Attorney General James Releases Footage from Investigation into Death of Emil Williams

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James released body-worn camera videos and security camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Emil Williams, who died on February 18, 2025 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens.

On the evening of February 18, Mr. Williams walked up to the 111th Precinct while holding a firearm. Officers repeatedly instructed Mr. Williams to drop the gun, but he did not comply. Four officers discharged their service weapons in response, striking him. Mr. Williams was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a firearm at the scene.

The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident and video from a precinct surveillance camera. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

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

The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime. 

Warning: These videos contain content that viewers may find disturbing.

State Labor Department Releases Preliminary February 2025 Area Unemployment Rates

The New York State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for February 2025. Rates are calculated using methods prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The State’s area unemployment rates rely in part on the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month. To recap last week’s statewide press release, New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 4.4% in January to 4.3% in February 2025.

Local Area Unemployment Rates* (%)
February 2024 and February 2025
(Not seasonally adjusted)

The data in the preceding table are not seasonally adjusted, which means they reflect seasonal influences (e.g., holiday and summer hires). Therefore, the most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, February 2024 versus February 2025. Labor force data for the current month are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. Revised estimates for prior months are available at: https://dol.ny.gov/local-area-unemployment-statistics Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties and municipalities with population of at least 25,000.

Unemployment Rates by County, New York State, February 2025 Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet This fact sheet conveys important technical information that will contribute to a better understanding of labor force data (“household survey”), including resident employment/unemployment rates, and jobs by industry data (“business survey”), which are presented in the New York State Department of Labor’s monthly press release. State Unemployment Rates Based on Regression Model Beginning with data for January 1996, unemployment rates for New York State and all other states (as well as New York City and the City of Los Angeles) have been estimated using time-series regression statistical models developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Advantage of Regression Model Use of a time-series regression model reduces the month-to-month variation in unemployment rates and resident employment by reducing variation caused by sampling errors and other components of statistical noise (irregularities). Benchmarking of Estimates Once each year, labor force estimates, such as civilian labor force and the unemployment rate, are revised to reflect updated input data including new Census Bureau populations controls, newly revised establishment jobs data and new state-level annual average data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). As part of this procedure, all state figures are reviewed, revised as necessary and then re-estimated. This process is commonly referred to as “benchmarking.” Changes in Methodology Labor force estimates are now produced with an improved time-series regression model, which utilizes “real-time” benchmarking. “Real-time” benchmarking reduces end-of-year revisions, which also means that major economic events will be reflected in a more timely manner in state labor force estimates. In addition, the new methodology includes an updated way of estimating for sub-state areas (e.g. counties, metro areas) the number of unemployed who are new entrants or re-entrants into the labor force. This change in methodology will result in lower unemployment rates in some areas and increased rates in others. Unemployed and UI Beneficiaries The estimate of the number of unemployed includes all persons who had no employment during the reference week (the week including the 12th of the month), were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Unemployment insurance (UI) beneficiaries include those who apply for and qualify for UI benefits. Consequently, the estimate of the number of unemployed and the number of UI beneficiaries do not necessarily move in tandem. Jobs Data Jobs data are obtained from a separate joint federal-state survey of business establishments. The survey, called the Current Employment Statistics of Establishments, samples establishments in New York State. It excludes self-employed workers, agricultural workers, unpaid family workers and domestic workers employed by private households. This data represents a count of jobs by place of work. Data for each month is revised the following month as more complete information becomes available. The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.

Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul Re: ICE

 

“Under Presidents Biden and Trump, I have been clear that I would work with the federal government to help secure our borders and deport violent criminals who pose a threat. But I cannot think of any public safety justification for ICE agents to rip an innocent family, including a child in the third grade, from their Sackets Harbor home. That is not the immigration enforcement promised to the American people. It's just plain cruel. I want this family returned to New York State and believe ICE needs to immediately answer for these actions.”

U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 960 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Fourth week in March as part of Operation Take Back America

 

Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 960 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.  

The Southern District of Texas filed 257 cases in relation to immigration and border security. Of those, 98 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 132 face charges of illegally entering the country, 23 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and other immigration matters. Among those charged as part of these new cases include two illegal alien human smugglers who engaged in a dangerous pursuit and crash.  

The Western District of Texas announced that federal prosecutors in the district filed 261 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases.  

The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 260 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 96 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 155 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed nine cases against nine individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. 

The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 20 defendants who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal. Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include vandalism and firearms crimes. 

The Southern District of California filed 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances. In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecuted a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here. 

The District of New Mexico brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 37 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), six individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 32 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325). In a significant case, a criminal complaint was filed against David Serrano-Dominguez, a Mexican national illegally present in the U.S., charging him with being an alien in possession of firearms, possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle, and reentry of a deported alien. HSI agents arrested Serrano-Dominguez at an apartment complex in Deming, NM, where he had been residing. Agents had identified social media posts showing Serrano-Dominguez in possession of and discharging handguns and rifles. Following his arrest, agents discovered 10 firearms and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition in the apartment. Among the firearms was an unregistered short-barreled rifle. 

We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES FULL MINIMUM PAY RATE FOR APP-BASED RESTAURANT DELIVERY WORKERS IS NOW IN EFFECT

 

Minimum Hourly Rate is Now $21.44 and Will Continue to Be Adjusted Annually for Inflation 

Minimum Pay Rate Has Returned Over $700 Million to More Than 60,000 Delivery Workers Since Introduction in 2023 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga announced that the city’s minimum pay rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers has increased to $21.44 per hour before tips following a phase in of the pay rate. The $21.44 rate reflects both the final phase in of the minimum pay rate for app-based delivery workers, which was set to increase to $19.96, as well as an additional inflation adjustment of 7.41 percent. The Adams administration initially set a first-of-its-kind minimum pay rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers in June 2023, which gradually phased in; today’s increase to $21.44 marks the final phase of increases. The rate provides parity with the state’s minimum wage, accounts for the benefits delivery workers lack access to, and covers the cost of some equipment. Before the minimum pay rate, workers made an average of just $5.39 per hour before tips. Since DCWP began enforcing the minimum pay rate in December 2023, apps have paid restaurant delivery workers an additional $700 million in wages.

“Our administration works every day to help put money back into New Yorkers’ pockets, and that includes our city’s delivery workers,” said Mayor Adams. “Our first-in-the-nation minimum pay rate is doing exactly that, giving hundreds of millions of dollars back to deliver workers who drive at all hours of the day and through all types of weather to get New Yorkers the food and goods they need. We are proud to have not only spearheaded this groundbreaking policy, but to have made life easier for delivery workers and their families all across the five boroughs.”

“Providing a stable and predictable minimum pay rate for some of our hardest working New Yorkers has been one of the highlights of our administration’s agenda for working people. Thank you to Commissioner Mayuga and the entire team at DCWP for their work in setting and now fully implementing this minimum pay rate,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. “I also want to extend my gratitude to the partners and advocates who have helped us get to this moment — through our collective efforts, we have already helped our app-based delivery worker community secure over $700 million in additional wages, and there’s nowhere to go but up.”

“Delivery workers, like all workers, deserve to be paid fair wages for their labor,” said DCWP Commissioner Mayuga. “The pay rate has been a success, increasing pay for hard-working New Yorkers and keeping restaurant delivery profitable for the apps that rely on these workers. Thank you to the tens of thousands of delivery workers and advocates who fought hard to make this a reality.”

In September 2021, the New York City Council passed Local Law 115, requiring DCWP to study the pay and working conditions of app-based restaurant delivery workers and to establish a minimum pay rate for their work based on the study results. DCWP published its study in 2022, drawing on data from restaurant delivery apps, surveys of delivery workers and restaurants, testimony, extensive discussions with stakeholders on all sides, and publicly available data.

In June 2023, DCWP announced the final minimum pay rule, effective July 12, 2023, following a monthslong rulemaking process that included two public hearings and thousands of public comments. In early July, the major delivery apps sued the city, seeking to stop the minimum pay rate from taking effect. In September 2023, the New York state Supreme Court ruled in the city’s favor, allowing enforcement of the minimum pay rate of $17.96 to begin. The apps appealed the State Supreme Court’s ruling, and in late November, the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department denied the appeals, paving the way for DCWP to finally begin enforcing the minimum pay rate.

This minimum pay rate is just one part of the city’s holistic approach to improving working conditions for delivery workers. In February 2024, Mayor Adams and the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced five public e-battery charging locations as part of the city’s six-month pilot program to give delivery workers a safe place to charge lithium-ion batteries. Following the success of the pilot, DOT outlined next steps to keep delivery works safe, including a public e-bike charging program at approximately 173 New York City Housing Authority locations. The Adams administration has also launched a program for the first-of-its-kind street Deliveristas Hubs, utilizing existing infrastructure to provide a place for workers to rest and recharge. Mayor Adams’ “Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City’s Electric Micromobility Action Plan” helped cut lithium-ion battery fire deaths by 72 percent since its introduction in 2023. 

Delivery Workers can visit DCWP’s Third-Party Food Delivery Services page or call 311 and say “delivery worker,” to learn more about the minimum pay rate. Workers can also submit questions or file complaints related to the minimum pay rate or other delivery worker laws in multiple languages online or by contacting 311.

“Our 60,000-plus deliveristas make New York City run. At any time and in all weather, they are out in the streets bringing us whatever we need. They are overwhelmingly immigrants working day and night to achieve the American Dream,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Just as they deliver for us, we will deliver for them. I am proud of my work in Albany to protect their safety, authoring Priscilla’s Law to provide e-bike license plates, and the Safe Delivery Act to prohibit delivery app algorithms from encouraging dangerous e-bike use. Today we celebrate the first-of-its-kind minimum hourly pay rate rising to $21.44 – about four times more than deliveristas were earning before tips. The minimum hourly pay has uplifted tens of thousands of workers, putting almost $1 billion in their pockets so they can stand on their own two feet. Together, we will fight for the welfare, safety, and dignity of all our hard-working deliveristas.”

“The 2025 pay increase for app-based delivery workers represents yet another important milestone in formally recognizing the enormous contribution that these essential workers make to New York City and is itself an essential contribution to professionalizing their workforce and ensuring their dignity, power, and respect,” said Ligia Guallpa, executive director, Worker’s Justice Project; co-founder, Los Deliveristas Unidos. “The minimum pay requirement provides a fair wage and real material benefits for struggling workers who have to pay all their own operating costs and benefits in one of the most dangerous occupations in the city, while allowing the app delivery industry to continue its meteoric growth in New York. It provides deliveristas with the power to collectively hold their employers accountable and a first-in-the nation, historic model for how empowering workers can improve the on-demand industry. We are grateful to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection for taking this historic stand with New York’s deliveristas and for holding the app companies accountable for making this industry fairer, more organized, and more just.”

State Senator Gustavo Rivera - This Thursday: Join our "Know Your Rights" Virtual Workshop for schools and families!

Dear Neighbor,

This Thursday 04/03 at 6:00 pm, join us for a ‘Know Your Rights’ Virtual Workshop for school administrators, teachers and parents. During this event, you’ll learn about the protections all individuals in this country have under the U.S. Constitution. Save this link: https://bit.ly/3XWvzyo. No registration required!

Sincerely,

Senator Gustavo Rivera

New York State Senate 

Assemblymember Zaccaro's Shred Fest is BACK!

 

Friends,

Shred fest is back!

I'm thrilled to announce that we will be holding a community shredding event on Friday, April 18th. 

Please join us at Assemblymember John Zaccaro,'s Community Office to shred your unwanted personal documents and unwanted papers.

• WHEN: Friday, April 18th
• TIME: 11AM - 1PM
• WHERE: Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr's Community Office 2018 Williamsbridge Rd 

As a reminder, we are not able to shred anything that is bound, so we ask that you remove all bindings before stopping by. Of course, if you need help doing so, we’ll be glad to assist.

Looking forward to seeing you on April 18th.  LETS GET SHREDDED!

In Gratitude,

John Zaccaro, Jr.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi Directs Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione

Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

• As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. The murder was an act of political violence. Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.   
• Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case.
• This is in line with Attorney General Bondi’s Day One Memo as Attorney General entitled Reviving The Federal Death Penalty And Lifting The Moratorium On Federal Executions

 

Iranian Company and Two Iranian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and for Scheme to Procure U.S. Technology for Iranian Attack Drones

 

Concurrent Action with Department of the Treasury Targets Illicit Iranian Weapons Procurement Network

A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, both of Iran, and an Iranian company, Rah Roshd Company (Rah Roshd), with conspiring to procure U.S. parts for Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and conspiring to commit money laundering.

Akbari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rah Roshd. Amidi is the company’s commercial manager and was previously the commercial manager of Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian state-owned aerospace company. They are both citizens of Iran and remain at large.

“Today’s charges lay bare how U.S.-made technology ended up in the hands of the Iranian military to build attack drones,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to put maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. We will relentlessly dismantle illicit supply chains funneling American technology into the hands of Iran’s military and terrorist organizations and pursue those complicit in operations that threaten our country.”

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to obtain U.S.-origin parts needed to manufacture drones for military use in Iran and send those parts to Iran in violation of export control laws,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The charges filed today demonstrate the commitment by my office and our law enforcement partners to dismantle illicit supply chains and prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology in support of a foreign terrorist organization. The IRGC and QAI have been core players in the Iranian military regime’s production of drones, which threaten the lives of civilians, U.S. personnel and our country’s allies. These charges should serve as a warning to those who violate U.S. export control laws and who unlawfully seek to aid Iran’s drone program.”

“The allegations in this case demonstrate the lengths Iranian companies take to evade U.S. sanctions, victimize U.S. businesses, and support the IRGC's production of drones,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI and our partners will use all authorities to stop those who seek to evade sanctions and engage in money laundering schemes that support terrorist activities and threaten the lives and interests of Americans and our allies.”

According to court documents, Akbari and Amidi operate Rah Roshd which procures and supplies advanced electronic, electro-optical and security systems to the Government of Iran and designs, builds, and manufactures ground support systems for UAVs. Rah Roshd’s clients include the IRGC and several Iranian state-owned aerospace companies and drone manufacturers, including QAI, Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center (SAIRC) and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).

Between January 2020 and the present, Amidi and Akbari used Rah Roshd in furtherance of a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions and procure U.S.-origin parts for use in Iranian-manufactured UAVs, including the Mohajer-6 UAV. At least one of those parts was manufactured by a Brooklyn, New York-based company (Company-1). In September 2022, the Ukranian Air Force shot down an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone used by the Russian military in Ukraine. The drone recovered by the Ukrainian Air Force contained parts made by several U.S. companies, including Company-1)

To facilitate their scheme, Amidi and Akbari falsely purported to represent companies other than Rah Roshd, including a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Company-2) and a company based in Belgium (Company-3). The defendants used a “spoofed” email address, containing a misspelled version of Company-2’s name, to communicate regarding the procurement of parts, including parts manufactured by U.S. companies. The defendants also used various “front” or “shell” companies to pay for UAV parts and to obfuscate the true end destination and the true identities of the sanctioned end users, including QAI and the IRGC, which were acquiring U.S.-made parts through Rah Roshd. Amidi and Akbari also used aliases to obfuscate their true identities in furtherance of the scheme.

Additionally, the defendants conspired to provide material support to the IRGC by providing goods and services, including constructing military shelters, providing cameras and drone field hangers and conspiring to procure drone parts as well as parts to operate drones, including servo motors, pneumatic masts, and engines, for the benefit of the IRGC’s military campaign. The investigation uncovered correspondence from the IRGC, signed by the head of the UAV Command for the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, thanking Rah Roshd for its work on behalf of the IRGC and praising Rah Roshd’s achievements in designing and manufacturing “servo motors” for defense equipment. The letter also included a quote from the Supreme Leader of Iran regarding the importance of self-sufficiency and domestic production to strengthen Iran’s economy and “disappoint the enemies of the Islamic Republic.”  The letter also noted continued efforts of Rah Roshd “in strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Both Amidi and Akbari possessed documents indicating that they had purchased servo motors for delivery to Iran, including a servo motor contained in the Mohajer-6 drone. Akbari also emailed supplier companies located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and noted that he was purchasing parts for drones to be shipped to Iran.

Finally, Amidi and Akbari conspired to commit money laundering. They used at least three shell companies, which were all based in the UAE, to pay a PRC-based company that sent invoices to Rah Roshd for the sale of motors. Those payments were processed through U.S.-based correspondent bank accounts. The defendants also used two of these shell companies to pay a separate PRC-based company for the sale of pneumatic masts, which are a component of the operation of the Mohajer-6 drone.

Concurrent with today’s criminal complaint, the Department of Treasury announced sanctions targeting a network of six entities and two individuals based in Iran, the UAE, and the PRC responsible for the procurement of UAV components on behalf of QAI — a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program. According to the Treasury, this network has also facilitated procurement for other entities in Iran's military-industrial complex, including Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and SBIG. Today’s action marks the second round of sanctions targeting Iranian weapons proliferators since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 on Feb. 4, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nina C. Gupta and Lindsey R. Oken for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth, Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.

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