Bronx District Attorney News Cases of Interest

BRONX MAN WHO SLAMMED PUPPY TO FLOOR, INJURING HER LEG SO BADLY IT NEEDED AMPUTATION, SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN JAIL 

Defendant Must Register as Animal Abuser “Sally” Recovered from the Ordeal and Found a New Home

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Roberto Martinez, 25, of 946 Leggett Avenue, was sentenced today to a year in jail by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Robert Neary. Martinez pleaded guilty to Aggravated Cruelty to an Animal, a felony, on October 13, 2017. Upon his plea, he was remanded and began serving his sentence. As part of the plea agreement, he must register as an animal abuser in the state registry and is not permitted to own an animal for five years. 

BRONX MAN TO GET 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTACKING TWO FEMALES HE KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND LEFT SEMI-NAKED 

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Attempted Assault and Attempted Robbery 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has pleaded guilty to two 2016 attacks in which he knocked the victims unconscious and removed items of their clothing. In one attack, he broke the jaw of a 15-year-old girl near Bronx Park

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Shaun Lewis, 28, of Lurting Avenue, pleaded guilty today to Attempted Assault in the first-degree and Attempted Robbery in the second-degree before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio. He will be sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 5 years post-release supervision on February 27, 2018. At the time of the attacks, the defendant was on parole for a robbery in which he beat a woman and may be sentenced to additional time for violating his parole terms.

BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY DARCEL D. CLARK ANNOUNCES SHE WILL MOVE TO VACATE MURDER CONVICTION OF BRONX MAN AND CONSENT TO HIS RELEASE AFTER 20 YEARS IN PRISON 

Conviction Integrity Unit Re-Investigated 1996 Case, Discovered Evidence and Determined That Defendant Did Not Receive Fair Trial

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that she will move to vacate the conviction of a Bronx man in a 1996 murder, after a review of the case by the District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit determined that the defendant did not receive a fair trial.

District Attorney Clark said, “Larry McKee is serving 24 years-to-life for murder, but the Conviction Integrity Unit has uncovered potentially exculpatory evidence that was not provided to the defense at the time of trial. Because of this, I will ask the Court on Monday, January 29, 2018, to vacate McKee’s conviction in the interest of justice so he can be freed as soon as possible. 

McKee, 46, was sentenced to 24 years-to-life in prison after a trial in Bronx Supreme Court in 1997. He was convicted by a jury of second-degree Murder in the fatal shooting of 29- year-old Theodore Vance on February 19, 1996, on 176th Street between Andrews and Montgomery Avenues. 

McKee’s attorney, Michael Talassazan, contacted the CIU six months ago, provided some new evidence and asked the unit to review the case. Assistant District Attorney Risa Gerson re-interviewed witnesses and examined thousands of pages of the trial file. Gerson discovered grand jury testimony of a witness who had heard the victim’s last words, which indicated “a Spanish guy.”

The evidence raised a question as to whether the shooter had been correctly identified because McKee is black, and it should have been turned over to the defense. Once ADA Gerson determined that the testimony had not been turned over to the defense, she gave it McKee’s attorney. 

27% DECREASE IN EVICTIONS

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION REPORTS RECORD 27% DECREASE IN EVICTIONS AS ACCESS TO LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS IN HOUSING COURT INCREASES

In 2017 alone, there was a 5 percent decrease in residential evictions from 2016 and over the last four years, an estimated 70,000 people have remained in their homes

  The de Blasio Administration today announced that residential evictions by marshals declined 27 percent since 2013, when there were nearly 29,000 evictions annually.  Evictions decreased 5 percent in 2017, representing a total of 1,015 households and an estimated 3,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs who were able to remain in their homes. The number of evictions in 2017 was 21,074 compared to 22,089 in 2016. Over the last four years, an estimated 70,000 people have remained in their homes as a result of decreased evictions. 

“Preventing homelessness is a key element to turning the tide, which is why we’ve expanded and invested in legal assistance for low-income New Yorkers,” said Mayor de Blasio. “By deepening investments in tenant legal services we’ve been able to build on our progress and help 70,000 people keep their homes.”

“Since 2014, 180,000 New Yorkers have benefited from our expanded tenant legal services and this is just the beginning,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks.  “Evictions are continuing to decline thanks to New York City’s new Universal Access Law and our deepening commitment to fighting homelessness.”

At the same time as evictions are down, the City continues to increase access to free legal representation for low-income New Yorkers facing eviction in Housing Court.  In 2017, Mayor de Blasio signed legislation making New York City the first and only city in the country to ensure that all tenants facing eviction in Housing Court or termination hearings in NYCHA public housing have access to free legal services. When fully implemented in 2022, this initiative is expected to provide legal assistance to 400,000 New Yorkers facing eviction and displacement each year.

The substantial decrease in evictions is a result of the de Blasio Administration’s efforts to make City-funded legal services and other prevention services for low-income tenants accessible. The City increased funding for legal assistance for tenants facing eviction and harassment from $6 million in Fiscal Year 2013 to over $77 million in Fiscal Year 2018, more than a twelve-fold increase in total.

The Universal Access Law, which is overseen by the Civil Justice Coordinator at the Human Resources Administration, is being rolled out beginning with high need neighborhoods.  Annual funding for legal services for tenants will increase to $155 million when Universal Access is fully implemented in Fiscal Year 2022.

These programs are leveling the playing field for tenants in housing court across the five boroughs.  So far, HRA’s tenant legal services programs have successfully contributed to an increase in legal representation for tenants facing eviction in Housing Court from 1 percent of tenants represented in court in 2013 to 27 percent in 2016, as 99 percent of landlords had legal representation.  HRA’s tenant legal services programs have provided more than 180,000 New Yorkers with legal services since 2014.

With the implementation of Universal Access underway, the City’s Public Engagement Unit and the Human Resources Administration will be conducting outreach in key areas as services are rolled out to ensure that tenants can take advantage of this important assistance.

Call 311 or visit the City's housing portal at nyc.gov/longliveny for legal help fighting eviction.

February Cultural and Health Activities at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center

Celebrate Tu B’shevat (Israel Arbor Day) with Suki, flute and Steve, guitar, on Tues. Feb. 6 th at 1:00 PM. Lunch of oven fried chicken or vegetarian liver with mashed butternut squash and steamed kale w/garlic will be served at 12:15 PM. Recommended senior meal contribution is $2.00 and $2.00 for the event. Holiday refreshments will be served. Please call in your meal reservations to the office 718-549- 4700 by: Fri. Feb. 2nd.

Students from the Manhattan School of Music will perform on Wed. Feb. 14 th at 1:00 PM. Lunch of beef moussaka or tuna salad will be served at 12:15 PM. Recommended senior meal contribution is $2.00 and $1.00 for the event. Please call in your meal reservations to the office 718-549- 4700 by: Fri. Feb. 9th.

New: Illuminations session offers a quiet hour of gentle flute music by Yael Acher accompanied by a respectful energy treatment by Linda Gnat-Mullin, a qualified Reiki practitioner/instructor, on Thurs. Feb. 15 th from 1 – 2 PM. The goal is to enable participants to de-stress and recharge and continue life from a strengthened and refreshed perspective. Space for this workshop is limited. Pre-register with the senior center office 718-549- 4700 by Fri. Feb. 9 th .

Note: On Feb. 15 th , lunch of salmon cake or grilled chicken breast will be served at 12:15 PM. Suggested senior meal donation: $2.00.

Celebrate February birthdays with Michael Gaskin’s lively piano/vocals on Thurs. Feb. 22nd at 1:00 PM. Michael will perform American standards as well as international favorites for dancing and listening. Lunch of lemon pepper tilapia or turkey salad will be served at 12:15 PM. Recommended senior meal contribution is $2.00 and $1.00 for the event. Please call in your meal reservations to the office 718-549- 4700 by: Mon. Feb.19 th .

Soprano Jenny Lynn Stewart will present “A Tribute to Barbara Cook” on Wed. Feb. 28 th at 1:00 PM. “Barbara Cook had ‘come to define cabaret’ in the mid-1970s following a Tony-winning (The Music Man, 1958) Broadway musical career… New York dramatic soprano Jenny Lynn Stewart, whose repertoire includes opera, musicals and cabaret, has been likened to a cross between a very young Barbara Cook and late opera great Eileen Farrell, and worked with Cook in a coaching session ahead of a Lincoln Center performance by Stewart a year ago last April…” from Centerline by Jim Bessman.

Note: On Feb. 28 th, lunch of beef stew or salmon salad with broccoli soufflé and brown rice will be served at 12:15 PM. Recommended senior meal contribution is $2.00 and $2.00 for the event. Please call in your meal reservations to the office 718-549- 4700 by: Fri. Feb.23rd.

Doriana Castro will continue to instruct Senior Fitness on Monday mornings at 10:30 AM and Tone and Stretch on Friday mornings at 10 AM through February.

Movement class with Judy Farnum, certified fitness instructor, will meet on Mon. Feb. 5 th , *12th (*Tai Chi/Yoga) and 26th at 3:00 PM. This class combines low impact aerobics with easy-to- follow exercise routines as a fun way to get moving to a wide variety of music including Classic Retro Pop, Latin Rhythms, Global Beats and more! *New more gentle movement class.

New: Tai Chi with Stan Scher, certified instructor, will meet on Tues. Feb. 6th and 20 th at 10:15 PM. Stan has recently taught UFT retired teachers and residents of the Amalgamated. Beginners welcome.

Health and Relaxation w/Kathleen continues on Thurs. Feb. 1st and 15th at 11 AM. Kathleen, a certified Yoga instructor, integrates Tai Chi and chair Yoga moves and stretches.

Flowing Yoga w/Kathleen will meet on Wed. Feb. 14 th and 28 th at 3 PM.

All meals at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center are catered by Mauzone (kosher) Meal Service. We offer a daily alternate choice of main entree. Please call the senior center office to request the alternative meal choice between 9:30 and 10:30 AM. Menu is subject to change. Refreshments are served at all special events.

We are located on the first floor of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. Take the Bronx #1, 2 or 10 bus to the intersection of Sedgwick Ave. and Van Cortlandt Ave. West. For more information, please call the center office at 718-549- 4700.

Statement from State Senator Gustavo Rivera on Senator Golden's Comments on the Opioid Crisis

" Senator Golden's comments regarding the opioid epidemic are racist, disturbing, and inaccurate. The life of an individual is not worth more because of their parent's profession and should not be addressed differently because of it. 

Additionally, the truth is that drugs do not discriminate when it comes to gender, race, or income. Addiction is a public health issue, not a criminal justice one, and should be treated as such across the board. Senator Golden should apologize for his troubling remarks and work in the best interest of all New Yorker's health, not just a select few."

Senator Martin Golden's comments are available from the link provided by Senator Rivera's office to the Brooklyn Eagle at http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2018/1/23/truck-ban-bqe-golden-says-it%E2%80%99s-possible 

The comment occurs towards the end of the article when the reporter goes into other questions that the lead story.

One area of concern is the rising rate of opioid addiction in New York state. “It’s not a ghetto drug. It’s happening to doctor’s kids,” Golden said.

People start out on painkillers and then turn to heroin when they can no longer find a doctor willing to prescribe painkillers, he said. “They cut heroin from fentanyl,” he said. Fentanyl is dangerous because it is much more potent, he said. “The kid is addicted by the second or third hit of heroin,” he said.

Golden added that he believes there are not enough rehab centers.

Congressman Eliot L. Engel Calls Report That President Trump Tried to Fire Robert Mueller “Deeply Troubling, But Not Surprising”

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement in response to reports that President Trump tried to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller in June of 2017:

“This report is deeply troubling, but not surprising. Anytime the President has felt a perceived threat he has looked to ‘fire’ his way out of it. Jim Comey, Sally Yates, Preet Bharara, the list goes on. The President wrongly believes the justice system is in place to serve his interests, not the American people’s. He couldn’t be more wrong. This isn’t some reality TV show where you can dismiss whomever you want, whenever you want, for whatever reason. Firing Robert Mueller would trigger a Constitutional crisis. It is essential that we protect the independence of this investigation, make sure the Special Counsel gets to the bottom of the Trump-Russia scandal, and find out whether obstruction of justice has taken place.”

Wave Hill Events Feb 9‒Feb 16 Valentine's Day

  Wave Hill does not typically plan many programs for Valentine’s Day. The gardens—rolling lawns, historical home, jewel-like garden spaces—are serene and welcoming, providing enough romance for any visitor looking to open his or her heart. But a special Family Art Project gives families extra inspiration, and a wellness workshop offers a second, hands-on opportunity for caring.

For something quite different, hop on our Eagle Train to EagleFest for a thrilling chance to observe eagles and other local birds in their natural habitat. Our naturalists are on board for the scenic ride up the Hudson.

Sat, February 10     Ride the Eagle Train

ALL ABOARD THE EAGLE TRAIN! Attending Eaglefest at Croton Point Park? Ride the Hudson River Line train from Grand Central Terminal to Croton-Harmon with Wave Hill naturalists Gabriel Willow and Paul Keimon the Eagle Train. Bring your binoculars to spot eagles and other aquatic birds in their natural habitat. Train tickets available through Metro North Railroad; Eaglefest information and tickets at teatown.org. Free shuttle buses will bring attendees to/from the Croton-Harmon Train Station to the event site at Croton Point Park. Once you get there, be sure to stop at the table Wave Hill is sharing with partner Hudson Highlands Nature Museum. Tickets at http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_hudval_eaglefest.htm

DEPARTS GRAND CENTRAL STATION 9:20AM

Sat, February 10    Family Art Project: Hearts and Flowers, Love for Belugas

As we look ahead to Valentine’s Day, let’s spread the love like a pod of belugas! Listen to touching tales about these small, gentle, gray-white whales, then make a stuffed beluga sock-puppet for a heartwarming Valentine’s gift. Add a special notecard crafted from an abundance of hearts and paper flowers, or even decorate it with some arctic ice or ocean waves for belugas. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Valentine’s Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sat, February 10 through Wed, February 14    Valentine’s Day in The Shop

On this special weekend, spend at least $75 in The Shop and receive a Valentine’s gift of chocolate.Valentine’s Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM‒4PM

Sat, February 10    Winter Workspace Session 1 Open House

This winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed again into studio spaces for artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their studio practice with the public on this open studio day. This year’s Session 1 artists are Tomie Arai, Camille Hoffman, Pedro Ramirez, Jessica Rohrer, Jean Shin and Austin Thomas. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, NOON‒3:30PM

Sun, February 11    Winter Birding

The Hudson River Valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species during the winter months. Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitats. Birders of all levels welcome. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds; NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission to the grounds. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM

Sun, February 11    Family Art Project: Hearts and Flowers, Love for Belugas

As we look ahead to Valentine’s Day, let’s spread the love like a pod of belugas! Listen to touching tales about these small, gentle, gray-white whales, then make a stuffed beluga sock-puppet for a heartwarming Valentine’s gift. Add a special notecard crafted from an abundance of hearts and paper flowers, or even decorate it with some arctic ice or ocean waves for belugas. Free with admission to the grounds. Valentine’s Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, February 11    Wellness Workshop: Luscious Lips and Silky Skin

Treat yourself to handmade self-care products or create gifts for your valentine or loved ones. Using all-natural organic ingredients, work with aromatherapist and skin care expert Melissa Rivera of Essence and Aroma to create tinted lip balms and scented salves. Ages 12 and older welcome with an adult. $55/$45 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. Valentine’s Weekend event.

WAVE HILLHOUSE, 10AM−1PM

Sun, February 11    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Mon, February 12

Closed to the public.

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM, November 1–March 14. Closes 5:30PM, starting March 15.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

DNC Chair Tom Perez Announces New Chief Security Officer

  Tom Perez announced today that Bob Lord is joining the Democratic National Committee's senior leadership team as the Chief Security Officer, where he will bring his industry experience to build up cybersecurity defenses for the DNC and state parties across the country. He joins a strong leadership team at the DNC that includes CEO Jess O’Connell, CMO Caitlin Mitchell, COO Laura Chambers, CFO Joe Smolskis, CTO Raffi Krikorian, Chief of Staff Sam Cornale, National Political and Organizing Director Amanda Brown Lierman, National Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa, Research Director Lauren Dillon and Senior Advisor Will Hailer.

Bob is a technology executive who has more than 20 years of experience managing cybersecurity teams and establishing best information security practices.  At Yahoo, Bob managed teams that conducted electronic crimes investigations. As the first security hire in the early days of Twitter, he served as director of information security where he was charged with building the teams responsible for application security, product security, and information security.

“We’re excited to welcome Bob to the team and can’t wait to work with him on shoring up the DNC’s institutional cyber defenses,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “When I took this job, I made it crystal clear that our organization’s cybersecurity required immediate attention and resources. I’m confident Bob’s skills and hard work will help protect us against the sort of cyberattacks and intrusions that are unfortunately all too common in today’s age. Defense is an essential part of any game plan, and I couldn’t be happier with Bob holding the line for the DNC.”

“I’m looking forward to helping strengthen the cybersecurity infrastructure and strategy for the Democrats,” said Bob Lord. “Cyber attacks are an unfortunate, but very real threat to our work. I'll be working  to protect my new colleagues at the DNC from the attackers who would prefer to keep us distracted from our mission of getting Democrats across the nation elected. And my job doesn’t stop at the front door of the building—my team and I will work with state parties to update their information security strategies and deployments to change the economics for the attackers.”

In addition to his work at Twitter, Bob was most recently the Chief Information Security Officer at Yahoo, where he was responsible for all aspects of information security, product security, and electronic crime investigations. He managed dozens of security professionals who focused on software development, incident response, corporate security, security risk management, threat investigations, and offensive engineering.

Bob’s team responded to two breaches that occurred before his employment at Yahoo: one in 2014 and one in 2013. He worked with teams across the company to identify affected users, provide notice, and work with appropriate authorities as well as to identify and deploy security improvements to improve prevention and detection capabilities.

Bob’s team worked with the FBI to identify the individuals who committed the 2014 breach. In March of 2017, the Department of Justice indicted two FSB officers and two criminal hackers. The ​DOJ press release​ and underlying indictment detail the activities surrounding this crime. One of the indicted persons, a Canadian national, was arrested in March, extradited to the US, arraigned​ in San Francisco last August, and finally pleaded guilty in November.

Bob’s hiring is the latest in a series that Tom and the DNC have made in an effort to rebuild the Democratic Party’s tech and cybersecurity infrastructure. Last year, Tom hired Raffi Krikorian, formerly of Uber and Twitter, to serve as Chief Technology Officer.  Raffi and the majority of his team come not from the political world but from the tech sector.

The DNC is building an amazing team that brings together top tech talent with people familiar with the way our political infrastructure works -- all with the goal of building the data and infrastructure needed for candidates to win up and down the ballot.

The DNC tech team’s initial hires include the following:

Pam Cardona – Program manager in charge of the Uber self-driving launch in Pittsburgh;

Lennon Day-Reynolds — Engineering at Stripe; formerly Director of Engineering at Urban Airship; Twitter Advertising;

Peter Seibel – Author and former lead of the abuse team and the internal tools team at Twitter;

Liza Daly – Former CTO of Safari Books;

Trisha Quan – Former HFA and Pinterest analytics engineer;

Felicity Pereyra – Analytics lead for HFA for FL, NC, NV, CO

MAYOR DE BLASIO MEETS WITH U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS COMMANDER LIEUTENANT GENERAL TODD T. SEMONITE

  This morning, Mayor de Blasio met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite. The 45-minute meeting began at 10:45 AM and was held at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers headquarters in Washington, D.C., and focused largely on coastal protections on the Rockaway peninsula and in Jamaica Bay. Mayor de Blasio made the case that residents of the Rockaways felt vulnerable to the beach erosion they were seeing in their community. Lieutenant General Semonite agreed to accelerate the project timeline by expediting beachfront protections and continuing to move forward on bayside investments. The Mayor expressed his appreciation for the work of the Army Corps. He and the Lieutenant General agreed to continue working together collaboratively on this project and others in New York City.