Mazoltuv Borukhova and her cousin Mikhail Mallayev were sentenced to life in prison without parole on Tuesday, April 21, six weeks after the pair was convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree conspiracy in the “execution style” killing of Borukhova’s estranged husband.
Mallayev, Borukhova’s cousin by marriage, was convicted of gunning down Daniel Malakov on October 28, 2007 after the 34-year-old orthodontist arrived at a Forest Hills playground with his and Borukhova’s daughter in tow. Malakov had previously won custody of four-year-old Michelle in a bitter court battle, and prosecutors reportedly claimed Borukhova’s motive for the murder was sole custody of the girl.
At the time of his murder, Malakov thought he was meeting Borukhova, 35, for a custody visit.
Investigators linked Mallayev to the crime after discovering his fingerprints on a homemade silencer found at the scene and he was arrested in November of 2007 in Georgia. During the trial, a witness reportedly identified Mallayev as the triggerman and prosecutors said his bank records reflected his $20,000 payout from Borukhova for the murder. Borukhova, a physician, was arrested in February of 2008.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert Hanophy, who presided at trial, sentenced each of the defendants to life in prison without parole on the murder conviction and eight and a third to 25 years on the conspiracy conviction, which will run consecutive to the murder sentence. Additionally, Mallayev, 51, was sentenced to 15 years for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon – a charge that will run concurrent to the murder sentence.
In announcing the sentencing, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said, “Today, the judge who presided over the trial sentenced each of the defendants to the maximum allowed by law. This is a measure of justice for Daniel’s family and for society.”
