There were plenty of viral stories that impacted Queens in 2025. QNS viewers were very active on the site this past year to take in these viral stories, as well as everything else that went up. Here are some of the most popular stories among the 4.7 million viewers this year.
AG James files landmark criminal charges after elderly Queens woman’s home stolen in deed theft scheme
New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced the first indictments under a new deed theft law, SO8306, this year, just over a year after it first went into effect in July 2024.
SO8306 establishes deed theft as a crime, amends the statute of limitations to give homeowners and prosecutors more time to seek justice, allows the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) original criminal jurisdiction to prosecute deed theft and allows for the OAG to return the property to the rightful owner.
James indicted Deepa Roy of Manhattan and Victor Quimis of Queens with four counts of grand larceny, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing, residential mortgage fraud, money laundering, two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and scheming to defraud.
Roy and Quimis allegedly conspired together over the course of two years to steal the Kew Gardens Hills home of Renuka Bherwani, an elderly widow and immigrant, while she received end-of-life hospice care in her home before dying in June. The duo allegedly forged Bherwani’s signature on documents that transferred ownership of the home to themselves in October 2024 before they took out a mortgage on the property.
During the press conference, the victim’s son, Kamal Bherwani, revealed he accidentally discovered the deed theft after receiving a letter in the mail from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in December 2024 addressed to Quimis welcoming him to his new home.
Roy and Quimis each face 8 to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Avoid fines: New NYC trash container rules now enforced
Many Queens residents went to QNS to learn about what they must do to align with the New York City Department of Sanitation’s new trash pickup rules so they can avoid worrying about getting fined.
Under the new mandate, all properties in the city with between one and nine residential units are required to place their curbside trash in garbage pails that have secure lids and are no bigger than 55 gallons. While the requirement was announced on Nov. 12, 2024, New York City residents were given time to get the proper pails and lids before the rules went into effect on Jan. 2.
Those who do not abide by these rules will receive a $50 fine for the first offense, a $100 fine for the second offense and a $200 fine for any subsequent offenses.
Another rule is set to go into effect in June 2026. All property owners will be required by then to have an official NYC bin. These bins are available for purchase at all Home Depot locations across New York City, including the ten Queens locations.
State Supreme Court issues temporary injunction preventing DOT from installing protected bike lanes on 31st Street in Astoria
The planned protected bike lanes along 31st Street in Astoria were a very popular subject throughout 2025, both among its supporters and critics. The most viral story relating to this topic was when a temporary injunction was issued by the New York State Supreme Court, resulting in the plans being put on pause.
The injunction was put in place after the 31st Street Business Association filed a legal challenge. They argued that the addition of these protected bike lanes would actually end up compromising public safety on the street and have a negative effect on local businesses, as they would occupy current loading and delivery zones. Additionally, the 31st Street Business Association contended that the proposed bike lanes were actually in violation of city laws.
Some of the other main concerns that have emerged about the plan before, during and after the injunction were that these bike lanes could prevent emergency service vehicles from being able to effectively respond and that the bike lanes could endanger local children, as St. Demetrios Greek-American School students are regularly dropped off along the planned route.
Even after the injunction expired, the future of the protected bike lanes is murky. The Queens Supreme Court ruled on Dec. 5 that plans for protected bike lanes along 31st Street must be halted.
Supporters of the protected bike lanes argue they are essential for improving safety along 31st Street, which is among the most dangerous in New York City, according to DOT data. Over the last five years, there have been over 200 injuries to occur along 31st Street, according to the DOT.
ICE raids imminent: Queens advocates launch urgent push to educate undocumented immigrants
Almost immediately after President Donald Trump returned to office, numerous local elected officials and immigrant advocacy organizations urged undocumented immigrants in the community to familiarize themselves with their rights. At the time, it was believed that the Trump administration would immediately start conducting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in New York City.
Throughout 2025, ICE has garnered immense criticism from many local residents, elected officials and advocacy organizations for how they have operated in New York City. One of the most frequent criticisms is the fact that the agents often target migrants at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, who are there for routine immigration court dates.
One notable incident involving ICE in Queens was when they conducted a raid at a Sunnyside residential building last June, lasting several hours but not resulting in a single arrest. Residents were left terrified and shaken from the experience of seeing the armed, masked agents roaming the halls. One resident noted this experience underscored the importance of immigrants in the community knowing and understanding their rights.
The Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable search and seizure, and the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees due process and protects people from self-incrimination, are some of the main rights being made known to immigrant communities under threat from ICE. Many local advocacy groups have been conducting campaigns to make sure immigrants know what their rights entail.
Common Sense Caucus pushes back on NYC’s mandatory composting law, call for voluntary participation
Almost immediately after the implementation of the mandatory household composting program requiring New York City residents to separate food waste from regular trash, a group of Council Members known as the “Common Sense Caucus” proposed legislation aimed at making the program voluntary rather than required.
The caucus, made up of Council Members Robert Holden, Kristy Marmorato, Vickie Paladino, Joann Ariola, Susan Zhuang, Inna Vernikov and David Carr, argued that the mandate made for an unnecessary burden on New York City residents.
The composting program went into effect in October 2024, with New York City residents only warned about non-compliance until the end of the grace period on April 1. Fines were $25 for first-time offenders, but would increase for subsequent offenses.
While the city has promoted the program as being an essential step in reducing landfill waste and lowering the carbon footprint, the Common Sense Caucus, along with many other residents and lawmakers of the city, have reservations about the practicality and fairness of the program. The Common Sense Caucus feels it should be more important to try to get residents to compost voluntarily instead of resorting to punitive measures.
Just weeks after the fines began being implemented for the composting program, the city decided to reverse course, announcing that most fines would be cancelled for the remainder of the year.
