PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

November 22, 2004

Prepared Remarks of Richmond County District Attorney
Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. Regarding Federal Indictments of “Stapleton Crew”

On the evening of March 10, 2003, Detectives Rodney Andrews and James Nemorin were brutally executed just a few, short blocks from where we stand today. These heroic detectives were killed in the line of duty while seeking to protect our community from the scourge of the illegal gun trade which has destroyed so many lives.

From the time these heroes were assassinated, the Richmond County District Attorney’s office has pledged to pursue all options in this case. Our goal has been to seek and achieve the strongest possible prosecution of all who were involved in this brutal crime.

As part of our investigation, we uncovered evidence that the murder of detectives Nemorin and Andrews was as a result of the actions of a violent gang. This violent gang came under intense focus following March 10, 2003. In the course of the investigation evidence developed that there were many other crimes committed by Ronell Wilson, Michael Whitten, Paris Bullock, Angel Rodriguez, Jamal Brown as well as others associated with this gang of criminals.

Not long after the June 24, 2004 Court of Appeals decision in the People v. LaValle case, I contacted United States Attorney Mauskopf and discussed with her the facts and circumstances of the original case as well as what we discovered subsequent to the shooting. My goal was to determine whether a prosecution through the federal courts would be suitable in our pursuit of justice for everyone culpable in the crime that resulted in the deaths of Detectives Nemorin and Andrews. Collectively, we have now come to the conclusion that there is a legitimate federal, as well as state, interest in the prosecution of this case.

Today, we are seeing the first step in that federal prosecution. In Staten Island Supreme Court this morning, Assistant District Attorney Paul A. Capofari requested and received an adjournment until January 10, 2005 in the state case, after announcing that Wilson among others have been indicted and will be arraigned this afternoon on federal charges in Brooklyn.

I must thank the personnel from the NYPD who labored long and hard in the investigation of this case. Additionally, I must thank the staff of my office, particularly Assistant District Attorneys Michael Bousquet, Paul Capofari, Wanda DeOliveira and David Frey and all of my support staff who devoted so much of themselves to assembling a strong prosecution of these violent criminals. These attorneys in addition to continuing our state prosecution will now be cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to assist the federal prosecution team in their efforts.

I must also thank U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf and the talented lawyers, Colleen Kavanagh and Jack Smith and support staff of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the entire United States Department of Justice for their determination to see justice done in this case.

To the families of Detectives Rodney Andrews and James Nemorin, I thank you for the sacrifice your families have made. Rodney and James were murdered in the line of duty, attempting to save the lives of our Staten Island residents. We will never forget their sacrifice and will see that justice is served in their memory.