Franklin Square man charged in 2018 fatal shooting in Queens

A Franklin Square man has been indicted by a Queens grand jury in a 2018 fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man in Queens, prosecutors announced Friday.

Prosecutors said Michael Brown, 37, was held Friday on a warrant before judge Gene Lopez of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Khipplyn Rhodd, who was shot in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens on Sept. 25, 2018.

Rhodd was standing near his work van along 118th Road and Farmers Boulevard at about 9:30 p.m. when he was struck in the torso by a gunshot fired from a silver four-door sedan traveling south on Farmers Boulevard, according to prosecutors. Rhodd died at a hospital.

Brown’s lawyer, Jason Russo of Huntington Station, said Brown was "utterly shocked as was his family" when he was arrested Thursday.

"He has no knowledge and absolutely no involvement in any sort of shooting like this," Russo said Friday. "The date of this offense may coincide with my client being in the state of Florida."

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz touted her office's Cold Case Unit for securing the indictment.

"Justice will be pursued and sought in a court of law regardless of how much time passes," Katz said in a statement. "The defendant tried to elude identification and responsibility for his alleged crimes but he will now stand in court to answer for this shooting."

If convicted, Brown faces up to 25 years to life in prison, prosecutors said.