DEC Announces 2026 Training Academies for New Classes of Environmental Conservation Police Officer and Forest Ranger Recruits

 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced DEC is holding academies for its newest classes of Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Forest Rangers. The six-month training academies will prepare up to 50 of DEC's newest recruits for careers protecting New York State's natural resources in the Divisions of Law Enforcement and Forest Protection.  

“DEC Forest Rangers and ECOs each have a rich history of conservation and public protection in New York, and that storied legacy will continue with the newest additions to our ranks,” Commissioner Lefton said. “These specialized and rigorous training academies ensure graduates will have the skills needed to protect our resources and communities, and I am excited for all candidates having safe and educational starts to incredibly rewarding careers.”   

ECOs, originally called Game Protectors, were first appointed for service in 1880. The first Forest Rangers, originally known as Fire Wardens, were put into service in 1885 when the New York State Legislature established the Forest Preserve of New York State.  

The ECO training for the 25th Basic School for Uniformed Officers began on February 15 at the DEC Division of Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pulaski, which has served as the home for the training program for the last several years. Forest Ranger training begins on March 15 at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Huntington Wildlife Forest in Newcomb Campus, with transitions to the Ranger School in the Hamlet of Wanakena thereafter. Ranger recruits are also expected to have a short stint at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany.   

ECO job duties are centered on the 71 chapters of New York State Environmental Conservation Law and range from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black-market pet trade, and emissions violations. In 2025, ECOs and Investigators across the state responded to more than 35,575 complaints and worked on cases that resulted in 15,673 tickets or arrests. Currently there are 279 ECOs serving statewide.  

DEC Division of Law Enforcement Director Karen Przyklek said, “ECOs enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law that is protective of public health, our air, water, fish, and wildlife. As our new recruits embark on this strenuous training journey, I encourage them to work hard, follow directions, remain focused, and truly embrace the immense responsibility required to safeguard our natural resources and hold lawbreakers accountable.”   

Forest Ranger duties focus on the public's use of DEC-administered State lands and easements and can span from patrolling State properties to conducting search and rescue operations and fighting wildland fires.  

In 2025, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 202 wildfires covering 840 acres, participated in 68 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate 1,649 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in more than 1,100 tickets or arrests. Also in 2025, 41 Forest Rangers were deployed to fire assignments in 10 different states. Currently there are 147 Forest Rangers serving statewide.  

DEC Division of Forest Protection Director Melinda Seiden said, “We are looking forward to bolstering the ranks of our already impressive force of Forest Rangers to better protect the public and our natural resources. Rangers put their lives on the line when responding to search and rescue missions, wildland fires, and law enforcement. The Academy will prepare the recruits to join other Forest Rangers in the field.”  

DEC continues robust recruitment efforts to ensure police forces can successfully meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. The recruits in this newest class were selected from an eligible list of qualifications and passing scores generated from the nearly 10,000 applicants for the most recent Civil Service exam in November 2025.  

To view job qualifications for ECOs, visit the “Environmental Conservation Police Officer” webpage; for Forest Rangers, visit the “Forest Ranger 1” webpage.

Mamdani Administration Breaks Ground on Timbale Terrace Affordable Housing Development

 

Project will include 341 affordable homes, including apartments for formerly homeless New Yorkers 

  

Development will include a permanent home for Casa Belongó Music and Arts Center, expanding access to arts and cultural education in East Harlem 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, city officials and development partners broke ground on Timbale Terrace, a 100% affordable, mixed-use development that will deliver 341 affordable homes and a new community arts center to East Harlem.   

  

The project marks a major milestone for the City’s commitment to deeply affordable housing and to building on underused public land for public good.  

  

Timbale Terrace will transform a former NYPD parking lot into permanently affordable housing, community space and replacement parking. The development will include 97 homes reserved for formerly homeless New Yorkers through the NYC 15/15 program, including 30 units for young people aging out of foster care. On-site wraparound services focused on health, education and employment will be provided by Lantern Organization.  

  

The development will also house the new Casa Belongó Music and Arts Center, a more than 20,000-square-foot cultural space for music education, performance and community programming. The center will serve as a permanent home for Belongó and as a cultural anchor in East Harlem.  

  

“Affordable housing is the foundation of a rich, diverse city where all New Yorkers can live with dignity. Timbale Terrace shows what’s possible when we use public land to meet public need. By building deeply affordable homes across the five boroughs, we are making New York City a place families can afford to stay and thrive,” said Mamdani.   

  

“Timbale Terrace exemplifies the best of our affordable housing efforts: strengthening neighborhoods, enlivening the street, creating cultural space, and creating affordable housing for the New Yorkers who need it most. This groundbreaking is a major step forward for East Harlem and shows what is possible when government is working with and for communities. I am looking forward to working with partners across the city to create even more affordable housing on city-owned sites in the years to come,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.  

  

“Timbale Terrace will deliver 341 affordable homes to East Harlem, nearly a third of which will be set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers and youth aging out of foster care,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “HDC is proud to support this development and grateful to our partners for their commitment to expanding much-needed affordable housing, supportive services, and vibrant cultural resources in this community.”  

  

Located at East 118th Street and Park Avenue, Timbale Terrace will activate the Park Avenue commercial corridor with ground-floor uses and incorporate sustainable design features. The project was identified through the East Harlem Neighborhood Rezoning plan approved in 2017. The City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released a competitive request for proposals for the site in 2019, and Mega Development LLC and Lantern Organization were designated in 2021, with Belongó as a cultural partner.   

  

The development is supported by city subsidy, Housing Development Corporation bonds, the Department of Cultural Affairs, former Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, the New York City Council and state and private partners.   

  

“Timbale Terrace is a blueprint for what is possible in addressing our city’s affordability crisis,” said New York City Comptroller Mark Levine. “From the very beginning, this was a project that centered community voices, and aims to deliver a rich cultural and economic boost through the programs it prioritizes, including the Casa Belongó Music and Arts Center. I am proud to see it break ground today, and look forward to its completion in the near future.”  

  

“I'm thrilled to join Mayor Mamdani, HPD, HDC, DCLA, and our committed partners in breaking ground on Timbale Terrace, a shining example of 100% affordable housing combined with vital supportive services and a new cultural cornerstone for East Harlem,” said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. “I commend Mayor Mamdani's leadership on truly affordable housing, our city agencies, Lantern Organization, Belongó, Mega Development LLC, Goldman Sachs, and state partners for delivering on the East Harlem Neighborhood Rezoning Plan. Timbale Terrace points the way to the inclusive, sustainable future our borough deserves.”  

  

Snow Still Blocks Metered Parking Spaces on Williamsbridge Road

 

Almost two weeks later piles of snow still block several metered parking spaces forcing drivers to double park next to the snow in order to purchase items at the stores at the busy corner of Williamsbridge Road and Lydig Avenue. The snow was piled so high that now garbage is being mixed in with the snow as even the warm weather has not melted the snow piles. 

A sanitation supervisor who asked to remain anonymous said that on Thursday sanitation workers are going to be doing spot jobs of clearing remaining snow from the streets.  

Statement from Comptroller Mark Levine on Mayor Mamdani’s Preliminary Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2027

 

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine released a statement on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Preliminary Budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027.

“Mayor Mamdani has proposed a budget that honestly and transparently lays out the scale of our challenges, notably ending the long-running practice of underbudgeting for known, fast-growing expenses. The picture that this honest accounting paints is stark.

“Our city is under the greatest fiscal strain since the Great Recession, despite a strong economy and record revenues from Wall Street. We are legally required to balance our budget, but it will not be easy. Even the measures proposed in the Mayor’s plan may not be enough, since they assume an aggressive revenue projection, a presumption that the CityFHEPS expansion is halted, and efficiency savings that have not yet been specified.

“To rely on a property tax increase and a significant draw-down of reserves to close our gap would have dire consequences. Our property tax system is profoundly unfair and inconsistent, and an across-the-board increase in this tax would be regressive. Drawing down reserves during a period of economic growth would leave us vulnerable to economic turbulence next year.

“We are left with no easy options. But to avoid the harm of increasing property taxes and drawing down reserves, we need to find greater efficiencies and savings across New York City government and reconfigure programs that are growing at an unsustainable rate. We also undoubtedly need greater assistance from Albany, to further rectify the years-long funding imbalance between the City and the State.

“My office will release a full, updated analysis of the revenue outlook and financial plan on March 11. Until then, I will keep working with the Mayor and partners at all levels of government to achieve a budget that builds a strong, sustainable fiscal foundation for the future of our city.”

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Report on FY 2027 Proposed Executive Budget

 

Federal Actions Continue to Cause Uncertainty for State's Economy and Finances; Comptroller Warns of Reduced Independent Oversight

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s report examining the proposed State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2027 Executive Budget warns the trajectory of projected state spending is estimated to increase at a rate faster than expected revenues, creating cumulative outyear budget gaps estimated by the Division of Budget (DOB) to total $27.5 billion through SFY 2030. Actions taken in Washington, including federal reductions in aid, create increased fiscal strains that are likely to affect the state’s economy, finances and safety net.

“The Executive Budget for the upcoming state fiscal year comes at a time of unusual fiscal uncertainty, caused largely by federal policies that have injected unnecessary volatility into the state and national economies, and disruptive changes in the state’s relationship with the federal government,” DiNapoli said. “These policies will result in lost funding and increased costs to the state, and could deal a devastating blow to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers with the loss of health coverage, nutritional assistance, safety net protections and more. As negotiations commence, policymakers need to proceed with caution as they work on balancing the budget, improving affordability and maintaining vital services for New Yorkers. I oppose the proposals to erode contract oversight by my office for billions in spending of taxpayer money. Independent oversight and broader competition in the procurement process are not obstacles but are essential checks that ensure public funds are spent responsibly and fairly.” 

Federal Budgetary and Policy Actions

President Trump’s tax and policy bill enacted in July limited and shifted federal support for the social safety net, and will affect how New York provides key services, including healthcare coverage for many New Yorkers. Moreover, federal administrative actions increasingly place at risk the level, timing, and reliability of support flowing to the state.

There have been numerous attempts by the current federal administration to freeze, withhold, or cut funding to the states, including funding to support child care, food assistance, clean energy projects, and major infrastructure projects such as the Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project. These federal actions are creating more financial risk for the state and leading to a more complex fiscal environment. Federal funding remains essential in providing New Yorkers with critical services, but this funding can no longer be treated as automatic or reliable.

DOB’s most recent projections for federal receipts reflect the effects of the tax and policy bill and show a $9.4 billion (10%) decrease in SFY 2027 from SFY 2026 levels. The largest dollar change in projected federal aid is with the Essential Plan, for which DOB projects a decrease of $10.8 billion as compared to SFY 2026. Aid for social welfare is projected to decrease by $270 million.

The dramatic decrease in Essential Plan spending reflects the program’s heavy dependence on federal funding and the significant effects of the tax and policy bill. In October 2025, the state Department of Health (DOH) submitted a request to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to terminate its Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver, which allowed the state to provide expanded coverage under the Essential Plan, and revert to the Basic Health Program (BHP). As of the publishing of this report, CMS has not responded to the state’s request. If the state’s BHP Waiver application is not approved, DOB estimates approximately 525,000 individuals would shift to Medicaid. Since many of these individuals would not qualify for a federal share of Medicaid, the state would bear 100% of their Medicaid costs. The Financial Plan indicates the state would wind down the Essential Plan, enrollment would drop to zero in SFY 2027, and formerly EP-covered individuals (aside from those approximately 525,000) would have to find alternative means of health insurance or forgo coverage altogether.

Negative Transparency and Oversight Actions

Certain proposals in the Executive Budget limit government accountability and bypass the oversight of the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC). This includes a proposal in the Public Protection and General Government budget bill, which if enacted, will erode the office’s independent oversight of state contracts, which was successfully restored by the Legislature just four years ago. The proposal would increase some discretionary purchase thresholds to $300,000, and would eliminate the requirement for OSC approval of any purchase order or other procurement transaction issued under centralized contracts. The diminished oversight from these changes would be significant – in 2025, there were nearly 6,000 contracts executed that were between $50,000 - $300,000, totaling nearly $1 billion. If these provisions are enacted, OSC estimates that over $3 billion in taxpayer funds may be expended without independent OSC oversight. In total, DiNapoli’s office estimates the Executive Budget exempts at least $4 billion from OSC oversight and a competitive process.

Revenue

DOB revised its Mid-Year Financial Plan Update forecast for All Funds revenues upwards by $22.9 billion over the Financial Plan period. This revision is largely a result of higher projected tax revenues, particularly personal income tax (PIT) receipts, reflecting stronger wage growth estimates and higher projected bonuses in the finance and insurance sector. With receipts coming in stronger than expected, DOB projects budget surpluses of $2.4 billion in SFY 2026 and $3.5 billion in SFY 2027. The Executive Budget Financial Plan proposes utilizing these resources to support one-time costs and new initiatives, as well as to make debt prepayment and offset outyear deficits.

Spending Growth

DOB estimates All Funds spending to grow by just 0.7%, or $1.7 billion, in SFY 2027, reflecting anticipated declines in federal support. State Operating Funds (SOF) spending is expected to grow by $8.6 billion (5.7%), and General Fund spending (including transfers to other funds) is expected to grow by $537 million (0.4%). Absent the $7.1 billion one-time repayment of the outstanding federal Unemployment Insurance (UI) balance in SFY 2026 which skewed spending higher, General Fund spending growth would be $7.6 billion (6.4%).

DOB’s projections for spending are higher than those for revenue over the Financial Plan period. SOF disbursements are projected to grow 21.5%, outpacing projected growth of 8.7% in receipts. General Fund receipts are expected to grow 9.8% compared to disbursements that are projected to grow almost twice as fast, 18.5%. As a result, outyear budget gaps are forecast to be $6 billion in SFY 2028, $9 billion in SFY 2029, and $12.5 billion in SFY 2030.

Much of the state’s spending growth stems from Medicaid spending. From SFY 2019 to SFY 2026, state-share Medicaid spending has grown $20.7 billion, or 89%. From SFY 2026 to SFY 2030, DOB projects it will grow by an additional $12.9 billion (29.4%). Containing Medicaid costs has been an ongoing challenge for the state, and the rapid growth in Medicaid spending may risk crowding out other priorities, such as education, public safety, and infrastructure.

Capital Plan and State Debt

Over the five-year Executive Budget Capital Plan (SFYs 2027 through 2031), capital spending is projected to total $106.1 billion, nearly $4.6 billion (4.5%) more than the SFY 2026 Enacted Budget Capital Plan. Over the five-year Plan period, state pay-as-you-go capital spending is projected to total $32.1 billion, a $2.7 billion (9%) increase over the prior five-year plan. Capital projects financed by public authority bonds are estimated at $53.3 billion, an increase of nearly $1.3 billion (2.5%).

Despite enhanced levels of pay-as-you-go in New York’s capital planning, the state continues to rely too heavily on bond financings by public authorities. Total state-supported debt outstanding is projected to grow nearly 60% during the next five years, from $61.6 billion to $98.3 billion. Over 95% of the state’s debt burden consists of public authority “backdoor” borrowings, something long criticized by DiNapoli for its lack of transparency and accountability to the public. The projected rapid increase in state-supported debt levels during the next five years would materially impact capacity remaining under the state’s debt limit, which is estimated to approach the cap limit with only $351 million available by SFY 2031. Adjusted for prepayment actions, debt service payments are projected to increase by nearly 40% over the next five years.

Rainy Day Reserves

The FY 2027 Executive Budget Financial Plan indicates that the state will continue to shift funds from the informal “economic uncertainties” reserve into the Rainy Day Reserve Fund (RDRF). By SFY 2028, the RDRF is estimated to total $10 billion and the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund will have $1.6 billion, for a total of $11.6 billion in statutory rainy day reserve funds. This would be an all-time high balance in statutory rainy day reserves for the state, and a fiscal safeguard that has been championed by DiNapoli. Shifting funds from informal to statutory reserves better protects such funds from being depleted, as statutory reserves have requirements for both use and replenishment.

Despite projected surpluses in both SFY 2026 and SFY 2027, no additional funds are being directed toward increasing overall “principal reserves,” which DOB defines as the combined statutory rainy day reserve funds plus the informal “economic uncertainties” reserve. As a result, these principal reserves would remain at $14.6 billion for the Financial Plan period. At that level, they will decrease as a share of SOF over the life of the Financial Plan, and the state would need over $7.7 billion in additional deposits to “principal reserves” in SFY 2026 in order to achieve the 15% threshold that DOB uses as a preferred benchmark.

Report

Report on the State Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget

Related Reports

Federal Funding and New York

Lingering Challenges in the Child Care Sector

MAYOR MAMDANI ANNOUNCES SIX APPOINTEES TO THE RENT GUIDELINES BOARD

 

The nine-member board will set rent adjustments for approximately one million rent-stabilized apartments, lofts and single-room occupancy units in New York City

Today, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the appointment of six new members of the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB), including a new Chair who will manage board deliberations and invite external groups to testify.   

  

Chantella Mitchell will serve as the Chair of the RGB; Sina Sinai, Lauren Melodia and Brandon Mancilla have been appointed as public representatives; Maksim Wynn will serve as an owner representative; and Adán Soltren has been reappointed as a tenant representative. They have extensive experience in housing, financing, budgeting and public policy. They join Arpit Gupta, Christina Smyth and Sagar Sharma on the nine-member board.   

  

The RGB is an independent body charged with determining rent adjustments for apartments, lofts and single-room occupancy (SRO) units subject to the city’s rent stabilization law. In the coming months, the Board will consider a variety of factors in setting adjustments, including the economic condition of housing in New York City, current and projected cost-of-living trends, overall housing supply and vacancy rates, tenants’ ability to pay rent, staff research and public testimony.   

  

“I’m proud to appoint these housing, finance, and budget experts to fill the open seats on the Rent Guidelines Board. I’m confident that, under the leadership of Chantella Mitchell as chair, the board will take a clear-eyed look at the complex housing landscape and the realities facing our city’s two million rent-stabilized tenants, and help us move closer to a fairer, more affordable New York. At a moment when so many families are struggling to stay in their homes, this work could not be more important,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani.  

  

“I am honored by this appointment and the opportunity to serve. Rent-stabilized housing plays a critical role in New York City’s housing market, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the RGB staff to carry out the Board’s vital mission,” said RGB Chair Chantella Mitchell.  

  

This spring, the RGB will collect and publish data and hear expert testimony before setting a preliminary range for rent adjustments. The Board will then hold public hearings across the five boroughs, inviting members of the public to testify. Finally, the RGB will vote on a final rent adjustment, which will apply to leases with effective dates between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027.  

  

About the Appointees  

  

Chantella Mitchell, Chair  

Chantella Mitchell is a Program Director at the New York Community Trust, where she leads grantmaking in community development, housing, workforce development and social work education and practice. She is co-chair of both the Change Capital Fund and the New York City Workforce Funders Collaborative.   

  

She previously worked for the City of New York, including as an Executive Director at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Office of Development, and on the Housing and Economic Development Taskforce at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).   

  

Sina Sinai, Public Member   

Sina Sinai is a Senior Research Associate at the Jain Family Institute, where he conducts research and builds analytical tools that support public financial institutions in meeting their development objectives. He previously worked as a data scientist at startups and political organizations and began his career as a quantitative analyst.   

  

Lauren Melodia, Public Member  

Lauren Melodia is Director of Economic and Fiscal Policy at the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. She previously served as the Deputy Director of Macroeconomic Analysis at the Roosevelt Institute and has worked at various nonprofit advocacy organizations across New York City and State to advance economic justice.  

  

Brandon Mancilla, Public Member  

Brandon Mancilla is Region 9A Director of the United Auto Workers (UAW), overseeing collective bargaining and union operations in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Puerto Rico, and serving on the UAW's International Executive Board. He was the first President of UAW Local 5118 and previously worked as a staff organizer for UAW Local 2325, representing staff at legal services and housing non-profit organizations in New York City.   

Maksim Wynn, Owner Member  

Maksim Wynn is Director of Development at Procida Development Group, where he manages the development of affordable and transitional housing in New York City. He previously worked at the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and at HPD.   

  

Adán Soltren, Tenant Member  

Adán Soltren is a Supervising Attorney in the Housing Justice Unit Group Advocacy practice at the Legal Aid Society and currently serves as a tenant representative on the RGB. He also teaches as a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for Settlement Health. Soltren previously ran a legal partnership specializing in immigration law in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.  

  

ATF Seizes Thousands of Illegal Firearms Bound for Cartels in Mexico

 

4,359 firearms and an average of 1,600 rounds per day kept out of the hands of violent drug gangs since President Trump’s Inauguration.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today announced that since January 20, 2025, it has seized 36,277 illegal crime guns and 2,317,999 rounds of ammunition from prohibited persons, gang members, and suppliers for transnational criminal organizations.

4,359 of these seized firearms were bound for Mexico, where they would have been used by violent drug cartels and gangs.  648,975 rounds of the seized ammunition were bound for Mexico, which averages to over 1,600 rounds per day.

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, ATF has led an aggressive nationwide effort to dismantle the domestic and international networks that arm violent criminals.

“Illegal crime guns increasingly originate from every state in the country. This is not a southwest border problem, it is a national threat,” said ATF Deputy Director Robert Cekada. “ATF agents are aggressively targeting gangs, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations that illegally traffic firearms and turn American streets into war zones. We will dismantle these networks at every level, cut off their access to weapons, and hold every criminal fully accountable under the law”.

ATF protects America’s communities by confronting violent crime driven by the illegal use of firearms, explosives and acts of arson.  Our special agents concentrate on identifying and dismantling illegal firearms traffickers who fuel violence by arming prohibited persons, gang members, drug cartels, illegal aliens and terrorist organizations.

Through advanced Crime Gun Intelligence (NIBIN, firearms tracing, and touch DNA), ATF partners with state and local law enforcement to investigate, identify, and prosecute violent offenders.  At the same time, we safeguard lawful commerce and uphold the Constitution. 

More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

Attorney General James Provides Update on Gateway Project Funding

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that as a direct result of her office’s successful lawsuit against the Trump administration, all previously frozen funding for the Gateway Program’s Hudson Tunnel Project has now been released:

“This funding freeze was unlawful from the start. We took swift action in court, and now every dollar that was illegally withheld has been released. This morning, New York and New Jersey received the remaining nearly $130 million owed for the Gateway Project, finally unlocking all the funding that had been frozen.

“These funds should never have been withheld in the first place. I am thrilled that hardworking New Yorkers can now get back on the job and move forward with the most important infrastructure project in the country. We will remain vigilant to ensure this funding continues uninterrupted, so that workers and commuters are never again left in limbo by the president’s targeted and unlawful whims.  

“My office will keep fighting in court to save Gateway permanently, on behalf of the millions of workers and riders who depend on it.”

Earlier this month, Attorney General James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport sued the Trump administration to stop its unlawful, months-long freeze of Hudson Tunnel funding, which threatened to force an immediate construction shutdown. On February 6, Attorney General James won a temporary restraining order requiring the federal government to release more than $200 million in overdue funds, which took effect on February 12.

In compliance with the court’s order, the administration released $30 million on February 13, followed by an additional $77 million earlier this week. This morning, the administration delivered the remaining funds, ensuring that construction on the Hudson Tunnel can resume.

Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul

“For months, Donald Trump illegally suspended funding for the Gateway Tunnel, putting the most important infrastructure project in the nation in jeopardy. Today — after our preliminary court victories and repeated conversations with the President about the need to keep funds flowing — we secured a major result: The federal government released the remaining $98 million in overdue funding to Gateway and provided an additional $30 million in reimbursements for work completed in January.

“This afternoon, the Gateway Development Commission will notify contractors to prepare to resume work next week. Many of the 1,000 union workers I stood with yesterday, whose livelihoods were put at risk by the President’s actions, will soon be back on the job.

“I have told the President repeatedly that when he targets New York, we will fight back and we will not back down. Today’s progress is significant, but we need certainty that Gateway funding will remain in place for the duration of the project. The federal government has a legal obligation to fully fund Gateway, and New York will accept nothing less.”

Gainesville Man Sentenced for Carrying Multiple Firearms While Selling Drugs

 

Kendrick J. Hills Jr., 23, of Gainesville, Fla., was sentenced to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to backing up our brave men and woman of law enforcement on the front lines of this battle against drugs and violence in our communities. We will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America to ensure our streets are safe and our communities are drug-free.”

Court documents reflect that the defendant was pulled over for multiple traffic violations. During the traffic stop, law enforcement smelled and observed marijuana in his vehicle. The presence of illegal narcotics was also confirmed by a K9 on scene. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a stolen 9-millimeter pistol on the driver’s floorboard, a .40-caliber pistol with an extended 22-round magazine under the driver’s seat, and a backpack filled with almost a pound of marijuana and drug-distribution paraphernalia, such as scales and baggies. The defendant later admitted that he possessed the firearms to protect himself, including protecting himself from the risk of drug-related robberies.

“This case is an example of the proactive work our deputies do every day to identify criminal activity before it escalates into something even more dangerous,” said Sheriff Chad D. Scott, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. “Through strong partnerships with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are sending a clear message: Alachua County will not tolerate drug distribution and the armed criminal behavior that so often accompanies it.”

“I’m proud of the way our agents and officers from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office came together to bring this criminal to justice,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “We have great relationships with our North Florida law enforcement partners, and I look forward to our continued enforcement efforts together.”

The defendant’s imprisonment will be followed by a seven-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face additional prison time.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.

Two Defendants Charged With Murdering Man at a Queens Intersection

Victim was Fatally Shot in His Vehicle Over a Drug Debt Dispute 

At the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Rafael Hernandez, also known as “Cap” and “Ralphy,” and Joibel Perez, also known as “J.P.,” with multiple crimes relating to the February 26, 2021 murder of Akil Kornegay in Queens, New York.  The defendants were arrested and were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and indictment.

“As alleged, the defendants chose to escalate a drug dispute to a deadly act of retaliation,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Such flagrant violence in our communities will not be tolerated and I commend the FBI Special Agents, NYPD detectives, and our prosecutors for their resolve and hard work resulting in today’s arrests.  Our Office is committed to preventing the loss of life due to drug and gun crimes.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the FBI/NYPD Metro Safe Streets Task Force, the NYPD Queens South Homicide Squad, the 102nd Precinct Detective Squad, and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their work on the case.

“Rafael Hernandez and Joibel Perez allegedly murdered a customer of their drug trafficking operation over a debt dispute,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Their drug distribution and retaliatory violence endangered nearby residents. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains dedicated to crushing violent crime by dismantling criminal enterprises and holding those who terrorize our communities accountable.”

As alleged in court filings, Hernandez and Perez operated a lucrative drug trafficking business, distributing marijuana out of the Taylor Street-Wythe Avenue Housing Development in Brooklyn.  A dispute over a drug debt arose between the defendants and Kornegay, who was their customer.  Text messages sent by Hernandez to Kornegay reflect demands for payment, or “bread,” and accuse Kornegay of “ducking” the defendants and “playing kid games.”  As the dispute escalated, Kornegay robbed the defendants of drugs, money, and other items.  In retaliation for that robbery, in the early morning hours of February 26, 2021, the defendants stalked Kornegay, following him as he drove through a Queens neighborhood.  They pulled alongside Kornegay when he stopped at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard and fired multiple shots into the vehicle. Kornegay sustained multiple gunshot wounds and crashed his vehicle into a pole, and died as a result.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of narcotics conspiracy, possessing, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and causing Kornegay’s death through the use of a firearm, the defendants face a maximum term of life in prison.

Transferred Mexican National Sentenced for Role in Large Scale International Cocaine Trafficking Offense

 

A Mexican national was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import approximately 1,900 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

According to court documents, the defendant, Jose Francisco Mendoza-Gomez, was a member of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Marisela Flores-Torruco that was responsible for importing multi-hundred-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States for years. The DTO also engaged in bulk cash smuggling, bribery of Mexican officials and attempted kidnappings related to rival traffickers.

The DTO, which had operations in New York, Texas, and elsewhere in the United States, sourced its cocaine from Colombia and provided logistical and financial support to coordinate the narcotics’ passage through Central America and Mexico and into the United States. During the investigation, law enforcement made several cocaine seizures, including approximately 971 kilograms of cocaine on April 21, 2017, and 500 kilograms of cocaine on May 10, 2017, nearly all of which was attributable to the DTO.   

In addition to cocaine trafficking, the DTO transported substantial illicit proceeds earned from its operations back to Mexico and elsewhere. DTO members engaged in bulk money transfers with cocaine suppliers and utilized a Chinese money laundering network to repatriate bulk narcotics proceeds out of the United States. The DTO also engaged in bribery of Mexican officials, including to gain access to information useful to its cocaine trafficking operations, and planned and attempted to execute multiple kidnappings related to rival drug traffickers and in efforts to secure outstanding debts.

Mendoza-Gomez assisted in coordinating and transporting cocaine for distribution in the United States, handled hundreds of thousands worth of narcotics proceeds, provided advice to the DTO’s leader and participated in the DTO’s efforts to plan kidnappings and obtain information from corrupt Mexican officials.

On Aug. 12, 2025, Mendoza-Gomez, along with 25 other fugitives, were transferred from Mexico to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the transfers.

Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators, Marisela Flores-Torruco and Qiyun Chen, have been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles within the DTO, as have several individuals involved in the related Chinese money laundering network. Flores-Torruco pleaded guilty to possession, manufacture, or distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. Chen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, with assistance from DEA’s offices in Cartagena (Colombia), Bogota (Colombia), Panama City, Mexico City, and Guatemala City. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

Senior Executives Of Telecom Company Charged In Accounting Fraud Scheme

 

Andrew Warner and Kishore Vangipuram Schemed to Defraud Investment Firm in Connection with Its $915 Million Acquisition of Mobileum, Inc.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANDREW WARNER, the former Chief Financial Officer of Mobileum, Inc., and KISHORE VANGIPURAM, the former Chief of Delivery of Mobileum, with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, securities fraud, and wire fraud.  The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged scheme by WARNER and VANGIPURAM to inflate Mobileum’s key financial metrics in advance of the company’s 2022 sale to an investment firm at an enterprise value of $915 million. Mobileum declared bankruptcy in 2024, after the fraud was uncovered.  WARNER surrendered in San Jose, California, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen.  VANGIPURAM was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. 

“As alleged, Andrew Warner and Kishore Vangipuram manipulated Mobileum’s financial metrics to sell the company at a higher price and, as a result, line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “The company’s investors, creditors, and employees deserved fair and complete financial information, not inflated numbers and schemes.  When C-Suite executives commit fraud, the women and men of our Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will hold them accountable.  That is what investors and the American people want.” 

“Andrew Warner and Kishore Vangipuram allegedly exaggerated their company’s fiscal success through doctored billable hours and invoices to defraud an unsuspecting investment firm of nearly one billion dollars,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “These two executives allegedly exploited their respective CFO and CDO positions to betray the trust of an interested buyer out of selfish greed.  The FBI continues to protect the integrity of corporate transactions from fraudsters seeking to profit from deceitful practices.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:

WARNER and VANGIPURAM were the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Delivery Officer, respectively, of Mobileum, a Silicon Valley-based company that provided data analytics and network solutions to telecommunications firms around the world.

Beginning in or about September 2021, WARNER and VANGIPURAM schemed to deceive an investment firm into overpaying for Mobileum as part of a private equity transaction.  To inflate Mobileum’s apparent value, and to convey the illusion of robust growth and operational efficiency, WARNER and VANGIPURAM falsified the company’s financial metrics, including revenue and unbilled revenue.  In or about March 2022, after receiving those artificial metrics, the investment firm acquired Mobileum at an inflated enterprise value of $915 million.  In connection with the sale, WARNER received approximately $5.2 million, and VANGIPURAM received approximately $5.5 million, in cash, stock, and other proceeds.

WARNER and VANGIPURAM’s scheme hinged on the fraudulent acceleration of revenue. Under Mobileum’s accounting method, the company purported to recognize revenue over the life of a project in proportion to the work performed.  Consequently, any inflation of hours worked, or reduction in estimated total effort, resulted in fraudulent recognition of revenue.  WARNER and VANGIPURAM manipulated the revenue recognized by directing employees to transfer hours from projects where the hours were non-billable to projects where the hours were billable, to create the false appearance that billable work had been performed.  They also directed employees to artificially reduce the “level of effort” for projects, effectively shrinking the total work required so that work already performed represented a higher percentage of the contract.  By making projects appear significantly closer to completion than was factually accurate, the defendants manufactured millions of dollars in imaginary revenue.

To cover up their fraudulent acceleration of revenue, WARNER and VANGIPURAM engaged in more fraud.  Their fraudulent revenue acceleration resulted in a substantial spike in “unbilled revenue”—income recognized on Mobileum’s books but not yet invoiced to customers.  Before the sale of Mobileum, when the potential buyer repeatedly inquired about Mobileum’s high unbilled revenue as a red flag indicating poor cash conversion, WARNER and VANGIPURAM directed employees to create fictitious invoices for billing milestones that Mobileum never reached. To prevent discovery of the underlying fraud by Mobileum’s clients, WARNER instructed that those invoices be processed internally to satisfy the investment firm’s scrutiny but strictly withheld from the customers themselves.

Even after the sale of Mobileum to the investment firm, WARNER and VANGIPURAM continued their deceptive practices to prevent the investment firm from discovering the true state of Mobileum’s financial health.  After the sale, VANGIPURAM cautioned a subordinate not to send emails about their invoicing because it would land them in a “lot of trouble.”  The scheme unraveled in 2024 after the investment firm discovered the defendants’ fraud, Mobileum’s true financial condition was disclosed, and the company—which the defendants had represented as a nearly billion-dollar enterprise—filed for bankruptcy.

WARNER, 62, of Morgan Hill, California, and VANGIPURAM, 53, of Pleasanton, California, are charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.