Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Hipster-Hating Williamsburg Resident Found Guilty Of Making Phony 911 Calls


By

Ben Yakas

Published Aug 21, 2014

Modified Aug 21, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

philea's flickr

 


By

Ben Yakas

Published Aug 21, 2014

Modified Aug 21, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

A disgruntled middle-aged lifelong Williamsburg resident has been found guilty of making phony complaint calls to 911 about the hipster hooligans running amok in his neighborhood. Louis Segna, 53, was found guilty of three counts of falsely reporting an incident, stemming from various 911 calls he made about made-up events near his home at Bedford Avenue and North 7th Street in late 2012. And there's only been on explanation given for his frequent communications with authorities: "He said there are hipsters in the neighborhood. He gave me the impression they were noisier than the population before," said defense attorney William Fowlkes.

Segna allegedly made 403 of these phony calls, describing made-up violent confrontations and explosions around the neighborhood. He claimed a man pulled a knife on him at Spike Hill, he claimed two or three shots were fired at Station restaurant, and he claimed there was an explosion in a nearby subway tunnel (although he claimed not to know which subway he lived near). He would tell the dispatcher he was using a borrowed phones (he told the operator in one call he "didn't own a phone") and wouldn't give his name (except when he gave a fake name).

You can hear some of the calls below.

Segna will be sentenced on Sept. 5th; he faces up to seven years in prison. Although the most appropriate punishment might be to lock him into a ten-year lease in an apartment in the middle of Jefftown.

Tagged

bedford avenue

brooklyn

complaints

hipsters

louis segna

police

williamsburg


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Better days ahead for NYC commuters with Democrats in control of Congress, MTA chair says

Republicans’ “anti-city” agenda was rejected by voters, MTA Chair Janno Lieber said.

By

Stephen Nessen

and

Ramsey Khalifeh

Published Nov 5, 2026 at 5:59 p.m. ET


$20 rent-control cap coming to Elizabeth, New Jersey

Voters approved the annual limit in this week's election.

By

Michael Sol Warren

News

$20 rent-control cap coming to Elizabeth, New Jersey

Voters approved the annual limit in this week's election.

By

Michael Sol Warren


Feds accuse former FBI agent of Brooklyn hit and run, leaving victim on a bench

By

Charles Lane

Battery found at deadly Sunset Park fire days after similar blaze in Bronx

By

Ramsey Khalifeh

Inside New York's bitter Republican civil war after blue wave

By

Walter Wuthmann


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .