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Albanian Extortion Crew Member Sentenced to 18 Years
Denis Nikolla, a member of a violent Albanian extortion crew, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in targeting Astoria business owners.
Nikolla was sentenced before Judge Eric N. Vitaliano in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York, to 18 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years’ supervised release, for two counts of Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, one count of threatening physical violence in furtherance of an extortion plan, and one count of brandishing a firearm.
The charges relate to Nikolla’s participation in three schemes to extort small business owners in Astoria, Queens. Co-defendants Redinel Dervishaj and Besnik Llakatura are awaiting sentencing. Dervishaj was convicted after a three-week trial in April 2016, while Besnik Llakatura, a police officer with the New York City Police Department at the time of the crimes, previously pled guilty.
“The defendant and his partners used fear, intimidation, and threats of violence to demand payment from those who dared to open businesses on their so-called ‘turf’ of Astoria, Queens,” stated United States Attorney Robert L. Capers. “When his victims refused to pay, the defendant and his partners escalated their efforts to secure payment, brazenly brandishing firearms at their victims. Today’s sentence sends a strong message that criminals who use extortion and violence to profit from others’ hard work in our community will be held accountable and punished.”
Nikolla and his partners coerced an innocent restaurant owner into paying for so-called protective services by using fear and threats of physical violence, according to FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney. Sweeney stated that the thought of someone claiming an area in any community as their ‘turf’ is not only illegal, but also beyond comprehension in a normal society.
Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill also weighed in on the case, stating that today’s sentence should deter others who believe they can use violence to extort their victims. O’Neill thanked the prosecutors, detectives, and agents whose work on this investigation led to the sentence, saying that the neighborhood of Astoria is safer today because of their hard work.
According to prior court filings and evidence presented at the trial of co-defendant Redinel Dervishaj, between May and November 2013, Nikolla, Llakatura, and Dervishaj conspired and attempted to extort a Queens restaurant owner, demanding monthly payments in exchange for so-called “protection.” The restaurant owner was told to pay $4,000 per month because he had opened in “our neighborhood.”
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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