Story by Ethan
On January 20th, 2026, the arrest of Miguel Vanbrakle, age 48, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Miguel Vanbrakle was charged with first-degree Perjury, first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing, two counts of first-degree Falsifying Business Records, Tampering with Physical Evidence, Official Misconduct, and Making a Punishable False Written Statement. The arrest and charges against Miguel Vanbrakle were a result of an investigation handled by the Queens District Attorney’s Office Investigations Division.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, on October 19th, 2023, Miguel Vanbrakle had obtained a loaded .38-calibur Smith & Wesson revolver from a locked safe under a bed inside a Cambria Heights residence. The firearm was recovered from a search warrant being executed, the fiancée claiming the gun belonged to her fiance who was the target of the ensuing investigation. Miguel Vanbrakle testified in front of a grand jury and on NYPD property vouchers that during the search he found both the revolver and a New York state benefit card inside of the safe, leading to the fiancée being indicted on felony weapon possession charges. However, body camera footage from the investigation depicted that Miguel Vanbrakle allegedly emptied out a shoe box where he took the New York state benefits card from before placing it inside the safe where the revolver was hidden. Due to the alleged tampering, the Queens District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss the weapon possessions charges in December 2024.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Miguel Vanbrakle are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
