tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72986496847538240922019-11-07T14:39:15.981-08:00100PercentBronxBronx Politics and Community events100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.comBlogger10100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-60045705617378597502019-11-07T14:39:00.000-08:002019-11-07T14:39:15.758-08:00Cases from the Bronx District Attorney's Office<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NYC DOC Officer, Two Others Indicted for Smuggling Contraband into Rikers Island</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">B</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">ronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett today announced that a Department of Correction Officer, a former inmate and a Bronx resident have been indicted for smuggling heroin and tobacco into Rikers Island. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants allegedly fueled corruption and danger on Rikers Island by smuggling heroin and other contraband for sale or trade behind bars. The Correction Officer stands accused of tarnishing his badge and jeopardizing the safety of his fellow officers. We will continue to work with partners such as the Department of Investigation to halt crime in the jails, whether they are committed by staff or inmates.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, "Our City's jails are only safe if the officers working in them are free from corruption. This Correction Officer and his co-conspirators allegedly ferried in illegal contraband, including potentially deadly drugs and loose tobacco. In addition to the potential danger of the contraband itself, officers providing illegal favors for certain inmates is a threat to good order and discipline in the jails, making them less safe for inmates and officers alike. DOI thanks the Bronx District Attorney's Office for their partnership in this investigation."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Jason Prieto, 40, a Correction Officer for three years; Anthony Rusielwicz, 41, of Brooklyn, who is an inmate; and Luz Pagan, 54, of the Bronx, were charged in an indictment with fourth-degree Conspiracy, third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the third degree, fifth-degree Conspiracy, first and second-degree Promoting Prison Contraband, third-degree Bribery, and seventh-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Prieto was additionally charged with third-degree Bribe Receiving and Official Misconduct. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The defendants were arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy. Bail was continued at $2,000 for Prieto, Pagan was released on his own recognizance, and bail was set at $10,000 bond/$5,000 cash and 10% partially secured bond in the amount of $15,000 for Rusielwicz. The defendants are due back in court on December 5, 2019.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> According to the investigation, from February 2, 2018 through April 16, 2018 the three conspired to, and successfully brought in, dangerous contraband to the Eric M. Taylor Center Rikers Island. On April 16, 2018, Correction Officer Jason Prieto was caught with 11 glassines of heroin, loose tobacco and rolling papers by a narcotics-detecting canine. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> District Attorney Clark thanked BXDA Detective Investigator Matthew Cruz and BXDA Senior Detective Investigator Vincent Cantarella for their assistance in the case. District Attorney Clark thanked FBI Forensic Examiner Michael D’Angelis, Captain Vincent Fuca of DOC, and the DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for DOC, specifically, Investigator Brian Hilario, Captain Ali Fayad, Assistant Inspector General Carmelo Galarza and K-9 Gunner, under the supervision of Inspector General Dana A. Roth, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella, and First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Cort. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-21082581531324263572019-11-07T13:56:00.000-08:002019-11-07T13:56:14.877-08:00Community Invite: NCB Paint Party!! Friday, November 15 - Help us paint NCB's Community Mural<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: 18pt;">Staff, Patients, Friends, and Family Welcome!<u></u><u></u></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=bd0a00535e&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1649563279753737442&th=16e46d102c3ff4e2&view=fimg&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_pXKQOwT-xoBZI_Ij1USeERnvd18VpIwy2qBcx-x0ZVs9-VQKmcAgZ0ZCgeJkYkcuvUvnOeIun71xnEkbnYlCLew23oRj274JdsI3csYMcsLrCXlBv8WrZ5ss&disp=emb" /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-77152313340027618542019-11-06T05:27:00.001-08:002019-11-06T05:27:44.899-08:00Bronx Gang Member Charged With 2015 Murder<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Raymond Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging JOSE RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Hov,” a/k/a “Hov Goon,” with murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and firearms offenses in connection with the murder of Daquan Cooper on June 25, 2015, in the Bronx. RODRIGUEZ was already in federal custody serving a sentence for other charges. RODRIGUEZ will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the indictment, Jose Rodriguez and others were responsible for the cold-blooded murder of Daquan Cooper in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx in 2015. We commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement partners to bring this defendant to justice.” </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “Rodriguez allegedly ran with a gang whose calling card was violence and drug trafficking, and he is now charged with murder in aid of racketeering for his involvement in a 2015 homicide. As alleged, he may have thought he was in the clear four years later, but strong law enforcement partnerships ensure that no one will get away with murder. You commit a crime, you will be arrested and you will be prosecuted.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond Donovan said: “Too often we see murder as a byproduct of gang violence and drug trafficking. This investigation is a result of combined law enforcement efforts to thwart violent crime and bring answers to victims’ families.” </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “Our obligation is not just to ensure that New Yorkers in every neighborhood are safe, but that they feel safe. To that end, our work identifying and dismantling gangs and crews, and preventing the violence so often associated with their activities, continues to be of paramount importance. I thank our NYPD investigators, and our law enforcement partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, HSI, and the DEA, for their dedication and vital work in this case.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-gang-member-charged-2015-murder#_ftn1" id="_ftnref1" name="_ftnref1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><u style="box-sizing: border-box;">[1]</u></a>:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RODRIGUEZ was a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as the Beach Avenue Crew, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, murder, attempted murder, and narcotics trafficking. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On June 25, 2015, RODRIGUEZ and others murdered Daquan Cooper in the vicinity of 1595 Unionport Road in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RODRIGUEZ, 27, from the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of HSI, DEA, and the NYPD. Mr. Berman added that the investigation is continuing.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://usa.doj.gov/cloud/NYS/StAndrews/Shared/PressOffice/DRAFTS/Drafts%202019/11-November%202019/2019-11-05%20Jose%20Rodriguez%20Arrest%20PR/Jose%20Rodriguez%20Arrest%20PR%20final.docx#_ftnref1" id="_ftn1" name="_ftn1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" title=""><u style="box-sizing: border-box;">[1]</u></a><span style="color: #171e24;"> </span><span style="color: #171e24;">As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.</span></span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-17693471774861110862019-11-06T05:23:00.002-08:002019-11-06T05:23:57.293-08:00MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS DERMOT SHEA NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER<br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;"><b><i>New Commissioner is a 28-year NYPD veteran, currently Chief of Detectives, plans focus on gangs and gun violence.</i></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">Mayor de Blasio today announced that Dermot Shea will be the next Commissioner of the New York Police Department. Shea began his service as a police officer in 1991, a year New York City faced more than 2,000 murders, and rose through the ranks to become Chief of Detectives, where he has overseen the criminal investigations in the city in addition to targeted efforts to prevent crime from happening.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">As the next Police Commissioner, Shea will apply precision policing and Neighborhood Policing to target gang-related violence, take guns off the streets and continue the city's remarkable reduction in crime. He will take office on December 1st.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">"Dermot Shea is a proven change agent, using precision policing to fight crime and build trust between police and communities. As Chief of Crime Control Strategies and then Chief of Detectives, Dermot was one of the chief architects of the approach that has made New York City the safest big city in America. Dermot is uniquely qualified to serve as our next Police Commissioner and drive down crime rates even further," said <b>Mayor Bill de Blasio</b>. "On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to express deep gratitude to Jimmy O'Neill for dedicating his entire career to keeping our city safe. Jimmy transformed the relationship between New Yorkers and police, and helped to make the Department the most sophisticated and advanced in the country."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">"This is a tremendous honor and a tremendous responsibility and I'm grateful to the Mayor for this privilege to serve," said <b>Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea</b>. "Police Commissioner O'Neill has been a mentor and a friend to me, and I am committed to building on the incredible success of Neighborhood Policing and precision policing, while continuing my life's work to eradicate gangs and guns from our streets. Every New Yorker deserves to be safe and feel safe, and that has been my mission since I took the oath and became a police officer 28 years ago. As Police Commissioner, this will be what drives me."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">"Dermot Shea has exactly the experience and skill to continue to drive down crime, strengthen relationships with the community members we serve and make sure every neighborhood has the safety they deserve," said <b>Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill</b>. "We cannot take the historic crime reductions in New York City for granted, and Dermot's understanding of the complex issues that lead to crime and disorder, as well as the most effective strategies for addressing these issues, is as good as it gets in policing today."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">Commissioner James O'Neill has presided over the lowest crime rate in New York City since the NYPD started tracking major crime, as well as the fewest number of homicides recorded since the 1950s. The architect of Neighborhood Policing, he oversaw the expansion of Neighborhood Coordination Officers to every precinct, Police Service Area and transit district as well as reforms to department policy that drove down crime and simultaneously reduced arrests for low-level offenses.</div><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.75px; line-height: 40px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: large;">About Dermot Shea</span></h2><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">Shea began his service as a police officer in 1991, a year New York City faced more than 2,000 murders. He rose up the ranks to serve as precinct commander of the 44th and 50th precincts in the Bronx where he oversaw a dramatic reduction in gun violence.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">In 2014, Shea was appointed Chief of Crime Control Strategies and Deputy Commissioner for Operations, where he oversaw the CompStat system and honed a new generation of precision approaches that helped drive crime to record lows. He focused the Department not just around arrests, but around intelligence-driven prosecutions in close cooperation with District Attorneys to take dangerous criminals off the street. Shea's role required him to constantly shift resources to respond to real-time crime trends. In 2018, Shea was promoted to Chief of Detectives, where he oversaw all of the Department's investigatory operations, including every criminal investigation in the city. Shea <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/pr1116/nypd-updates-strengthen-special-victims-division" style="color: #007db8; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">overhauled the Special Victims Division</a> to strengthen NYPD's commitment to survivors of sexual assault.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: justify;">Shea grew up in Sunnyside, Queens, the son of Irish immigrants. He holds a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Oneonta. He and his wife Serena live in Manhattan and have three children: Jackie, Lauren and Richie, as well as grandson, Aidan, and a dog named Miley.</div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-3408917405942323832019-11-06T05:20:00.002-08:002019-11-06T05:20:49.695-08:00Former Head Of Pakistani Drug Trafficking Network Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Narcotics Offenses<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shahbaz Khan Sought to Import Tens of Thousands of Kilograms of Heroin into the United States for Distribution in New York City and Elsewhere</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;">Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SHAHBAZ KHAN (“KHAN”) was sentenced to 15 years for conspiring and attempting to import massive quantities of heroin into the United States. KHAN was taken into custody by Liberian authorities on December 1, 2016, and expelled to the United States later that day, based on a pending Complaint in this District. He previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who imposed today’s sentence. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “Shahbaz Khan was an international drug kingpin who distributed staggering quantities of narcotics from southwest Asia to countries throughout the world. In 2016, he agreed to transport tens of thousands of kilograms of heroin to New York City. Today’s sentence shows that we will continue to seek justice against those who flood our communities with heroin and other deadly, highly addictive drugs that fuel the opioid epidemic plaguing this city.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According to the Complaint, the Superseding Indictment, and other filings in this case:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">KHAN, a Pakistani national, was the leader of a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) based in Afghanistan and Pakistan that produced and distributed massive quantities of narcotics around the world. In 2007, KHAN was designated a Narcotics Kingpin under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by then-President George W. Bush. In total, KHAN and the DTO distributed hundreds of tons of drugs. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Between approximately August and December 2016, KHAN conspired to send tens of thousands of kilograms of heroin hidden in maritime shipping containers and air cargo shipments to New York City. KHAN spent weeks negotiating the shipments with individuals he understood to be customers of the DTO, who were in fact confidential sources (the “CSes”) working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (the “DEA”). The CSes told KHAN that they worked with a New York City-based drug trafficker – who, unbeknownst to KHAN, was a DEA undercover agent (“UC-1”) – and that UC-1 was looking for a new source of supply for large quantities of heroin. In August 2016, the CSes told KHAN that UC-1 was interested in purchasing up to 300 kilograms of heroin per week from KHAN and the DTO. KHAN bragged to the CSes about his decades-long experience in international drug trafficking, including that he had once transported 114 tons of drugs in a single year, including 64 tons of hashish. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Within weeks of first meeting the CSes, KHAN traveled to the Maldives to meet with UC-1 and the CSes. During the course of these meetings, KHAN explained the various ways that he could transport heroin to UC-1. KHAN suggested, for example, that he could ship heroin from Pakistan to a transshipment point in Africa, where UC-1 would receive the heroin and have it shipped to the United States. KHAN further explained that he could ship narcotics “wherever” UC-1 wanted, and emphasized that “if you tell me America, I will send it to America.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In October 2016, KHAN provided a five-kilogram sample of high-quality heroin to the CSes in Kabul, Afghanistan. Within weeks of providing the sample, KHAN traveled to Liberia to meet with UC-1 and to examine a supposed warehouse that could serve as a transshipment point for their future heroin deals. While in transit to Liberia, KHAN explained to UC-1 that he could ship up to 10,000 kilograms at a time, and that it was just as easy for him to ship 10,000 kilograms as it was to ship 1,000 kilograms. Once KHAN landed in Liberia, he was arrested and expelled to the United States. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to the prison term, KHAN, 71, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division’s Bilateral Investigations Unit; the DEA Accra, Canberra, Sydney, Dub</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">ai, Islamabad, Kabul, Nairobi, and New Delhi Country Offices; the DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Financial Investigative Team; the Government of Liberia; the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency; the DEA Nairobi Country Office Kenyan Vetted Unit; the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission; and the Maldives Police Service. </span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-77515830371517899912019-11-06T05:17:00.000-08:002019-11-06T05:17:33.402-08:00The New Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Veterans Luncheon<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #403f42; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 48px; text-align: center;">Veterans Luncheon</span><br /><br /><a href="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0f1C40mCaDfFPFhaYq54NOxvakdD1Q1AoCTlN26HszhabEaP9pT0PsUMuIHbrDro05PBxspy4smalbgiDr_gt6urcRS1GE7ue3uUqWrcU35HkueOwH0ci5jiAlmE1AkDCckDf17XTHQK=s0-d-e1-ft#https://files.constantcontact.com/1c05bd57001/b293a311-34a6-4379-83db-8627cab63445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd a6T" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0f1C40mCaDfFPFhaYq54NOxvakdD1Q1AoCTlN26HszhabEaP9pT0PsUMuIHbrDro05PBxspy4smalbgiDr_gt6urcRS1GE7ue3uUqWrcU35HkueOwH0ci5jiAlmE1AkDCckDf17XTHQK=s0-d-e1-ft#https://files.constantcontact.com/1c05bd57001/b293a311-34a6-4379-83db-8627cab63445.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" vspace="0" width="528" /></a>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-5225918859226687462019-11-05T20:33:00.003-08:002019-11-05T20:33:46.504-08:00Attorney General James On Resignation Of NYPD Commissioner O'Neill<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement in response to the resignation of NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">“For the past three years, Commissioner O’Neill has dedicated his life to protecting New York City and we are all grateful for his service. Under his leadership, our city reached record low major crime rates and he worked to address many of the challenges that have long-existed between the police and the communities they serve. I thank him for his 36 years of service to New York and I look forward to a productive relationship with incoming Commissioner Dermot Shea.”</span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-48704014589105227672019-11-05T20:32:00.000-08:002019-11-05T20:32:24.409-08:00TWO BRONX MEN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FATAL SHOOTING IN BEAUTY SALON<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Gunman Found Guilty of Murder and Criminal Possession of a Weapon; Co-Defendant Found Guilty of Manslaughter </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two Bronx men have been sentenced to prison for the fatal 2016 shooting of a 29-year-old man inside a beauty salon in the West Farms section of the Bronx over a dispute about money. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> District Attorney Clark said, “The victim was shot six times inside a busy beauty salon, in front of multiple patrons. Both defendants will serve many years in prison for their actions.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Jairo Castillo, 33, of 1010 East 178th Street, and Gustavo Guillen, 35, of 788 East 182nd Street, were sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice April Newbauer. Castillo was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for second-degree Murder and eight years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision for second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, sentences to run concurrently. Guillen was sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision for first-degree Manslaughter. Both defendants were convicted by a jury on June 20, 2019.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> According to the investigation, on August 2, 2016, the victim, Julio Lebron, went to Guillen’s beauty salon, Believe, located at 1941 Southern Boulevard. Lebron and Guillen argued about money owed to Lebron and Lebron demanded that Guillen pay him. The victim left after the confrontation but returned hours later. Guillen called Castillo to his salon. At about 5:40 P.M., while the victim was waiting outside the salon, Castillo showed up. Castillo and Lebron engaged in an argument inside the salon, at which point Castillo shot the victim six times, including three times in the back. He was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital. The defendants fled; Guillen was arrested on August 25, 2016 in New Jersey and Castillo was apprehended in Maryland on March 3, 2017. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-25347237994807039322019-11-04T14:58:00.001-08:002019-11-04T14:58:28.173-08:00SENATOR BIAGGI'S OFFICE: OFFICE CLOSINGS<br /><img alt="Senator Alessandra Biaggi" height="83" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ITKuYCLD6jzYf1Sq3xD43x-GMpvW06bqJh7vJnJHX0bpvMlM10O4z4ag5MgSl4IOYfgUUa2BaP-aRxKsf5mq4UaY9cRAKBSME5mszT_t0sBpWyefwQ=s0-d-e1-ft#http://pubfiles.nysenate.gov/crm/biaggi/images/template/header.png" width="400" /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><em><strong>*IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATOR ALESSANDRA BIAGGI*</strong></em></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: 16px;">OFFICE CLOSINGS</span></u></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Between Senate holidays and mandatory staff trainings, <strong>our offices will be CLOSED on the following days:</strong></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Tuesday, November 5th, 2019 (TOMORROW) </strong>– Election Day (Go Vote!)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Friday, November 8th, 2019</strong> – NYC Senate Employee Sexual Harassment Training</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Monday, November 11th, 2019</strong> – Veteran's Day (Go thank a veteran!)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Wednesday, November 13th, 2019</strong> – #TeamBiaggi Staff Retreat</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: left;"><img alt="" class="CToWUd a6T" height="400" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/f6IoRo2dvRfvHKSESKq6Smz1ytX-oLxOhiozE4Sm0L8yp3mQaxDmcUT9orVrG6IjyUzJfNIUi1XZ3vIrveCOplnrV4npPGuRsrC_uW0tpICLTYfBHzw3l7Uke3vP=s0-d-e1-ft#http://pubfiles.nysenate.gov/crm/biaggi/images/Office_Closing_20191105.png" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px; text-align: center;" tabindex="0" width="308" /></div><div><br /></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="20px" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; color: #707070; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="50%"><strong>Albany Office:</strong><br />905 Legislative Office Bldg<br />Albany, NY 12247<br />518-455-3595<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="50%"><strong>District Office:</strong><br />3190 Riverdale Ave, Suite 2<br />Bronx, NY 10463<br />718-822-2049<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-63206113388773345302019-11-04T14:45:00.000-08:002019-11-04T14:45:04.297-08:00Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez - Changes at NYPD <br /><div align="right" style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-left: 60px; text-align: right;"><div><span size="3" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><div><strong>THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF </strong> </div><div><strong>NEW YORK</strong></div></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: small; margin-left: 30px; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><div align="right" style="font-size: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0in; text-align: right;"><span size="3"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="right" style="font-size: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0in; text-align: right;"><span size="3"><strong>OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER<div>YDANIS RODRIGUEZ</div></strong></span></div><div align="right" style="font-size: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0in; text-align: right;"><span size="3" style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="right" style="font-size: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0in; text-align: right;">\</div></div><div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-left: 30px; text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div align="left" style="text-align: left;"><div align="left"><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"><span lang="ES-US"><div align="center"> </div></span></div><div><span lang="ES-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><div align="left"><div align="center"><div align="left"><div align="center" style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: center;"><strong>On The New Changes at NYPD</strong></div><div align="center" style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I want to welcome Commissioner Dermot Shea as he takes on his new role as head of the New York Police Department. As Council Member of a largely working class district and a member of the Public Safety Committee, I want to take this moment to call for the preservation and continuation of hard won concessions in Criminal Justice reform, especially in the area of community relations throughout the City.</span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I want to call on the new Commissioner to continue the good work of the previous administration and to improve those areas that continue to be a challenge. In a City where approximately 67% of the population are people of color, it is time for the NYPD to create more opportunities for all, including for positions of top leadership and to promote Black, Latino and Asian officers.</span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We want to see a new leadership that does not criminalize poverty and that focuses on investing in creating opportunities for advancement to build paths to success for our youth.</span></div><div style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-1966097676038772832019-11-04T14:41:00.001-08:002019-11-04T14:41:55.344-08:00 Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr. - Commissioner O’Neill Resign because the Lack of Support from the Mayor<br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; text-align: justify; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-156363364021861948editor-col m_-156363364021861948OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; text-align: justify; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-156363364021861948editor-text" style="color: #403f42; display: block; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: left;" valign="top"><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold;">What You Should Know</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">By Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">District 18, Bronx County</span></div><div align="justify" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></div><div align="center" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Commissioner O’Neill Resign because the Lack of Support from the Mayor</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You should know that New York Police Department Commissioner James O’Neill has announced that he is stepping down from his post and will be entering the private sector.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am pretty sure that this decision to step down was made because of Commissioner O’Neill’s opposition to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s irresponsible and unwelcome plans to close Rikers Island, and build high rise cages for incarcerated New Yorkers in four of the City’s boroughs.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In addition, I am fairly certain that Commissioner O’Neill’s decision to resign was made because Commissioner O’Neill’s opposition to Mayor de Blasio on Ballot Question #2 which, if voters support it in tomorrow’s election, will expand and strengthen the Civilian Complaint Review Board, placing more scrutiny on our already overworked and underpaid NYPD’s police force.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My dear reader, it is disappointing to think that in a city as diverse as New York, that Mayor de Blasio is not expected to select NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin B. Tucker, who is a minority and has served faithfully for may years, as Commissioner O’Neill’s replacement.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am Councilman Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.</span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; text-align: justify; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-156363364021861948editor-col m_-156363364021861948OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-156363364021861948editor-image" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-91239788069350416752019-11-04T14:38:00.000-08:002019-11-04T14:38:56.454-08:00MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS DERMOT SHEA NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span><div style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #fff2cc;">New Commissioner is a 28-year NYPD veteran, currently Chief of Detectives, plans focus on gangs and gun violence</b><b><u></u><u></u></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #fff2cc; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mayor de Blasio today announced that Dermot Shea will be the next Commissioner of the New York Police Department. Shea began his service as a police officer in 1991, a year New York City faced more than 2,000 murders, and rose through the ranks to become Chief of Detectives, where he has</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">overseen the criminal investigations in the city in addition to</span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">targeted efforts to prevent crime from happening.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">As the next Police Commissioner, Shea will apply precision policing and Neighborhood Policing to target gang-related violence, take guns off the streets and continue the city’s remarkable reduction in crime. He will take office on December 1</span></span><sup style="background-color: #fff2cc;">st</sup><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Dermot Shea is a proven change agent, using precision policing to fight crime and build trust between police and communities. As Chief of Crime Control Strategies and then Chief of Detectives, Dermot was one of the chief architects of the approach that has made New York City the safest big city in America. Dermot is uniquely qualified to serve as our next Police Commissioner and drive down crime rates even further,” said </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mayor Bill de Blasio. </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to express deep gratitude to</span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jimmy O’Neill for dedicating his entire career to keeping our city safe. Jimmy transformed the relationship between New Yorkers and police, and helped to make the Department the most sophisticated and advanced in the country.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“This is a tremendous honor and a tremendous responsibility and I’m grateful to the Mayor for this privilege to serve,” said </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. “Police Commissioner O’Neill has been a mentor and a friend to me, and I am committed to building on the incredible success of Neighborhood Policing and precision policing, while continuing my life’s work to eradicate gangs and guns from our streets. Every New Yorker deserves to be safe and feel safe, and that has been my mission since I took the oath and became a police officer 28 years ago. As Police Commissioner, this will be what drives me.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Dermot Shea has exactly the experience and skill to continue to drive down crime, strengthen relationships with the community members we serve and make sure every neighborhood has the safety they deserve," said</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. “We cannot take the historic crime reductions in New York City for granted, and Dermot’s understanding of the complex issues that lead to crime and disorder, as well as the most effective strategies for addressing these issues, is as good as it gets in policing today.”</span></div></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-size: 12pt;">Commissioner James O’Neill has presided over the lowest crime rate in New York City since the NYPD started tracking major crime, as well as the fewest number of homicides recorded since the 1950s. The architect of Neighborhood Policing, he oversaw the expansion of Neighborhood</span></div></span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">Coordination Officers to every precinct, Police Service Area and</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">transit district as well as reforms to department policy that drove down crime and simultaneously reduced arrests for low-level offenses.</span></span></div><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><b style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>About Dermot Shea:</u></b></div></b><div style="background-color: #fff2cc; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Shea began his service as a police officer in 1991, a year New York City faced more than 2,000 murders. He rose up the ranks to serve as precinct commander of the 44th and 50th precincts in the Bronx where he oversaw a dramatic reduction in gun violence.</span></div></span><div style="background-color: #fff2cc; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 2014, Shea was appointed Chief of Crime Control Strategies and Deputy Commissioner for Operations, where he oversaw the CompStat system and honed a new generation of precision approaches that helped drive crime to record lows. He focused the Department not just around </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">arrests, but around intelligence-driven prosecutions in close cooperation with District Attorneys to take dangerous criminals off the street. Shea’s role required him to constantly shift resources to respond to real-time crime trends. In 2018, Shea was promoted to Chief of Detectives, where he oversaw all of the Department’s investigatory operations, including every criminal investigation in the city. Shea overhauled </span></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/pr1116/nypd-updates-strengthen-special-victims-division%23/0&source=gmail&ust=1572989277372000&usg=AFQjCNGBuaHFyjtpNrnVaI_iFUvSOyUpwQ" href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/pr1116/nypd-updates-strengthen-special-victims-division#/0" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">the Special Victims Division</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"> to strengthen NYPD’s<span style="color: #333333;"> </span>commitment to survivors of sexual assault.</span></div></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: black; font-size: 12pt;">Shea grew up in Sunnyside, Queens, the son of Irish immigrants. He holds a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Oneonta. He and his wife Serena live in Manhattan and have three children: Jackie, Lauren and Richie, as well as grandson, Aidan, and a dog named Miley.</span></div></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-77660645159749566452019-11-04T14:11:00.001-08:002019-11-04T14:13:47.492-08:00Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez to Congress Campaign Kickoff<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdmDJ2Sn1ZQ/XcCa3-jpm-I/AAAAAAABLLk/q7zaJKQRZzcIrtYZ5goe3QMXyAhOMBfUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191103_145343-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="970" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdmDJ2Sn1ZQ/XcCa3-jpm-I/AAAAAAABLLk/q7zaJKQRZzcIrtYZ5goe3QMXyAhOMBfUACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191103_145343-1%257E2.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Giving the Bronx 'X' Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez held a Bronx kickoff to his campaign for Bronx Congressional District 15 currently occupied by Congressman Jose Serrano who has made it known that he is ending his long career in congress. Councilman Rodriguez joins two other current City Council members Ruben Diaz Sr. and Ritchie Torres and former City Council Speaker Mellisa Mark-Viverito. Also in the race is Assemblyman Michael Blake and a number of first timers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At Sunday's event attended by over seventy-five people, it seemed to be more of a meet and greet for Rodriguez. While he ran for Public Advocate in the recent special election, he is trying to capitalize on his number of votes. However the main supporter of Councilman Rodriguez in the special election is running against him in the 15th Congressional Democratic Primary.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Candidate for Congress Rodriguez is using much of his strategy from the Public Advocate race that being he is the only immigrant in the race in a district loaded with immigrants. Former 15th City Council candidate Joel Rivera who lost to Ritchie Torres sees another battle with Torres, but as a campaign manger not a candidate. There seems to be a connection to Congressman Adriano Espaillat, as Councilman Rodriguez announced his candidacy after State Senator Gustavo Rivera dropped out of the congressional race. Both Rivera and Rodriguez have ties to Espaillat. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71AOWVwCiGk/XcCiH9EagxI/AAAAAAABLLs/o9Nvijs6PisxDgI-k80ATwVTGaAT2pM1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191103_154232%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71AOWVwCiGk/XcCiH9EagxI/AAAAAAABLLs/o9Nvijs6PisxDgI-k80ATwVTGaAT2pM1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191103_154232%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A photo of those on hand Sunday at the Grand Slam Catering Hall located on East Tremont Avenue.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-7645177216694784692019-11-03T16:14:00.002-08:002019-11-03T16:14:33.326-08:00Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Community Meeting - Tuesday Nov.12 <br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;">The next meeting of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association will be on</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;">T</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;">uesday Nov.12</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;"> at</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;">B</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;">ronx House,990 Pelham Parkway South at 7:15 pm.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AzZyVeQSpFc/Xb9tQEYw0dI/AAAAAAABLLY/KGWhUkNNu60QFmonIeBvC10Hsx8q7UBYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/nov19%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="766" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AzZyVeQSpFc/Xb9tQEYw0dI/AAAAAAABLLY/KGWhUkNNu60QFmonIeBvC10Hsx8q7UBYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/nov19%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-50660925587447262652019-11-03T16:06:00.000-08:002019-11-03T16:06:04.902-08:00Bronx Chamber of Commerce Veterans Luncheon - Thursday November 14th<br /><img src="https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/images/events/1983/2319/EventPhotoFull_VLuncheon.png" />100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-44952389270883070562019-11-02T17:22:00.000-07:002019-11-02T17:22:18.486-07:00MANHATTAN U.S. ATTORNEY SETTLES FRAUD SUIT AGAINST AHERN PAINTING CONTRACTORS FOR FALSE STATEMENTS ABOUT DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION ON FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ahern Painting Contractors Agrees to Pay $3 Million and Admits Conduct Alleged in the Complaint </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Douglas Shoemaker, regional Special Agent-in-Charge of the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“USDOT-OIG”), Margaret Garnett, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), and Carolyn Pokorny, Inspector General of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA-OIG”), announced today that the United States has settled civil fraud claims against New York-area painting contractor AHERN PAINTING CONTRACTORS CO. (“AHERN”). The settlement resolves the United States’ allegations in a False Claims Act lawsuit that AHERN fraudulently obtained payments on two federally funded construction projects by misrepresenting compliance with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) rules, which require participation of businesses owned by women and minorities. Specifically, the United States alleged that AHERN misrepresented that co-defendant TOWER MAINTENANCE CORP. (“TOWER”), a certified DBE, was solely performing millions of dollars of work on the two projects when in fact much of that work was performed by co-defendant SPECTRUM PAINTING CORP. (“SPECTRUM”), a non-DBE. As part of the settlement approved by U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts, AHERN admits and accepts responsibility for conduct alleged in the Government’s complaint and agrees to pay $3 million to the United States. The case against defendants TOWER and SPECTRUM is ongoing</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Contractors who exploit the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program to unlawfully obtain millions of dollars in federal funding will be held to account. Today’s settlement reflects this Office’s commitment to root out fraud in federally funded contracts, so that legitimate minority- and women-owned businesses can participate in public construction projects.”.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> USDOT-OIG regional Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas Shoemaker said: “Today’s settlement is a positive step on the way to closing the chapter on this egregious fraud scheme involving federally funded contracts administered through the New York City Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. While the damage to the integrity of DOT’s DBE program in this instance has been done, it only serves to strengthen our resolve in pursuing those whose greed prevents the legitimate participation of disadvantaged businesses in federal contracting on public transportation projects.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said: “Today’s multimillion-dollar settlement demonstrates that law enforcement has its sights on exposing fraud by companies that exploit City and Federal programs aimed at increasing the participation of disadvantaged businesses in public construction projects. DOI and its partners will continue to protect the integrity and effectiveness of these programs with investigations that uncover and deter dishonest conduct.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny said: “Disadvantaged Business Enterprise regulations enable honest competition in construction contracts by ensuring an equal and inclusive playing field for all. Today’s DBE fraud settlement highlights the commitment of the Office of the MTA Inspector General, along with all of our prosecutorial and investigative partners, towards prohibiting and rooting out discrimination.” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As alleged in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court on March 2, 2019, AHERN was a contractor on two federally funded steel painting projects to renovate the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza. Contracts for both projects required AHERN to hire DBEs to do a percentage of the work involved and adhere to the DBE regulations. Instead of hiring qualified DBEs to perform the allotted DBE work, AHERN allowed SPECTRUM and TOWER to use TOWER’s status as a DBE to take credit for millions of dollars of work performed, managed, and supervised by non-DBE SPECTRUM. To conceal this scheme, SPECTRUM employees repeatedly identified themselves as TOWER employees in documents that AHERN passed along to supervisors on the project. AHERN and TOWER repeatedly submitted false statements and records to NYC-DOT and MTA misrepresenting that TOWER alone did all of the work allocated to DBEs and that TOWER did not hire a subcontractor to perform any of that work.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As part of the settlement, AHERN admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for conduct alleged in the complaint as described below:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In March 2010, AHERN’s superintendent met with a TOWER manager and a SPECTRUM manager to do a walk-through of the Brooklyn Bridge worksite. AHERN’s superintendent understood that the SPECTRUM manager would assist TOWER in preparing the bid TOWER submitted for its work as a DBE subcontractor on the Brooklyn Bridge Project; o I</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In documents that AHERN received from TOWER and then submitted to Skanska in 2010, TOWER identified the individual who AHERN knew to be a SPECTRUM manager as a “TOWER VP” or as a TOWER employee working on the Brooklyn Bridge Project. In documents AHERN received from TOWER and then submitted to the MTA in 2011, TOWER identified the individual AHERN knew to be a SPECTRUM manager as TOWER’s superintendent for the Queens Plaza Project;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Throughout the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects, AHERN managers communicated directly with the SPECTRUM manager regarding the management and supervision of the projects, including scheduling and inspecting TOWER’s DBE work, ordering materials for TOWER’s DBE work, and payment for TOWER’s DBE work. An AHERN executive also communicated directly with SPECTRUM’s owner regarding the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AHERN recklessly disregarded facts showing that SPECTRUM managed and supervised TOWER’s DBE work on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AHERN failed to seek clarification regarding the financial and other arrangements between TOWER and SPECTRUM or request a copy of any contract or agreement between TOWER and SPECTRUM regarding SPECTRUM’s role. If AHERN had done so, and TOWER had responded truthfully, AHERN would have learned that TOWER and SPECTRUM had entered into written agreements specifying that SPECTRUM would provide project management support and furnish equipment on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects, that TOWER and SPECTRUM would split any profits from the TOWER DBE work on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects, and that in addition to the SPECTRUM manager, two other individuals AHERN believed to be TOWER managers were in fact employed by SPECTRUM.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the USDOT-OIG, DOI, and MTA-OIG.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-53308140633011691152019-11-01T19:49:00.000-07:002019-11-01T19:49:35.534-07:00Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez Halloween Party<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub0nzuMA-NA/Xbzq0IkB4MI/AAAAAAABLKE/uvgpQxTDyaARMAUbEQ44uCfw_ATSTtuEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191031_165108-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1124" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ub0nzuMA-NA/Xbzq0IkB4MI/AAAAAAABLKE/uvgpQxTDyaARMAUbEQ44uCfw_ATSTtuEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191031_165108-1%257E2.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> With a line continuously down the block as children and their parents came from all directions it was questionable if Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez would attend due to an impeachment vote in Washington, and bad weather in both Washington and New York. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdcVSNJAmPc/XbzsYJJ2L1I/AAAAAAABLKM/3ca8WhBYGP4MlNjofNOq8gdIrlLfFJKEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191031_161213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdcVSNJAmPc/XbzsYJJ2L1I/AAAAAAABLKM/3ca8WhBYGP4MlNjofNOq8gdIrlLfFJKEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191031_161213.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above and Below - Children go around and play in the middle area set up waiting for AOC.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mSTWz11wHt4/Xbzsb7MdKzI/AAAAAAABLKQ/Kbh0vAD-7XknT36MP2foEYaAyBPPFyB6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191031_161507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mSTWz11wHt4/Xbzsb7MdKzI/AAAAAAABLKQ/Kbh0vAD-7XknT36MP2foEYaAyBPPFyB6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191031_161507.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipp2xnbVhTc/XbztIhN3BnI/AAAAAAABLKc/vYwRSAFsaIMDYL8bOhF5ry7XJvpiwqJbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191031_174549-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1219" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipp2xnbVhTc/XbztIhN3BnI/AAAAAAABLKc/vYwRSAFsaIMDYL8bOhF5ry7XJvpiwqJbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191031_174549-1%257E2.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above and Below - Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez would make the event by the midway mark, and everyone wanted their picture with AOC.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq_LlYV_M1Q/XbztMzza3kI/AAAAAAABLKg/ZZCELR09bzUUwUsGYoqATBn39uIAmHPqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191031_174347-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq_LlYV_M1Q/XbztMzza3kI/AAAAAAABLKg/ZZCELR09bzUUwUsGYoqATBn39uIAmHPqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191031_174347-1%257E2.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-85221268198965313612019-11-01T19:31:00.001-07:002019-11-01T19:31:21.137-07:00Al Shaib Community Peace Meeting<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q1yev2z7MtU/Xbzlwdd3vrI/AAAAAAABLJM/n1EyGf391Fc93MDxOoBvduPgs_HE2AjDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191101_191340-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="1350" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q1yev2z7MtU/Xbzlwdd3vrI/AAAAAAABLJM/n1EyGf391Fc93MDxOoBvduPgs_HE2AjDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191101_191340-1%257E2.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Al Shaib President Yaseen Shaibi tells of some of the accomplishments of guest Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark at the monthly community meeting. DA Clark would then get up to speak about her first term as Bronx DA, and what lies ahead for her next term. DA Clark is running on the Democratic Party line with no opposition.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eTs8n_SCFI/XbznwBmn_qI/AAAAAAABLJU/DGMja14GMPwAN0MgY-aF58o-Q5zt8LycwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191101_185525-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eTs8n_SCFI/XbznwBmn_qI/AAAAAAABLJU/DGMja14GMPwAN0MgY-aF58o-Q5zt8LycwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191101_185525-1%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above - District Leader John Perez a regular at the community meetings gives some insight as to what is going on in the area.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Below - Shiek Musa gives an overview of the job of Bronx District Attorney.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMs8Auw7k78/Xbzn06w1lHI/AAAAAAABLJY/xC2xqL5u6OowSIGcjRWNJdTiruh53W5wACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191101_190712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMs8Auw7k78/Xbzn06w1lHI/AAAAAAABLJY/xC2xqL5u6OowSIGcjRWNJdTiruh53W5wACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191101_190712.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oz9rN4oLOOk/Xbzo8cLzjgI/AAAAAAABLJ0/zhIDkMcYptsuNomw4O2vOykJblFp5cRSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191101_192657-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="1526" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oz9rN4oLOOk/Xbzo8cLzjgI/AAAAAAABLJ0/zhIDkMcYptsuNomw4O2vOykJblFp5cRSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191101_192657-1%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Above - Bronx District Attorney Clark took questions, here answering a question about the new no cash bail law recently passed in Albany, When questioned about repeat offenders, she said that she did not write the new laws, but has to be guided by said new criminal laws,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Below - A group photo with DA Clark.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6A7pyF4j0Y/XbzpAYykmbI/AAAAAAABLJ4/RxhZxquiQLEDaAWx3zI37UX0yzqE_4WNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191101_193950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6A7pyF4j0Y/XbzpAYykmbI/AAAAAAABLJ4/RxhZxquiQLEDaAWx3zI37UX0yzqE_4WNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191101_193950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-81724147093510007952019-11-01T19:02:00.000-07:002019-11-01T19:02:04.865-07:00Bronx Chamber of Commerce Halloween Party<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JH84diDuItM/XbzicNXKYTI/AAAAAAABLJE/uu3rPbHzwBYywvfrhz9Pno1hSGXpfTGXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191030_181507-1%257E3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JH84diDuItM/XbzicNXKYTI/AAAAAAABLJE/uu3rPbHzwBYywvfrhz9Pno1hSGXpfTGXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191030_181507-1%257E3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early on at the Bronx Chamber of Commerce Halloween Party are (L - R) Darry Saldana, Lisa Sorin, June Eisland, Anna Reyes, Vanessa Baijnauth, and Dolores Saldana.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-54147521474124841952019-11-01T18:55:00.000-07:002019-11-01T18:55:20.592-07:00BRONX VETERANS DAY PARADE November 2nd<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Bronx Veterans Parade will be taking place Saturday, November 2, 2019.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gather with the Bronx Veterans Parade Task Team at 11:00 am at the corner of Crotona Parkway & East 175th Street Bronx NY, to start marching at 12:00 Sharp!!!</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd a6T" height="640" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bNAfrKeZsK_12trhO22EVWxRyUFvTxh_G5b75vm-LgTayPbJ6urlvB4RodS6p5Bg8cV7sKwuHe8iDio_ofzPmjjFIjjT6LoG3ma_Sfxb_d82qjvLRKnSFPK0YWpHgYUz0IwC14CeO5ew=s0-d-e1-ft#https://files.constantcontact.com/037454b9701/d6d07115-0a8a-4abc-963d-83e79096bb36.jpg" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; text-align: -webkit-center;" tabindex="0" vspace="0" width="512" />100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-69952922821649983102019-11-01T14:35:00.005-07:002019-11-01T14:35:48.530-07:00Bronx Man Sentenced To More Than 12 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Distribute Narcotics On The Dark Web<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Luis Fernandez Shipped Fentanyl and Carfentanil from New York to Customers Across the United States</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;">Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LUIS FERNANDEZ was sentenced to 151 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue over the “dark web,” and for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is significantly stronger than heroin, and carfentanil is a fentanyl analogue that is approximately 100 times stronger than fentanyl. FERNANDEZ was also ordered to forfeit $269,623 in narcotics proceeds. FERNANDEZ pled guilty on July 30, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Luis Fernandez and his co-defendant Richard Castro sold large quantities of fentanyl and carfentanil to hundreds of individuals across the country, including over the dark web. Today’s sentence should be another clear reminder that any short-term profits from drug dealing are not worth the long-term price.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According to the allegations in the Superseding Information to which FERNANDEZ pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From at least in or about November 2015 through March 2019, FERNANDEZ and his co-defendant Richard Castro<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-sentenced-more-12-years-prison-conspiring-distribute-narcotics-dark-web#_ftn1" id="_ftnref1" name="_ftnref1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" title="">[1]</a> conspired to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and phenyl fentanyl (an analogue of fentanyl). For most of this period, the conspiracy dealt drugs over the dark web, using the monikers “Chemsusa”, “Chems_usa”, and “Chemical_usa.” Castro was an operator of these online monikers and the leader of this conspiracy. On one dark web marketplace, Dream Market, Castro boasted that he had completed more than 3,200 transactions on other dark web markets, including more than 1,800 on AlphaBay. The customer feedback for “Chemsusa” included, “Extremely potent and definitely the real Carf,” as well as “The Carfent is unbelievably well synthesized, keep up the amazing work.” In June 2018, Castro, using the “Chemsusa” moniker, informed customers that he was moving his business off of dark web marketplaces and would accept purchase requests for narcotics only via encrypted email. To learn the off-market email address, “Chems_usa” required willing customers to pay a fee. An undercover law enforcement officer paid this fee, obtained the encrypted email address, and placed orders with Castro. Castro’s customers paid him in Bitcoin.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FERNANDEZ managed the conspiracy’s stash house, packaged narcotics, and shipped the narcotics via U.S. mail from the New York City area to hundreds of individuals throughout the United States. For example, in early March 2019, FERNANDEZ was observed dropping several envelopes in a mailbox in Coney Island, New York; law enforcement seized and searched these envelopes, each of which contained carfentanil. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In mid-March 2019, law enforcement searched FERNANDEZ’s residence in the Bronx, New York. During this search, officers found, among other things, the following evidence in FERNANDEZ’s bedroom: (1) mailing labels similar to those found on packages connected to the conspiracy, (2) addresses of customers who had received packages from the conspiracy, and (3) approximately 78 grams of fentanyl analogues and 307.5 grams of u-47700 (an opioid analgesic that is approximately 7.5 times more potent than morphine). Law enforcement also recovered a fumigation mask and rubber gloves. In a different bedroom of FERNANDEZ’s residence, law enforcement recovered a Model R-73 handgun. Because FERNANDEZ had previously been convicted of a felony (stemming from his sale of cocaine), he was legally prohibited from possessing this handgun.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In imposing sentence, the Court stated that the defendant played a “critical” role in the conspiracy and that he was responsible for “shipping death.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to his prison term, FERNANDEZ, 42, of the Bronx, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr. Berman praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding investigative work. Mr. Berman also thanked the Internal Revenue Service and the Orange County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office for their valuable assistance. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-size: 14px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-sentenced-more-12-years-prison-conspiring-distribute-narcotics-dark-web#_ftnref1" id="_ftn1" name="_ftn1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" title="">[1]</a> Castro pled guilty to money laundering and narcotics distribution conspiracy on July 25, 2019.</span></div></div></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-10894665897651337252019-11-01T14:33:00.003-07:002019-11-01T14:33:37.390-07:006 Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty To International Sex Trafficking Offenses<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;">Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EFRAIN GRANADOS-CORONA, a/k/a “Chavito,” a/k/a “Cepillo,” pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter to sex trafficking by use of force, fraud, or coercion. Five additional defendants in this case – JULIO SAINZ-FLORES, a/k/a “Rogelio,” JUAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “Chegoya,” a/k/a “El Guero,” ALAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “El Flaco,” PEDRO ROJAS-ROMERO, and EMILIO ROJAS-ROMERO – pled guilty to sex trafficking offenses last month before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “These defendants systematically preyed on innocent women and girls in Mexico, smuggled them into the United States, and forced them into prostitution – depriving them of their freedom and dignity. The devastation to these victims caused by the defendants is beyond comprehension. With the defendants’ guilty pleas, we seek to deliver justice for the victims, and to deter others from engaging in this reprehensible conduct.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">According to the allegations in the Indictment to which each defendant pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court: </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EFRAIN GRANADOS-CORONA, a/k/a “Chavito,” a/k/a “Cepillo,” JULIO SAINZ-FLORES, a/k/a “Rogelio,” JUAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “Chegoya,” a/k/a “El Guero,” ALAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “El Flaco,” PEDRO ROJAS-ROMERO, and EMILIO ROJAS-ROMERO, the defendants, are members of an international sex trafficking organization (the “STO”). Many of the members of the STO are related by blood, marriage and community. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Between at least in or about 2000 and 2016, members of the STO (the “Traffickers”) have used false promises, physical and sexual violence, threats of the same, lies, and coercion to force and coerce adult and minor women (the “Victims”) to work in prostitution in both Mexico and the United States.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In most cases, a Trafficker enticed a Victim – frequently a minor – in Mexico. The Trafficker then used multiple means to isolate the Victim from her family. In some cases, the Trafficker used romantic promises to induce the Victim to leave her family and live with him. In other cases, the Trafficker raped the Victim, making it difficult for her to return to her family due to the associated stigma of the rape. Once a Victim was separated from her family, the Trafficker frequently monitored her communications, kept her locked in an apartment, left her without food, and engaged in physical or sexual violence against the Victim. Traffickers often told Victims that the Traffickers owed a significant debt and that the Victim must work in prostitution to assist in repaying the debt. Traffickers typically began forcing the Victims to work in prostitution in Mexico. Victims were often required to see at least 20 to 40 customers per day. Traffickers monitored the number of clients a Victim saw by surveilling the Victim, communicating with brothel workers, and by counting the number of condoms provided to a Victim. Traffickers typically required the Victims to turn over all of the prostitution proceeds to the Traffickers. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a Victim worked in prostitution in Mexico for some time, Traffickers typically arranged for the Victim to be smuggled into the United States. Members of the STO assisted one another in making smuggling arrangements. In many cases, multiple Traffickers and multiple Victims were smuggled into the United States together. In other cases, one Trafficker remained in Mexico while arranging for a Victim to be smuggled together with another Trafficker and other Victims.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once in the United States, the members of the STO generally maintained their Victims at one of several shared apartments in New York City. Victims living in the same apartment were frequently forbidden to communicate with one another. Once in the United States, Traffickers continued to use physical and sexual violence, threats of the same, lies, and coercion to force the Victims to work in prostitution. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In most cases, the Trafficker or another member of the STO provided a Victim with contact information with which to find work. The Victims typically worked weeklong shifts either in a brothel, or in a “delivery service.” In a delivery service, the Victim was delivered to a customer’s home by a “driver.” These brothels and delivery services were located both within New York and in surrounding states, including but not limited to Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Generally, each customer paid $30-35 for 15 minutes of sex. Of that, half of the money typically went to the driver (in the case of a delivery service) or to the brothel. The other $15 went to the Victim, who was then typically forced to give all of the proceeds to the Trafficker. When a Trafficker was unavailable, a Victim might also give the proceeds to another member of the STO.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Traffickers then frequently sent, or had their Victims send, some of the prostitution proceeds to Traffickers’ family members and associates in Mexico by wire transfer. Such transfers provided financial assistance to the Traffickers’ families and provided financial support to the Traffickers themselves if they returned to Mexico. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EFRAIN GRANADOS-CORONA, 43, of Mexico, pled guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JULIO SAINZ-FLORES, 37, of Mexico, pled guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JUAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, 33, ALAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, 28, PEDRO ROJAS-ROMERO, 40, and EMILIO ROJAS-ROMERO, 37, all of Mexico, pled guilty to conspiring to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Carter in early 2020.</span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-61711293840655908292019-11-01T14:27:00.000-07:002019-11-01T14:27:15.247-07:00Attorney General James Provides Funds For Police Body-Worn Cameras To The Rochester Police Department And Monroe County Sheriff's Office <br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">AG Presents Checks for more than $163,000 to Agencies for 100 Body-Worn Camera Systems as Part of Statewide Program to Support Local Law Enforcement</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Attorney General Letitia James today presented the Rochester Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office with checks to support body-worn camera (BWC) programs. The Rochester Police Department received $104,450 for 70 body-worn camera systems and 15 body-worn camera docking stations. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office will receive approximately $59,694 for approximately 30 body-worn camera systems and six body-worn camera docking stations. These funds were provided by the Attorney General’s Capture an Account of a Material Situation (CAMS) program, which is awarding 13 law enforcement agencies around the state with more than $1 million to purchase 891 body-worn cameras and 321 body-worn camera systems through the CAMS program.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Body-cameras are commonsense tools that protect both civilians and law enforcement,” said <strong>Attorney General Letitia James</strong>. “They are critical for transparency and accountability, but too often law enforcement agencies do not have the resources needed to outfit their officers. These funds will go a long way in increasing public safety and I am proud to play a role in protecting communities in Rochester and across Monroe County.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The CAMS program, which was launched in July 2018 and is funded with money recovered from organized crime takedowns carried out by the Attorney General’s Office, provides body-worn cameras and body-worn camera systems to local law enforcement agencies. Body-worn cameras create independent accounts of encounters between police and the public, increasing transparency and accountability and often providing critical evidence in investigations.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In addition to the Rochester Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, funds have been or will be provided to:</span></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Albany County Sheriff’s Office </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Amherst Police Department </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Buffalo Police Department </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Niagara Falls Police Department </span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Suffolk County Police Department </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Syracuse Police Department </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Troy Police Department </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Utica Police Department </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Ulster County Sheriff’s Office </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Westchester County Department of Public Safety </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-71798381789741850622019-11-01T14:22:00.002-07:002019-11-01T14:28:44.935-07:00Attorney General James Provides Funds For Police Body-Worn Cameras To The Buffalo, Niagara Falls, And Amherst Police Departments<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><b>AG Presents Checks for more than $238,000 to Three Agencies for 442 Body-Worn Cameras as Part of Statewide Program to Support Local Law Enforcement Departments </b></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Attorney General Letitia James today presented the Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Amherst Police Departments with funds to support body-worn camera (BWC) programs. The Buffalo Police Department received $150,000 for 300 BWCs, the Amherst Police Department received $37,240 for 49 BWCs, and the Niagara Falls Police Department will receive $51,759 for 93 BWCs and eight BWC docking stations. These funds were provided by the Attorney General’s Capture an Account of a Material Situation (CAMS) program, which is awarding 13 law enforcement agencies around the state with more than $1 million to purchase 891 body-worn cameras and 321 body-worn camera systems through the CAMS program. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“The safety of our communities is our top priority and body-worn cameras are critical tools for promoting public safety,” said <strong>Attorney General Letitia James</strong>. “Body-worn cameras provide increased transparency and accountability that help to keep all New Yorkers safe. Communities throughout Erie and Niagara Counties will be better served because of this program.”</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The CAMS program, which was launched in July 2018 and is funded with money recovered from organized crime takedowns carried out by the Attorney General’s Office, provides body-worn cameras and body-worn camera systems to local law enforcement agencies. Body-worn cameras create independent accounts of encounters between police and the public, increasing transparency and accountability and often providing critical evidence in investigations. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In addition to the Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Amherst Police Departments, funds have been or will be provided to:</span></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Albany County Sheriff’s Office</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Monroe County Sheriff’s Office</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Rochester Police Department</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Suffolk County Police Department</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Syracuse Police Department</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Troy Police Department</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Utica Police Department</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Ulster County Sheriff’s Office</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Westchester County Department of Public Safety</span></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7298649684753824092.post-11831422974408511382019-11-01T09:44:00.000-07:002019-11-01T09:44:39.444-07:00Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Halloween Eve Party <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXWvE8c3bNU/XbxWCWfgRgI/AAAAAAABLI4/A6DwtvJ4-b4fFS7qAkkNTIH_cSoPfWs_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191030_191914-1%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1600" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXWvE8c3bNU/XbxWCWfgRgI/AAAAAAABLI4/A6DwtvJ4-b4fFS7qAkkNTIH_cSoPfWs_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191030_191914-1%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> I crashed Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s Private Halloween Eve Party Thursday night, for the above photo. BP Diaz Jr,'s costume was Terrifier from the Stephen King movie below. Hilda Diaz his wife and childhood sweetheart is to the far right with Devilish horns above her head. I left quickly after taking the photo remembering the movie, and looking at BP Diaz Jr's smile. I did not get the names of the other two lovely ladies in the photo or know of their fate afterwards. You can see the remarkable resemblance of BP Diaz Jr. to the character in the movie.</span></div><br /><img alt="It (1990)" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA3MTk5OTg2NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTU0ODk4._V1_.jpg" /><br /><br />100PercentBronxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374962603642990557noreply@blogger.com0