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Victim Blasts Plea Deal for Rockaway Youth Leader Accused of Assault

By Katie Honan | August 21, 2014 1:12pm
 Milan Taylor, seen with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, allegedly choked a woman inside the offices of the Rockaway Youth Task Force.
Milan Taylor, seen with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, allegedly choked a woman inside the offices of the Rockaway Youth Task Force.
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RYTF

FAR ROCKAWAY — The woman who was allegedly choked by the president of a local youth group blasted the plea deal given to him by the district attorney's office, saying he is not fit to lead the peninsula's young people. 

Riána Sherwood, 25, was allegedly thrown onto a couch inside the Rockaway Youth Task Force's office by the group's president, Milan Taylor, 25, on June 5, according to the criminal complaint. 

He then placed his hand on the her neck and choked her, the court documents said. Her iPhone was also allegedly damaged in the assault.

Taylor, who co-founded the RYTF in 2010 and is also a member of Community Board 14, was charged with assault, criminal obstruction of breathing and second degree harassment, according to the complaint.

But he pleaded guilty instead to disorderly conduct before his trial on Aug. 18. He must complete eight weeks of anger management, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.

If Taylor was convicted of assault in the third degree, he would have faced a maximum sentence of one year incarceration, a source said. 

Sherwood was also granted a full order of protection for one year against Taylor.

The victim, who said she is a co-founder of the group, said she has known Taylor for more than 10 years, during which time he exhibited "irrational behavior." She did not elaborate.

But she "never expected him to do what he has done to me, especially not to this extreme," she told DNAinfo New York.

She hopes the situation will "serve as an example to anyone else who is being or who has been abused by him within the organization or outside of the organization."

No other allegations have surfaced against Taylor.

"He is clearly controlled by his temper, which is not an ideal characteristic when leading young people," she said.

Taylor declined comment.