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NYC Man Pleads Guilty Following Ongoing Rockland County DA Sting Operation Targeting Online Predators

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1 year ago

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ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced today that Dylan Choe, a 24-year-old male from New York City has pleaded guilty to disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree for attempting to meet a minor.

In January of 2023, Choe engaged in an online conversation with a Rockland County District Attorney’s Office undercover investigator on a social media platform. The undercover investigator claimed to be a thirteen-year-old female from Rockland County. The defendant proceeded to have a sexually explicit conversation with the investigator, whom he thought was a minor. As conversations advanced, Choe made arrangements for the two to meet at a Rockland County hotel.

On January 19, 2023, Choe checked into a Rockland hotel and waited for the individual he believed to be a thirteen-year-old girl. Choe was arrested and charged with disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree.

Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh said, “Our office remains committed to ensuring the safety of innocent children in our community. This case is a clear warning to all that predatory behavior will be pursued relentlessly and brought to justice.”
Today’s announced guilty plea is the latest action in an ongoing cybercrime sting operation first launched by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office in 2022. Last December, Rockland County District Attorney’s Office investigators arrested seven men for sex crimes following a separate operation called “Operation Catfish.”

The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office has been a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) since 2020. The ICAC is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement, dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children.

The defendant pleaded guilty on October 16, 2023 before the Honorable Kevin F. Russo. Choe is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Delohery.

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Crime

Haverstraw Police Arrest Suspect in Connection with Residential Burglary

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1 day ago

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April 1, 2025

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On March 31, 2025, the Haverstraw Police Department located and arrested Carlos Sepulveda, 43, of West Haverstraw, New York, in connection with a residential burglary that recently occurred. Mr. Sepulveda was identified as the suspect depicted in a circulated image related to the incident.
The arrest stemmed from an investigation into a reported incident where a suspect allegedly entered a residence and stole a package.
Mr. Sepulveda has been charged with the following:
Burglary 2nd Degree (Class C Felony)
Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree (Class B Misdemeanor)
Petit Larceny (Class A Misdemeanor)
Following his arrest, Mr. Sepulveda was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court. He was subsequently remanded to the Rockland County Correctional Facility.

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Crime

Rockland County Court Rejects Convicted Murderer’s Eighth Attempt To Vacate Conviction

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7 days ago

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March 27, 2025

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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II, announced today that, in a decision issued on March 25, 2025, Rockland County Court Judge Kevin F. Russo rejected the latest attempt by convicted murderer Amer Zada to have his conviction vacated. The court noted that this motion is the eighth time Zada has sought to reverse or vacate his conviction.
In 1980, Zada was convicted of the murder of seventeen-year-old Shirley Smith in a Village of Nyack parking lot. He was also convicted of Attempted Sodomy in the First Degree and Aggravated Sexual Abuse as a result of his attack on Ms. Smith. At his trial, Zada was represented by William Kunstler, a world-renowned defense attorney who had gained notoriety for successfully defending many high profile and controversial clients.
In its decision, the court described the defendant’s current motion as being largely based on Zada’s claim that certain documents were not turned over to him prior to trial.
“The court found that Zada had failed to adequately establish this speculative claim as he provided no direct evidence that he had never received the documents. I would like to commend Executive Assistant District Attorney James Dolan for his dedication and professionalism representing the Office in this proceeding.” said District Attorney Tom Walsh.
The court also found that, even assuming that the documents had not been turned over, they were of little importance in the case against Zada and none of them were exculpatory within the meaning of the law. In addition, the court found that Zada’s motion to vacate his conviction raised only minor inconsistencies in the case against him, most of which were thoroughly explored by Mr. Kunstler during the trial. In conclusion, the court found that Zada had not offered anything to justify vacating his conviction.

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