VCJC News & Notes 9/18/2026

 

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!

May you be inscribed in the book of life

Shabbos & Yom Kippur 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 Friday 9/18/26 @ 6:41 pm

End of Shabbos 9/19/26 @ 7:44 pm

Our enhanced kiddush has been a popular hit.  Join us for services and stay to enjoy the kiddush and the company. This week the kiddush will be pareve/dairy and include ice cream!

Erev Yom Kippur Mincha Sunday 9/20/26 @ 2:00 pm

Light Candles Sunday 9/20/26 @ 6:38 pm

Kol Nidre Sunday 9/20/26 @ 6:45 pm

Morning Services – Yom Kippur 9/21/26 8:15 am

Yizkor, approximately 11 am

Mincha 5:00 pm

Neila 6:15 pm

Fast ends 7:39 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.

Shabbos parsha

Parashat Ha’azinu

This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Ha’azinu (read on 19 September 2026).

In Ha’azinu (“Listen”) , Moses recites a poem praising God and criticizing the sins of the Israelites. He describes the misfortunes that the Israelites will face and the damage God will ultimately wreak on their oppressors. The portion ends as God commands Moses to ascend Mount Nebo, where he is to die. [1]

• Torah reading: Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52

• Commentary and Divrei Torah

Celebrate Sukkot with the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

- Dinner in the Sukkah on September 30

Make your reservations now!

Enjoy a Kosher Chinese buffet dinner with your fellow community members

Weds., September 30th 6:30PM

Rain Date: Thurs., October 1st 6:30PM

In the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Sukkah

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463

$20.00 per Person

$30.00 to be a Sponsor

RSVP: By the end of the day on September 23rd

- in person during regular office hours or call us at 718-884-6105 or send an email to socialcommittee@vcjewishcenter.org

Reminders and Announcements

• Do you sew?  Can you help us?

  Our Sukkah’s walls were ruined by a storm and we are replacing them.  We are able to get cloth from which we will make new walls that will be put up like curtains. We need someone who can cut the cloth to the right lengths and sew pockets at the top and bottom for the support attachments to the Sukkah. 
  If you can do this, please let us know!  If you have the capability, but don’t have a sewing machine, we have been told of one we can borrow. 
  Contact us at the office at 718-884-6105 or info@vcjewishcenter.org. 

• 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 observance and lecture, Sunday Nov. 8

  
  

  The Van Cortlandt Jewish Center will be holding its annual Kristallnacht Commemoration Program with speaker Larry Hartstein.  More info to follow. 
  
  

• 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

Maryland Long Term Care Pharmacy Pays $5.3M to Settle Allegations of Billing for Drugs Without Valid Prescriptions

 

Remedi SeniorCare Holding Corporation (Remedi), headquartered in Towson, Maryland, has agreed to pay over $5.3 million to the United States to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by billing the Medicare and Medicaid programs for prescription drugs despite lacking valid prescriptions. The settlement is based on Remedi’s ability to pay and will be paid over time.

The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2015 through March 31, 2021, Remedi submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for prescription drugs that lacked valid prescriptions and were dispensed to residents of assisted living facilities in various states. 

“When pharmacies dispense drugs without valid prescriptions, they undermine both patient safety and the integrity of vital federal healthcare programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This resolution demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations and holding accountable pharmacies that fail to comply with their obligations under the False Claims Act.”

“Billing Medicare and Medicaid for prescription drugs without a valid prescription is unlawful and can present serious risks,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “As evidenced by this settlement, my Office will enforce the FCA to hold responsible those who improperly bill federal programs.”

“Billing Medicare and Medicaid for drugs dispensed without valid prescriptions puts residents of assisted living facilities at risk and undermines essential safeguards designed to protect patient health and federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS OIG, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those who disregard requirements meant to ensure the safety of patients and the integrity of taxpayer funded programs.”

The settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Maureen Gearhart and Laura Griffieth, former employees of Remedi. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Gearhart & Griffieth v. Remedi SeniorCare Holding Corp., et al., No. 1:20cv970 (S.D. Ohio). The settlement provides for the whistleblowers to receive a share of the settlement payments made over time. 

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Ohio.

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Senior Litigation Counsel Laurie A. Oberembt of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandi Stewart for the Southern District of Ohio.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Comptroller Levine and Pension Trustees Commit $300M in New Capital to Fund Union-Built Housing in New York City

 

Four Pension Funds Collectively Become Largest Investor in AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, Marking Major Step in Comptroller’s $4B Commitment to Unlock Financing Amid Historic Shortage

Comptroller Mark Levine and the trustees of four of New York City’s public pension funds announced a historic $300 million investment with the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT), marking its largest-ever allocation to the fund, supporting effort to build and preserve homes. This new investment is the latest step in the Comptroller’s commitment to invest $4 billion over the next four years in housing construction and preservation across New York City.  

“Programs like the HIT have a proven record of generating strong returns, jobs, and homes all at once,” said Comptroller Mark Levine. “This investment is a major step toward expanding our City’s crucial housing stock and tackling the rising cost of living. At a time when many New Yorkers are struggling just to keep a roof over their heads, our strategic partnership with the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust allows our pension funds to make a sound investment while delivering desperately needed housing and good union jobs.”  

The four public pension funds will collectively become HIT’s largest investor, strengthening a 25-year partnership that has delivered strong returns for pensioners while addressing New York City’s generational housing crisis. AFL-CIO HIT invests in the construction and preservation of homes, with a particular focus on workforce and affordable units, all with 100% union construction. Since 2002, New York City’s public pension funds have together invested $583 million in capital with the HIT, seeing 1-, 3-, and 5-year returns all keeping pace with or outperforming their benchmarks. New Yorkers have additionally benefited as the HIT has created or preserved more than 40,000 housing units across the City. 

The HIT continues to identify and finance projects across New York City to create or preserve housing amid a generational shortage. The program’s current project pipeline in the five boroughs is expected to create or preserve approximately 10,000 units in the coming years, with a combined total development cost of $4.1 billion. Several of those projects are expected to get under way later this year.   

The Comptroller’s Housing Investment Initiative responsibly invests pension capital to generate strong, risk-adjusted returns while addressing the affordability crisis by:  

• financing the creation of new mixed-income and affordable housing; 

• preserving existing affordable housing before it is lost; and 

• supporting office-to-residential conversions that can add homes at scale. 

In addition to Comptroller Levine, trustees of the four aforementioned funds are as follows:  

Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS): Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s appointee Ahmer Qadeer, Director and Chief Pension Investment Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Pensions and Investments; Alan Ong, Chair, New York City Public Schools Panel for Educational Policy; and Thomas Brown (Board Chair), Victoria Lee, and Christina McGrath, all of the United Federation of Teachers.  

New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS): Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s representative Ahmer Qadeer, Director and Chief Pension Investment Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Pensions and Investments (Board Chair); New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Borough Presidents: Donovan Richards Jr. (Queens), Antonio Reynoso (Brooklyn), Vanessa L. Gibson (Bronx), Brad Hoylman-Sigal (Manhattan), and Vito Fossella (Staten Island); Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; John Chiarello, President, Transport Workers Union Local 100; and Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237. 

New York City Police Pension Fund (Police): Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s representative Ahmer Qadeer, Director and Chief Pension Investment Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Pensions and Investments; New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch (Board Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Richard Lee; Patrick Hendry, President, Albert Alcierno, First Vice President, Betty Carradero, Second Vice President and Mike Freeman, Chair, all of the NYC Police Benevolent Association; Chris Monahan, President, Captains Endowment Association; Louis Turco, President, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; Vincent Vallelong, President, Sergeants Benevolent Association; and Scott Munro, President, Detectives Endowment Association. 

New York City Fire Pension Fund (Fire): Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s representative Ahmer Qadeer, Director and Chief Pension Investment Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Pensions and Investments; New York City Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore (Board Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Richard Lee; Robert Eustace, President, Dennis Tveter, Vice President, Chris Viola, Treasurer, and Bob Unger, Chair, all of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; Sean Michael, Chief’s Rep., Liam Guilfoyle, Captain’s Rep., and Joe Camastro, Lieutenants’ Rep., all of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and John Young, President, Marine Engineers Association.  

Stamford Man Receives Effective Sentence of More Than 18 Years in Prison for Role in Southwestern Connecticut Drug Ring

 

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMION BAKER, also known as “Ray Ray,” 46, of Stamford, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 162 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Rodney Canada as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and PCP in Stamford and elsewhere in southwestern Connecticut.  An investigation in 2024, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Canada and others orchestrated the street level distribution of narcotics through other members of the conspiracy.  Investigators intercepted more than 5000 text messages and calls in which Canada coordinated his drug trafficking activities.  

Baker and Canada were close associates who conspired to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, and PCP.  Baker stored and packaged drugs at his Stamford residence on Hoyt Street and also paid another individual to store drugs at their residence.

Baker, Canada, and other members of the conspiracy were arrested on May 14, 2024.  On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches at locations in Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and Darien, and seized approximately three kilograms of cocaine, nearly 400 grams of raw fentanyl, more than 500 bags of fentanyl, five firearms, a bulletproof vest, and seven vehicles.

A search of Baker’s residence revealed more than 300 grams of cocaine, a distribution quantity of fentanyl, a .38 caliber revolver, and $4,543 in cash.

At the time of Baker’s federal arrest, he had been released on bond and awaiting sentencing in three state robbery cases.  In August 2024, Baker was sentenced in state court to an effective sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for the three robberies.  

Baker’s criminal history also includes state convictions for robbery and assault, and a federal crack cocaine trafficking conviction in 2010.

On December 17, 2025, Baker pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Judge Shea ordered a portion of Baker’s federal sentence to be served consecutively to his state sentences, giving Baker a total effective federal sentence of approximately 222 months of imprisonment.

Canada pleaded guilty and, on December 15, 2025, was sentenced to 110 months of imprisonment.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Danbury, and Darien Police Departments.  The DEA HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.

D.A. Bragg: Final “Valor Security” Defendant Pleads Guilty For Operating Sham Safety Training School With Approx. 20K ‘Students’

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the guilty plea of RICHARD MARINI, 73, the Training Director for VALOR SECURITY, for operating a sham safety training school and recklessly endangering the life of Ivan Frias, who died after falling from the 15th floor of a West End Avenue construction site, by failing to provide him necessary training. MARINI pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to 20 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree and one count of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree. Under the terms of his plea, MARINI is expected to be sentenced on October 5, 2026 to a promised term of 1.5-3 years in state prison. 

MARINI is the final defendant to be convicted in this case. On June 11, 2025, Instructor ELLIOT SOSINOV was sentenced to forfeiture of $100,000. On October 3, 2025, President ALEXANDER SHAPOROV was sentenced to 1 year in jail, 100 hours of community service, and forfeiture of $100,000. VALOR SECURITY & INVESTIGATIONS lost its security license. On April 30, 2026, Director of Business Development RIMMA CHAKHALYAN, General Manager NIGINA ZOKIROVA and Compliance Director MARINA BALZER were each sentenced 200 hours of community service.

“Richard Marini, Valor Security’s Training Director and the final defendant charged with operating this sham safety school, will serve time in state prison for jeopardizing the lives of thousands and recklessly endangering the life of Ivan Frias,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Workers trusted Richard Marini to train them on how to work safely at construction sites, and that trust was broken. Unsafe work conditions will not be tolerated in New York.”

DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata said, “Today’s final conviction in this case sends an unequivocal message — those who undermine construction safety to line their pockets will be held accountable. As this case and guilty plea make clear, running a sham safety training school issuing safety certificates and cards to approximately 20,000 students for a fee, but never actually providing the required training, has grave consequences. Tragically, a student who failed to receive required safety training from the defendants later fell to his death from the 15th story of a construction site. I want to thank the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the City Department of Buildings for working with DOI to protect New Yorkers.”

“The actions taken by the defendant deprived thousands of construction workers of life-saving construction safety training, which put New Yorkers across the city at greater risk,” said Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “When the defendants in this case were first indicted, the Department of Buildings invalidated the thousands of Site Safety Training cards and certificates issued by Valor Security, and offered free training for the impacted workers so they could obtain legitimate ID cards. I thank Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his office for securing this guilty plea, as well as all of the investigators from the Department of Buildings and the Department of Investigation, for their work uncovering this illegal scheme.”

According to court documents, statements made on the record, and as admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, between December 2019 and April 2023, MARINI issued safety certificates and cards to approximately 20,000 students. He issued cards for a fee certifying the required 40 hours of safety training for individuals working at construction sites without providing training. MARINI also recklessly endangered the life of Ivan Frias, who died after falling from the 15th floor of a West End Avenue construction site in 2022, by failing to provide him necessary training.

Arizona Addiction Treatment Clinic Owner Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Leadership Role in $69M Medicaid Fraud Scheme

 

A Phoenix woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison in connection with her role in fraudulently billing Arizona’s Medicaid agency more than $69 million in less than one year for addiction treatment therapy. Many of the patients the defendant used to fuel her scheme were Native Americans covered by Arizona Medicaid under a specific program that reimbursed at higher rates than other Medicaid programs. In addition to the prison sentence, the defendant was ordered to pay almost $55 million in restitution, and to forfeit almost $9.5 million in fraud proceeds seized from seven bank accounts she controlled and almost $7 million in real estate properties. 

“The Fraud Division is determined to hold accountable individuals who exploit the Medicaid system and Native American health care programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This sentence sends a clear message — if you take advantage of vulnerable populations to steal from the American taxpayer, you will pay the price.” 

“Ms. Anagho’s scheme manipulated a program that was intended to help Native Americans in Arizona,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “The fourteen-year sentence that she received is a sign of how serious and damaging health care fraud is to our society, and how important it is that we stop individuals who undermine the value of these programs.”

“The FBI will investigate and hold those who target, defraud, and exploit our healthcare programs accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Phoenix Field Office “We will continue to work with our partners to stop imposters like Ms. Anagho in their tracks and bring them to justice.”

“Medicaid funds exist to support some of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals. Exploiting this program for personal gain steals taxpayer dollars and undermines a critical safety net relied on by millions,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who defraud Medicaid and ensure they are held fully accountable.”

According to court documents, Rita Ntusa Anagho, 54, of San Tan Valley, Arizona, owned and operated Tusa Integrated Clinic, LLC (Tusa), an addiction treatment center that fraudulently billed the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) over $69 million from approximately May 2022 through March 2023. AHCCCS paid Tusa approximately $54.9 million based on these false and fraudulent claims.

Anagho, a licensed nurse practitioner, coordinated and carried out this massive health care fraud scheme by exploiting vulnerable substance abuse treatment patients. Anagho enrolled patients whose health care coverage was provided by the AHCCCS in her fraudulent clinic, Tusa. Indeed, Anagho and her co-conspirators deliberately targeted AHCCCS patients who were covered under the American Indian Health Care Program (AIHP) fee-for-service plan available to Native Americans. Anagho and her co-conspirators often deliberately sought such patients because the AIHP provided higher reimbursement rates than other AHCCCS health care plans. Anagho orchestrated this scheme to defraud AHCCCS by submitting false claims for purported addiction treatment services that were either not provided at all or not provided as billed. In addition, Anagho and her co-conspirators paid illegal kickbacks to owners of numerous area sober homes for patients who were referred to her clinic. Anagho and others falsified the treatment notes and records related to the purported addiction treatment services to conceal the scheme. Anagho then laundered the proceeds of her fraud and obstructed the investigation of her crimes by instructing her former employees to create fake medical records when Tusa received a subpoena for documents.

In May 2025, Anagho pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud. 

FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. 

Assistant Deputy Chief James V. Hayes and Trial Attorney Sarah Edwards of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph F. Bozdech for the District of Arizona assisted with forfeiture matters.

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

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

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Announces Sale of NY's First ESG GO Bonds Series 2026A Tax-Exempt and 2026B Taxable (Sustainability Bonds)

 

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the sale of New York State General Obligation (GO) Bonds totaling $318.9 million through competitive sale. This is the first time the State’s GO bonds have been issued with an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) designation. Specifically, two series of bonds were sold consisting of $259,415,000 of Series 2026A Tax-Exempt Bonds (Sustainability Bonds), and $59,460,000 of Series 2026B Taxable Bonds (Sustainability Bonds). 

The net proceeds from the sale will finance projects authorized by various bond acts. The bonds are scheduled to be delivered on September 30, 2026.

“These bonds, all of which have been approved by the voters, will pay for essential investments in transportation, education and environmental projects,” DiNapoli said. “The ESG designation as Sustainability Bonds demonstrates the State’s commitment to progress by financing projects for environmental and social issues. Strong market interest was generated by the safety and rarity of the NYS GO credit, translating into favorable pricing for the state.”

The winning bids were as follows:

• Series 2026A Tax-Exempt Bonds (Sustainability Bonds) to BofA Securities, Inc. with a true interest cost bid of 4.283207%;
• Series 2026B Taxable Bonds (Sustainability Bonds) to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association with a true interest cost bid of 4.888999%;

The state received 7 legitimate bids for the $259.4 million of Series 2026A Tax-Exempt Bonds (Sustainability Bonds). The net proceeds of the tax-exempt bonds will finance projects authorized by the following bond acts: Environmental Quality (1972), Clean Water/Clean Air (1996), Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation (2005), Smart Schools (2014), and Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs (2022). The Series 2026A Tax-Exempt Bonds (Sustainability Bonds) will mature over fifteen years, 2032 through 2046.

The state received a total of 10 legitimate bids for the $59.5 million of Series 2026B Taxable Bonds (Sustainability Bonds). The net proceeds of the taxable bonds will finance projects authorized by the following bond acts: Environmental Quality (1986), Clean Water/Clean Air (1996), Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation (2005), Smart Schools (2014), and Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs (2022). The Series 2026B Taxable Bonds (Sustainability Bonds) will mature over six years, 2027 through 2032.

A summary of bids received for each series can be viewed here:

https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/press/pdf/nysgo-2026ab-sustainablility-bonds-bid-summary.pdf

The Series 2026A Tax-Exempt Bonds (Sustainability Bonds), and the Series 2026B Taxable Bonds (Sustainability Bonds) are rated AA+ by S&P Global Ratings, Aa1 by Moody’s Ratings, AA+ by Fitch Ratings and AA+ by Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATALLY STABBING MAN DURING STREET FIGHT

 

Defendant also Stabbed the Victim’s Partner

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a Bronx man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree Manslaughter for stabbing another man to death during a street altercation. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant stabbed two people, causing the death of a man beloved by his family. This defendant’s actions have devastated the victim’s loved ones, causing deep emotional wounds. I hope they take some comfort in knowing he will now spend more than a decade in prison.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Ira Shane, 56, of the Bronx, was sentenced September 15, 2026, to 12 years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Giyang An. On June 26, 2026, the defendant was convicted by a jury of first-degree Manslaughter. 

According to the facts brought out at trial, at approximately 2 a.m. on January 1, 2023, in front of 1335 College Avenue, the victim, Sergio Garcia, was engaged in a verbal dispute with his partner. Bystanders with no connection to Garcia and his partner began to film the argument with their cellphones. This led to an altercation between Garcia, his partner, and the people filming. During that dispute, the defendant stabbed both the victim and his partner. Despite his injuries, Garcia drove himself and his partner to the hospital, however, Garcia died a short time later.

District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Edwin Vega of the 47th Precinct, Detective Felix Arana of Bronx Warrants and retired Detective Collin Higgins of Bronx Homicide for their work in the case.