In connection with a 2023 case in Queens, Mahindra Hansraj, a South Ozone Park resident, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison following a car theft incident that resulted in the death of Tauree Thompson, details from the Queens District Attorney’s Office outline the circumstances leading to the sentencing.
Thompson, a 29-year-old from Richmond Hill at the time, jumped onto the roof of his 2006 Lexus RX after Hansraj, then 19, took control of the vehicle. Hansraj drove off with Thompson still on the roof. During the subsequent attempt to flee, Hansraj struck a fire hydrant, causing Thompson to be thrown from the vehicle. He sustained severe injuries and died after spending 11 months in a coma. "The defendant thought he could get away with a brazen car theft and was undeterred even with the vehicle’s owner clinging to the automobile’s roof," District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a press release. "His reckless actions led to the death of 29-year-old Tauree Thompson."
After pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter on September 4, Hansraj received his sentence from Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder. Beyond the prison term, he will be subject to five years of post-release supervision. The sentencing comes more than two years after the events of February 20, 2023, when Hansraj and two others targeted Thompson’s car, which had been left running outside 104-21 Lefferts Boulevard in South Ozone Park.
This case, involving multiple individuals and extending over more than two years, focused on legal accountability for the events that led to the incident. Senior Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos of the Homicide Bureau led the prosecution, with support from Assistant District Attorney Jaggnoor Lali, and additional assistance from Bureau Chief John Kosinski and Deputy Bureau Chiefs Karen Ross and Jonathan Selkowe. The prosecution was carried out under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes, Shawn Clark.
