Ex-NYPD Officers Plead Not Guilty in Queens Brothel Robbery Case

Justin McMillan, 26, of Long Beach, stood before a federal judge Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to charges that he stole $200 from a woman’s purse and groped her nude body while responding to a suspected brothel call in Queens. His partner, Justin Colon, 24, of Long Island City, entered the same plea on related charges.

The two former NYPD officers now face federal civil rights violations after state charges against them were dismissed last fall on procedural grounds. Federal prosecutors appear undeterred by that earlier outcome.

According to charging documents, McMillan and Colon were rookie officers assigned to the 115th Precinct in July 2024 when they responded to a 311 complaint about potential prostitution in a residential building near Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. Both were still on probation, in their second year of service.

What prosecutors say happened next reads as a serious breach of the badge.

During an initial visit to the building, the officers allegedly shut off their body-worn cameras and stole a key from a woman who had just exited, after she dumped her bag on the floor. That interaction went unreported. Neither did the one that came eight hours later.

Around 4:50 a.m. on July 20, 2024, the pair used the stolen key to enter the building and found a nude woman with a male customer. The customer fled. According to prosecutors, McMillan then reached into the woman’s purse and took $200, then approached her from behind and groped her bare buttocks and breast while Colon kept watch. The entire sequence was captured on surveillance cameras positioned outside the building.

McMillan and Colon each face one count of conspiracy against rights and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. McMillan carries a third count tied specifically to the groping. The conspiracy charge alone carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The additional count against McMillan has a maximum of three years.

Federal prosecutors did not seek detention, and both men were released without bond, though they are subject to travel restrictions and must surrender their passports.

McMillan comes from a law enforcement family. Both of his parents are former NYPD officers. He entered the police academy in April 2023. Colon followed in July 2023. The two resigned from the department in March 2025.

Before Tuesday’s federal arraignment, both men had faced a parallel set of state charges in Queens, including burglary, forcible touching, and official misconduct. They also pleaded not guilty to those charges. But discovery issues caused the speedy trial clock to expire, and the Queens case was dismissed in September 2025.

That dismissal did not end the matter. Federal investigators picked up the case, and prosecutors signaled Tuesday they believe the evidence stands up.

“I don’t believe there was an infirmity in that case, and there’s certainly not an infirmity in this case,” a prosecutor said in court, according to reports. “The evidence is very strong for federal civil rights violations.”

The case has drawn attention for several reasons. The victim in this case was a woman suspected of prostitution, a population that can be particularly vulnerable to abuse of authority precisely because they may be reluctant to report it. Federal civil rights charges under color of law are specifically designed for situations where a person in a position of official power uses that authority to violate someone’s rights.

For Long Island residents, the case carries a local dimension beyond the officers’ addresses. It reflects ongoing scrutiny of how rookie officers are supervised and what accountability looks like when body cameras are deliberately switched off and interactions go unreported by the officers themselves.

The surveillance footage ultimately told a story the officers chose not to report. Prosecutors say that footage, combined with the other evidence gathered, gives them a strong foundation heading into trial.

McMillan and Colon are due back in federal court as the case moves forward. No trial date has been set.