Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., has announced today the guilty plea of 35-year-old Albert Brown for an East Harlem sexual assault at gunpoint. In the November 2023 attack, Brown coerced a 24-year-old woman to perform oral sex, in addition to demanding her belongings while brandishing a firearm. In a New York State Supreme Court, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree. He is expected to be sentenced to a term of 20 years in state prison, followed by 25 years post-release supervision, and his name will be added to the New York State Sex Offender Registration, as reported by the Manhattan DA's office.
"Albert Brown is now convicted of a horrific act of sexual violence and will face a significant prison term," said D.A. Bragg, as noted by the Manhattan DA's office. He expressed his hope for the survivor's continued recovery from trauma, emphasizing the importance of safety on the city's streets for New Yorkers. The D.A's office treats sexual violence with the utmost seriousness and urges survivors to reach out to their trauma-informed Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373.
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, the attack took place at approximately 6:30 a.m. on November 1, 2023. Brown was wearing a sweatshirt and ski mask when he approached the victim near East 117th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues. After taking her cellphone, he introduced a gun into the situation, tapping it against her abdomen and head before forcing her into the sexual act.
The case, leading to the arrest of Brown on November 9, 2023, saw the recovery of clothing and a firearm following the execution of search warrants. Brown's flight from the crime scene brought him into a building on 118th Street. D.A. Bragg acknowledged the NYPD, especially Detectives Rosita Williams and Jerald Rivera of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad, for their contributions. The NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), including significant contributions from Katey Nori and Shannon Talty, also received gratitude for their work in supporting the case, according to the same press release.
Assistant D.A.'s Katherine Demartini and Stephanie Ritter are credited with managing the prosecution. They were supervised by Assistant D.A. Nicole Blumberg, in charge of the Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Bureau, and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney, at the helm of the Special Victims Division. The case also benefited from the assistance of Melissa Mourges, Special Assistant District Attorney of the Forensic Sciences Unit; Coleen Balbert, Chief of the Forensic Sciences Unit; Chris Kamnik, DNA Specialist; Eva Nikitovic, Investigative Analyst of the Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Bureau; and Noah Taylor, former Investigative Analyst of the same bureau.
