Housing Lottery Launches for 967 East 167th Street in Crotona Park East, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 967 East 167th Street, a four-story residential building in Crotona Park East, The Bronx. Designed by Node Architecture Engineering Consulting PC and developed by Jennifer Canales, the structure yields 12 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are four units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $87,635 to $181,740.

Units come with air conditioning, intercoms, energy-efficient appliances, and name-brand kitchen appliances, countertops, and finishes. Residents also have access to bike storage lockers. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are two studios with a monthly rent of $2,556 for incomes ranging from $87,635 to $161,590; and two one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,698 for incomes ranging from $92,503 to $181,740.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than September 6, 2024.

Justice Department Transfers Approximately $300,000 in Forfeited Criminal Proceeds to Bonaire

 

The Justice Department shared $300,921.09 in forfeited criminal assets with Bonaire, a special Dutch Caribbean municipality within the country of the Netherlands, in recognition of Bonaire’s assistance to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s investigation of, and the department’s forfeiture of criminal proceeds derived from, the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business that was active in the black market for exchanging Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars.

This transfer marks the first international sharing of forfeited assets involving the Governments of the United States and Bonaire. Bonaire’s Public Prosecutors Office intends to use the funds to support ongoing criminal justice efforts.

The funds transferred are a share of net assets forfeited by U.S. authorities from an investigation into the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business run by Hjalmar Gibelli Gomez. A U.S. law enforcement investigation revealed that Gibelli was engaging in unlicensed money transmitting through his business, a Venezuelan insurance agency called Resguardo Sociedad de Corretahe. The unlicensed money transmitting business exchanged Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars on a black market currency exchange in violation of U.S. law. The funds were used to promote Gibelli’s illegal money transmitting business and were utilized in money laundering transactions. As part of his illegal scheme, Gibelli transferred $2,486,525 from the scheme to purchase a luxury yacht named the “Navigante,” among other transactions.

On Dec. 22, 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the yacht and other assets held by Gibelli. As described in court documents, the yacht is subject to forfeiture as property involved in a transaction or attempted transaction in violation of U.S. money laundering statutes, or as property traceable to such property. Bonaire authorities provided important law enforcement assistance in the seizure and forfeiture by restraining the Navigante in their territory, safely offloading the yacht’s crew, and assisting in the yacht’s transfer to the United States. Gibelli consented to the forfeiture of the Navigante and other property. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.

The Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) provided assistance in connection with the international sharing process.  

The Criminal Division, through MLARS’ International Unit, administers the department’s international asset forfeiture sharing program. Pursuant to federal law, and in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and State, the department may share proceeds of successful forfeiture of property with foreign countries that participate in the seizure or forfeiture of the property.

Woman Charged for Scheme to Defraud Elvis Presley’s Family

 

A Missouri woman was arrested on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lisa Jeanine Findley, also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed after her arrest. Findley will make her initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”

“As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Of course, all homeowners deserve to have their property protected from fraud, and the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft.”

According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments). Findley allegedly claimed falsely that Elvis Presley’s daughter had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from Naussany Investments, pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, and failed to repay the debt. To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family. Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public. Findley then allegedly filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis. Findley also allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in The Commercial Appeal, one of Memphis’s daily newspapers, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. Finally, when Naussany Investments was sued by Elvis Presley’s family in Tennessee state court as part of an effort to stop the sale of Graceland, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings.

After the scheme attracted global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria.

“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.”

“This announcement of charges and law enforcement action shows our broad approach to investigating allegations of identity theft and mail fraud, which can affect people from all walks of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, who would steal an identity and use fraud to benefit themselves personally.”

Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.

USPIS and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating the case with significant assistance from the FBI Kansas City Field Office.  

Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

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

DEC Announces Fourth Round of 'Regenerate NY' Forestry Cost Share Grants

 

$500,000 Available for Eligible Private Forest Landowners

Projects Completed through Regenerate NY Contribute to 25 Million Tree Planting Goal

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced $500,000 in funding is now available for the fourth round of the State’s ‘Regenerate NY’ Forestry Cost Share Grant Program. The grant program assists private landowners with growing the next generation of resilient forests to mitigate climate change, provide wildlife habitat, protect air and water quality, and supply a critical renewable resource. Funded projects will enhance efforts made through Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious 25 Million Trees Initiative to restore and sustain New York’s natural landscapes.

 

“Regenerate NY funding provides critical financial support for projects that focus on regenerating and restoring forests, as well as creating new ones,” said Interim Commissioner Mahar. “This support gives private landowners the opportunity to foster biodiverse forests on their lands and increase the ecosystem benefits forests provide, including the absorption and storage of carbon. Every acre of forest improved or created through this grant program brings New York closer to achieving the State’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Private landowners planning to restore or establish five or more acres of forest land in New York State may apply for grant awards ranging from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000. A 10 percent match is required. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, planting trees, soil scarification, removing competing or invasive vegetation that interferes with seedling establishment and growth, and installation of deer fence. Applicants must work with a forester or a qualified natural resource professional to develop their project.

“Regenerate NY has been a great incentive for private forest landowners to invest in improving New York’s forests,” John Bartow, Executive Director of the Empire State Forest Products Association said. “Private forest account for 75 percent of all New York’s forests and investing in them is a cost-effective way to improve regeneration, enhance forest health and sustain forest stocks that support or forest-based economy.”

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024, or until funds are depleted, whichever comes first. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis. Applications must be submitted through the SFS Grants Management System (SFS). Those wishing to apply need to establish an account in SFS. Once registered, search SFS for “Regenerate NY.” For more details about the grant opportunity including application criteria, visit DEC’s website.

Regenerate NY is funded by New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and managed by DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests. In the 2024-25 State Budget, Governor Hochul maintained EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program's history. The EPF provides funding for critical environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, enhanced recreational access, water quality improvement, and an aggressive environmental justice agenda. 

New Yorkers for Parks - Join the waitlist for the 2024 Daffodil Project

 

Missed Daffodil Project registration? Join the waitlist!

 

Thank you to everyone who registered for daffodil bulbs so far. Due to high demand and limited supply, we have launched the waitlist. If you missed registration, we encourage you to join the waitlist, as we frequently have bulbs left over!

Please note that waitlist status is not an order confirmation or guarantee.

 

Fulfillment depends on the number of unclaimed bulbs at the end of each distribution. If we are able to provide bulbs, we can't guarantee you will receive your preferred quantity. Waitlist is first come, first served beginning at 12:30 PM -- we won't fulfill any bulb requests for waitlist registrants who arrive before then.

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