Long Island Tax Preparer Convicted of Defrauding The Internal Revenue Service

 

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Frantzson Saintilien was convicted on all 18 counts of an indictment charging him with preparing false tax returns containing fictious fuel expenses, fictitious business expenses and losses, and fraudulent tax credits which reduced his clients’ tax liability.  The verdict was returned after a one-week trial before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan.  When sentenced, Saintilien faces up to 54 years in prison and financial penalties. 

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office (IRS-CI New York), announced the verdict. 

“The defendant is a serial fraudster who was masquerading as a tax preparer, but instead of performing an important service, he victimized clients who trusted him and willfully stole government funds from the IRS,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “With today’s verdict, Saintilien has been held accountable for his conduct and will face the consequences.” 

“Today’s verdict reaffirms IRS-CI’s commitment to protecting the U.S. Treasury and holding dishonest tax return preparers accountable for their conduct.  The message is unmistakable: those who undermine the integrity of the tax system by facilitating the filing of false tax returns with egregiously fraudulent credits will be held responsible for their actions,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.

The charges in the indictment arise from Saintilien’s role as a tax preparer at his multi-service business located at One Elmont Road in Elmont, New York.  As proved at trial, in and between 2019 and 2023, for the tax years 2018 through 2022, Saintilien prepared false and fraudulent Forms 1040 and associated schedules and forms for clients that contained a variety of false claims, including that his clients (a) paid federal taxes on nontaxable uses of fuel on Forms 4136; (b) had incurred losses from the sale of assets on Forms 4797; and (c) incurred business expenses on Schedule C. As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, the IRS issued larger refunds to Saintilien’s clients than they were in fact owed.  In many cases, Santilien diverted funds from those improper refunds to himself without his clients’ knowledge.

Based on the fraudulent returns charged in the Indictment alone, the defendant’s conduct resulted in a loss of more than $100,000 to the IRS.  In total, the government estimates that the defendant’s scheme cost the government well in excess of one million dollars.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. 

NEW YORKERS PAY A "FRAUD TAX" OF ABOUT $2,300 A YEAR

 

New model estimates $25.3 billion a year in fraud and improper payments across New York government, including $11.1 billion in likely fraud, and could be as high as $30.6 billion

Joseph Hernandez, candidate for New York State Comptroller, today released an estimate that New York government loses about $25.3 billion a year to fraud and improper payments. That is about $2,300 for every New York taxpayer, a hidden “fraud tax” paid every year. It could be as high as $30.6 billion, or $2,800 per taxpayer.

 

About $11.1 billion of that total, roughly $1,000 per taxpayer, is estimated to be outright fraud. The rest is improper payments: money sent to the wrong people, in the wrong amounts, or for services that were never delivered. These are the model’s midpoint estimates. Fraud alone could be as high as $13.5 billion a year.

 

Medicaid accounts for the largest share, with an estimated $13.3 billion a year in fraud and improper payments, including $4.6 billion in likely fraud, and as much as $18.6 billion at the high end. The Medicaid figures are based on audited error rates.

 

Other state programs account for an estimated $3.2 billion a year, including $2.1 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $3.7 billion. Managed care plan billing accounts for $2.8 billion, including $1.1 billion in likely fraud, and could reach $4.1 billion. Local governments and school districts account for $1.5 billion, including $1.0 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $2.4 billion. Each of these figures is estimated.

 

SNAP accounts for $0.9 billion a year, including $0.2 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $1.0 billion, based on an audited error rate. Unemployment insurance accounts for $0.8 billion, including $0.5 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $0.9 billion, based on audited U.S. Department of Labor figures.

 

The MTA accounts for an estimated $0.8 billion a year, including $0.6 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $1.0 billion. The Essential Plan accounts for $0.8 billion, including $0.3 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $1.1 billion. The NYC Department of Education accounts for $0.7 billion, including $0.4 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $0.8 billion. NYCHA accounts for $0.2 billion, including $0.1 billion in likely fraud, with a high end of $0.3 billion. Each of these figures is estimated.

 

Each category is estimated separately, so the categories do not add exactly to the totals. The totals exclude one-time pandemic unemployment fraud, estimated at $4 billion to $11 billion in 2020–21.

 

“How much fraud do you think there is in New York? Would it surprise you that it’s an estimated $11 billion a year?” said Hernandez. “Add in the money sent to the wrong people, in the wrong amounts, or for services never delivered, and it’s about $25 billion, and it could be as high as $30 billion. That’s about $2,300 for every taxpayer in this state. It’s a fraud tax, and New Yorkers are paying it every year.”

 

“The current comptroller has done very little to recover your money. I will. I’ll be the most aggressive comptroller this office has seen in 20 years. I’ll get your money back and hold those who steal from you accountable.”

As Comptroller, Hernandez will create a Fraud Strike Team inside the Comptroller’s office to find fraud and improper payments, recover the money, and refer cases for prosecution.

 

The campaign built the estimate from public budget data and federal audit error rates. The spending base starts with the $277 billion FY2027 enacted state budget, including $114.4 billion in Medicaid and 11 billion for the Essential Plan, per the State Comptroller’s enacted budget report. Added to that are the NYC Department of Education (37.9 billion), the MTA ($21.3 billion operating and a 68.4 billion five-year capital plan), NYCHA (5.6 billion operating), and local governments and school districts outside New York City ($97.2 billion in FY2023).

Where audited error rates exist, the model uses them. Medicaid uses the federal improper payment range of 6% to 20%, with the low end reflecting CMS’s national rate and the high end reflecting years when full eligibility reviews were done. SNAP uses New York’s 13.18% federal error rate. Unemployment insurance uses the U.S. Department of Labor’s figures of $750 million improper and $507 million fraud in 2025. Where no audit exists, other programs use rates of 0.5% to 5%, anchored to the Government Accountability Office’s estimate that 3% to 7% of federal spending is lost to fraud.

 

To separate fraud from error, 20% to 50% of Medicaid improper payments are treated as fraud, and about two-thirds elsewhere. The model then ran 400,000 simulations, drawing randomly across every range. The midpoint is the typical result; the high end is the 90th percentile, meaning nine in ten runs came out lower.

 

To avoid double counting, state aid already counted in the state budget was removed from the NYC DOE, MTA and local government totals. Per-taxpayer figures divide by the 10.93 million New York income tax returns filed for 2024. About $4 billion of the midpoint total rests on estimated rather than audited rates, chiefly managed care plan billing and local governments. The model does not include revenue lost to tax evasion or cigarette smuggling.

 

Sources: NYS Comptroller, FY2027 enacted budget and financial plan report. NYS Comptroller, local government finances, FY2023. GAO-24-105833, federal fraud estimate. Medicaid improper payment rates and eligibility reviews. New York SNAP error rate, FY2025. U.S. Department of Labor unemployment fraud figures. NYC Council, Department of Education budget. NYC Council, MTA budget. NYC Council, NYCHA budget. NYS Comptroller, managed care plan audit (2016). Pandemic unemployment fraud audit. NYS Tax Department, tax year 2024 returns.

DEA Assists ATF With Operation 11th Hour Which Nets 42 Defendants in Eastern Washington

ATF Initiated the Operation After a 14-Year-Old Was Killed in a Gang-Style Shooting in Moses Lake

ATF and the Moses Lake Police Department Street Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other law enforcement partners, arrested six suspects and executed eight simultaneous search warrants between Moses Lake and Spokane, Washington. Floyd Young, Eutimio De Padua Contreras, Wilmer Garcia-Marquez, Juan Preciado, Juvenal Herrera-Mata, and Cristobal Rios Sostenes were arrested for various offenses, including unlawful firearm possession, distribution of methamphetamine, and distribution of cocaine. These individuals were the final six arrests stemming from ATF Operation 11th Hour, a 15-month collaborative effort to reduce violent crime in the Grant County area.

ATF Operation 11th Hour was initiated after a gang-style shooting in Moses Lake tragically claimed the life a 14-year-old and put several others in the hospital with gunshot wounds. This operation specifically targeted individuals with a high propensity of violence, gang members, those who traffic in the tools of violence, and armed drug traffickers and their organizations.

“Keeping our communities safe requires more than individual agencies working in isolation: it requires a unified commitment to confronting those who commit violent crimes and threaten the safety of our residents,” said Jonthan Blais, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Seattle Field Division. “This operation is a clear demonstration of the strength of our partnerships and our collective resolve. By targeting violent offenders and removing unlawful firearms and dangerous drugs and from our streets, we are disrupting the criminal activity that fuels violence and puts our residents at risk. ATF will continue to leverage every available resource and partnership to hold violent offenders accountable and reduce the threat they pose to the public.”

“Drug trafficking and violence go hand in hand, putting innocent lives and entire communities at risk,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This operation demonstrates what we can accomplish when law enforcement partners unite to take dangerous drugs, firearms, and violent offenders off our streets. Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA will continue working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain, reduce its availability, and save American lives.”

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Over the course of the operation, several local, state, and federal agencies joined forces to execute 54 federal search warrants and 37 state search warrants, netting 42 total defendants. Additionally, the following items have been seized: 25 firearms, 9 vehicles, approximately 42lbs of meth, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, almost 2lbs of fentanyl powder, and more than 2lbs of cocaine.

“This case is an excellent example of the impact that can be made when federal and local law enforcement work together to target issues in our communities,” said City of Moses Lake Police Department Chief David Sands. “I am grateful for all the work done at every level of this operation to take illegal weapons and drugs off our streets.”

Of the 42 defendants identified during this operation, 24 have been federally indicted and 6 are facing state charges.

Operation 11th Hour was initiated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Moses Lake Police Department Street Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Border Patrol, IRS-CI, FBI, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, Washington State Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service – Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF), and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET).

Those individuals who have been federally indicted are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. Those facing state charges are being prosecuted by the Grant County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

DHS Debunks New York Sanctuary Politicians’ Lies About ICE Shooting of Illegal Alien Gang Member, Condemns Sanctuary New York for Refusing to Honor Nearly 15,000 ICE Detainers

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement debunking the lies spread by New York sanctuary politicians after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer discharged his weapon during an attempted arrest of an illegal alien gang member in New York City. DHS also highlighted the fact that a collective total of nearly 15,000 immigration detainers issued by ICE were not honored due to sanctuary policies.

On October 8, at approximately 4:00 PM ET, ICE officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in the Bronx, New York, to arrest Oscar Bengal, a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic. His criminal history includes a prior criminal conviction for fourth-degree grand larceny: property taken from person, and prior arrests for first-degree robbery: forcible theft armed with a deadly weapon, criminal sale of a controlled substance: narcotic drug, possession of stolen property, and assault. After his conviction, he was sentenced in April 2025 to five years of probation. Bengal has associations with the Trinitarios gang, the same gang that brutally shot a CBP officer last year. He was the target of an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into the shooting of the CBP officer. The gang is known for theft using weapons and mopeds.

ICE officers attempted to arrest Bengal and used their vehicles to block him in. He refused lawful orders to exit his vehicle, then accelerated and smashed into two government vehicles. He then weaponized his vehicle and accelerated toward other officers. The officers, believing that their lives and the lives of their partners and the general public were in danger, used their training and fired their weapons. Bengal was superficially struck by one of the bullets or fragments in the neck. He stopped his vehicle, at which point ICE officers arrested him, rendered first aid, and then took him to the hospital. Because of his lengthy criminal history and history of fleeing law enforcement, ICE placed him in a detention facility outside the state of New York.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The incident remains under investigation.

Bengal illegally entered the United States at an unknown date and location. This criminal illegal alien was previously arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on December 7, 2023, but was RELEASED into the community a few days later by reckless Democrat sanctuary policies that put American lives at risk.

“Sanctuary politicians create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for American citizens to be safe. President Trump made it clear that he would restore law and order in our cities and in our states. When you have sanctuary cities and politicians, you endanger the safety of the public,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The men and women of ICE and DHS are out there every day enforcing our nation’s laws. They’re not picking and choosing which laws to enforce, like these sanctuary politicians. Why is that controversial? We should all want law and order on our streets. Our job every single day is to protect the homeland. There is nothing that should be controversial about protecting our homeland. We do our job and we do it well. Sanctuary politicians want to make it controversial. We’re keeping the men and women of this country safe from the criminals that flooded our country for four years under the Biden Administration. I’ll never apologize for our men and women doing their job. I’m very proud of them.”

“This individual decided to not comply with lawful orders given by federal law enforcement officers,” said ICE Executive Associate Director Marcos Charles. “Oscar Bengal is the target of an HSI investigation, is associated with a gang in New York, and has evaded law enforcement before when we attempted to arrest him in September. He refused lawful orders to exit his vehicle, smashed into two government vehicles, then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate toward other officers. Our officers, believing their lives and the lives of their partners and the general public were in danger, fired their weapons. He stopped his vehicle, we arrested him and rendered first aid, then took him to the hospital. We will continue to prosecute this individual to the fullest. We will continue to place him in removal proceedings. And we will continue trying to remove him from this country as quickly as possible following his charges.”

Following the shooting, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated numerous lies about the incident and ICE operations in the city.

CLAIM: A New Yorker was shot by ICE agents in Marble Hill.

FACT: This “New Yorker” is a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic.

CLAIM: The ICE agents wore construction vests and masks that concealed their faces. There was no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents.

FACT: This illegal alien was the subject of a targeted enforcement action. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S.

CLAIM: They [ICE] sow chaos and terror across our country; that they have killed far more of our neighbors than they could ever have claimed to save. All they do is terrorize NYC.

FACT: This could not be further from the truth. In late August alone, ICE arrested 2,197 criminals in the Empire State between July 27 and August 29 through Operation Rotten Apple with NO help or acknowledgement from the Mayor or NYC officials. Illegal aliens arrested during this operation include murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and violent assailants.

CLAIM: ICE undermines public safety. It makes us less safe. 

FACT: 7 out of the 10 safest cities in the U.S. cooperate with ICE. Every day, the men and women of ICE are keeping our communities safe by arresting terrorists, murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and drug traffickers. Since President Trump’s second term began, ICE has arrested nearly 12,000 gang members and over 2,236 known or suspected terrorists. ICE saves American lives every day by enforcing our nation’s laws.

Furthermore, this incident follows more than a year and a half of New York sanctuary politicians refusing to honor ICE detainers for dangerous illegal aliens in their custody. The latest ICE data reveals that from January 20, 2025, to September 14, 2026, 14,916 detainers were not honored by the state of New York.

There are 47,750 total criminal charges and convictions associated with the detainers that were not honored in the state of New York. These crimes include:

• Homicides: 96
• Kidnappings: 114
• Sexual assaults: 448
• DUIs: 1,407
• Burglaries: 1,438
• Robberies: 1,586
• Weapons offenses: 1,987
• Dangerous drugs: 3,842
• Assaults: 8,673

Less than a week before the shooting, two illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic stabbed an off-duty NYPD detective in an attempted robbery. Both suspects had previously been arrested by New York authorities for prior charges but were released before ICE could lodge detainers against them.

New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an Executive Order turning New York City into a shield for violent criminal illegal aliens to reoffend and create more innocent victims.

In December 2025, then-Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with the attorneys general of California and Illinois, putting her on notice for the state’s failure to honor ICE detainers. In response, New York Governor Kathy Hochul punished local law enforcement who did cooperate with ICE by proposing legislation that would bar local police departments from partnering and cooperating with ICE law enforcement, which she signed into law in May 2026. The law took effect on August 25, 2026.

Under Governor Hochul, New York has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime. Some of the recent illegal alien crimes in the sanctuary state include:

• In June, ICE lodged a detainer for Aureliano Antonio Melendez Reyes, an illegal alien from El Salvador, after he was arrested for raping a 16-year-old girl in Huntington, New York.
• In April, the New York City Department of Corrections refused to honor an ICE detainer for Roman Ceron Amatitla, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was charged with murder and arson in Queens County, New York.
• In March, ICE arrested Bryan David Tasiguano Leon, an illegal alien from Ecuador and Latin Kings gang member, who had been released by New York sanctuary politicians despite being charged with assault.
• In March, ICE lodged a detainer for Bairon Posada-Hernandez, a four-time deported illegal alien from Honduras, after he was arrested for shoving two bystanders, including an 83-year-old Air Force veteran, onto subway tracks in New York City.
• In January, ICE arrested Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, an illegal alien from Venezuela, who was working as a New York City Council employee despite having a criminal history that includes an arrest for assault.
• In January, ICE arrested Gerardo Miguel-Mora, an illegal alien from Mexico, after he had been released by New York sanctuary politicians despite having a criminal history that includes arrests for strangulation, rape, sexual assault, burglary, grand larceny, and drug possession.
• In April 2025, ICE lodged a detainer for Felix Jeronimo-Rojas, an illegal alien from Mexico, after he was arrested for raping and robbing a corpse on a New York City subway. Jeronimo-Rojas was sentenced in June 2026 to five years in prison.

In addition to the crimes committed by illegal aliens in New York, the state’s sanctuary policies have had disastrous consequences in other states as well. These include:

• In March, ICE arrested Sukhdev Singh, an illegal alien from India, after he caused a crash while driving a semi-truck that left a U.S. citizen hospitalized in critical condition in Indianapolis, Indiana. Singh had been given a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by Hochul’s New York.
• In October 2025, ICE arrested Anmol Anmol, an illegal alien from India, in Oklahoma. Hochul’s New York had given Anmol a CDL that listed him as “No Name Given Anmol.”
• In August 2023, New York Police Department (NYPD) officers arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal alien from Venezuela and Tren de Aragua gang member, for recklessly driving a motorcycle with a 2-year-old child who was not wearing a helmet. He was released due to New York’s sanctuary policies, and six months later, Ibarra went on to murder nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia in February 2024.

Attorney General James Joins Coalition to Protect Funding for Unemployment Benefit System Upgrades

 

Administration Abruptly Terminated Grants Intended to Prevent Fraud and Deliver Unemployment Benefits More Efficiently

AG James is Suing to Recover $17 Million in Funding Illegally Terminated by U.S. Department of Labor

New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 13 other states in suing the Trump administration for unlawfully canceling grants awarded to states to improve their unemployment insurance systems. The grants, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, were intended to help states prevent fraud, update outdated technology, and make it easier for workers who lose their jobs to receive benefits quickly. However, after awarding the funding and approving the states’ plans, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) abruptly canceled the grants. Attorney General James and the coalition are suing in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to recover the funding that DOL unlawfully took from states.

“When someone loses a job, they should be able to count on unemployment benefits to help pay for rent, groceries, and other basic needs,” said Attorney General James. “The federal government promised states funding to make these systems faster, safer, and more reliable, but then pulled the money after the work was already underway. A change in political leadership does not give the administration permission to break its agreements and make it harder for workers to get the benefits they are entitled to under the law.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment systems across the country were overwhelmed by an unprecedented surge in claims. Many states were forced to rely on outdated technology that caused delays and made systems harder to use. In response, Congress included $2 billion in the American Rescue Plan Act to help states improve the administration of unemployment benefits. The DOL allocated this funding to states through grants supporting projects to replace aging computer systems, strengthen identity verification and cybersecurity, prevent fraudulent claims and improper payments, reduce backlogs, and make unemployment services easier for workers and employers to navigate.

On May 22, 2025, DOL sent letters to states immediately canceling their grants. The letters said only that the projects no longer matched the department’s priorities and did not explain what those priorities were or why the projects no longer qualified. A DOL spokesperson later criticized the grants for focusing on “equitable access” to unemployment benefits, even though Congress specifically directed DOL to use the funding to promote equitable access, as well as to prevent fraud and ensure workers receive timely payments.

The coalition argues that DOL broke its binding agreements with the states. The grant terms allowed DOL to cancel the funding only in limited circumstances and did not give the agency the right to terminate the grants simply because the new administration has changed its political priorities. The coalition also argues that DOL acted unfairly and violated its duty to deal in good faith by imposing new terms after the grant agreements were executed and states had already begun the work, as well as by failing to give states a meaningful opportunity to challenge the cancellations.

The coalition is asking the court to return the unlawfully terminated balance of funding and award damages, allowable interest, fees, and costs.

Attorney General James joins in filing the lawsuit with the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Mayor Mamdani Reopens Queens’ Lost Battalion Hall Following $25.9 Million Reconstruction

 

Historic Rego Park recreation center reopens with fully accessible facilities, upgraded fitness spaces, new safety systems and modernized entrances and restrooms 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura today announced the reopening of Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center in Rego Park, Queens, following a $25.9 million, top-to-bottom reconstruction that brings this historic neighborhood center into the 21st century.  

 

The project delivers a more accessible and modern recreation center for Queens families, with a redesigned entrance and lobby, refurbished fitness spaces, updated restrooms, a newly painted basketball court, new equipment and upgraded safety and building systems. 

 

“Every New Yorker should feel proud of their public spaces. Today, we’re reopening Lost Battalion Hall just in time for the weather to cool down and New Yorkers to head indoors to continue playing their favorite sports all winter long,” said Mayor Mamdani. “With new equipment, accessibility improvements and safety upgrades, Lost Battalion Hall will be even more welcoming to New Yorkers. Whether you’re here to shoot hoops, work out or hang out, this is your recreation center.” 

 

“For years, Lost Battalion Hall has been the place where Queens families come to work out, shoot hoops and spend time with their neighbors, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome everyone back,” said Parks Commissioner Shimamura. “This project improved just about every corner of the building. It’s safer, easier to get around and more comfortable no matter the season. We’re grateful to the Mayor’s Office, the Borough President and the City Council for investing in this center, and to the community for their patience while the work got done.” 

 

A Queens institution, renewed  

 

Lost Battalion Hall is deeply woven into the history of Queens history and culture. In the 1960s, the New York Knicks used the recreation center as an auxiliary practice facility. Over the decades, it has nurtured generations of local basketball talent, including Queens native and former NBA player Kenny “The Jet” Smith.  

 

The building is also home to one of the last surviving Works Progress Administration murals on Parks property. The mural celebrates the building’s origins as a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall and remains a reminder of the center’s long history of serving the community. 

The reconstruction refurbished the center’s weightlifting area, spin room and fitness room and equipped each space with new equipment. Lockers and storage areas were also upgraded to make the facility easier to navigate and better suited to a wide range of activities. 

 

Accessibility was a central part of the project. The building now has accessible restrooms on every floor, as well as wider and safer routes throughout the facility. The project added doors at the front entrance, relocated and enclosed the stairways near the entrance, rebuilt existing staircases and added a new staircase on the east side of the building. 

 

Restrooms on the first and second floors were redesigned to be fully accessible, with new stalls and fixtures. A former storage room was converted into accessible restrooms, while bathrooms that were too small to accommodate wheelchair users were converted into changing rooms. 

 

The project also delivered major upgrades to the building’s safety and infrastructure. Lost Battalion Hall now has a new fire alarm and sprinkler system, a new rooftop generator and a new water line. New water heaters will improve energy efficiency while a new heating and cooling system will keep the lobby comfortable year-round. 

A history public service 

 

Lost Battalion Hall was constructed in 1939 after the Works Progress Administration appropriated $100,000 for a two-story, 36,000-square-foot facility with a firing range and drill hall for the Queens VFW and American Legion.  

 

The City placed the property under Parks jurisdiction on Dec. 6, 1960, and Parks subsequently transformed the building into a recreation center, including a gymnasium with basketball courts. 

 

The center takes its name from the famous “Lost Battalion” of World War I: more than 500 soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 77th Division, many of them New Yorkers, who were cut off and surrounded by German forces in France’s Argonne Forest in October 1918. The soldiers held their position for nearly a week until reinforcements arrived, and their courage became one of the most enduring stories of the war. 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center News and Notes 10/9/2026

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Shabbos schedule

Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.

Here are the times you need:  

Shabbos candles Friday 10/9/26 @ 6:06 pm

Shabbos morning services 10/10/26 7:09 pm

Shabbos Ends 10/10 /26 7:18 pm

If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah, please speak to one of the gabbaim.

Our enhanced kiddush has been a popular hit.  Join us for services and stay to enjoy the kiddush and the company.

This Shabbos we offer our First VP, Sabrina Heit, a Happy Birthday!

Shabbos parsha

Parashat Bereshit

This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Bereshit (read on 10 October 2026).

Bereshit (“In the Beginning”) is the first parashah in the annual Torah reading cycle, which restarts at the beginning of the book of Genesis. The reading begins with God’s creation of the world. The first people, Adam and Eve, eat from the Tree of Knowledge and are then banished from the Garden of Eden. Their elder son, Cain, kills their younger son, Abel, and Cain is destined to a life of wandering. [1]

•   Torah reading: Genesis 1:1-6:8

Reminders and Announcements

We now can accept Zelle payments!

They can be made using the email address vancortlandtjc@aol.com from your Zelle app. They will go to our account at Apple Bank.

Yizkor donations

It is customary to make a charitable donation in conjunction with Yizkor.  If you wish to donate to VCJC as part of your Yizkor observance this Shmini Atzeret, it can be done in person at the office, by check, by Zelle (see above), or online through our website

• The Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Jewish History Book Club

  
  

  We are excited to announce the formation of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Jewish History Book Club. 

  Are you Interested in reading books on Jewish history and discussing them with fellow members of your community?
  For more information, or if you have already heard enough and want to join, visit the office during regular hours or call 718-884-6105 or email educationcommittee@vcjewishcenter.org

  
  

• Save the date: Kristallnacht Memorial Lecture: The Wannsee Conference and Its Ramifications, Sunday Nov. 8

  
  

  We will present a Kristallnacht Memorial lecture, “The Wannsee Conference and Its Ramifications,” on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 10:30 AM. Light refreshments will be served at 10:00 AM.

  The lecture will be presented by Larry Hartstein, who has been widely praised and well received for his previous lectures.

  The Wannsee Conference was a high-level meeting of senior Nazi German government officials and SS leaders held on January 20, 1942, in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee. The meeting played an important role in the Nazi regime’s plans for the systematic persecution and murder of Europe’s Jews.

  This lecture will explore the Wannsee Conference, what took place there, the decisions that were made, and the ramifications that followed.

  The program is free and open to everyone, regardless of faith or religious affiliation. The Van Cortlandt Jewish Center invites members of the community to attend this important and informative presentation.

  For more information, contact the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center at 718-884-6105 or info@VCJewishCenter.org.

  
  

• 10 minutes of learning a day

  
  

  
  

  Free Online Video Classes on the Talmud: 10 Minutes a day brought to you by the Orthodox Union. Get a background lesson on the entire Talmud in 40 weeks. No Hebrew knowledge required. Click on the Link Below for more information.

  https://talmuddaily.org/?utm_source=ou&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=launch26&utm_content=full-list

  
  

• What works for you?
  Please Help Us Plan for Events
  We have created a survey, the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Community Event Planning Survey, to help us set the direction for our activities.  We’d really appreciate your taking a few minutes to fill it in. Here’s the link: SURVEY
  
  

• The VCJC Chavurah
  The VCJC Chavurah meets every Tuesday Night at 7:30 PM.  All are welcome to join us as we continue to learn together.

  No cost to attend and no prior experience is needed.

  If you are interested in learning torah with a group of fellow members of your community, but want more details, contact the VCJC office at 718-884-6105 or info@vcjewishcenter.org, or speak to Stuart Harris or Matthew Hartstein after davening on Shabbat morning.
  
  

• VCJC Merch!

  We now have merchandise available with the VCJC logo and, in some cases, sayings.  We have shirts, hats, mugs, refrigerator magnets, and tote bags. These are provided through a Print On Demand (POD) model - so you pick what you like and order it.  It is then made to order and shipped directly to you.
  You can see an overview and some additional information on our VCJC Shop page.  You can go directly to the store itself to see all the things available, select sizes and colors, and get ready to flaunt your association with VCJC.

  
  

• VCJC is now active on social media - follow us!
  We have launched both a Facebook page and an Instagram page.  Both have a nice amount of content already and we are planning both regular posts and a greater variety going forward.  Please take a look and follow us! Links are below.

  
  

• You can do it! Give VCJC a boost!  Leave a (positive) review for us on Google
  -->You can do this!  We know you can! YES, YOU!

  The VCJC is working to build and grow for its next century in Van Cortlandt Village.  If you have had a good experience with us or recognize our value to the community, please consider telling the world about it.  Go to our Google Business Profile and leave a review.  Thanks!  

Please help with information about buildings

As part of rebuilding the membership and congregation, the Board of Trustees would like your help. There are a lot of either new or renovated buildings being put up in our catchment area. We would like to seek the cooperation of the owners / developers of those properties in publicizing these opportunities to live near an orthodox synagogue.  If you are aware of any of these buildings, please provide what information you can about them.  This could include the address, any contact information that might be posted, and any information about the building itself (size, type, etc.). Additionally, if you are aware of vacancies in existing buildings or of houses for sale, please let us know about that as well.

Our mailing address is:
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
3880 Sedgwick Ave
Bronx, NY 10463