Maksim Gelman

Case name

Maksim Gelman

Background

Maksim Gelman (born May 31, 1987) was an American.

Gelman’s father immigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1992 on a refugee status. Gelman and his mother Svetlana joined him two years later and they all moved to New York. Mother and son stayed in the United States even after Gelman’s father returned to Ukraine upon gaining U.S. citizenship. Gelman became a U.S. citizen in 2005.

Gelman attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, according to a former student there, though it was unclear whether he managed to graduate. He was known around the school as being a skateboarder. His unpopularity caused him to not have many friends or girlfriends, which reportedly amplified psychotic tendencies.

Gelman built a record with law enforcement after being arrested many times, mostly for graffiti-related offenses. Among graffiti artists, the few who knew of him viewed him as a largely unwanted troublemaker.

Gelman had been a small-time dealer and user of crack cocaine, prescription pills and PCP. He had been arrested for possession of the drug and for graffiti vandalism.

The offence

Gelman’s 28-hour killing spree lasted from February 11 to 12, 2011 in New York City. It involved the stabbing and killing of four people and the wounding of at least five others.

Police reports stated that on the morning of February 11, 2011, Gelman stabbed and killed his mother’s companion, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, in Brooklyn, after an argument with his mother about driving Kuznetsov’s vehicle. Gelman’s mother was not physically hurt.

Police reports stated that Gelman then went to the house of a female acquaintance named Yelena Bulchenko, where he killed her mother, Anna. He then allegedly hid inside the house, waiting for Yelena to return. When she came back six hours later, Gelman chased her out of the home after she tried to dial 911. He stabbed her eleven times, killing her, before speeding off in Kuznetsov’s car.

He rammed another car, stabbed and injured its driver, Arthur DiCrescento, and carjacked his vehicle.

Gelman later ran down 62-year-old pedestrian Stephen Tannenbaum, who subsequently died of his injuries.

Gelman next stabbed and wounded a number of individuals during the rampage, including Shelden Pottinger, whose vehicle Gelman stole and drove off on.

Finally, after boarding a northbound 3 train at 34th Street - Penn Station, Gelman stabbed Joseph Lozito, a ticket seller at Lincoln Center.

According to some reports, Gelman started banging on the door of the motorman’s cab, demanding to be let in, at which point two police officers assigned to the manhunt arrived and subdued him after a struggle with Lozito’s help. According to other accounts, Lozito actively defended himself, engaging Gelman in a physical confrontation that allowed transit officers Terrance Howell and Tamara Taylor, along with off-duty Detective Marcelo Razzo, to subdue and restrain Gelman, who was apprehended at Times Square - 42nd Street.

Timeline

• February 11, 2011 — Police reports stated Gelman stabbed and killed his mother’s companion, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, in Brooklyn, after an argument with his mother about driving Kuznetsov’s vehicle.
• February 11, 2011 — Gelman then drove Kuznetsov’s car and ran down school safety agent Adamantia Nikalaydakis, leaving her hospitalised.
• February 11, 2011 — Gelman fatally stabbed ex-girlfriend Yelena Bulchenko and Bulchenko’s mother Anna at their home.
• February 11, 2011 — Gelman stabbed passing motorist Art DiCrescento and stole his Pontiac car, leaving DiCrescento in a critical condition.
• February 11, 2011 — Gelman ploughed into pedestrian Steve Tannenbaum and Tannenbaum died from his injuries.
• February 11, 2011 — Police reports stated Gelman stole a northbound 3 train at 34th Street - Penn Station and stabbed Joseph Lozito at Lincoln Center.
• February 12, 2011 — Gelman was apprehended at Times Square - 42nd Street after police officers subduing and restraining him.

Investigation and arrest

Gelman was arraigned in a Brooklyn courtroom on charges of murder and assault on February 13, 2011.

In front of a crowd of onlookers and reporters while Gelman was being led from the police precinct to the courthouse, Gelman reportedly showed no remorse, saying that he had been “set up.”

He was apprehended at Times Square - 42nd Street.

A bloodied knife was recovered by forensic officers from the scene and taken away for further examination.

During the weekend, Gelman claimed in newspaper reports that he was responsible for six other killings.

Trial

On February 13, 2011, Gelman was arraigned in a Brooklyn courtroom on charges of murder and assault, represented by public defender Michael Baum.

Although no motive for the murders had been offered by authorities, it had been speculated in the media that the rampage was triggered by Gelman’s advances being scorned by Yelena Bulchenko.

On November 30, 2011, Gelman pleaded guilty to all charges.

Gelman had previously said he wasn’t guilty. Gelman was under medical supervision, and his attorney, Edward Friedman, described his client’s mental state as fragile. A psychiatrist’s opinion indicated that Gelman could not argue he was not guilty by reason of insanity. Gelman decided to plead guilty to all the charges, in order to get out of his holding cell and start serving his time in a permanent facility. No plea deal was offered.

Friedman said:

“There is a difference between a legally insane mind and a diseased mind,” Friedman said. “What Mr. Gelman has is a diseased mind.”

Sentencing

On January 18, 2012, Gelman appeared in the New York Supreme Court, Kings County, for sentencing. Gelman was sitting in court next to his attorney, Edward Friedman.

Gelman was reported as being “unruly”, laughing or yelling at the judge and the family and friends of some of his victims. Cameras were allowed in the courtroom, and photos showing Gelman’s reaction at the time of sentencing were widely distributed.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Vincent Del Guidice sentenced Gelman to 200 years in prison and told Gelman:

“You are a violent sociopath.”

Gelman was described as cackling and insulting his victims and disrespected the judge while insisting he wasn’t the bad guy.

Judge Vincent Del Giudice told Gelman:

“You are a violent predator and sociopath,” Judge Vincent Del Giudice said.

Gelman said:

“I’m not the bad guy here. These people did bad things to me,” Gelman said in a rambling statement in which he blamed his victims and also the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, claiming he was a drug dealer who was being followed. “It’s not my fault that all this happened.”

Appeals

No appeals were stated.

Outcome

Gelman pleaded guilty to all charges on November 30, 2011. Gelman was sentenced to 200 years in prison on January 18, 2012.

Aftermath and additional statements

Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub urged the judge not to view Gelman’s claims of additional killings as a mental issue, and called the claims an attempt to beef up his reputation as a violent criminal before going to prison.

Judge Del Giudice referred to Gelman as someone who was “crazy like a fox.”

Gelman blamed the events on being followed and on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, while stating he was a drug dealer.

During the courtroom incidents involving Yelena Bulchenko’s boyfriend, Gerard Honig, Honig responded to Gelman’s statements. Honig later said:

“No sentence is good enough,” Honig later said. “Nothing will bring them back.”

A livery driver, Fitz Fullerton, spoke at the Wednesday hearing barely above a whisper because his voice box was damaged by Gelman. Fullerton said:

“I just got caught up in this, this is my like third time ever seeing him and I hope he gets what he deserves,” Fullerton said.

A witness described the carjacking and stabbing of Shelden Pottinger. The witness told the Daily News:

‘He was waiting for his wife to leave . . . The guy came by and tried to steal his car,’ a witness told the Daily News. ‘He was kicking him, literally kicking him to get him out of the car...He was stabbing at him with a long knife.’

A community member said Gelman flipped out when his stepfather would not let him have the car. Stella Bend said:

'Gelman flipped out when his step father wouldn't let him have the car. It was four in the morning, who goes out at that time of the day? 'That's what sparked this whole thing off. There must have been something more too it, I can't believe that was just it. 'From what I've heard Maksim had been getting into lots of trouble and had been doing drugs and drinking. I don't think he had a job. 'His mother had been worried about him for ages, but not because he might do something like this. 'The stepfather was a lovely guy and she is a lovely lady. She used to sit out on her balcony reading in the summer, taking it easy. I just can't believe this has happened.'

A neighbour, Jeremy, said:

'To think that somebody would just throw his life away and that of his family, it's just insane.'

Subway passenger Hyun Jo, 35, told the Post:

‘I saw a stream of people coming from the front of the train. They looked upset. They had white faces. ‘The conductor announced they ‘found the guy who killed four people yesterday.’ I saw the blood in the other car when they let us off. It was crazy.'

Gelman’s mother did not appear in court on sentencing day.

Other details

Gelman was arraigned on charges of murder and assault, and he later pleaded guilty to all charges.

Gelman was reported to have been arrested many times before the spree, mostly for graffiti-related offenses.

In reporting about the subway attack, two transit officers were mentioned: Terrance Howell and Tamara Taylor. An off-duty detective, Marcelo Razzo, was also mentioned. Joseph Lozito was described as a ticket seller at Lincoln Center.

A school safety agent was identified as Adamantia Nikalaydakis, 41.

Aleksandr Kuznetsov’s age was given as 54 in the timeline.

Yelena Bulchenko’s age was given as 20 in the timeline, and Anna’s age was given as 56 in the timeline.

Arthur DiCrescento’s age was given as 60.

Stephen Tannenbaum’s age was given as 62 in the description.

Shelden Pottinger’s age was given as 25.

Fitz Fullerton’s age was given as 55.

A 28-hour rampage was described as occurring from February 11 to 12, 2011.