS out of the laundromat. Seconds later, WILLIAMS reentered the laundromat wielding a knife in each hand. The victim then used a pole used to grab hanging laundry to lead WILLIAMS out of the laundromat, where WILLIAMS then stabbed the victim in the torso. The victim was hospitalized and treated for the stab wound, which broke one of his ribs.
Assistant D.A. Thomas Roman handled the prosecution of the case with Assistant D.A. Shrey Sharma under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Hannah Yu (Chief of the Hate Crimes Unit), Jonathan Junig (Deputy Chief of the Hate Crimes Unit), Maxine Rosenthal (Deputy Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau 80), Jung Park (Deputy Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau 80), Jeffrey Levinson (Chief of Trial Bureau 80), and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Trial Preparation Assistant Sophie Horan and Analyst Briana Rosso also assisted with the case.
District Attorney Bragg thanked members of the NYPD, particularly the 5th Precinct Detective Squad for their efforts in this case.
Defendant:
DWIGHT WILLIAMS
New York, New York
Convicted:
- Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a class C felony, one count
- Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
- Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a class C felony, one count, 8 years prison, 5 years post-release supervision
- Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count, 5 years prison, 3 years post-release supervision, concurrent