New York ( CNN ) -- Sixteen years ago , Sundhe Moses was found guilty of second-degree murder for the death of a 4-year-old girl caught in a gang-related shootout . But the District Attorney 's Office in Brooklyn , New York , is now taking a second look at his case after another murder conviction was overturned in March . Moses ' conviction review is one of 50 investigations from the District Attorney 's Criminal Investigation Unit that was sparked after prosecutors suggested that David Ranta 's second-degree murder conviction of a rabbi in 1991 be tossed out . A witness came forward years after the case and said that an investigator coached him into identifying Ranta in a lineup . Ranta , who insisted he was innocent for years , was freed from prison after serving 23 years . The same detective was involved in Moses ' investigation . Moses , now 37 , said that former New York Police Department Officer Louis Scarcella beat him , wrote the words of a confession he was forced to sign and smudged his signature , according to Ron Kuby , Moses ' lawyer . Kuby said there were multiple red flags raised through the trial , despite Moses being found guilty and sentenced to 16Â½ years to life . According to Kuby , none of the six eyewitnesses identified Moses at trial , though two said they identified him earlier in a lineup . Moses also insisted on testifying in court , a rare occurrence often insisted upon by the innocent , Kuby said . Kuby suggests that the high-profile crime of an innocent victim and the public 's demand for action led police to inaccurately charge Moses . `` Moses knew many of the people in that area implicated by gang violence , '' Kuby told CNN on Monday . `` It was ... guilt by association . '' `` I believe that he forced him to talk , '' Moses ' sister , Barbara Moses , said of Scarcella . `` From day one , he has been saying this . '' Scarcella told CNN on Monday : `` I never , ever beat a confession out of anyone . I never mistreated a defendant . I was one of the finest of the finest , and my name in the police department was synonymous with honor . '' The Kings County District Attorney 's Office said it could not comment on the case , calling it an open investigation . Scarcella retired from the New York Police Department before the investigations began . CNN 's Mary Snow , Aaron Cooper , Raelyn Johnson and Laura Ly contributed to this report .
Sundhe Moses was found guilty of second - degree murder for the murder of a 4-year - old girl in 1997 . His conviction review is one of 50 cases that a district attorney 's office is investigating . Suggestions that a separate murder conviction be thrown out sparked the investigations . A former NYPD officer involved in both cases defends his police record .