Little Neck Teen Maintaining Innocence in Murder Case: Attorney

An attorney representing a Little Neck youth said the teenager would fight charges brought against him stemming from the fatal shooting of a Douglaston man in March.

Prosecutors charge that Caleb Ahn, 16, of Little Neck, and Karma Sonam, 16, of Astoria, shot Douglaston’s Bernard Cho, 28, on Northern Boulevard in Flushing on March 14, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

The defendants and the victim were allegedly negotiating the purchase of an unspecified amount of marijuana, the DA said.

But Dennis Coppin, Ahn’s attorney, said his client is maintaining his innocence and that he is waiting to see if the DA’s office will offer a deal in the case.

“I want to get him an offer,” Coppin said after making an appearance today on Ahn’s behalf at the Kew Gardens Courthouse. “The only way you get a better offer is pre-indictment.”

He said bail has not been set for Ahn at this time.

“It’s an interesting case because they are so young and it’s a violent situation,” Coppin said.

Sonam is being represented by attorney Warren Silver.

A DA spokeswoman said a grand jury has been convened and that they will consider charges brought against the defendants, which include second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery.

They could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted, the official said.

A second man, who has not been identified, was struck in the head with a firearm during the incident, Brown said. Ahn and Sonam then allegedly fired one round, hitting the man in the back, he said.

According to authorities, the suspects then turned their attention to Cho, allegedly firing three to five rounds that struck the victim in the back, causing him to bleed to death.

Prosecutors accuse Ahn and Sonam of fleeing the scene with a briefcase filled with marijuana, according to the complaint.

The defendants will return to court on June 8.

Paul Leonard contributed to this story.