Second Defendant in Largest Methamphetamine Seizure in New Jersey History Admits to Drug Distribution Conspiracy

Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Field Division Towanda R. Thorne-James and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Robert Frazer announced a Mexican national admitted to conspiring to distribute over 260 pounds of methamphetamine into New Jersey—the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the state’s history. 

Carlos H. Cordero-Gutierrez, 54, of Juarez City, Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to a one-count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In April 2026, Cordero-Gutierrez picked up a shipment containing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine in a tractor-trailer truck in Texas for delivery to New Jersey. Cordero-Gutierrez drove the truck to New Jersey, arriving on April 28, 2026. After Cordero-Gutierrez brought the truck to a pre-arranged delivery location, law enforcement officers arrested Cordero-Gutierrez and another co-conspirator, Marcos Cesar Acosta. Officers seized three black storage boxes, one duffel bag, and a garbage bag from the truck cab, all of which contained methamphetamine. Collectively, the seized methamphetamine from the truck weighed over 260 pounds. 

The conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 23, 2027.

Acosta previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on August 5, 2026 before Judge Williams. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) MOPOD Enforcement Group 11 and the DEA Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, for their assistance in the investigation.  

Four New Yorkers Inducted into National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum for Efforts to Combat Slavery

 

John Jay Descendants William and John Jay II and African American Abolitionists William Wells Brown and Samuel Ringgold Ward Added to Hall of Fame 

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Commissioner Kathy Moser announced that William Jay and John Jay II, descendants of American patriot John Jay of New York, were officially inducted into the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum (NAHOF) in Peterboro, NY, on October 24. The Jays were inducted along with the prominent African American abolitionists William Wells Brown and Samuel Ringgold Ward. The induction ceremony capped off a full day of tours, lectures, and information sharing centered on the abolitionist movement.  

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Moser said, “The history of New York’s Jay family is an important reminder that our nation’s path toward freedom and equality was neither simple nor straightforward. At John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, we are proud to preserve and share that complex history, from John Jay’s legacy as both a founding father and enslaver to the abolitionist work of his son William and grandson John Jay II. We celebrate this well-deserved recognition of the Jay family’s lasting contributions to the fight against slavery.”  

Thomas Bennett, Induction Committee Chair and member of the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum Cabinet of Freedom, said, "At its Induction Day event on October 24, the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro added four new members to the ranks of the historic abolitionists who have thus far been honored. This brings the total number of inductees to 36. William Wells Brown, William Jay, John Jay II, and Samuel Ringgold Ward all made significant contributions to ending enslavement, and much of their work was conducted in New York State. Peterboro was the lifelong home of Gerrit Smith, one of the most consequential leaders of the abolition movement.  Abolitionists came there from across the nation seeking his financial assistance and counsel. Because of that, Peterboro became an epicenter of the movement to eliminate slavery in the United States. Today, NAHOF celebrates these heroic individuals by honoring their lives and legacy and educating the public about their role in the struggle for human rights in America." 

Founded in 2004, NAHOF hosts an induction ceremony every two years. The Hall of Fame, located in the building where the New York Anti-Slavery Society was organized in 1835, now features 36 inductees.  

Revolutionary War leader John Jay (1745-1829) helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris, in which Britain recognized American independence. Afterward, he co-authored the Federalist Papers, served as the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and later became governor of New York, where he passed legislation in 1799 for the state’s gradual abolition of slavery over the next three decades. Known for his anti-slavery views, John Jay was also an enslaver – a paradox that historians still explore today.   

John Jay’s son William Jay (1789-1858), served as a judge and began his efforts against slavery in the 1820s. Co-founder of both the American Anti-Slavery Society and the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, he provided shelter to freedom seekers escaping slavery and legal aid to free Black people who were wrongfully imprisoned. He was later removed as a judge in retaliation.  

Inspired by his father and grandfather, John Jay II (1817-1894) became involved in the abolition movement as a college student. He was active in the Underground Railroad, a network that helped enslaved people escape bondage, and worked with the Albany site operated by Stephen and Harriet Myers, now the Underground Railroad Education Center.  

William Jay and John Jay II were nominated to the Hall of Fame by John Jay Homestead State Historic Site Director Heather Iannucci. OPRHP operates the John Jay Homestead State Historic Site in the Hamlet of Katonah, Westchester County, NY. In addition, the 23-acre Jay Estate, the boyhood home of John Jay, is operated by the Jay Heritage Center (JHC). A National Historic Landmark, the Jay Estate is additionally owned by New York State Parks and Westchester County Parks. 

William Wells Brown, a formerly enslaved African American who escaped north to live in Buffalo, where he became a prominent anti-slavery author and orator. Brown operated a steamship that carried freedom seekers to safety in Canada, wrote a narrative about his enslavement, and authored a novel about the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved Sally Hemmings, which was the first novel by an African American to be published. Brown was nominated to the Hall of Fame by Patrick Ryan, cultural curator of the Richardson-Olmsted Campus National Historic Landmark in Buffalo.  

Samuel Ringgold Ward settled in New York after escaping slavery and became a pastor and orator for the American Anti-Slavery Society. He aided in the rescue of a fugitive slave in Syracuse, edited an abolitionist newspaper, and worked in England to raise money for the abolitionist cause. In 1848, he was nominated to be New York abolitionist Gerrit Smith’s vice-presidential running mate on the Liberty Party ticket, making Ward the first African American man nominated for national political office. Ward was nominated to the Hall of Fame by Butler Town Historian Lori Schmidt.   

In 1627, the first 22 enslaved Africans were brought to present-day Manhattan by the Dutch West Indies Company. Enslaved people lived and worked on all the colonial-era historic sites now under the stewardship of OPRHP’s Bureau of Historic Sites. Through State Parks’ “Our Whole History initiative,” new and ongoing research about this important history is shared via exhibits, tours, and programs. Learn more at https://parks.ny.gov/history/our-whole-history.    

In 2027, OPRHP will recognize the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to New York and the 200th anniversary of the end of legalized slavery in the state as part of the “Enslavement to Freedom: 1627-1827-2027” initiative. Learn more at https://parks.ny.gov/history/black-history.    

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.

New York Safety Inspector Sentenced For Fabricating Gas Pipeline Test Results Designed To Prevent Gas Leaks And Explosions

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced that MICHAEL VASCONCELLOS was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to fabricate hundreds of gas pipeline safety test results provided to a regulated utility company (“Utility-1”), resulting in Utility-1 incurring more than $60 million in remediation costs.  On April 21, 2026, VASCONCELLOS pled guilty to a superseding Information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who also presided over sentencing.

“Michael Vasconcellos fabricated gas pipeline test results designed to prevent gas leaks and explosions, putting the lives of New Yorkers at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “The defendant faces the consequences of this fraud, having been sentenced to 30 months in prison.  Instead of doing his job, the defendant left New Yorkers relying on critical safety checks that never happened, and cost a utility company more than $64 million in remediation.”

According to the Indictment, Superseding Information, and public court filings:

Between at least in or about 2016 and 2023, VASCONCELLOS and his co-conspirator, Liam Treibert, were supposed to perform safety inspections of welds on natural gas pipelines that were being installed throughout New York City and Westchester County.  Those inspections were necessary to ensure that the welds did not contain defects that could cause gas leaks or explosions.  VASCONCELLOS and Treibert lied about having inspected hundreds of welds that they never actually reviewed and created fraudulent records to cover up what they had done.  As a result, Utility-1 paid for hundreds of sham inspections and was deceived by VASCONCELLOS and Treibert into thinking that its pipelines had passed critical safety tests that VASCONCELLOS and Treibert never performed.

As part of the pipeline installation process, Utility-1 or its contractors would typically place gas pipelines into the ground in segments and then weld those segments together.  Before a pipeline could be put into service, the welds throughout the pipeline had to be inspected to assess their quality.  Those inspections included non-destructive testing.

One common form of non-destructive testing of pipeline welds involved radiographs, often referred to as x-rays.  Radiographic testing required a team to radiograph each weld and then examine the films to identify any defects in the welds.  If a defect was identified, then the weld would have to be repaired before the pipeline was put into service.  Failure to repair a defect before a pipeline was put into service could have led to critical failures, including gas leaks or explosions.

During the period alleged, VASCONCELLOS and Treibert, while performing radiographic testing for Utility-1, repeatedly engaged in a practice referred to in the non-destructive testing industry as “radaring.”  Radaring typically involved radiographing the same weld twice and then passing off one copy of films as having come from a second weld.  For instance, a radiographer might radiograph Weld A twice and then claim that the second set of films is of Weld B, even though the radiographer never inspected Weld B.

In total, hundreds of welds across Utility-1’s pipelines installed throughout the Bronx and Westchester County between in or about 2016 and 2023 were affected by radaring engaged in by VASCONCELLOS and Treibert.  To date, Utility-1 has spent more than $64 million remediating the effects of this fraud.

On April 21, 2026, VASCONCELLOS entered a guilty plea to a superseding Information, charging him with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud.

In addition to the prison term, VASCONCELLOS, 45, of Mahopac, New York, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay over $64 million in restitution.

Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the Offices of the New York State Inspector General, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  

Former Army Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Bribery, and Major Fraud Related to Hawaii Defense Contracts

A former civilian U.S. Army official pleaded guilty to participating in a bribery and major fraud scheme that corrupted the competitive process for a U.S. Army technology innovation lab in the Pacific.  

According to a plea agreement and information filed in the U.S. District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii, from January 2021 to October 2022, Carlos Duque conspired with two defense contractors — Brian Kent and Leonard Pick — to accept a bribe of approximately $1.25 million over five years. In return, Duque told prime contractors to award subcontracts to Kent and Pick’s company and facilitated their fraudulent inflation of government contracting costs to include Duque’s bribe payments. Duque ultimately received approximately $55,000 in bribes from his coconspirators and the United States Army paid over $3 million to Kent and Pick’s company.

“Fraud that deprives the U.S. military of free and fair competition for government contracts harms us all,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “Because of prosecutions like this, Americans can trust that the Department of War and its warfighters maintain the highest standards of integrity.  We expect their contractors to do the same.”

“Those who commit fraud on defense contracts don’t just steal from the military or taxpayers; they threaten the public’s confidence in government institutions and hurt our military readiness,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force will detect and prosecute those who, like the defendant, attempt to illegally take advantage of government programs.”

“Americans work hard for their money and have every right to expect that their tax dollars will not be diverted through fraudulent schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “Those who obtain military contracts through fraud undermine both the public trust and the mission of our armed forces, and they will be held accountable.”

“Public corruption — especially when it compromises our nation’s military readiness — undermines trust in the institutions built to protect our country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan C. Noonan of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “This guilty plea reflects the strength of our partnerships in safeguarding government resources and ensuring integrity in the procurement process. Together with our federal law enforcement and military investigative partners, the FBI remains committed to identifying and stopping schemes that undermine fair competition and betray the public’s trust.”

“Public officials are entrusted with a duty to the American people and government service is not an opportunity for personal enrichment at taxpayer expense,” said Director James R. Ives of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the criminal investigative arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. “DCIS and our partners remain steadfast in aggressively investigating those who undermine fair and open competition in government contracting.”

“Bribery corrupts the federal contracting process that supports the critical missions of our military and civilian agencies,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Gregg of U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Western Investigations Division. “GSA OIG special agents will continue to aggressively pursue fraud alongside our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice.”

Duque pleaded guilty to conspiracy, bribery, and major fraud. Under the conspiracy charge, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the bribery charge, Duque faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or not more than three times the monetary equivalent of the bribe, whichever is greater, and disqualification from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States. Under the major fraud charge, Duque faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000,000. In addition, Duque agreed to forfeit $55,166.70 as part of the plea agreement. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, as well as any restitution to be paid to the Department of War.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Kent and Pick in May 2026. The case, United States v. Brian Kent, et al., No. 26-CR-00047-DKW (D. Haw.), is scheduled for trial before the Honorable Derrick K. Watson, Chief United States District Judge of the District of Hawaii, on May 17, 2027. Indictments are only allegations, and all persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Department of War Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.

The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards. 

Attorney General James Announces Sentencing of Former NYPD Sergeant for Manslaughter

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Sergeant Tiffany Howell Was Off-Duty When She Struck Manuel Boitel’s Vehicle, Causing His Death

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the sentencing of former New York City Police Department (NYPD) Sergeant Tiffany Howell, 48, of Warwick, Orange County, for causing the death of Manuel Boitel while driving the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.18 on January 22, 2026. On August 19, 2026, Howell pleaded guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (a class B felony) and Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a class C felony) before Judge Anne B. Bianchi in Westchester County Court. Today, Howell was sentenced to concurrent sentences of four to 12 years in prison. Howell's driver license has been revoked, and she has waived her right to appeal.

At 11:37 p.m. on January 22, Sergeant Howell was driving south in the northbound lanes of the Taconic State Parkway at more than 50 MPH when she crashed head-on into a car driven by Mr. Boitel, causing his death. Sergeant Howell had a blood alcohol content of at least 0.18 at the time. Mr. Boitel was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of 76-Unit Affordable Mixed-Use Development in Yonkers

The St. Clair Brings Affordable Apartments and Commercial Space to Downtown Yonkers Near Metro-North

 

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completion of The St. Clair, a 76-unit affordable, mixed-use development in Yonkers. The $60 million project is located in the city’s downtown corridor and combines multi-family residential apartments with street-level retail, dining and commercial uses. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has created or preserved more than 4,600 affordable homes in Westchester County. The St. Clair continues this effort and is part of the Governor’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

“The city of Yonkers is thriving and the increased supply of affordable apartments with easy access to public transit, jobs and services is a big reason why,” Governor Hochul said. “With the 76 new homes that The St. Clair brings to the city, the building’s residents will have all they need right at their front door. This development demonstrates how public and private investment can generate economic activity and add to the vibrancy of our downtown areas across the state.”

The St. Clair builds on the State’s efforts to expand housing opportunities near transit hubs and commuter railroad lines. It is a short walk to the MTA Metro-North train station and the Westchester County Bee-Line Bus System. The development is also within walking distance to the city’s waterfront boardwalk, parks, restaurants, pharmacies and a library.

Developed by MacQuesten Development, the ten-story building includes a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments designed to serve households of varying sizes. Apartments are available for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Four apartments are fully-accessible and adapted for residents with mobility disabilities, and two apartments are fully-accessible and adapted for residents with sensory disabilities.

The St. Clair is an all-electric development and includes features that improve energy efficiency, lower energy costs and reduce water consumption.

Additional building amenities include a fitness room, a co-working space, an indoor recreation room, and an outdoor courtyard. There is more than 2,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space, a portion of which is already occupied by a restaurant.

The property was previously a hotel and then a commercial dry-cleaning business, which had been vacant since 2017 after it was demolished.

Financing for The St. Clair included a mix of public and private sources, such as Federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from HCR that generated more than $25 million in equity, and more than $10 million in HCR subsidy. The development was also supported by $418,000 from the Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between HCR and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The project received $1.9 million through the County of Westchester’s New Homes Land Acquisition Program and $1.1 million from the City of Yonkers’ HOME program.

The site is participating in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's successful Brownfield Cleanup Program and may be eligible for $9 million in performance based tax credits administered by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Virginia Mental Health Professional Charged in $49M Medicaid Fraud Scheme

 

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment against Mikia Antoneice Noble, 37, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, for a $49 million mental health crisis services fraud scheme targeting Virginia Medicaid. 

According to court documents, Noble was the co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of Advancing Communities Everywhere LLC (ACE), a mental health provider in the Richmond, Virginia area. In addition to her ownership role, Noble claimed to also work as a mental health professional for ACE. ACE purported to provide mental health services to individuals experiencing acute or significant behavioral health crises but did not provide those services as billed.

As alleged in the indictment, Noble conspired with her co-owner to:

• Bill Virginia Medicaid for crisis services purportedly provided by teams of mental health professionals including a trained and licensed professional, which were instead provided only by a single low-level, less qualified mental health professional;
• Pay over $2 million for hotel room rentals that were offered to Medicaid beneficiaries to illegally induce that to allow ACE to bill for services purportedly provided to them that they did not actually need;
• Falsify medical records by adding signatures of licensed professionals who had not actually participated in providing crisis services;
• Falsify medical records by adding Noble’s own signature falsely representing that she had participated in providing crisis services, when in fact Noble was out of the country; and
• Lie to Medicaid Managed Care Organizations conducting audits of ACE’s crisis services.

From January 2022 through April 2026, Noble allegedly participated in submitting over $49 million in false and fraudulent claims to Virginia Medicaid.

Noble is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Ian Kaufmann of the FBI Richmond Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Richmond Field Office and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Lauren Randell and Zachary H. Ray of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

DEC ANNOUNCES PROPOSED RULEMAKING FOR THE PROTECTION OF ADIRONDACK BROOK TROUT PONDS

 

Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced proposed regulations to protect populations of Adirondack brook trout, New York’s state fish. The proposals simplify harvest regulations for Adirondack brook trout ponds and prohibit the use of live baitfish in the Adirondack Park in all but 146 waters.  

“DEC is adopting these measures to provide high-quality angling opportunities while also protecting the state’s precious Adirondack brook trout ponds from the harmful effects of unwanted baitfish introductions,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “The changes would make fishing regulations easier to understand, while also ensuring the perpetuation of this important resource for generations to come.” 

There are more than 400 managed brook trout ponds in the Adirondack Park. Introduction of baitfish into those ponds represents the primary threat to ponded brook trout populations across the Adirondacks. Baitfish compete with brook trout, resulting in the loss of wild self-sustaining populations. Ponds that are victim to an introduction must be reclaimed with a chemical piscicide and restocked, which is costly and sometimes impossible due to size constraints or other considerations. To date, the State’s baitfish regulations have not adequately protected Adirondack brook trout ponds from either inadvertent or intentional introductions of unwanted baitfish. 

Currently, baitfish are allowed in the Adirondack Park except for 1,211 waters where possession is prohibited. The regulatory structure for these prohibitions is a mix of specific waterbody references, as well as references to waters within a land classification (i.e. Saint Regis Canoe Area), which can be confusing and burdensome to anglers.   

The proposed rule prohibits the use of live baitfish within the Blue Line of the Park and allows for only a small number of exceptions (146 waters). This approach is straightforward and much easier for anglers to understand. It also clearly communicates the serious threat of baitfish introductions to ponded brook trout populations.  

In addition, in this proposal, special harvest regulations that exist on 24 of the approximately 430 brook trout ponds DEC manages are being eliminated. These special harvest regulations have not resulted in a demonstrable benefit compared to the existing statewide regulation of five brook trout per day, any size. Eliminating these unnecessary special regulations will provide the simplicity and consistency needed to promote compliance and provide greater angler enjoyment. 

The proposals are commensurate with DEC’s Adirondack Brook Trout Pond Management Plan, which was finalized in December 2025 after extensive outreach and public comment opportunity.  

The full text and a summary of the proposed regulatory changes, along with a list of proposed waters where live baitfish use will be permitted, are available on DEC’s website Fish and Wildlife Regulatory Revisions - NYSDEC.

DEC is interested in anglers’ viewpoints and encourages public feedback on the proposed regulations. Comments will be accepted through December 28, 2026, and should be emailed to regulations.fish@dec.ny.gov with the subject line “Adirondack Brook Trout Regulations,” or sent by standard mail to: 

NYSDEC 

c/o Inland Fisheries Section 

625 Broadway 

Albany, NY 12233-4753