BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS IN PRISON FOR WEAPON POSSESSION

 

Defendant Fired on Officers Responding to 911 Call of Man With a Gun

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for Criminal Possession of a Weapon for his role in a shootout that left two NYPD officers and the defendant injured.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant was approached by police officers who were responding to a 911 call. He pulled out a gun leading to a shootout which injured both officers. These officers risked their lives to get another gun off our streets and I commend them for making the Bronx a safer place.”

 District Attorney Clark said Charlie Vasquez, 24, of Featherbed Lane, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Joseph McCormack. Vasquez pleaded guilty to second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon on September 18, 2023, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Albert Lorenzo.

 According to the investigation, on November 24, 2021, at approximately 8:06 p.m., uniformed NYPD Police Officers Robert Holmes and Alejandra Jacobs of the 48th Precinct, responded to a 911 call about a man with a gun at 2405 Beaumont Avenue. When they got to the location, they approached Vasquez, who was sitting on the stoop. The defendant took out a pistol and fired, leading to an exchange of gunfire in which Officer Jacobs was shot in the arm; Officer Holmes was shot in the chest, and the defendant was also shot.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Captain Eileen Downing, Lieutenant Anthony Corrado, Sergeant Bruno Pomponio, Detective Nathaniel Jeffers and Detective Jonathan Bradlin, all of the Force Investigations Division, as well as Detective Matthew Janisch of the NYPD Crime Scene Unit, for their assistance.

MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR BANKS CELEBRATE FIRST INCREASE IN NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IN EIGHT YEARS

 

Majority of Schools Will Receive Funding Increases Totaling Nearly $200 Million in Mid-Year Budget Adjustments

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David C. Banks today announced the first increase in student enrollment at New York City public schools in eight years, based on preliminary data. For the 2023-2024 school year, the DOE has seen enrollment increase approximately 1 percent — or roughly 8,000 students — bringing the total number of students registered in the DOE to approximately 915,000 and maintaining New York City’s status as the nation's largest school district.

 

“When we say New York City is back, we are not just talking about our economy — we are talking about our communities and our entire city. And after eight years of declining enrollment, New York City public schools are back,” said Mayor Adams. “Chancellor Banks and our administration are focused on delivering the best education possible for our young New Yorkers by cutting through bureaucracy, expanding outreach, and making enrollment easier. New Yorkers are voting with their feet, and we are excited to see funding increase for so many of our public schools.”

 

“After eight years of enrollment declines, we are thrilled to see enrollment increase across the city,” said DOE Chancellor Banks. “With a majority of schools gaining additional funding during this mid-year adjustment, we are well positioned to meet the challenges ahead. However, to continue our progress and ensure the success of our students, particularly those in temporary housing, we urgently need increased state and federal funding.”

 

After eight years of declining enrollment, this positive trend is a testament to the effective strategies implemented by the Adams administration, including through the Project Open Arms initiative. In line with DOE’s standard timeline, audited and finalized enrollment data will be available in the spring as part of the demographic snapshot. As this data — current as of October 31, 2023 — is preliminary and unaudited, students can still enter or leave the system, and the data can fluctuate until the audit process is complete.

 

The increase in enrollment is particularly significant as the Adams administration navigates the post-COVID-19 era without the benefit of federal stimulus funds. This year, approximately 57 percent of schools are expected to receive a total of $183 million — an average of $209,000 per school — in additional Fair Student Funding due to higher-than-projected enrollment. The Adams administration’s commitment to equitable education is further reflected in its Fair Student Funding policy, which ensures that schools with higher enrollments and schools that serve students with additional needs receive the necessary resources to support their students. Increased enrollment will also bolster the administration’s advocacy for additional state and federal funding.

 

Also today, the DOE published its annual class size report, showing that the city is in compliance for this school year with the state’s new class size mandates. However, to maintain compliance as state law mandates smaller class sizes over the coming years, additional resources will be required — particularly to equitably support schools across the city. The Adams administration will continue to advocate for state and federal funding to support students and families as the law is implemented.

KRVC - Book Presentation TONIGHT, Wed., Nov 15, 7pm at KRVC

 

Upcoming Events at KRVC

Join us for all these great events! Book Presentation, Book Club, Karaoke, Meditation

Join us for our next Book Club Meeting on Wednesday, December 6th, 1-3pm at 505 West 236th Street to enjoy a light lunch and a discussion of M Train by Patti Smith. See below for book description and our 2024 Book Selections.

Braiding despair with hope and consolation, illustrated with her signature Polaroids,  M Train is a meditation on travel, detective shows, literature, and coffee. It is a powerful, deeply moving book by one of the most remarkable multiplatform artists at work today.y

Look forward to seeing you!

Justice Department Secures Over $900,000 Agreement with National Staffing Agency to Resolve Claims of Hiring Discrimination

 

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Kforce Inc. (Kforce), a staffing agency with 36 offices across the United States. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Kforce violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens with permission to work in the United States and excluding them from job opportunities based on their citizenship status.

“Companies cannot unlawfully exclude people with permission to work in the United States from job opportunities because of their citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold those accountable who engage in behavior that runs afoul of our nation’s federal civil rights laws.”

The department’s investigation determined that from at least March 1, 2019, to Feb. 28, 2022, Kforce distributed job advertisements that contained unlawful hiring restrictions based on citizenship status or otherwise screened out candidates based on their citizenship status. These actions harmed workers who have been granted asylum or refugee status, and lawful permanent residents by unlawfully deterring them from applying to the job advertisements and failing to meaningfully consider those who did apply.

Under the terms of the settlement, Kforce will pay $690,000 in civil penalties to the United States and set aside $230,000 to compensate affected workers. The agreement also requires Kforce to train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.

The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute generally prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. 

Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. 

Congressional Campaign Staffer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

 

A congressional campaign staffer pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain political contributions.

According to court documents, Samuel Miele, 27, of New York, worked as a fundraiser for a candidate seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives (Candidate #1). As part of the scheme, Miele impersonated a high-ranking aide to a member of House leadership while soliciting funds for Candidate #1’s campaign. Miele also admitted that he committed access device fraud by charging credit cards without authorization for contributions to Candidate #1’s and other candidates’ campaigns, as well as for Miele’s personal use. 

Miele is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge James Smith of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.

Trial Attorneys Jacob Steiner and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Harris, Anthony Bagnuola, and Laura Zuckerwise for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rachel Friedman.

Twenty-Three Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Drug Trafficking, and Firearm Charges

 

A 12-count indictment was unsealed in the Northern District of Georgia charging 23 defendants – all alleged Sex Money Murder (SMM) gang members and associates – with crimes including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, and firearms violations.

According to court documents, SMM is a subset of The Bloods gang, which originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The SMM subset has spread from the Bronx and New York to areas across the East Coast, including Georgia, where it operates inside and outside prisons and jails. The indictment alleges an extensive criminal enterprise in which SMM members, including inmates within the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), orchestrated numerous crimes, including murders, attempted murders, attempted arson, drug trafficking within and outside of GDOC facilities, and wire and bank fraud. Eleven of the defendants were in prison when they allegedly committed or ordered the charged crimes. 

“The defendants and their criminal associates are alleged to have committed murder, engaged in stabbings and attempted murder, and distributed thousands of dollars’ worth of illicit drugs inside and outside the Georgia prison system, all to enhance the power and prestige of their gang, the Sex Money Murder set of The Bloods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With this RICO indictment, the Criminal Division, along with our federal, state, and local partners, again shows its commitment to hold accountable and bring to justice violent gang members who terrorize our communities and attempt to control our country’s prison systems.”

“Gang activity poses a grave risk of harm to our communities as well as to many of our institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “The defendants charged in this case allegedly perpetrated numerous violent and other criminal offenses, including multiple murders, brutal assaults, and drug trafficking crimes, on behalf of the gang Sex Money Murder. For more than a decade, these gang members and their associates allegedly orchestrated a criminal enterprise within and outside of multiple prisons to earn money for, boost their status in, and impose discipline required by the gang. This indictment is the culmination of a lengthy and carefully coordinated federal and state law enforcement investigation aimed at dismantling this violent group.”

“The FBI and its partners will not stand by as members of an elaborate criminal enterprise engage in acts that endanger our communities,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “There are consequences for partaking in illegal activity, and this does not change when some of the bad actors are already behind bars. We will continue to ensure that members of the Sex Money Murder gang face justice for their alleged misconduct, which includes drug trafficking, firearms violations, and egregious violence.”

“It’s alarming to think that these criminals were brazen enough to distribute dangerous drugs and commit heinous crimes while behind bars,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “They must now face the consequences.”

The indictment alleges that the defendants or other SMM members committed multiple acts of violence in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy, including storming a home and shooting multiple rounds of ammunition into a bathroom, killing a 9-month-old boy; on multiple occasions, incarcerated SMM members murdering, stabbing, or beating other inmates for disrespecting SMM leadership or violating SMM rules; and shooting and killing another SMM member on belief that the member had cooperated with law enforcement.

The following defendants have been charged in the indictment for conduct related to their alleged roles in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy and related crimes: 

• Ryan Brandt, aka Street Life and Robert Kraft, 44, of Hays State Prison in Trion, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring, aiding, and abetting, and possessing a controlled substance and a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Kyle Oree, aka Nasty Nu, 52, of Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute and a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Chase Pinckney, aka Chase Pickney, Three Shots, Noriega, and Sinatra, 38, of Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Elton Jackson, aka 2gz and John Madden, 41, of Telfair State Prison in Helena, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Sean Carr, aka Nut and Nutkase, 51, of FCI Talladega in Talladega, Alabama, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Lavorsia Jones, aka Shitbag, 23, of Dacula, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring, attempting, and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Danielle Ford, 49, of Ellenwood, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Charlton King, aka Hell’s Militant Camp, 23, of Valdosta, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Demarco Draughn, aka Shoota B, 28, of Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Richard Smith, aka Alleyway and Brett Favre, 36, of Ware State Prison in Waycross, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Rontavious Fowler, aka Lil Hot, 26, of Hancock State Prison in Sparta, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Shavon Thomas, aka Shavon Edwards, 55, of Decatur, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Lionel Edwards, aka Tony, Tyson, and Python, 41, of USP Florence in Florence, Colorado, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Anthony Jernigan, aka Hell Raiser, 36, of Hays State Prison in Trion, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Cedric Pierre, aka Flip, 23, of Robert A. Deyton Correctional Facility in Lovejoy, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Ricardo Sanchez, 40, of Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Troy McCraine, 57, of Tennessee, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Qawwee Mitchell, 36, of Gainesville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime;
• Sherri Gandy-Torres, 56, of Lakeland, Florida, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Nyla Blacknell, 43, of Duluth, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime;
• Tracey Wise, 46, of Milledgeville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Shounnette Wooten, 50, of Gray, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute; and
• Kierra Williams, 31, of Milledgeville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute.

If convicted, the defendants face penalties including up to life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy, 10 years to life in prison for the narcotics conspiracy and drug trafficking charges, and five years to life in prison for the firearms offenses.

The FBI, the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, the DEA, and the Georgia Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia State Patrol, the Brookhaven Police Department, the Butts County Sheriff’s Office, the DeKalb County Police Department, the Douglasville Police Department, the East Point Police Department, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the Gwinnett County Police Department, the Marietta Police Department, the Riverdale Police Department, the Sandy Springs Police Department, and the South Fulton Police Department.

Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VICAR) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case, and former VICAR Trial Attorney Rebecca R. Dunnan previously prosecuted the case.

The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty To Hacking Fantasy Sports And Betting Website

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH GARRISON pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in connection with a scheme to hack user accounts at a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts in order to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them.  GARRISON pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan on January 16, 2024

. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joseph Garrison and his co-conspirators launched an online cyberattack, stealing approximately $600,000 from innocent victims’ accounts.  Garrison now stands convicted of a federal crime for targeting the accounts of victims making legitimate online wagers.” 

According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:

On or about November 18, 2022, GARRISON launched a “credential stuffing attack” on the Betting Website.  During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials or username and password pairs obtained from large-scale data breaches of companies that can be purchased on the dark web.  The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers in order to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password.  Here, in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, there was a series of attempts to log into the Betting Website accounts using a large list of stolen credentials.

GARRISON and others successfully accessed approximately 60,000 accounts at the Betting Website (the “Victim Accounts”) through the credential stuffing attack.  In some instances, the individuals who unlawfully accessed the Victim Accounts were able to add a new payment method on the account, deposit $5 into that account through the new payment method to verify that method, and then withdraw all the existing funds in the Victim Account through the new payment method (i.e., to a newly added financial account belonging to the hacker), thus stealing the funds in the Victim Account.  Using this method, GARRISON and others stole approximately $600,000 from approximately 1,600 Victim Accounts.

Law enforcement executed a search on GARRISON’s home in February 2023.  In that search, they located programs typically used for credential stuffing attacks.  Those programs require individualized “config” files for a target website to launch credential stuffing attacks, and law enforcement located approximately 700 such config files for dozens of different corporate websites on GARRISON’s computer.  Law enforcement also located files containing nearly 40 million username and password pairs on GARRISON’s computer, which are also used in credential stuffing attacks.

On GARRISON’s cellphone, law enforcement also located conversations between GARRISON and his co-conspirators, which included discussions about how to hack the Betting Website and how to profit from the hack of the Betting Website by extracting funds from the Victim Accounts directly or by selling access to the Victim Accounts.  In one particular conversation, GARRISON discussed, in substance and in part, how successful he was at credential stuffing attacks, how much he enjoyed credential stuffing attacks, and how GARRISON believed that law enforcement would not catch or prosecute him.  Specifically, GARRISON messaged the following, in substance and in part: “fraud is fun . . . im addicted to see money in my account . . . im like obsessed with bypassing shit.”

GARRISON, 19, of Madison, Wisconsin, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Comptroller’s Review of Citi Bike Finds Worrying Decreases in Service Reliability Under Lyft’s Operation, Especially in Low-Income Neighborhoods

 

Report outlines contract overhaul with a better balance of oversight & incentives, ensure more reliable & equitable service, and secure a long-term future for bikeshare in NYC

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released a new report, Riding Forward: Overhauling Citi Bike’s Contract for More Reliable and Equitable Service, revealing significant operational shortcomings under Lyft’s operation, which has left riders facing more unusable stations, longer periods of station unavailability, and more broken bikes. Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color faced these problems more significantly. The review also found that the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to hold Lyft, which has operated Citi Bike since 2018, accountable for its failure to meet contracted performance standards. 

The report calls for a comprehensive contract overhaul to ensure more reliable and equitable service with a more strategic mix of enforcement of performance standards, attention to equitable service, and incentives to enable Citi Bike to thrive as a key element of the city’s transportation network – whether under Lyft or a new operator.

“Citi Bike has grown to be a vital element of New York City’s transportation network, but Lyft’s failure to deliver reliable service across the system raises alarm bells. The City should overhaul the contract with more strategic performance standards and the oversight and incentives to achieve them. Making sure that New Yorkers can access working bikes and docks in every neighborhood across the city is the way to secure Citi Bike’s future as an essential and equitable component of New York City’s transportation network,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.

New Yorkers took 3.4 million trips on Citi Bike in September 2023, making it by far the largest bike share program in the country. While the network of bikes, especially e-bikes, and docks grew over the past five years, maintenance decreased. Rebalancing moves—the relocation of bikes between stations, which is essential for bikes and docks to be available when and where riders need them—decreased by 80% from 2014 to 2022. With fewer rebalancing efforts, certain areas experience shortages of bikes or docks, impacting service quality.

The neighborhoods on the outer edges of the system experience far more empty stations and unusable bikes disproportionately affecting Black, Latino, and low-income residents. Riders in Sunset Park, Red Hook, and Kensington in Brooklyn and Fordham Heights, Morris Heights, and University Heights in the Bronx encountered Citi Bike stations with no bikes or out-of-service docks more than 20% of the time during peak hours throughout June and July 2023. When riders are uncertain whether bikes or docks will be available when they need them, they are far less likely to use the system.

Despite numerous instances of service failures, the report found no evidence that the City enforced the performance standards in Lyft’s contract. For example, the Comptroller’s analysis found 11,6000 instances in June and July 2023 alone where stations were left completely empty or full for an hour or more. At one point in 2018, Citi Bike experienced a significant service decline with only 57% of bikes available to riders due to repair needs, though the contract requires 97% availability. These and other failures to adhere to contract requirements could have resulted in millions of dollars of fines against Lyft. 

 The report comes as Lyft is reportedly considering selling Citi Bike and as docked bikeshare network programs in other cities declined in recent years, highlighting the tensions of privately-operated systems. Lyft does not receive any subsidy from the City of New York, leaving it reliant on fees and sponsorships to be profitable, and potentially in tension with the City’s interest in reliable and equitable service across all neighborhoods.

To address these challenges, the report calls for the City to initiate a comprehensive overhaul of the Citi Bike contract, with a more strategic mix of performance standards, oversight to require them, and financial incentives to achieve and exceed them. Although Citi Bike’s contract does not officially expire until 2029, parties can revise the terms at any time and did so at least ten times in the past ten years— most recently this past summer to expand the number of e-bikes (despite reports that Lyft seriously considered selling off the network at the time).

Regardless of whether Lyft continues to operate the system or sells it to a new operator down the road, the Comptroller recommends overhauling Citi Bike’s contract to deliver reliable, high-quality service in neighborhoods across the system by:

• Updating performance standards with neighborhood level requirements to ensure high-quality service throughout the system, not just in aggregate. 
• Strengthening enforcement of basic performance standards by actually levying fines where the operator fails to meet minimum performance requirements, especially around rebalancing and fleet availability. 
• Providing financial incentives for consistently achieving and exceeding performance standards, in order to provide stronger incentives for reliable and equitable service and ensure the long-term viability of the system. 
• Expanding eligibility for Citi Bike’s existing discounted membership program to reach more low-income New Yorkers, 
• Improving transparency through enhanced public reporting on Citi Bike’s operations. 

“Thanks to Comptroller Lander for shining a light on the inner workings of Citi Bike. This is the detailed review and set of policy ideas on service quality and transparency that we’ve needed for some time,” said Jon Orcutt, advocacy director at Bike New York.

“Citi Bike is an important cog in the city’s transportation network, so it’s essential that the bikes are in good working order, that stations are well balanced with a supply of bikes and open dock space, and that the system is maintained equitably throughout its operating footprint. We commend Comptroller Lander for shining a light on the areas in which Lyft is coming up short in meeting those requirements, and look forward to continued improvement and growth in the city’s bike share system,” said Eric McClure, Executive Director at StreetsPAC