Huntington Station trio charged in alleged murder-for-hire plot involving dental procedure

Three Long Islanders, including a woman who is accused of performing dental procedures without a license, have been indicted in connection with the alleged murder-for-hire killing of a Huntington Station man, prosecutors said Friday.

Yolany Mejia Carranza, 56, Daniel Kersey, 35, and Aldo Esmizadeh, 70, all of Huntington Station, were indicted in the August 2022 killing of 23-year-old Byron Martinez.

Mejia Carranza and Kersey are facing first- and second-degree murder charges. Esmizadeh was indicted on conspiracy charges for his alleged role in facilitating the killing  plan.

"Byron Martinez was fatally shot outside his home as part of an alleged contract killing orchestrated to protect an illegal unlicensed dental practice," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news release on Friday. "This indictment reflects my office's commitment to pursuing justice for Mr. Martinez and his family."

Attorney John Halverson, who's representing Mejia Carranza, told Newsday that his client "maintains her innocence" during a phone call on Saturday morning. "We've entered a plea of not guilty and we look forward to fighting these charges," he said.

Attorneys Christopher Gioe and Luigi Belcastro — who represent Kersey and Esmizadeh, respectively — did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2022, Martinez's mother got dental treatment from Mejia Carranza, who was practicing dentistry in Huntington Station without a license, prosecutors said.

Martinez's mother, who was not identified by prosecutors, "developed serious complications and learned it would cost thousands of dollars to correct the dental work," and she demanded reimbursement from Mejia Carranza, prosecutors said in the news release.

Martinez's mother told Mejia Carranza that her son had recorded her performing the dental procedure and they planned to report her for practicing without a license if she refused to provide a refund, prosecutors said.

Mejia Carranza allegedly contacted Esmizadeh and asked if he knew anyone who could "hurt" people, and Esmizadeh allegedly connected her with Kersey, prosecutors said. In late July 2022, Kersey allegedly signed onto the plot, agreeing to threaten and hurt both Martinez and his mother in exchange for money.

According to prosecutors, Mejia Carranza and Esmizadeh surveilled the basement apartment in Huntington Station where Martinez lived with his mother and provided the address to Kersey, prosecutors said.

But Mejia Carranza allegedly became "dissatisfied" that Kersey didn't act quickly enough and "allegedly demanded that both be killed and refused to pay Kersey until the murders were carried out," prosecutors said in the release.

Martinez was shot in the back on Aug. 2, 2022. Suffolk police responded to a 911 call around 1:18 a.m. for a report of shots fired. Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene. Police recovered shell casings and a black drawstring bag containing a cartridge near the scene of the shooting, prosecutors said.

Mejia Carranza and Kersey both pleaded not guilty before acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft Jr. on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder and other charges, including conspiracy and witness intimidation.

Senft ordered Mejia Carranza and Kersey remanded. Each faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of the top count.

Mejia Carranza was also charged separately with three counts of unauthorized practice of a profession for performing dental work on three separate individuals between Nov. 1, 2024, and March 13, 2025, despite not possessing a license to practice dentistry in New York.

Esmizadeh pleaded not guilty before Senft on conspiracy charges.

Senft ordered Esmizadeh held on $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $1 million partially secured bond. Esmizadeh faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

Kersey was also charged in a separate five-count indictment with three separate counts of sex trafficking and two counts of promoting prostitution for allegedly using the drug addiction of a victim to force them to engage in sex for money between the spring and fall of 2022, prosecutors said.

"Kersey allegedly monitored the victim's movements and threatened the victim with physical violence if she did not comply with his demands," prosecutors said.

Newsday's Sam Kmack contributed to this story.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.