Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Queens DA Melinda Katz Moves To Expunge 60 Convictions Linked To Corrupt NYPD Officers
By
George Joseph
Published Nov 8, 2021
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 .
By
George Joseph
Published Nov 8, 2021
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
At a virtual hearing on Monday, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz successfully petitioned a judge to expunge 60 convictions linked to three NYPD officers who were found to have committed crimes and fabricated evidence in other cases in years past.
“We cannot stand behind a criminal conviction where the essential law enforcement witness has been convicted of crimes which irreparably impair their credibility,” said District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement. “Vacating and dismissing these cases is both constitutionally required and necessary to ensure public confidence in our justice system.”
The expungements are the result of a campaign by the Legal Aid Society, the Exoneration Project, and other organizations focused on overturning wrongful convictions, which asked prosecutors across the city in May to investigate cases involving 22 NYPD officers who were convicted of crimes at some point in their careers.
In response to that request, Katz, who formed a conviction integrity unit when she took office as district attorney last year, launched a review and found that 10 of the 22 flagged officers had contributed to convictions in Queens. The 60 dismissals announced on Monday stemmed from an initial review of three of those officers’ arrest records.
Thirty-four of those cases were linked to Detective Kevin Desormeau, who was convicted in 2018 for lying about an alleged cocaine sale in Jamaica, Queens.
Another 20 were tossed because they hinged on the work of Detective Sasha Cordoba, who pleaded guilty in 2018 after prosecutors found she made repeated false statements in a gun possession case in Washington Heights in Manhattan.
The other six convictions stemmed from the work of former NYPD Detective Oscar Sandino, who was charged in 2010 and pled guilty to sexual assault and other sexual misconduct charges involving arrestees.
Elizabeth Felber, a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s wrongful convictions unit, thanked Katz, who is the first District Attorney in the city to seek to overturn convictions in response to the mass exoneration campaign Felber’s organization helped spearhead.
Felber also directly addressed the 60 people who had their convictions purged, some of whom she said served prison sentences, lost jobs, and had licenses suspended as a result.
“We hope you will pursue all available legal remedies,” Felber said. “While it may not undo the harm caused to you. It will be a measure of justice to make up for the original injustice of your arrest and conviction.”
In court, Katz promised that these expungements were just the beginning as her office continues to probe the work of the other officers tied to convictions in Queens.
Tagged
Melinda Katz
wrongful conviction
nypd
queens district attorney's office
queens
legal aid society
George Joseph
George covers Brooklyn for THE CITY with a focus on criminal justice and housing. He previously worked for WNYC and Gothamist, and has published stories with NPR, ProPublica, Esquire, and The Intercept among other outlets.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New apartments are coming and there’s nothing these 12 neighborhoods can do to stop it
The Mamdani administration released a list of 12 community districts subject to a “fast-track” housing approval process first initiated by his predecessor.
By
David Brand
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 12:05 a.m. ET
Man fatally stabbed on J train in Queens, NYPD says
A 59-year-old man was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said a person of interest was in custody.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Man fatally stabbed on J train in Queens, NYPD says
A 59-year-old man was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said a person of interest was in custody.
By
Giulia Heyward
NYC delivery workers fear e-bike bills would bring more police stops, racial profiling
By
Carol Chen
Fake QR codes on Manhattan parking meters lead to identity theft charges
By
Charles Lane
Fare hike for NYC Ferry going into effect next month
By
Elizabeth Kim
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 .