QUEENS, NY – Mark Douglas, a resident of Beach Channel Drive in Arverne, was sentenced on Friday to a nine-year prison term, following a guilty plea to multiple charges, including assault and conspiracy. The sentencing was delivered by Queens Supreme Court Justice John Zoll.
On May 16, 2021, around 4:00 a.m., Douglas, during his birthday celebration at home, engaged in an altercation with a 43-year-old man, a longtime friend. The dispute escalated outside, where Douglas assaulted the victim with a broken glass bottle, causing severe facial injuries requiring over 100 stitches.
Douglas was arrested on May 25, 2021, facing charges of first and second-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
The victim, a key witness against Douglas, was later targeted in a murder-for-hire plot initiated by Douglas. In an undercover operation led by the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau, Douglas was apprehended on September 7, 2022, on new charges including conspiracy and bribing a witness.
The Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz commended the NYPD for their collaborative efforts, leading to the successful conviction and sentencing of Douglas. He is also subjected to five years of post-release supervision.