NYC COUNCIL PASSES PUBLIC ADVOCATE’S BILL TO REQUIRE DYSLEXIA SCREENING IN CITY JAILS

 

The New York City Council voted overwhelmingly today to pass legislation from Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams to require dyslexia screenings for people incarcerated in city jails. The measure will help to expand educational and health services, improve programming inside city jails, and reduce recidivism upon release. 

Identifying and providing services to incarcerated individuals with dyslexia is a critical effort. The learning disability affects about 15% of people nationwide, but seen at dramatically higher rates in jails and prisons, and is thought to be a contributing factor to both initial contact with the criminal justice system and recidivism rates. 

Intro 349-A will require the Department of Education to screen all incarcerated people who do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent for dyslexia within 72 hours of intake, beginning with those under the age of 22 before expanding to all incarcerated people. They will then be required to offer evidence-based programs to treat identified individuals. 

"Rikers remains in crisis, and the foundations on which the system was built were not designed to truly support the needs or well-being of people on the inside. Dyslexia is already under-discussed- and likely under-diagnosed- in our city, and evidence suggests that this problem is exponentially worse among incarcerated people. By screening and servicing affected individuals, we can help correct an educational services gap that should have been addressed long ago, providing new opportunities for people on the inside and helping to prevent them from re-entering the criminal justice system in the future," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "Identifying and addressing dyslexia and illiteracy through trained educators will make time while incarcerated more positive, and employment after incarceration more accessible. If we had done a better job as a city of meeting this need early in New Yorkers' education, we may have prevented many people from contact with the system in the first place. I thank the Speaker and my colleagues on the Council for voting to enact this key legislation."

Dyslexia is a major contributing factor to illiteracy, which in turn is often correlated to contact with the criminal justice system. While studies vary, data has shown that as many as one third to half of incarcerated people in some prisons may struggle with dyslexia. As many as 80% may have difficulty with reading comprehension.

The federal First Step Act of 2018 requires dyslexia screening in federal prisons, and this legislation would not only extend that to municipal jails but provide programming to address this critical need. Addressing dyslexia while incarcerated would help New Yorkers to secure employment upon their release, a cause which the Public Advocate has also advanced through the Fair Chance Act and its expansion. A recent study found that incarcerated people who took part in education programs were 43 percent less likely to commit crimes following their time incarcerated. 

Housing Lottery Launches For 92 West 169th Street In Highbridge, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 92 West 169th Street, a four-story residential building in Highbridge, The Bronx. Designed by Boaz M. Golani Architect and developed by Isra Holdings, the structure yields 38 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 12 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $76,663 to $198,250.

Units include name-brand kitchen appliances and finishes, large windows, and hardwood floors. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are six studios with a monthly rent of $2,236 for incomes ranging from $76,663 to $146,900; four one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,275 for incomes ranging from $78,000 to $165,230; and two two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $3,773 for incomes ranging from $129,360 to $198,250.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than October 17, 2023.

NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ISSUES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 30

A Flood Watch is in effect citywide from 2 a.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday

 

Flash flooding from excessive rain is possible

The New York City Emergency Management Department has issued a travel advisory for Friday, September 29 through Saturday morning, September 30. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for New York City beginning at 2 a.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday. According to the latest National Weather Service forecast, heavy rain is expected citywide beginning as early as 2 a.m. Friday through tomorrow night. Citywide average rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are forecast, with locally higher amounts in excess of 5 inches possible. Persistent heavy rainfall may result in numerous flash floods. The excessive rain runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Potential street flooding may also occur. Widespread travel impacts are possible, particularly during the morning commute tomorrow. There are no significant winds hazards or thunderstorms expected.

 

"We are on high alert for heavy rainfall and the looming threat of flooding from early morning Friday into Saturday,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Our emergency response teams are standing by to address any issues that may arise and while we are working closely with them to minimize disruptions, we urge all New Yorkers to take necessary precautions, especially during the morning commute. New Yorkers can stay informed by signing up for emergency notifications at NYC.gov/NotifyNYC or by calling 311. If you live in a basement apartment in a flood prone area, be prepared to move to higher ground if the need arises. Let's come together as a city, check on our neighbors, and make sure we weather this storm safely.”

 

“New York City will be under a flood watch starting tomorrow and we urge New Yorkers to prepare for heavy rain and potential flooding throughout Friday and Saturday morning,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “All New Yorkers need to exercise caution. If you must travel, consider using public transportation and allow for extra travel time, and if you must drive, do not enter flooded roadways. If you live in a basement apartment, especially in a flood prone area, be prepared to move to higher ground.”

 

NYC Emergency Management and its partners have activated the Flash Flood Plan and are working with the National Weather Service to monitor conditions. Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation are inspecting and cleaning catch basins in neighborhoods and roads vulnerable to flooding. For access to timely and accurate updates, New Yorkers should sign up for the City’s emergency alert system Notify NYC and follow NYC Emergency Management on social media.

   

Safety Tips

  

• Allow for extra travel time. New Yorkers are urged to use public transportation. 
• If you must drive, drive slowly. Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible. 
• If you live in a basement apartment in a flood prone area, prepare to move to higher ground.
• Do not drive into flooded streets or enter flooded subway stations.
• Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities, access and functional needs, or health conditions. Help them to prepare if needed.
• Stay informed. Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels, including Notify NYC. Sign up for emergency notifications at NYC.gov/NotifyNYC or call 311. You can also follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

  

For more safety tips, visit NYC.gov/SevereWeather. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency notification system, to stay informed about the latest weather updates and other emergencies. Notify NYC is available in 14 languages including American Sign Language. To learn more about the Notify NYC program or to sign up, visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, call 311, or download the free app for your Android or Apple device. You can also follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

  

VCJC News & Notes 9/29/23

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders

1. Shabbos & Sukkot
   
   

   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 9/29/23 @ 6:23 pm

   Mincha/Maariv 6:30 pm
   

   Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am. 
   Mincha/Maariv 6:15 pm
   
   
   Candlelighting 9/30/23 after 7:25 pm

2. Sukkot, Day 2, Sunday 10/1/23
   Shacharit  8:40 am
   Mincha/Maariv 6:25 pm

   Yom Tov ends 7:23 pm

    

3. Yizkor
   Yizkor was said on Monday, Yom Kippur.
   It is customary to make a charitable donation in conjunction with Yizkor.  If you wish to donate to VCJC as part of your Yizkor observance, it can be done in person at the office, by check, or online through our website
   There will be another Yizkor on Shemini Atzeret, Sat. 10/7.  

4. Lloyd Ultan Lecture 10/15/23
   Bronx Historian Emeritus,  Prof. Lloyd Ultan will give a talk on The Historic Ethnic Diversity of the Bronx.  (see below).  Please plan on joining us!  So that we can properly prepare, please let us know if you plan to attend via email.

Our mailing address is:

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on Extreme Weather

Governor Hochul: “My team and I have been monitoring the storm trajectory all day long. And the reality we have to deal with is this is our new normal. Once again, extreme weather is back, and now we've been upgraded to the fact that we'll have a 70 percent chance of flash flooding.”

Hochul: “It is going to result in havoc throughout the Downstate region – Long Island, New York City, the Hudson Valley. We could have anywhere from three to five inches of rain, one inch an hour. And that may not sound like a lot, but if you are driving on a road and you start to see the water puddling on the street, you need to get off the road immediately.”

The Governor urged New Yorkers today to prepare for heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding beginning overnight Thursday and continuing through Friday night in the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island regions.

The current forecast predicts a widespread two to three inches of rain and locally heavy rainfall of five inches or more is possible, with rainfall rates reaching one inch per hour. These conditions may cause flash flooding in low-lying, flood-prone areas and areas that recently experienced heavy rainfall. In the event of flash flooding, commutes would be impacted on Friday. Governor Hochul urged New Yorkers to pay close attention to the forecast and changing conditions, and her administration stands ready to respond to extreme weather impacts in affected areas.

My team and I have been monitoring the storm trajectory all day long. And the reality we have to deal with is this is our new normal. Once again, extreme weather is back, and now we've been upgraded to the fact that we'll have a 70 percent chance of flash flooding. And what that means is, the land, the ground is very saturated already from the previous rain. And so, it will not be able to absorb the rain.

It is going to result in havoc throughout the Downstate region – Long Island, New York City, the Hudson Valley. We could have anywhere from three to five inches of rain, one inch an hour. And that may not sound like a lot, but if you are driving on a road and you start to see the water puddling on the street, you need to get off the road immediately.

It could be dangerous. We've had circumstances as recently as this summer where vehicles were swept away. And also in our homes, we've had literally houses washed away. So I just wanted people to know we're preparing. Our state watch center is monitoring the weather. Thruway Authority and DOT, we already have 2,000 pieces of equipment and staff ready to go.

And utility workers, if the power lines come down, as often happens during these events, we'll have over 5,500 utility workers ready. And the MTA and Port Authority are ready throughout the system to target the at-risk stations. And so, that's what's going on right now. Again, we're getting used to the rain, but this could quickly morph into a life threatening, dangerous event, and I wanted to prepare New Yorkers for that possibility.

 

MAYOR ADAMS TO HOST SUMMIT ON FENTANYL CRISIS IN AMERICA

 

Two-Day Summit Will Focus on Education, Enforcement, Prevention and Treatment to Develop National Strategy to Combat Fentanyl Overdoses

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced plans to host elected leaders, public health officials, and law enforcement professionals from across the country in New York City next week for a summit on the fentanyl crisis in America. The two-day summit will include strategy sessions focused on education, enforcement, awareness, prevention, and treatment with the goal of developing a national strategy to combat the scourge of fentanyl.

 

Fentanyl is now the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in New York City, including the death of a one-year-old boy in the Bronx earlier this month. Drug overdoses killed 2,668 individuals in New York City in 2021 — a 78 percent increase since 2019 — with fentanyl detected in 80 percent of those deaths.

 

“From the farms of small-town America to the sidewalks of the biggest city in the country, we see the effects of addiction and the danger of fentanyl across this entire nation,” said Mayor Adams. “As opioid use skyrockets, illegal drugs are often contaminated with fentanyl or other dangerous substances, and overdoses have hit historic levels, including in New York City. Last year was the worst year on record for overdose deaths in our nation’s history. We cannot allow this crisis to continue taking lives and destroying communities. Together, we will work to develop a national framework to prevent fatal overdoses, get treatment to people who need it, enhance enforcement efforts, and increase educational outreach to save lives, dreams, and families.”

 

“The opioid overdose crisis persists to be one of the greatest public health issues of our time,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “This summit will offer opportunities to exchange ideas with key local leaders in public health and in law enforcement from around the country and ultimately help us chart a path forward to help New Yorkers and all Americans affected by this issue.”

 

“We can’t lose sight of the fact that behind every overdose statistic, there’s a person who deserved to live, a shattered family, and a community in pain,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “That’s why it is essential that we approach the fentanyl crisis not just as a problem to solve but as a collective responsibility. With this summit, the Adams administration is bringing together the right people to figure out what pieces of the puzzle are missing, from harm reduction and treatment efforts to going after the people responsible for putting this poison on our streets.”

 

“Overdoses affect all of us, and fentanyl is driving the overdose epidemic in New York City and across the nation,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “New York City has set ambitious goals and taken bold and innovative action to reduce overdose deaths. But all of us are grappling with fentanyl and how it challenges all of our public health efforts. We look forward to sharing and learning from other jurisdictions on how we can save American lives.”

 

“The fentanyl crisis has impacted every neighborhood in our nation,” said New York City Police Department Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the NYPD is committed to ridding our streets of illegal drugs and holding those who would peddle this poison fully accountable under the law. We are also eager to be a part of this summit, and to share in the many innovative ways we can keep the people we serve safe. The stakes could not be any higher — and we will never stop fighting for New Yorkers.”

 

“In countless conversations with Mayor Adams and my fellow brother and sister mayors in the U.S. Conference of Mayors, it has become evident that the ongoing opioid epidemic is a shared challenge all major cities are facing,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “In New Orleans, we are fortunate to have all our public safety and health teams working proactively and collaboratively to ensure we have the tools and information necessary to protect our people. The New Orleans Health Department Behavioral Health Unit has been distributing naloxone, or Narcan, directly to the public through outreach programs, and — through our Office of Nighttime Economy — more bars and music venues are training their staff and keeping Narcan on hand. The New Orleans Fire Department and our Emergency Medical Services are also equipped with Narcan kits for the public. By making free doses of Narcan widely available and training the public and city employees on how to properly administer doses, we are doing our part to keep our people safe and end this tragedy.”

 

“Communities across the country are facing a fast-changing drug supply and a dramatic rise in fatal overdoses with each passing year,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “In Philadelphia, we are witnessing not only a rise in overdose rates but growing racial disparities as well. My administration is committed to using every available tool for prevention, treatment, and healing, and we look forward to the New York City summit as an opportunity to share with and learn from our colleagues across the U.S. Like any epidemic, the overdose crisis impacts all municipalities, and we must all work together if we are to succeed in saving lives and healing communities.”

 

“As we are seeing deaths related to overdoses reach historic proportions in Laredo, fentanyl has created a public health crisis in every community across the United States,” said Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Treviño. “From speaking to families in the hospitals devastated by these overdoses, some of the biggest challenges will be to encourage parents to talk to their children about fentanyl-contaminated drugs being marketed to them. Tackling this problem is going to take a binational and society-wide approach.”

 

“We continue to see an unprecedented rate of overdose deaths impacting every community,” said Dr. Siddarth Puri, associate medical director of prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Unintentional fentanyl overdoses are now the leading cause of death among adults aged 18-45. We must be committed to a continuum of approaches to reducing overdoses and helping people across the spectrum of substance use — from those who may be experimenting to those with substance use disorders. Harm reduction is a data-backed approach that reduces overdoses, prevents unnecessary deaths in our communities, and connects those in need with critical services, including treatment.”

 

Justice Department Sues Agri Stats for Operating Extensive Information Exchanges Among Meat Processors

 

Agri Stats Suppresses Competition by Organizing and Managing Scheme to Share Competitively Sensitive Information Among Protein Processors

The Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Agri Stats Inc. today for organizing and managing anticompetitive information exchanges among broiler chicken, pork and turkey processors. The complaint alleges that Agri Stats violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by collecting, integrating and distributing competitively sensitive information related to price, cost and output among competing meat processors. This conduct harms customers, including grocery stores and American families.

The complaint, filed in the District of Minnesota, alleges that Agri Stats has for years produced comprehensive weekly and monthly reports for participating meat processors, which use the data to set prices and output levels. Spanning hundreds of pages, the reports contain recent data relating to sales prices, costs such as worker and farmer compensation and output that are often detailed by facility or company. Participating processors accounted for more than 90% of broiler chicken sales, 80% of pork sales and 90% of turkey sales in the United States. The complaint further alleges that Agri Stats understood that meat processors have used these reports for anticompetitive purposes and, in some instances, even encouraged meat processors to raise prices and reduce supply. While distributing troves of competitively sensitive information among participating processors, Agri Stats withholds its reports from meat purchasers, workers and American consumers, resulting in an information asymmetry that further exacerbates the competitive harm of Agri Stats’ information exchanges.

“The Justice Department is committed to addressing anticompetitive information exchanges that result in consumers paying more for chicken, pork and turkey,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This case is the latest effort by the Justice Department to protect American consumers, farmers and workers from anticompetitive practices in the agriculture industry.”

The complaint alleges that Agri Stats’ scheme continues to this day in the chicken processing industry, among others. While Agri Stats paused its turkey and pork reporting after facing several private antitrust lawsuits, Agri Stats has expressed an intent to resume such reporting after these lawsuits’ resolution.

This lawsuit marks the latest action by the Antitrust Division to combat unlawful information exchanges. It follows a recent enforcement action (here and here) against four poultry processors as well as two facilitators for participating in a long-running conspiracy to suppress workers’ compensation in the poultry industry. In that case, the district court entered consent decrees enjoining the processors from exchanging competitively sensitive information and barring the facilitators from providing surveys or other services that enable direct competitors in any industry to share competitively sensitive information.

Anyone with information about collusion in agriculture industries, competitors sharing non-public price or compensation information or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov. Information about anticompetitive practices in livestock and poultry markets can also be submitted to the USDA and Justice Department’s Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership at www.farmerfairness.gov.

CEO Of Immigration Services Company Sentenced To 10 Months In Prison Following Trial Conviction For Immigration Fraud Offenses

 

Uladzimir Danskoi is the Seventh Defendant Sentenced in Two Immigration Fraud Cases

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ULADZIMIR DANSKOI, the CEO of an immigration services firm, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to 10 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit immigration fraud.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Uladzimir Danskoi, an experienced immigration practitioner who ran an immigration services firm’s Brooklyn office, disregarded the law and helped make a mockery of the U.S. immigration system by conspiring to defraud the United States and commit asylum and visa fraud.  Asylum is meant to help vulnerable people who justifiably fear imprisonment, assault, torture, or death, because of their religion, nationality, ethnicity, political views, gender, or sexual orientation.  Danskoi and his codefendants exploited the immigration system for financial gain by knowingly peddling false claims and coaching clients to lie under oath.  They now face time in prison for these crimes.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and evidence presented at trial:

A New York City immigration services firm, “Russian America,” worked with clients – primarily aliens from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States – seeking visas, asylum, citizenship, and other forms of legal status in the United States.  Among other things, Russian America advised certain of their clients in the manner in which they were most likely to obtain asylum in this country, fully understanding that those clients did not legitimately qualify for asylum.  The firm also prepared and submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) clients’ fraudulent Form I-589 asylum applications, as well as asylum affidavits – statements of an asylum applicant’s personal history and claimed basis for asylum, often including allegations of past persecution – and related supporting documentation.  Members and associates of each firm also coached certain clients to lie under oath during interviews conducted by USCIS Asylum Officers and provided legal representation to their clients during various immigration proceedings.

ULADZIMIR DANSKOI and previously convicted codefendant YURY MOSHA operated and maintained Russian America’s Brooklyn and Manhattan offices, respectively.  Each advised and aided their clients to seek asylum under fraudulent pretenses.  Among other things, DANSKOI advised a client, a confidential Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) source (the “Source”), to seek asylum on the fraudulent basis that the client was persecuted in Ukraine for being a gay male, when in fact DANSKOI fully understood that the Source was a heterosexual male who suffered no such persecution.  DANSKOI also advised the Source on how to most effectively advance this fraudulent claim; connected the Source with previously convicted codefendant KATERYNA LYSYUCHENKO, who helped the Source prepare a fraudulent personal history (or “Affidavit”); and personally submitted the Source’s fraudulent asylum application and Affidavit, filed under penalty of perjury, to USCIS.

Meanwhile, MOSHA encouraged a second client, a Government cooperating witness posing as a person seeking asylum (the “Client”), to establish and maintain online blogs that were critical of the Client’s home country as a way to generate a claim that, based on the Client’s invented political opinion, it was unsafe for him to return to his native country.  MOSHA did so understanding that the Client’s decision to blog was prompted not by his own idea or initiative, but by MOSHA’s instruction, and that the Client’s motive for blogging was to contrive a basis for asylum rather than to publicly express a sincerely held opinion.  MOSHA also understood that the Client lacked the desire, topical knowledge, journalistic ability, and technical expertise to write blogposts and maintain these blogs.  Accordingly, Mosha connected the Client with unapprehended codefendant TYMUR SHCHERBYNA, a Ukraine-based purported journalist, with the understanding that, in exchange for a fee, SHCHERBYNA would and did maintain and ghost-write the Client’s blog.  MOSHA also personally prepared and submitted the Client’s asylum application, Affidavit, and related paperwork under penalty of perjury, knowing that these documents contained material falsehoods. 

When the Source and Client needed to prepare for an interview, conducted under oath by a USCIS asylum officer, DANSKOI and MOSHA connected each to previously convicted codefendant JULIA GREENBERG, a New York immigration attorney, who coached both clients to lie to Asylum Officers and provided legal representation to these clients during immigration proceedings.  For example, GREENBERG, understanding that the Source was a heterosexual male who did not suffer persecution in his home country, prepared the Source for questioning by an Asylum Officer, advised the Source how to falsely answer certain anticipated questions from the Asylum Officer, and instructed the Source to dress and change the Source’s appearance in a manner that comported with GREENBERG’s vision of a gay male.

DANSKOI and MOSHA also agreed to help certain Russian America clients obtain L1 employment visas by creating fake leases and staging offices to create the impression to USCIS that these clients had legitimate jobs waiting for them in the United States.

A similar investigation into another Brooklyn-based firm engaged in asylum fraud on behalf of clients from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States resulted in the convictions of three additional individuals: attorneys ILONA DZHAMGAROVA and ARTHUR ARCADIAN, and IGOR REZNIK.

DANSKOI, 56, of Staten Island, New York, was previously convicted of one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to commit immigration fraud following a two-week trial before Judge Oetken.

DANSKOI is the seventh defendant to have been sentenced in two immigration fraud cases pending before Judge Oetken and U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.  The six other defendants who have been sentenced by Judges Oetken or Vyskocil are:

• ILONA DZHAMGAROVA, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, who was sentenced to two years in prison;
• YURY MOSHA, 47, of Staten Island, New York, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison;
• IGOR REZNIK, 40, now of Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison;
• ARTHUR ARCADIAN, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, who was sentenced to 6 months in prison;
• JULIA GREENBERG, 43, of Staten Island, New York, who was sentenced to 3 months in prison; and
• KATERYNA LYSYUCHENKO, of Milan, Italy, who was sentenced to time-served (approximately 2 months in prison).

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and USCIS’s New York Asylum Office and Fraud Detection and National Security Unit, and he thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its assistance.