In a case involving coercion and violence, Gil Iphael, 25, of Valley Stream, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced. The sentence follows Iphael’s guilty plea to charges of kidnapping, robbery, and promoting prostitution across three separate incidents. Iphael, in collaboration with co-defendant Destiny Lebron, who was previously sentenced to 13 years, used deceptive tactics to lure victims under false pretenses of sexual encounters, only to exploit and harm them.
According to the official statement by the District Attorney's Office, the pair began their actions in July 2022, after meeting a woman on Instagram. The victim was taken to the Quality Inn hotel at 153-95 Rockaway Blvd., where she was given the choice of assisting the defendants in robbing others or engaging in prostitution and handing over the earnings. When she attempted to decline, Iphael and Lebron used violence, eventually coercing her into the latter option.
Two male victims came forward after enduring similar violent encounters with the defendants. As outlined in the prosecution's case, both men responded to decoy ads for sex and were subjected to severe physical abuse. In one instance, after enduring psychological torment and physical assault, a victim faced attempted mutilation when Iphael tried to sever his toe and made further threats of violence. The prosecution's case was strengthened by the courage of these victims, who, despite ongoing threats against their families, bravely stepped forward to assist the district attorney's office in building its case.
Iphael, who admitted to the crimes last month, was sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone, which includes a subsequent five years of post-release supervision, as reported by the Queens District Attorney's office. Assistant District Attorneys Tara DiGregorio and Kiran Cheema led the prosecution for these cases, working under the Human Trafficking Bureau's oversight.
