Duo Pleads Guilty To LIC Acid Attack, Embezzlement Scheme

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Queens Criminal Court Justice Ira Margulis indicated that he will sentence Kim Williams and Jerry Mohammed to 17 years in prison after they pleaded guilty to first-degree assault for burning a man with lye. Eagle file photo by David Brand.

Queens Criminal Court Justice Ira Margulis indicated that he will sentence Kim Williams and Jerry Mohammed to 17 years in prison after they pleaded guilty to first-degree assault for burning a man with lye. Eagle file photo by David Brand.

By Jonathan Sperling

A Bronx accountant and her associate are facing up to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to attacking the executive director of a Long Island City non-profit with acid and embezzling $750,000.

Kim Williams, 49, of Kingsbridge and Jerry Mohammed, 35, of Troy, N.Y. pled guilty to first-degree assault before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced on Tuesday.

“In pleading guilty, the former employee now admits to stealing from an organization that used its funds to help those in need. The two defendants together plotted to take grave steps to conceal this crime,” Brown said in a statement. “The duo jointly conspired to inflict bodily harm to an innocent woman, the organization’s director, who was looking into the missing funds. As a result of the acid attack, the victim suffered pain and disfiguring injuries to her face and body. At sentencing the two defendants will face a long term of incarceration for their criminal actions.”

Between 2013 and 2015, Williams and Mohammed embezzled $750,000 from Hospital Audiences Inc., a non-profit agency agency located on Skillman Avenue that provided access to the arts to disabled individuals. Williams pocketed $600,000 of the funds for herself and gave the remaining $150,000 to a close friend, according to court filings.

The pair’s victim, Reverend D. Alexandra Dyer, was the agency’s executive director, and had begun investigating the embezzlement scheme in 2015. On the night of Aug. 19, 2015, Williams and Mohammed attacked Dyer in an attempt to thwart her attempts at uncovering the embezzlement scheme.

Right after Dyer exited the agency’s office building, Mohammed threw caustic lye on her, causing severe burns to her face and other parts of her body. As a result of the incident, Dyer had to undergo multiple surgeries and remains disfigured.

Margulis indicated that he would sentence both Williams and Mohammed to 17 years in prison on Jan. 17, 2019, Brown said.