More Third World Violence: ICE Requests Texas Not Release Illegal Alien Who Murdered His Co-Worker with a Sledgehammer

 

If you import the third world, you become the third world

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer requesting local authorities not release Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice, a 19-year-old criminal illegal alien from Venezuela, who is charged with murdering his co-worker to death with a sledgehammer.

Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice

According to local reports and court documents, Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice, murdered his co-worker Juan Antonio Salinas Leija by hitting him with a sledgehammer multiple times. The victim, who was working as a carpenter, was found dead inside a home under renovation on Goldensong Court in the Northgate Crossing community. His body was found by his sister.

Local law enforcement arrested Chirino-Leonice on April 12 in Pasadena, Texas, after he was reportedly found driving around in the victim’s vehicle.

“This criminal illegal alien from Venezuela is accused of savagely beating a co-worker to death repeatedly with a sledgehammer and stealing his car,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This barbaric criminal illegal alien should have never been released into our country by the Biden administration. If you import the third world, you become the third world.”

The U.S. Border Patrol first apprehended Chirino-Leonice in November 2023 when he arrived at the border as an unaccompanied minor. The Biden administration released him into the interior of the country.

This brutal killing comes after ICE lodged an arrest detainer for an illegal alien who brutally murdered a woman with a hammer in Florida earlier this month.

Governor Hochul Unveils Plans to Permit World Cup Fan Events at Local Bars and Restaurants Statewide

World Cup One-Day Permit from New York State Liquor Authority Will Allow Off-Site Activations and Expanded Outdoor Activations

Governor Calls on Legislature To Pass Legislation Expanding Operating Hours for Duration of 2026 World Cup

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a plan to support small businesses, fan festivals, public viewing events and other World Cup-related activations across New York State. With increased demand expected for public watch parties and outdoor fan experiences, the State is taking steps to ensure communities and businesses can participate in World Cup celebrations while maintaining appropriate safeguards for alcohol service. As part of the plan, event organizers can host off-site activations throughout the duration of the World Cup by applying for a World Cup One-Day Permit through the New York State Liquor Authority. Bars and restaurants will also be able to use the World Cup One-Day Permit process to use contiguous outdoor space to host events during the World Cup as opposed to the current maximum of four days.

In addition, Governor Hochul is working with the legislature to authorize temporary expansion of permissible operating hours during the World Cup, allowing bars, restaurants and other eligible on-premises establishments to remain open whenever matches are broadcast live. For the duration of the tournament, such legislation would allow licensed businesses in counties with earlier closing hours to operate until 4:00 a.m. and would temporarily supersede more restrictive hours imposed as conditions on individual licenses by the State Liquor Authority, establishing a clear and uniform statewide framework for safe and orderly World Cup celebrations.

“We want to make sure all New Yorkers can watch the World Cup in community spaces, and all businesses that want to show matches can be open to the public while they're broadcast live,” Governor Hochul said. “With the new World Cup One-Day Permit, businesses across the state can host off-site activities throughout the duration of the World Cup tournament instead of just a few days.”

Event organizers and licensees may use the State Liquor Authority’s existing One-Day Alcohol Event Permit process to apply for the World Cup One-Day Permit for off-premises viewing events, including fan festivals, watch parties and similar activations.

To streamline the process, applicants may request up to 12 one-day permits within a single application. Organizers hosting more than 12 events may submit multiple applications, each including up to 12 one-day permit requests.

Existing on-premises licensees may also apply for the World Cup One-Day Permit to extend service into contiguous unlicensed outdoor areas and bars and set up TVs throughout the duration of the World Cup events.

More information on the World Cup One-Day Permit, including how and where to apply, is available on the State Liquor Authority’s website.

This announcement builds on Governor Hochul's efforts to capture World Cup excitement in New York State. Governor Hochul recently announced that 12 community-based projects across seven regions of New York State have been selected as awardees through the New York State Community World Cup Grant Program. Canalside in Buffalo will host three free community watch parties for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ group stage. Soccer fans are invited to gather at the waterfront to support the U.S. Men’s National Team in their highly anticipated matches against Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye. In addition to the Community World Cup Grant Program, New York State is supporting several initiatives designed to ensure communities across the state can participate in the excitement surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is approaching the World Cup as a coordinated statewide activation for all New Yorkers to enjoy, combining private sector events through bars and restaurants, regionally led community events supported by the State and two State-led flagship experiences on Long Island and in the Mid-Hudson Region. The Long Island and Mid-Hudson events will feature live match broadcasts alongside community-developed programming designed to celebrate New York’s passion for the world’s game. Designed as outdoor experiences capable of welcoming thousands of attendees, each event will reflect the unique character of its region while promoting community engagement, small business participation, and inclusive access. Additional event details will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, including how to sign up to be notified of future New York State World Cup announcements, visit the I LOVE NY website.

As part of the FY27 Budget, Governor Hochul has also advanced NY Kicks, a new initiative aimed at expanding youth soccer access by investing in new soccer facilities and community programming in disadvantaged communities across the state. NY Kicks also advances Governor Hochul’s Get Offline, Get Outside initiative, which encourages New Yorkers to unplug from devices and spend time outdoors in their communities, by activating public spaces across the state and creating shared, active experiences for families.

These efforts also build on the State’s broader strategy to maximize the economic, tourism and community benefits associated with hosting matches during the tournament.

Florida Man Working as a Ransomware Negotiator Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Deploy Ransomware and Extort U.S. Victims

 

A Florida man, formerly employed as a ransomware negotiator, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit ransomware attacks against U.S. companies in 2023.

According to court documents, Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O’Lakes, Florida, collaborated with the operators of the Blackcat/ALPHV (“BlackCat”) ransomware variant used by cybercriminals to attack and extort institutions and companies. Beginning in April 2023, Martino abused his role at a U.S.-based cyber incident response company to assist BlackCat actors. Working as a negotiator on behalf of five different ransomware victims, Martino provided BlackCat attackers with confidential information about the negotiating position and strategy of his company’s clients without the clients’ or his employer’s knowledge or permission. This confidential information assisted the ransomware actors and maximized the ransoms that the victims were required to pay. The confidential information included the victims’ insurance policy limits and internal negotiation positions. The BlackCat actors paid Martino for this confidential information.

Additionally, Martino has admitted to conspiring with Ryan Goldberg of Georgia and Kevin Martin of Texas to successfully deploy BlackCat ransomware between April 2023 and November 2023 against multiple victims located throughout the United States. All three men worked in the cybersecurity industry and leveraged their knowledge and skills to commit these crimes. After successfully extorting one victim for approximately $1.2 million in Bitcoin, the men split their share of the ransom three ways and laundered the funds through various means.

To date, law enforcement has seized $10 million of assets from Martino, including digital currency, vehicles, a food truck, and a luxury fishing boat that Martino obtained using proceeds of the offense or acquired as a result of the offense.

“Angelo Martino’s clients trusted him to respond to ransomware threats and help thwart and remedy them on behalf of victims,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead, he betrayed them and began launching ransomware attacks himself by assisting cyber criminals and harming victims, his own employer, and the cyber incident response industry itself.”

“Ransomware victims turned to this defendant for help, and he sold them out from the inside,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “As he admitted in court, he abused his position at a cyber incident response company to feed confidential information to BlackCat actors, helping them maximize ransom payments from American victims. He then went further, joining the conspiracy himself to deploy ransomware and profit from extortion. This guilty plea makes clear that if you weaponize insider access and cybersecurity expertise against victims in South Florida or anywhere in this country, you will be prosecuted. And as the seizure of more than $10 million in assets shows, you will not get to keep the proceeds of your crime.”

“The FBI works every day to dismantle the ransomware ecosystem,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “That includes apprehending key facilitators like Angelo Martino, who abused the trust placed in him as a private sector negotiator by collaborating with ransomware criminals. Martino provided BlackCat ransomware actors with confidential information to maximize ransom payments. He also conspired with other U.S. residents to launch attacks on victims across the country. His guilty plea demonstrates that, for all the international aspects of cybercrime, the threat is also here in the United States. The FBI is proud of the close collaboration with partners that led to this outcome.”

Martino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Martin and Goldberg separately entered guilty pleas to the same charge in December 2025. Martin and Goldberg are scheduled to be sentenced on April 30 and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This announcement follows the Justice Department’s prior actions in December 2023 to disrupt BlackCat ransomware, during which the FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer hundreds of victims the capability of restoring their systems, saving victims approximately $99 million in ransom payments. At that time, the FBI also seized several websites operated by the BlackCat ransomware actors.

The FBI’s Miami field office is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.

Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Haggerty and Quinshawna Landon for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

Significant assistance in this investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer for the Middle District of Florida and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderón of the Southern District of Florida.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

Private sector organizations can report any suspicious activities and threats to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), visiting www.tips.fbi.gov  or contacting their local FBI field office.

If you are a victim of ransomware, contact your local FBI field office or file a report at ic3.gov.

If you have information about ALPHV/BlackCat, their affiliates or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards program or Rewards for Justice program. Information can also be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required): he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion.

DEC Announces Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs Annual "Potting Up" Event for Arbor Day

 

On April 24 and 25, Volunteers Can Help Prepare Thousands of Native Tree Seedlings for Stream Restoration Projects Throughout the Estuary Watershed

Supports New York State’s 25 Million Trees Initiative 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs (tributaries) program will kick-off the spring planting season with a "Potting Up" event in celebration of Arbor Day on Friday, April 24, and on Saturday, April 25. Volunteers are encouraged to join DEC’s Estuary Program staff in potting up thousands of bare-root seedlings. 

"The Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs program provides a great opportunity for Hudson Valley communities to protect their local watershed with new tree plantings and support Governor Kathy Hochul's 25 Million Trees initiative," DEC’s Region 3 Director Kelly Turturro said. "Trees provide healthy buffers that reduce water pollution, erosion, and flood damage and protect critical habitat for fish and other wildlife. I encourage New Yorkers to celebrate Arbor Day by helping prepare these tree seedlings for planting.” 

Seedlings potted up during this event will be planted throughout the Hudson Valley in May and June. Municipalities, environmental organizations, land trusts, watershed groups, and schools participate and volunteer.  

The trees planted through the Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs program are all grown and provided by DEC's Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery. They are native, New York seed-sourced riparian species, ideal for flood and erosion-prone areas. To learn more about Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs, a video about Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs is available on YouTube at Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs or visit DEC's Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs webpage. 

To volunteer for "Potting Up,” please RSVP for one or both days by emailing HudsonEstuaryTFT@dec.ny.gov or completing the sign-up form. The event takes place on Friday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DEC Region 3 Headquarters, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to participate. 

Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that promotes tree plantings and tree care and highlights the importance of trees to the environment, economy and overall quality of life. Now celebrating its 20th year, more than 11,000 volunteers have helped the Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs plant an estimated 75,700 shrubs and trees on more than 156 acres at 420 streamside sites. 

Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs efforts support Governor Hochul's ambitious 25 Million Trees Initiative, a campaign to get every New Yorker excited and engaged with tree planting. Anyone can contribute to the statewide goal to plant 25 million trees by 2033 by recording tree plantings in DEC’s Tree Tracker, a public engagement tool aiming to quantify all public and private planting projects. Since last Arbor Day alone, more than 200,000 trees have been planted across New York State and recorded in the Tree Tracker, including nearly 2,000 by the Hudson River Estuary Program. 

The public is encouraged to find other tree planting events near them by visiting the 25 Million Trees webpage and viewing the statewide event calendar. Organizers should submit tree planting events to the 25 Million Trees event calendar to encourage participation and increase reach. There are also resources for connecting tree planting events to the Initiative available online, including an Event Toolkit with downloadable social media graphics and communication tips. To request 25 Million Trees stickers and QR code tags, or learn more about getting involved with the Initiative, visit DEC’s webpage.

Ten Projects and Individuals Win 2026 New York State Historic Preservation Awards

Awardees recognized for excellence in historic preservation of New York’s historic and cultural treasures 

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The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) announced that 10 projects and individuals have been recognized with 2026 New York State Historic Preservation Awards. This year’s awards recognize preservation advocates for their work in the field and highlight historic rehabilitation projects that have made impacts in New York’s communities, including initiatives that address affordable housing, create sustainable spaces for communities, preserve performing art spaces, and explore a more complete and inclusive story of the Erie Canal. 

Created in 1980, the State Historic Preservation Awards are presented by OPRHP each year to honor excellence in the protection and revitalization of historic and cultural resources. 

“Each of these awardees demonstrates the power of preservation to connect people to place,” said Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. “Their work not only drives meaningful community revitalization, but also helps tell a fuller, more inclusive story of our shared past. By highlighting these projects, we hope to inspire continued collaboration, and investment in the historic spaces that make New York’s communities vibrant, welcoming and enduring.”

In 2024, the Joan K. Davidson Award category was established. As Commissioner of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation from 1993 to 1995, Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts from 1974 to 1977, and President of the J. M. Kaplan Fund from 1977 to 1993, Joan K. Davidson (1927-2023) was a visionary leader who was dedicated to the betterment of natural and built environments from cities to rural towns and villages throughout New York State. She believed that the most successful historic preservation projects begin at the grassroots level when dedicated individuals work together to ensure the future of irreplaceable community assets and tangible links to our shared past.

The 2026 New York State Historic Preservation Award recipients are:

Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub | Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub transformed an abandoned industrial site at 58 Park Avenue in Poughkeepsie’s Northside through a five-year adaptive reuse and brownfield cleanup project– restoring historic buildings, remediating polluted soil and groundwater, and creating a vibrant, sustainable community space. The rehabilitation preserved the National Register-listed Standard Gage Factory while integrating net-zero energy features such as solar power, green roofs, and advanced ventilation. Designed as a community-centered hub, it reconnects residents to the Hudson River and supports recreation, education, and gathering. As New York State’s first historic rehabilitation to pair tax credit restoration with advance energy systems, it reflects Scenic Hudson’s mission to advance conservation, equity, and community revitalization.

Historic Saranac Lake’s Trudeau Building | Saranac Lake, Franklin County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• Historic Saranac Lake invested over $4.5 million to acquire and rehabilitate the former home and medical office of Dr. E. L. Trudeau for the expansion of the neighboring Saranac Laboratory Museum. The project restored the 1894 building (a contributing property to the National Register-listed Church Street Historic District). Historic Saranac Lake secured multiple funding sources, including state and federal tax credits, a $500,000 Environmental Protection Fund grant, a $325,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, an Adirondack Rural Revitalization Program grant from AARCH, private donations, and community support. The Trudeau Building rehabilitation is an outstanding example of how historic tax credits, leveraged with other funding, can help revitalize small, rural downtowns, and celebrate history through careful planning and community support.

Huntington Apartments | Seneca Falls, Seneca County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• Developed by Home Leasing in partnership with Eagle Star Housing through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, Huntington Apartments features 53 affordable apartments, including 27 with supportive services for veterans in need of housing. Listed in the National Register, the building had been the site of multiple businesses, including the National Yeast Company, the Iroquois Motor Car Company, a box company, and an auto dealership, before falling vacant and then threatened by demolition. This rehabilitation was supported by $24 million from public and private funding including New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) state and federal low-income housing tax credits, Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding, NYSERDA energy-efficient support (including NYSERDA’S High-Rise Multi-Family New Construction program), federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits, and additional funding support from the Community Preservation Corporation.

Cherry Lane Theatre | New York City, New York County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• The historic Cherry Lane Theatre is New York City’s longest continuously operating off-Broadway venue that’s been in operation since 1923. Originally used as a brewery and warehouse, by the 1950s the buildings at 38-42 Commerce Street became a busy theater and restaurant. Today, the site is listed on the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project for its long association with LGBT theater artists and as a popular gay venue in the 1950s and 60s. In 2023, the theater was acquired by A24 in partnership with Taurus Investment Holdings and underwent a $30 million investment that utilized the historic rehabilitation tax credit program. The project carefully balanced preservation and modernization, upgrading interior spaces while maintaining the theater’s historic character. The rehabilitation emphasized the theater’s historic integrity, restoring the main façade closer to its original appearance and reintroducing the historic restaurant within the former black box theater using period-appropriate finishes.

Steiner Studios | Brooklyn, Kings County 

Excellence in Historic Preservation Stewardship 

• Steiner Studios exemplifies excellence in historic preservation through the adaptive reuse of multiple historic buildings within the Brookyln Navy Yard, a National Register listed industrial district. Key projects include the rehabilitation of Building B (1872), the former Residence of the Captain of the Yard, which was stabilized, restored, and sensitively adapted into modern office and meeting space; the transformation of Building 2 (1941), a former foundry, into state-of-the-art film and television sound stages within its expansive industrial volume; and the conversion of Building 1 (1942), a former materials testing laboratory, into office and production-support space while preserving defining architectural features. Through these and other efforts, Steiner Studios has demonstrated a strong commitment to preservation, combining high-quality rehabilitation with innovative design to support film and television production. By leveraging historic tax credits and maintaining a philosophy of stewardship, the studio has helped establish the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a major production hub while advancing economic development, sustainability, and the creative industries.

Seneca Chief Bicentennial Voyage Across New York State | Buffalo, Erie County 

Excellence in Community Achievement 

• The Seneca Chief Bicentennial Voyage across New York State began its 33-day journey in September 2025, traveling 500 miles along the Erie Canal and Hudson River, and stopped in 28 communities. This historic commemorative journey retraced the original 1825 voyage of the Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief– the first vessel to travel the completed Erie Canal from Buffalo to NYC. The voyage was centered on a full-scale replica constructed by the Buffalo Maritime Center and built in public view at Canalside in Buffalo between October 2020 and June 2024. The project engaged more than 200 volunteers, students, and partner organizations in one of the largest community boatbuilding efforts in the world. Led by two professional shipwrights, the volunteer-driven project used traditional boatbuilding skills while fostering public education and civic pride. The Buffalo Maritime Center was awarded a New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant to develop an accompanying exhibition that explored the boatbuilding process, the history of the original vessel, and the diverse people who traveled aboard it to tell a more complete and inclusive story of the Erie Canal.

Harambee Kingston NY, Inc. | Kingston, Ulster County 

Excellence in Nonprofit Achievement 

• Harambee Kingston NY has led the preservation and revitalization of the Pine Street African Burial Ground since acquiring the site in 2019. Established in 1750 for the burial of Kingston’s enslaved people and their descendants, the long-forgotten site was protected, interpreted, and revitalized through Harambee Kingston’s community-centered vision. Harambee Kingston created a cultural center and museum, partnered with SUNY New Paltz Archaeological Field School to document and protect the burial ground leading to the site’s listing in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Through community engagement, youth education, public events such as Juneteenth, and performing sacred ceremonial services to honor those interred at the site, Harambee has uplifted marginalized histories, advanced interdisciplinary preservation practice, and created a model for nonprofit stewardship. 

Deborah Harris, Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater | Gowanda, Cattaraugus County 

Outstanding Contributions to Historic Preservation 

• For over two decades, Deborah Harris has played a pivotal role in the rehabilitation of Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater. Originally built as an opera house, the theater opened in 1884 and was eventually destroyed by fire in 1924. Just 18 months afterwards, the Hollywood Theater reopened to the public in 1926 and remained an important part of life in Gowanda until the 1980s. The theater closed in 1992 and fell into disrepair, with large roof leaks damaging the plaster walls and ceiling. In the early 2000s, locals quickly mobilized to create a sustainable preservation plan for the future of the theater– creating the nonprofit Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater, Inc.– and securing significant local, state, and federal funding to restore and revitalize the National Register-listed building. Since 2007, Deborah has expertly guided the project as grant administrator and project manager, navigating grant writing, budgeting, project coordination, and construction oversight. Her tireless efforts were instrumental in securing thousands of dollars in state funding and ensuring the theater’s successful restoration, which has earned awards from the Preservation League of NYS and Preservation Buffalo Niagara. Deborah’s dedication has not only brought this historic landmark back to life but also sustained the momentum for ongoing preservation work, setting a model for long-term stewardship in the field.

Historical Society of the Town of Chester | Chestertown, Warren County 

Excellence in Historic Preservation Documentation 

• The Historical Society of the Town of Chester has preserved the work of photographer Itsuzo Sumy through extensive digitization, exhibitions, and public programming. Originally from Japan, Itsuzo Sumy came to the United States in 1922 and traveled as a Master of Jujitsu before settling in Chestertown in 1932. For nearly four decades, Sumy captured parades, weddings, family portraits, buildings, fires, traffic collisions, and everyday village life becoming Chestertown’s unofficial documentarian. When Sumy died in 1970, he left more than 38,000 negatives and 5,000 prints. Since 2017, the Historical Society has digitized, indexed, and exhibited this vast archive, making 900 images available online through the New York Heritage website. Sumy’s photographs are invaluable historic preservation research materials – helping inform the expansion of the Chestertown Historic District in 2025. The Historical Society has not only preserved the town’s visual history but also highlighted immigrant experiences, enhanced public understanding of Chestertown’s built environment, and brought Sumy’s legacy to life in a way that will help guide preservation work in Chestertown into the future.

The MARK Project, Inc. | Arkville, Delaware County 

Joan K. Davidson Award 

• The MARK Project has spent over 40 years advancing community revitalization in the central Catskills through collaborative, locally driven initiatives and becoming a model for community-based revitalization. The MARK Project has united local leaders, residents, and funding partners, strengthening both the social and economic fabric of small towns throughout central Catskills through initiatives in affordable housing, economic development, local food systems, tourism, farming, civic planning, and downtown revitalization. Signature efforts include housing support programs and Kirkside, a fully operational inn and restaurant that will serve as a workforce and entrepreneurship incubator. The MARK Project also supports emerging nonprofits with administrative and technical assistance, which strengthens long-term organizational resilience across rural communities.

The mission of the New York State Division for Historic Preservation (DHP) is to create meaningful connections to the dynamic history of the state for all residents and visitors, and the Division is committed to protecting historic and cultural resources. Part of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the DHP strives to raise awareness of the value of historic places for future generations and to expand the complex narratives in order to tell a more complete story that represents the diversity of the state's people, both past and present. Learn more about the full scope of the Division's work online. 

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 (formerly Twitter), or the OPRHP Blog.

Long Island Man Sentenced to Prison for $1 Million Covid-19 Fraud

 

Carmine G. Agnello Fraudulently Obtained Multiple Disaster Relief Loans and Used the Proceeds to Invest in Cryptocurrency

Carmine G. Agnello was sentenced by United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury to 15 months in prison for defrauding the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) of approximately $1.1 million in loans awarded under the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  Agnello was also ordered to pay restitution to the SBA in the amount of $1,268,302, serve two years of supervised release, and perform 100 hours of community service.  Agnello pleaded guilty in September 2024 to wire fraud in connection with the scheme.  

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS) announced the sentence.

“During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the defendant shamefully lined his own pockets with government and taxpayers’ dollars which he must repay as part of today’s sentence,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Our Office will continue to investigate and bring to justice those criminals who stole funds that were intended to assist legitimate businesses and their employees during a time of crisis.”

“Mr. Agnello defrauded a program designed to assist businesses and employees during the pandemic,” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Larco-Ward.  “This investigation showcases the results that postal inspectors strive to achieve in collaboration with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York.”

Congress created the EIDL as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.

As set forth in court filings and on the record during the defendant’s plea and sentencing hearings, between April 2020 and November 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Agnello fraudulently applied for, and received, at least three EIDLP loans totaling approximately $1.1 million, which he submitted on behalf of Crown Auto Parts & Recycling, LLC (Crown), a Jamaica, Queens-based business that he operated.  In an effort to receive loans to which he was not entitled, Agnello submitted false information to the SBA about the number of employees who worked for Crown, as well as about the intended use of the loan proceeds.  Instead of using the funds for Crown, Agnello diverted them for his personal use, including by investing approximately $420,000 in a cryptocurrency business.

NYGOP Chair Ed Cox Endorses Diamant Hysenaj in NY-14

 

NYGOP Chair Ed Cox released the following statement:

 

“Diamant Hysenaj is exactly the kind of candidate who can help grow and strengthen the Republican Party in New York. His story — coming to America as a child refugee from Albania, building a successful business, and creating jobs for New Yorkers — is the American Dream in action.

 

"Diamant understands the challenges facing working families in the Bronx and Queens because he has lived them. He is focused on the issues that matter most: lowering costs, supporting small businesses, restoring public safety, and expanding opportunity for every community.

 

"For too long, New York’s 14th District has been represented by someone more interested in building her own celebrity than delivering results for her constituents. The people of the Bronx and Queens deserve a representative more focused on the money in their pockets than the followers on her Instagram account.

 

"Republicans are serious about competing and winning in every corner of this state, including New York City. With the support of our local county organizations and Republicans united behind his campaign, I am proud to endorse Diamant Hysenaj for Congress in New York’s 14th District.”

DEA Caribbean Division Announces Extradition of International Drug Trafficking Suspect to Puerto Rico

 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division announced the successful extradition of Nixon Manuel Marino-Carreño from Colombia to Puerto Rico, where he will face federal drug trafficking charges in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

Marino-Carreño was arrested in Colombia on March 10, 2025, at the request of U.S. authorities and extradited to Puerto Rico on April 17, 2026.  

According to court documents, beginning no later than May 2024, Marino-Carreño allegedly conspired with others to import and attempt to import cocaine from Venezuela and Colombia into the United States. He is also charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.  

If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment.  

“This extradition underscores DEA’s unwavering commitment to dismantling transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Martínez of the DEA Caribbean Division. “Working alongside our international and federal partners, we will continue to pursue those who traffic deadly narcotics into the United States—no matter where they attempt to hide.”

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and the Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Marino-Carreño.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille García of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering, and Transnational Organized Crime Division is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a whole-of-government initiative designed to disrupt and dismantle criminal cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and trafficking networks operating both domestically and abroad. HSTF San Juan includes federal, state, and local partners working collaboratively to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for driving violence and narcotics trafficking throughout Puerto Rico and beyond.

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