Steve Darbasie, 44, was sentenced to six months in prison for harassing and intimidating individuals involved in the investigation of his son’s manslaughter case. Darbasie’s actions, conducted through a fake Instagram account, sought to protect his son, Tammuz Darbasie, who fatally stabbed Terrell Wigfall in 2020.
The case traces back to August 2020, when Tammuz Darbasie stabbed 24-year-old Terrell Wigfall in Hell’s Kitchen. Wigfall, a promising basketball player at Bronx Community College, succumbed to his injuries after weeks of fighting for his life. Tammuz Darbasie pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in April 2023 and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Steve Darbasie, convinced of his son’s innocence, resorted to drastic measures. In December 2022, he created an anonymous Instagram account named “Ratzzzz,” where he labeled three of Wigfall’s friends as “snitches and rats.” Using footage obtained from his son’s lawyer, Darbasie posted videos of these witnesses speaking with police, aiming to intimidate them into silence.
“Steve Darbasie waged a relentless campaign of intimidation, using social media as a sword to both punish witnesses for speaking with police and attempt to prevent them from testifying about his son’s crime,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. The DA emphasized the critical role of honest testimony in the justice system, highlighting how such actions undermine efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.
The consequences of Darbasie’s intimidation were immediate and severe. Just two days after the first post, the rear windshield of a car occupied by two witnesses was smashed. One witness later received a threatening text message calling her a rat. Despite these attempts to silence them, the witnesses’ testimonies ultimately contributed to securing a conviction.
Wigfall’s death remains a poignant loss for his community. A talented athlete, he was a leading scorer for the Bronx Broncos and a devoted father. His high school teacher, Mark Torres, remembered him fondly, saying, “Terrell, lost to violence, a young dad, star athlete, and graduate of West Side HS. We miss you and will always LOVE and Remember you! Rest in Paradise.
Steve Darbasie’s sentencing serves as a stern warning against attempts to obstruct justice. As DA Bragg noted, “We will not tolerate any such attempts, as I hope this trial conviction makes clear.”
