A Suffolk County judge sentenced David Laffer, who killed four people at a Medford pharmacy on Father's Day, to five consecutive life sentences in prison. Judge James Hudson, who also sentenced him to 25 years, plus five years probation, for robbing the pharmacy of thousands of prescription pills, asked that Laffer be put in solitary confinement for his time behind bars. more ›

An 18-year-old who was convicted of repeatedly stabbing her 16-year-old cousin and then stealing her sneakers and other belongings was sentenced to 15-years-to-life in prison yesterday. Tiana Browne was 15 when she stabbed Shannon Braithwaite 49 times with a kitchen knife. Browne's aunt, Marva Braithwaite, had taken Browne in and said in court, "She rewarded me by leaving me childless, reaping out my very being. When you sit behind bars, you can never say you weren't loved. Shannon loved you. I loved you." more ›

The Pakistani-born U.S. citizen who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison, with no chance of parole. Faisal Shahzad, a 31-year-old former budget analyst from Bridgeport, Conn., pleaded guilty in June to the failed May 1st bombing in Midtown Manhattan. Today he told U.S. District Judge Miriam Cedarbaum that a defeat of the United States is "imminent," Newsday reports (paywall). "Brace yourselves, the war with Muslims has just begun," he added portentously. more ›

Yesterday, a judge sentenced Rodolfo Godinez to life in prison for the 2007 murders of three Newark college students and the attempted murder of a fourth. Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin called 27-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant, "a menace" and "manifestation of evil." Natasha Aerial, who was sexually assaulted and shot in the head during the supposed gang initiation as she watched her two friends and older brother shot execution-style, said of Godinez, "I’m angry. That punk over there, I’d whup him. If it was me and you, you would not win." Five other defendants will now be tried for the murders. more ›

A man who paid his cousin to kill his ex-girlfriend by staging a Bronx robbery gone wrong was sentenced to life in prison without parole yesterday. Even a lawyer for Carlos Cruz said, "It's an exceptionally troubling case." more ›

A prison term of 20 years to life will end for the man who shot Malcom X at Manhattan’s Audobun Ballroom in 1965. Thomas Hagan, who’s applied for parole 16 times, had his request granted yesterday. He's already been on a work-release program and spends only two days/week in jail, but on April 28, the 69-year-old will walk free. One of the slain civil rights icon’s daughters, Illyasah Shabazz,spoke last night at the scene of his death and said she was ready to forgive Hagan, a former militant member of the Nation of Islam: "I would really think that at this point in his life he's regretful for having been a pawn, one of the pawns in killing my father." Two other men who were implicated in the killing, but didn't confess, were released twenty years ago. more ›

Before being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her estranged husband, Dr. Mazoltuv Borukhova (pictured, near right) told a judge, "I repeat myself again and again. I had nothing to do with this murder. I didn't kill anybody." Borukhova was found guilty of killing dentist Daniel Malakov (pictured, far right) last month. A jury believed she conspired to have her cousin by marriage kill Malakov so she could regain custody of their daughter. Malakov was gunned down in a playground as he was dropping their four-year-old daughter to Borkhova; a homemade silencer found at the scene had fingerprints matching those of Borukhova's cousin, who was also convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Their daughter Michelle has been living with her father's brother and his family; Gavriel Malakov told the Daily News, "Will Michelle ever stop having these nightmares that are full of the events that took place on that sunny, crisp morning when she personally witnessed her father being gunned down? Will she ever have those sweet dreams that typical 6-year-olds have?" more ›

Nearly three years after being convicted, former cops Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were sentenced to life in prison for carrying out eight murders for the mafia. more ›

Today, a judge sentenced Robert Williams to life in prison for the brutal rape and torture of a Columbia graduate student. Williams was convicted last month, with a jury finding him guilty of 44 counts, including attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary, robbery, assault, rape and sodomy. The attack occurred in April 2007, after Williams had gained access to the victim's Hamilton Heights apartment building, followed her to her floor and forced his way into her apartment. more ›

It was a Brooklyn courtroom proceeding that could have ended very badly for female federal prosecutor Carolyn Pokorny, who was attacked by a third-strike convict she was prepared to send to prison for life. Victor Wright is a drug dealer who was being led into court for sentencing when he suddenly lunged at 38-year-old Pokorny, seizing her by the neck. In his other hand, Wright held an inch-long razor blade. more ›