As 2025 draws to a close, QNS is looking back at some of its top stories from each month, as the promise of a new year approaches.
Below are some of the top stories from March, including a story on some of the setbacks and delays Queens residents faced shortly after NYC’s trash bin law went into effect at the start of 2025 , along with a crime story on an alleged deed fraud ring that targeted Queens homeowners.
Trials and tribulations of trash: New bin law aims for cleaner streets but faces resistance and delays
New York City’s new trash bin laws went into effect in January 2025, mandating that all residential waste be placed in secure containers, but the roll out encountered a rocky start, filled with confusion, complaints, and logistical hurdles.
The initiative, launched in November 2024 by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), was considered a vital step toward reducing the city’s piles of black trash bags along the streets as well as addressing a persistent rodent problem.
As the laws rolled out, residents, sanitation workers, and city officials quickly discovered that implementing such a sweeping change in the nation’s most densely populated city was far from smooth sailing.
“I’ve been waiting for my bin for over a month,” said one frustrated homeowner from Ridgewood. “I don’t even know where to put my trash right now.”
In an effort to further ease the transition, a new bill was passed last Feb., promising to provide free bins to eligible households. Sponsored by Council Member Joann Ariola, the bill, intended to ensure that low-income residents and those already enrolled in the state’s School Tax Relief Program (STAR) will receive free bins starting in Aug.
Avian flu outbreaks in Queens spark further calls to shut down all overcrowded NYC wet markets
Last spring there was a resurgence of avian flu at two animal slaughter markets in Queens that renewed urgent calls to shut down New York City’s densely packed wet markets.
The outbreaks came just weeks after a temporary closure in February, when an undercover investigation by NYCLASS and Council Member Robert Holden revealed squalid conditions at live animal markets in Queens and Brooklyn.
The footage was captured after the markets were temporarily closed for five days in February due to a previous avian flu outbreak.
“I see a lot of sickly looking birds. They’re stuffed into cages and are literally on top of each other,” remarked Holden, who represents the District 30 neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Elmhurst and Rego Park.
In light of the continuing outbreaks and the evidence of hazardous conditions, calls for the permanent closure of the markets grew louder. At that time, there were no human cases of avian flu, and the threat to the public remained low.
Animal welfare groups, health professionals, and concerned citizens continued to urge Gov. Hochul and city officials to act swiftly to close the markets and implement stricter regulations to ensure the safety of both the animals and the public.
Real estate agent among four charged in alleged deed fraud ring targeting Queens homeowners: DA
Four men, including two from southeast Queens, one from Long Island, and another from New Jersey, along with three companies, were indicted by a Queens grand jury for allegedly orchestrating a deed fraud scheme that led to the theft of homes in Kew Gardens Hills, Jamaica Estates, and Queens Village.
Carl Avinger, 42, of 202nd Street in St. Albans, Lawrence T. Ray, 38, of 127th Avenue in Jamaica, and Autumn Valeri, 41, of Commack, and Torey Guice, 40, of Roselle, NJ, surrendered to the Queens District Attorney’s detectives and were arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on a 47-count indictment charging them with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, conspiracy, and other related crimes for allegedly stealing the homes from their rightful owners.
“Property ownership is a fundamental right, and my office works to protect that right in this borough,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Leigh Cheng ordered the defendants to return to court on April 29. Defendants Ray and Valeri faced a potential maximum sentence of 8 ⅓ to 25 years in prison, Avinger faced up to 12 ½ to 25 years in prison, and Guice faced up to five to 15 years imprisonment.
Queens TV actor convicted of 2021 St. Alban’s murder in real-life crime drama: DA
A TV actor from Rego Park faced the possibility of 25 years to life in prison after he was convicted of murder by a jury following a two-week trial in Queens Supreme Court back in March.
Isaiah Stokes, 45, of 62nd Road, was found guilty of the fatal 2021 ambush shooting of 37-year-old Tyrone Jones in St. Albans on Feb. 7, 2021, as he sat in a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee, waiting for a friend to arrive for lunch at a nearby restaurant.
The shooting was believed to be retaliation for an altercation between the two men at the victim’s birthday party in October 2020.
“This was a calculated murder,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said after the March 7 verdict. “The defendant, a part-time actor, stewed for months after being thrown out of a birthday party for his own inappropriate behavior.”
Stokes, who was born and raised in Rochdale Village, played small roles in TV series such as “Boardwalk Empire,” “Power,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Louie” and “Rescue Me,” according to his IMDb biography.
Stokes was convicted of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. On March 21, 2025 he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison by the Queens Supreme Court.
