According to reports, Yosef Aranbayev, better known as Joe Avianne of the famed Avianne & Co. jewelry shop has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime among other charges for shooting at two black men that were in his Queens neighborhood.
Police say on the night of June 6, a black Chevy Tahoe pulled up alongside a parked cop car and alerted the officers that a black Dodge Durango was following them and fired shots at them as well. The driver of the Durango - Joe Avianne - pulled over in a nearby gas station to avoid stopping at the traffic light. Authorities spotted Joe and pulled him over.
When questioned by police, Joe Avianne said "Those guys were in my neighborhood," adding, "I'm sorry, officer. I didn't do anything wrong. They were scouting my whole neighborhood the whole day … I was chasing those guys. We're chasing them out of our neighborhood."
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz described Joe as a "vigilante" that will be held accountable for his actions. Joe's attorney Gregory Bitterman insisted race had nothing to do with Joe's actions. His family and friends also came forward refuting the notion that Joe is racist. “Hate crime? His wife is black,” said a woman who identified herself as his brother’s wife. "They have four kids and have been together for over 20 years.” A neighbor said, "He’s a jeweler to the stars. All his customers are rappers. If he were a racist, he’d be out of business. He is a real gentleman,” adding, “They were outside his house, and in his driveway. He was only protecting his property.”
Joe Avianne's formal charges include, "first-degree as a hate crime, attempted murder in the second degree as a hate crime, reckless endangerment in the first degree as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, reckless driving, and avoiding intersection or traffic control device."
Source: complex.com
