Saturday, November 11, 2023

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Weekly News - Recognizing and Honoring Those Who Have Served on Veterans Day


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Recognizing and Honoring Those
Who Have Served on Veterans Day

Comptroller DiNapoli speaking at a podium

On Veterans Day, we honor our nation’s heroes. Veterans selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and protect our freedom. Their service often takes them away from their families and the everyday moments that we might take for granted. We thank our employees who served and still serve in the armed services. Today and every day let's honor these men and women and all they have done for our country. Happy Veterans Day. 

New York State made substantial progress in reducing homelessness for veterans between 2010 and 2022 with the number of homeless veterans declining 83% (from 5,857 to 990), the largest percentage decline in the nation, according to State Comptroller DiNapoli’s analysis. The share of homeless adults that are veterans was reduced from 9% in 2010 to just 1% in 2022, with the greatest progress made in New York City. 

“Veterans answered the call to serve our nation and defend our country’s ideals, and we owe them our gratitude and support,” DiNapoli said. “With federal support, New York is leading the way in reducing homelessness for our veterans. Continued attention to housing and other issues affecting our veterans is a necessary expression of our appreciation and a recognition of our duty to help these brave men and women.”

DiNapoli Examines Fiscal Hurdles Facing Key NYC-Supported Agencies

New York City is financially accountable for numerous entities that are legally separate but can impact its budget. State Comptroller DiNapoli released updated reports on three major City-supported agencies — the New York City Department of Education, the New York City Housing Authority and New York City Health + Hospitals — highlighting the major financial and other issues they are confronting. DiNapoli also launched a new data tracker to monitor trends for New York City agencies’ performance data, staffing, and spending.

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NYS Pension Fund Commits $50 Million to NY Small Business Investment Fund

The New York State Common Retirement Fund has committed $50 million to a private equity fund managed by Hamilton Lane aimed at supporting small businesses across New York, State Comptroller DiNapoli, trustee of the Fund, announced.

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The Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Celebrate the Holidays with The Bronx Chamber.


Join the Board of Directors and the leadership team of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce as we celebrate the holidays together during the Bronx Chamber's Holiday Toy Box, building imagination and business on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 6:30pm at Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Course, 870 Shore Road Bronx, NY.


This is a great opportunity to cut loose, enjoy dinner, dancing, networking, and friendship. It is also a great way to celebrate your co-workers and team! Consider purchasing a table and bring your colleagues.


Should you have any questions, please email: events@bronxchamber.org.


To donate new toys for our annual toy drive, please email, Dolores Saldana, dolores@bronxchamber.org.

Reserve Your Spot - Click Here

NYPD -49Pct NCO-A, Build The Block Meeting 11-15-2023

 

This is the meeting we host for the community which is coming up soon and wanted you to be aware of it. We host the meeting in order to collaborate with the resident neighbors and business owners in addressing and solving issues and concerns in our coverage area (Morris Park/ Van Nest). Also, if you know anyone else that is interested you may distribute the flyer and spread the word for us. The details for the meeting are below, hope to see you there. 

 

  • NCO A – 49Pct – Build The Block Meeting 
  • Wednesday, November 15th, 2023.  
  • Meeting starts at 6:30 P.M. 
  • Morris Park Community Association, 1824 Bronxdale Ave, Bronx NY 10462

Sincerely,

P.O. Stephen Brancatelli - Neighborhood Coordination Officer

New York City Police Department

49th Precinct

2121 Eastchester Road Bronx, New York  10461

(917) 826-9562

Stephen.Brancatelli@NYPD.org


Former High-Ranking DEA Special Agent And Current DEA Agent Convicted For Bribery Scheme

 

DEA Agent John Costanzo Jr. Convicted of Accepting Bribes from Former DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Manuel Recio in Exchange for Sharing of Sensitive, Nonpublic DEA Information

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOHN COSTANZO JR., a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Special Agent currently on leave, and MANUEL RECIO, a former DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, were convicted of conspiracy to bribe a public official, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and honest services wire fraud, for a scheme in which RECIO funneled tens of thousands of dollars to COSTANZO in exchange for COSTANZO providing sensitive law enforcement information to assist RECIO in recruiting clients for defense lawyers.  In addition, COSTANZO was convicted of accepting bribes from RECIO, and RECIO was convicted of giving bribes to COSTANZO.  The verdict followed a 12-day trial before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. 


U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “John Costanzo, a DEA Special Agent on leave, and Manuel Recio, a former DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, trafficked sensitive, nonpublic, confidential law enforcement information in exchange for cash and other valuable financial benefitsIn doing so, they endangered public safety by disclosing the timing of sealed indictments and arrests of DEA targetsRecio and Costanzo were convicted by a unanimous jury for their brazen violation of the public’s trust and for providing information that could have put their former colleagues and others in harm’s wayThis case underscores that corruption in the ranks of any law enforcement agency will be met with zero tolerance, and we stand with the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers who carry out their service with integrity and honor.” 


According to the evidence presented in court during the trial:

JOHN COSTANZO JR. is a DEA special agent most recently assigned to DEA Headquarters.  He was a Group Supervisor in the DEA’s Miami Field Office until June 2019.  MANUEL RECIO is a former DEA special agent who retired as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Miami Field Office in November 2018.  Upon his retirement, RECIO began operating his own business, which provided private investigative services to criminal defense attorneys and also helped defense attorneys to recruit clients.  From around the time of RECIO’s retirement through around November 2019, RECIO agreed with COSTANZO to provide benefits to COSTANZO in exchange for COSTANZO providing RECIO with nonpublic information about DEA investigations.  COSTANZO provided RECIO with information about nonpublic investigations, such as the identities of individuals charged and the anticipated timing of indictments and arrests, and intelligence which COSTANZO obtained from the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System (“NADDIS”), a DEA database that contains information about individuals who are or have been under investigation by the DEA.  RECIO paid COSTANZO for this information, which RECIO used to help recruit new clients for criminal defense attorneys.

Among the benefits paid to COSTANZO were a $2,500 payment made in November 2018, shortly after RECIO’s retirement from the DEA, which was funneled to COSTANZO through a company owned by a close family member of COSTANZO.  At the same time that this payment was made, RECIO began asking COSTANZO to run searches in NADDIS to provide RECIO with nonpublic DEA information about DEA targets and investigations.  Following that initial payment, RECIO and others continued to provide benefits to COSTANZO, including tens of thousands of dollars that were funneled from RECIO through a company created by a DEA task force officer and $50,000 that was paid to COSTANZO through a close family member for COSTANZO’s purchase of a condominium in January and February 2019.

In return, COSTANZO continued to provide nonpublic DEA information to RECIO, including information about the timing of forthcoming indictments and information about DEA arrest plans of particular targets.  COSTANZO also searched NADDIS for names of particular individuals requested by RECIO on dozens of occasions during the scheme and provided RECIO with information and assistance with particular charged defendants represented by attorneys for whom REICO was working.  During the scheme, COSTANZO and RECIO took steps to conceal the existence of the scheme, including by structuring the payments from RECIO to COSTANZO through third parties and through COSTANZO’s use of a cellphone provided by RECIO for communications related to the scheme.

COSTANZO JR., 48, of Arlington, Virginia, and RECIO, 54, of Miami, Florida, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison, and one count of receiving or paying a bribe, respectively, which carries a maximum term of 15 years in prison.  COSTANZO and RECIO were also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

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

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and thanked the DEA’s Office of Professional Responsibility for its support in this matter.

Friday, November 10, 2023

DEC Announces Seasonal Closure of Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Parkway

 

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Parkway in Lake George Will Remain Open with Free Access through Veterans Day, Nov. 11

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Parkway will remain open through Veterans Day with free access. The parkway will close for the 2023 season at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Please note the shuttle to the summit of Prospect Mountain is not available at this time. Admission fees to access the highway are temporarily waived.

Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Parkway climbs 5.5 miles from the entry gate to a parking lot just below the summit. There are three separate overlooks along the parkway—the Narrows, Lake George, and Eagle's Eye—from which to enjoy the scenery of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George.

For more information about visiting the Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway Day Use Area, visit DEC's website.

Governor Hochul Launches Enhanced Database of Economic Incentives to Increase Transparency Around Key Economic Development Projects

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New Database Builds on Governor’s State of the State Commitment to Making State Government Work Better for New Yorkers

Access Database Here

Governor Kathy Hochul today launched the enhanced Database of Economic Incentives as part of her ongoing commitment to transparency and making state government work better for New Yorkers. First launched in 2021, the Database of Economic Incentives provides detailed, up-to-date data on economic development projects throughout New York State. The data is updated quarterly, published online and complements the information available on ESD's reports page. New York State’s Database of Economic Incentives is nation-leading in terms of number of programs and projects included, frequency of updates, and the number of data fields provided for each project. The updated database is available here.

“This new database of economic incentives is the latest step my administration is taking to improve transparency and restore New Yorkers’ trust in their government,” Governor Hochul said. “With a new user-friendly interface and up-to-date data on key projects, this new tool will help to shed light on economic developments initiatives throughout the state and make data more accessible to all.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “We are always striving for ways to improve transparency, especially around our incentive programs and these new enhancements have made the Database of Economic Incentives not only much more comprehensive, but easier to navigate. We are proud of the continued improvements being made to the database and as a result, we now have one of the largest databases of economic development projects in the nation, with 55 fields of data that presents information in a very user-friendly format.”

The Database has expanded from 26 to 55 data fields and contains thousands of projects from 45 programs spanning multiple state agencies. The enhanced Database now contains an interactive dashboard offering high-level summary information of all projects. This includes total dollars awarded and disbursed, total public-private investment, number of projects awarded, and jobs created and retained to date. This information can be summarized by status, agency, industry, and Regional Economic Development region. Additionally, the Database contains a map, allowing users to see the location of projects alongside key project info. The Database also includes an appendix which provides specific details related to any individual project.

The new Database improves usability, allowing for easy searching, filtering, and analyzing of the data. With these additions, New York’s Database of Economic Incentives leads the nation with four times the average number of fields as compared to other states, twice the average number of programs, and is updated four times as often as other states. It is also one of the only databases that allows the data to be exported, mapped and graphed. Recently, the Good Jobs First, a trusted watchdog entity which promotes corporate and government accountability in economic development, gave New York’s Database of Economic Incentives a high score for data accessibility, meaning the site was easy to find, understand and use.

Additionally, Empire State Development has also launched new interactive project tracking dashboards to provide information on projects awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. This interactive tool allows for summarization and analysis of project data, including top level project stats, investments and jobs metrics, a map, and an appendix of all projects awarded through the REDC initiative. Each regions' dashboard can be found on their respective page here.

The new and improved database builds on Governor Hochul’s 2023 State of the State commitment to making government work better for New Yorkers by improving access to essential government resources and services.

Permits Filed For 1119 Boston Road In Morrisania, The Bronx


 

Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 1119 Boston Road in Morrisania, The Bronx. Located between East 166th Street and East 167th Street, the lot is near the Freeman Street subway station, serviced by the 2 and 5 trains. Egris Haxhari of H20 LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 65-foot-tall development will yield 26,457 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 40 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 661 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have a cellar, a 49-foot-long rear yard, and 20 open parking spaces.

Fred Geremia Architects & Planners is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Housing Lottery Launches For 2233 Bathgate Avenue In East Tremont, The Bronx

 


The affordable housing lottery has launched for 2233 Bathgate Avenue, a four-story residential building in East Tremont, The Bronx. Designed by L & C Associates and developed by Jagjit Hora of 2233 Bathgate Partners LLC, the structure yields eight residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are three units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $88,869 to $165,230.

Units include energy-efficient appliances, dishwashers, and outdoor space. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are three one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,592 for incomes ranging from $88,869 to $165,230.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than December 1, 2023.