A Massachusetts man has been subjected to a 12-year prison term following a shooting incident tied to an alleged family debt, as per an announcement from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Minliang Zheng, 52, faced charges including assault and the illegal possession of a firearm, leading to his conviction after a jury trial.
According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, Zheng approached a 45-year-old woman outside her home and shot her in the upper thigh in connection with a debt owed by one of her relatives. Armed with a semi-automatic firearm and wearing a hat and surgical mask, Zheng reportedly demanded money, stating, "The boss said to get the money." The victim, who had no prior contact with Zheng and was not involved in the underlying financial dispute, survived the shooting, which occurred around midday on March 19, 2023.
A quick jury deliberation culminated in Zheng's conviction on June 9, following a trial that commenced on May 5. Justice Karen Gopee of the Queens Supreme Court, as detailed in the Queens District Attorney's announcement, issued the sentence, seeing Zheng also subject to five years of post-release supervision.
The incident was uncovered through nearby surveillance footage, which captured the shooting and Zheng's alleged threats to harm the victim’s entire family if the debt remained unpaid. Zheng fled New York and was later apprehended in Massachusetts by local authorities on August 8, 2023. He was extradited to New York in November, where prosecutors linked him to the crime using evidence that included cell site records. The investigation was led by Detective Michael Rotanz, along with members of the NYPD’s 111th Precinct Detective Squad and Queens North Detective Bureau, with support from NYPD detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and the Queens District Attorney’s Crime Strategies and Intelligence Bureau.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Leann Staines and Senior Deputy Bureau Chief Catherine Kane of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau, with oversight from Assistant District Attorney Mary Lowenburg, Bureau Chief, and Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Gerard A. Brave.
