Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JANUARY 26, 2022

 

Statewide COVID-19 Hospitalizations Drop by More Than 500 in Past 24 Hours, Nearly 2,700 Over Past Week

Cases Per 100k (7-Day Average) Continue to Decline in All Regions

158 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.    

"I am grateful for all the hard work New Yorkers have put in to bring infections down, but our fight is not over yet." Governor Hochul said. "It is important that we continue to wear our masks and get vaccinated. For the parents hesitating to get their children vaccinated, thousands of young New Yorkers across the state have already gotten their shot - it is safe, free, widely available, and the best way to protect your children and keep them in school.

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 229,992
• Total Positive - 16,519
• Percent Positive - 7.18%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 9.11%
• Patient Hospitalization - 9,335 (-519)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 1,073
• Patients in ICU - 1355 (-78)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 796 (-9)
• Total Discharges - 267,121 (+1,282)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 158
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 52,305

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.     

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 65,250

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.     

• Total vaccine doses administered - 35,629,331
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 66,121
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 469,438
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 90.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 81.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 84.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 79.9%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 71.5%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 87.1%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.7%

Co-Founder And Former CEO Of Foreign Oil Company Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison For Failure To File Tax Returns Causing Over $20 Million In Losses To The U.S. Treasury

  

 Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today that TODD KOZEL, the former Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of a multi-national foreign oil company, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 60 months in prison following KOZEL’s guilty plea to five counts of willful failure to file individual income tax returns for the calendar years 2011 through 2015.  U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood, who previously accepted Kozel’s guilty plea, imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “For years, Todd Kozel failed to file income tax returns, or pay the federal tax liabilities that were owed under those returns, despite earning millions of dollars in compensation as the CEO of an overseas oil company.  Today’s sentence shows that no one is above the law—all citizens must pay their fair share of taxes, including Americans who earn compensation from working in foreign countries.”

IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Tom Fattorusso said:  “U.S. citizens are required to pay taxes on worldwide income from all sources, including income earned overseas. Kozel earned tens of millions of dollars, and as a result, was required by law to pay taxes – more than $20 million – on those earnings. By not paying his fair share, he cheated the American people out of millions of dollars.” 

According to the Information and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during public court proceedings:

Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code and attendant regulations, all United States citizens and residents who had annual income in excess of a threshold amount are required to report accurately their income, tax obligations, and, where appropriate, any claim for a refund on a United States Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040 (“Form 1040”), which must be filed annually with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).  This obligation applies to all sources of income, including income earned through overseas employment and from foreign financial accounts.

From at least in or about 2004 through at least in or about 2014, TODD KOZEL was the co-founder and CEO of a London-based petroleum company with operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (the “Oil Company”).  During the period 2011 through 2015, KOZEL, a United States citizen, earned substantial compensation as the CEO of the Oil Company, totaling more than approximately $66 million during the five-year period.  But despite earning this substantial income, KOZEL willfully failed timely to file any personal federal income tax returns for calendar years 2011 through 2015, resulting in well over $20 million in unpaid federal tax liabilities.  As part of his criminal conduct, KOZEL used sophisticated offshore structures, trusts, and bank accounts to conceal a portion of his undeclared income from the U.S. government.

In addition to the prison sentence, KOZEL, 55, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $29,462,965.23.

Mr. Williams praised the IRS-CI for their outstanding investigative work on this case, and thanked the Large Business and International Division of the IRS for its assistance.

OPERATION OVERNIGHT EXPRESS: COLLEGE STUDENT INDICTED FOR SELLING 73 FIREARMS TO UNDERCOVER OFFICER

 

Defendant Allegedly Brought Firearms from Tennessee By Bus; Weapons Included 59 Loaded Guns, Over 40 High-Capacity Magazines

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell today announced that a 23-year-old man has been indicted on hundreds of counts of Criminal Sale of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of a Firearm and related charges for trafficking 73 weapons and high capacity magazines to the Bronx and Manhattan, where they were sold to an undercover NYPD officer. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly brought these semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines up from the south, sometimes transporting them in a duffle bag by bus. Dozens of the firearms were loaded and four are considered assault weapons. The NYPD worked diligently to intercept these deadly weapons before they hit our streets. Bronxites are dying from gunfire and we cannot tolerate one more illegal gun in our community.”

 Commissioner Sewell said, “Stopping traffickers who flood our streets with illegal guns is mission critical in our work to smash the Iron Pipeline. The NYPD’s officers, working with their prosecutorial partners in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, are the first line of defense in protecting our residents, our families, and our children from the scourge of gun violence and I commend their work in this important case.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Shakor Rodriguez, 23, originally from the Bronx, who was attending Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, is charged in two indictments totaling 304 counts. He was arraigned January 24, 2022 on 79 counts including Criminal Sale of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of Ammunition before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Albert Lorenzo. He was remanded and is due back in court January 31, 2022.

 On December 23, 2021 he was arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Efrain Alvarado on 225 counts including Criminal Sale of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Conspiracy and Criminal Possession of a Firearm.

 According to the investigation by the NYPD Firearms Investigations Unit and the Bronx District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, dubbed “Operation Overnight Express,” between July 17, 2020 and December 22, 2021, in the Bronx and Manhattan, Shakor Rodriguez, also known as “Sha,” allegedly sold an undercover officer 73 firearms, of which 59 were loaded, as well as over 40 high capacity magazines, including multiple “drum” magazines. The undercover paid typically between $1,000 and $1,500 per gun.

  According to the investigation, the defendant sold most of the weapons near his former home in the vicinity of Weeks Avenue and Nelson Avenue in the Bronx, and multiple sales occurred on Allen Street in Manhattan. The investigation is continuing into how he obtained the guns and where they were purchased.

 The investigation found the defendant transported guns in duffle bags and in some instances traveled with them by bus.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked the NYPD’s Firearms Investigations Unit for their work in the investigation, specifically Detective Gustavo Medina, Sergeant Brian O’Hanlon, Lieutenant Michael Raso, Captain Jeffrey Heilig and Inspector Brian Gill. 

 An indictment is an accusatory instrument and is not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

UPDATED CONSUMER ALERT: Attorney General James Urges ShrubBucket Customers to File Claims

 

ShrubBucket’s Bankruptcy Proceeding Extends Deadline for Consumersto File Claims to Secure Refunds for Undelivered Services or Products

  New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued an updated consumer alert, urging New York customers of the online plant retailer, ShrubBucket, who are owed money for undelivered services or products to immediately file a claim in the company’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. ShrubBucket’s bankruptcy proceeding has extended the deadline for consumers to file claims and has set aside funds to repay affected consumers who file a priority claim. Consumers who were defrauded by ShrubBucket are encouraged to file priority claims by February 18th to secure refunds.

“ShrubBucket failed to deliver on its basic business services, but now consumers who were defrauded have a chance to get their money back,” said Attorney General James. “I urge any consumer who paid money to ShrubBucket but never received what they paid for to file a claim immediately. My office will not let companies get away with defrauding New Yorkers.”

ShrubBucket — an internet company based out of Ithaca, New York that sells plants, shrubs, and trees — filed for bankruptcy on June 18, 2021, but continued to wrongfully accept deposits from consumers up to a week before that bankruptcy filing. After receiving multiple complaints regarding the company’s practices, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) began an investigation. Upon review of ShrubBucket’s bankruptcy filing, OAG found that more than 2,000 consumers paid deposits in May of 2021, but the company never fulfilled its orders or provided refunds.

Attorney General James issued a consumer alert in September, urging ShrubBucket consumers to file a claim. With the extended deadline in ShrubBucket’s bankruptcy proceedings, OAG encourages affected consumers to file a claim to secure their refund.

If consumers previously filed proofs of claim for products that were paid for and never received, then they should file an unsecured priority claim. Consumers who have already filed unsecured claims but did not file a 507(a)(7) priority claim may amend their filing. To amend a claim, individuals will need to check the “yes” box in response to question number 4 and input their claim number (if known) to show that this is an amended claim. Additionally, they will also need to input the claim amount in response to question number 7 and check “yes” in the second box (labeled “up to $3,025...”) in response to question number 12 and input the amount on that line. 

All proofs of claim should be completed and mailed to: United States Bankruptcy Court, James M. Hanley Federal Building, 100 South Clinton Street, Room 315, PO Box 7008, Syracuse, NY 13261-7008.

Governor Hochul Convenes New Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns, Including Partnership with Mayor Adams and NYPD

New York State Police, NYPD, ATF and More Than 50 Multi-State Law Enforcement Representatives Met to Share Data and Resources to Stop the Flow of Illegal Guns 

NYSP Will Also Convene Local Law Enforcement Agencies Across New York As Part of Collaboration 

Governor Hochul today led the first meeting of the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns. The multi-state consortium convened to share intelligence, tools, tactics, and strategies to combat gun violence, especially as it relates to the trafficking of firearms between states. Among other things, the State Police discussed the latest tools and technologies available as well as analysis of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and other data sources in furtherance of this endeavor.   

 

“Gun violence is a public health crisis driven by a plague of illegal guns flowing into New York from out of state,” Governor Hochul said. “We are taking action to tackle this crisis head-on, and this collaboration with our local, interstate, and federal partners will help stop the flow of illegal guns and save lives."

 

Representatives from the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, and ATF were joined by law enforcement representatives from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New Hampshire and met for three hours to discuss a host of issues surrounding firearm-related investigations, policing strategies and best practices. The group discussed ways to improve gun data sharing across local, state and federal lines and explored the differences in federal and state laws that relate to ghost guns.

 

The group will have a follow-up meeting in the coming weeks, and NYSP will plan an intra-state consortium to share information with local law enforcement agencies across the state. 

 

Easily obtainable firearms fuel much of New York’s recent surge in gun violence and a rise in ghost guns, with most of these weapons trafficked into and throughout the state from other areas of the country. To take a holistic approach, in her 2022 State of the State Governor Hochul announced the interstate gun-tracing consortium which is working in partnership with law enforcement agencies from neighboring states and New York City. It is the latest joint effort to bring a unified approach from State and City leaders, including Governor Hochul, Lieutenant Governor Benjamin and Mayor Adams, to the crucial issue of public safety.

 

“Today, we gathered the best and brightest minds of law enforcement that the Northeast region has to offer, and frankly, I feel heartened by the collaboration I witnessed,” Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin said. “With these seasoned experts leading the strategy on how we interdict the trafficking of illegal guns, I can say with assurance that we are on our way to a safer New York. I thank the Governor for her leadership in creating the Interstate Taskforce on Illegal Guns. The intervention and intel efforts you’ve empowered through this consortium will save the lives of New Yorkers.”

 

“In the last three weeks, we have seen an alarming rise in gun violence, and it has inflicted too much heartbreaking tragedy on our city,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “We are going to turn our pain into purpose and unite to take action. We know New York City is far from alone in dealing with this crisis, and I am grateful to Governor Hochul and all of our partners.”

 

Governor Hochul’s FY 2023 Executive Budget includes important investments for State Police staffing that will increase their analytical bandwidth, allowing them to aid local departments in thorough anti-gun trafficking and crime investigations. Investments are broken down into:

• $215,000 increase for gun crime tracing team
• $527,000 for social media analysts
• $1.4 million for troop computer crimes
• $6 million for the recruitment of two academy classes of 300 Troopers each
• $3.9 million for equipment/software/special onboarding for computer/cybercrimes unit 

 

A $13 million investment into the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ Crime Analysis Center network will include the purchase of dedicated crime gun and ballistic tracing equipment for each center. Equipment will also be used by the State Police for investigations into gun violence and gun trafficking, especially in the Finger Lakes Region and Western NY, where the agency is noticing incoming shipments from Pennsylvania and Ohio.

 

Governor Hochul today also announced the appointment of Calliana S. Thomas as the Director of the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention. As part of the Governor's actions to prevent and reduce gun violence throughout New York State, the OGVP will identify and bring together key partners in the community and law enforcement to identify steps that can be taken to curb gun violence in New York State. Located within the Department of Health's Center for Community Health, the OGVP will collaborate with the Division of Criminal Justice Services and other State agencies to coordinate efforts and direct resources to existing and emerging gun violence hot spots.

 

In October, Governor Hochul signed legislation to further address the gun violence epidemic by prohibiting the possession of unfinished frames or receivers by anyone other than a licensed gunsmith or dealer in firearms; prohibiting the sale of ghost guns and requiring gunsmiths and dealers in firearms to register firearms in their possession, and; adding firearms designed to resemble toys to the definition of a 'disguised gun.'

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT BIDEN’S VISIT TO NEW YORK CITY NEXT WEEK

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams released the following statement in anticipation of President Joseph Biden’s visit to New York City next week:

“I look forward to welcoming President Biden to New York City next week and sitting down to discuss how we can work collaboratively to end the scourge of gun violence we are seeing on New York City streets. The sea of violence comes from many rivers, and that’s why my Blueprint to End Gun Violence in New York City seeks to dam every river that feeds this greater crisis. Public safety is my administration’s highest priority, and we welcome the opportunity to display to President Biden how federal and local governments can coordinate and support each other in this fight to keep New Yorkers safe.”

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JANUARY 25, 2022

 

New COVID-19 Hospital Admissions Down 25% Statewide Over Previous Week

Cases Per 100k (7-Day Average) Declining in All Regions

158 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.    

"The winter surge is not over yet, but cases continue to head in the right direction and we are in a far better position to deal with it than we were at this time last year," Governor Hochul said. "We have the tools and we know what works to keep our loved ones safe and our schools and economy open. Get vaccinated if you haven't yet, get boosted if you have, and please wear your mask and exercise caution in indoor public spaces.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Test Results Reported - 129,534
• Total Positive - 12,484
• Percent Positive - 9.64%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 9.69%
• Patient Hospitalization - 9,854 (+56)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 894
• Patients in ICU - 1433 (-46)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 805 (-33)
• Total Discharges - 265,839 (+667)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 158
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 52,146

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.     

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 65,193

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.     

• Total vaccine doses administered - 35,563,210
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 56,023
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 478,348
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 90.6%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 81.7%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 84.2%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 79.9%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 71.5%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 87.1%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.7%   

Attorney General James’ Statement on Death of NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora

 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement in response to the death of NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora, the second officer killed while responding to a 911 call in Harlem:

“I join all of New York today in mourning the heartbreaking death of Officer Wilbert Mora. He was a hero until the end. Officer Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera, showed courage in the face of imminent danger to protect New Yorkers. Their bravery exemplified their commitment to protecting the city they loved. Both will forever be remembered as heroes who dedicated their lives to making New York safer and stronger. I pray for strength and ease for their families and loved ones.”