SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $61 MILLION FOR CAPITAL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO EXPAND BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

 

A Historic $61 Million For CDTA Is On Its Way; Funding Is Multi-Million Dollar Increase Over Previous Funding Levels

Federal Funding Will Be Used To Expand Rapid Transit System, Improving Service And Access For Capital Region

Schumer: Federal Funding Boost Will Keep CDTA – And Capital Region Riders – Rolling Into The Future

 After securing $51,653,331 for the Albany-Schenectady UZA in the American Rescue Plan to address the region’s public transportation needs as New York recovers from the worst of the COVID pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced a historic $61 million for the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) to expand its Albany Washington/Western Bus Rapid Transit project. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Capital Investments Grant (CIG) Program, which funds local efforts to expand Bus Rapid Transit routes across the nation.

The Washington/Western Bus Rapid Transit line will be the third rapid transit line operated by the CDTA. Schumer helped to secure federal funding for both the Central Avenue Corridor line that connects Albany to Schenectady and the River line that connects Albany to Troy and Cohoes in previous years.

“Coming after a year and a half of hardship and isolation during the COVID pandemic, the $61 million announced today represents hope for a more connected and resilient future,” said Senator Schumer. “The CDTA keeps our community united, the wheels of the regional economy rolling, and serves as a vital lifeline for many Capital Region residents. I’m proud to deliver this historic investment into the CDTA, which will keep our transit moving and pave the way for expanded service.”

CIG funds transit capital investments, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), specifically through the “Small Starts” program. The Albany Washington/Western Bus Rapid Transit project would implement bus rapid transit in the Washington/Western corridor that extends from the downtown Albany Bus Terminal, through the State University of New York at Albany and the Harriman State Office Complex, to the Crossgates Mall. The project includes limited stops, 16 uniquely branded buses, transit signal priority, queue bypass lanes, real-time bus arrival information, a one-mile semi-exclusive busway across the University campus, and bus maintenance garage expansion.

Schumer is also currently working to secure implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework into law, which would provide approximately $113.9 million for the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) over the next 5 years. CDTA estimates that their annual allotment over the previous 5 years has been $21.2 million and under the bipartisan infrastructure bill that would increase to $27.1 million, roughly a 30% increase. Additionally, the bill includes over $5.6 billion for clean buses. CDTA currently has four electric buses in service, with four more on order, and an ultimate goal of 25% of their fleet.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Senator Schumer so why is New York City cutting its bus service in a time when an increase of bus service as you say is needed? Don't you care about New York City Senator Schumer?

Governor Hochul Announces Increase in Food Benefits for Low-Income New Yorkers

 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households to See Regular Monthly Benefit Increase of About $36 Per Person Starting in October

Boost in Benefits to Bring More Than $1.4 Billion in Additional Federal Funding to New York

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will see their level of benefits increase next month resulting from a federal cost adjustment aimed at providing low-income individuals and families better access to healthy foods. On average, households enrolled in SNAP, which is overseen in New York by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, will see their regular benefits increase by about $36 per person.

"Now more than ever, New Yorkers are seeing their money for food stretched thinner and thinner, which in turn forces them into making food choices that are cheaper, but far less nutritious," Governor Hochul said. "This long-overdue increase in benefits will give households across New York State the purchasing power to buy nutritious foods, which in turn will ultimately result in healthier outcomes." 

The 2018 Farm Bill adopted by Congress required the U.S Department of Agriculture to re-evaluate the plan used to calculate SNAP benefits. Last year, the federal agency conducted a data-driven review of this plan, which resulted in a cost adjustment -the first in more than 45 years -reflecting notable shifts in the food marketplace and consumer circumstance over time.

In New York, a family of four will see their benefits increase from a maximum allotment of $680 to $835 under the new plan. The increase will bring in roughly $1.4 billion in additional federal dollars in Federal Fiscal Year 2022. 

The new plan also adjusted upward the dollar amount of the standard deduction and utility allowances, which are factored into a household's gross monthly income to determine both eligibility and level of benefits. The gross monthly income level was also increased to reflect economic changes over time.   

In adjusting the level of SNAP benefits, the USDA evaluated current food prices nationwide, what Americans typically eat, dietary guidance, and the nutrients in food items. The agency's reevaluation concluded that the cost of a nutritious, practical, cost effective diet is 21 percent higher than the existing maximum level of food benefits for SNAP households.

Nationally, nearly nine out of 10 SNAP participants reported facing barriers to achieving a healthy diet, with the most common barrier being the cost of healthy foods. Likewise, studies have consistently shown that food benefit levels are too low to provide for a realistic, healthy diet, even with households contributing their own funds toward groceries.

Roughly 2.8 million people throughout New York State were enrolled in SNAP as of July. SNAP benefits also help to stimulate the local and state economy, according to federal estimates, with every dollar of SNAP benefits spent resulting in roughly $1.59 in economic activity.

U.S. Attorney Announces Unsealing Of Indictment Charging Six Individuals And One Corporate Entity With Tax Fraud Conspiracy, And Related Guilty Plea

 

Indictment Alleges that Defendants Conspired to Help U.S. Clients Evade Taxes on More Than $60 Million Hidden Offshore

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and James C. Lee, Chief of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging six foreign individuals and a Swiss financial services company with conspiring to defraud the IRS by helping three high-value U.S. taxpayer-clients conceal more than $60 million in income and assets held in undeclared, offshore bank accounts and to evade U.S. income taxes.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.  One of the charged defendants was recently arrested in Spain.

Ms. Strauss, Mr. Goldberg, and Mr. Lee also announced today the unsealing of the guilty plea of Wayne Franklyn Chinn, one of the U.S. taxpayer-clients who participated in the tax fraud scheme.  The case against CHINN is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.  Through a related civil forfeiture action, the Government forfeited approximately $2.2 million in CHINN’s untaxed funds and repatriated these funds from Singapore to the United States.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the individual defendants and the Swiss firm Allied Finance conspired to defraud the IRS by assisting U.S. taxpayers in avoiding their tax obligations.  They allegedly did this through an elaborate scheme that involved concealing customer assets at a Swiss private bank through nominee bank accounts in Hong Kong and elsewhere, with funds returning to the private bank in the name of a Singapore firm.  One such U.S. customer, Wayne Chinn, pled guilty to his participation in the so-called ‘Singapore Solution,’ forfeited more than $2 million to the United States, and awaits sentencing for his admitted crime.”

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg said: “Prosecuting offshore tax evasion remains one of the Tax Division’s highest priorities.  Taxpayers contemplating hiding money abroad – and the foreign bankers, attorneys and finance professionals who design and execute strategies to assist their evasion – should know that the Tax Division and IRS have the investigative resources and expertise to unravel even the most elaborate schemes.”

IRS-CI Chief James C. Lee said: “The defendants allegedly helped their clients conceal more than $60 million in income and assets in an attempt to evade their U.S. tax responsibilities. Through the hard work of IRS-CI and the cooperation of our law enforcement partners, we were able to uncover the massive fraud allegedly being perpetrated by these individuals and hold them accountable for their actions. We are also proud to recognize the guilty plea of Mr. Wayne Chinn. His actions demonstrate complete disregard for the United States tax laws, but thanks to the commitment of our agents, we were able to unravel his scheme and bring him to justice.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today[1]:  

From in or about 2009 to in or about 2014, Ivo Bechtiger, Bernhard Lampert, Peter Rüegg, Roderic Sage, Rolf Schnellmann, Daniel Wälchli, and Allied Finance Trust AG of Zurich, Switzerland (“ALLIED FINANCE”), the defendants, defrauded the IRS by concealing income and assets of certain U.S. taxpayer-clients with undeclared bank accounts located at Privatbank IHAG Zurich AG (“IHAG”), a Swiss private bank in Zurich, Switzerland,[2] and elsewhere.  In order to assist the U.S. taxpayer-clients, the defendants and others devised and implemented a scheme dubbed the “Singapore Solution” to fraudulently conceal the bank accounts of the U.S. taxpayer-clients, their assets, and their income from U.S. authorities.  In furtherance of the fraudulent scheme, the defendants and others conspired to transfer more than $60 million from undeclared IHAG bank accounts of three U.S. taxpayer-clients through a series of nominee bank accounts in Hong Kong and other locations before returning the funds to newly opened accounts at IHAG in the name of a Singapore-based asset-management firm.  The U.S. taxpayer-clients paid large fees to IHAG and others to help them conceal their funds and assets and evade taxes. 

On or about August 16, 2021, defendant PETER RÜEGG, 61, of Switzerland was arrested in Spain.  As alleged in the Indictment, RÜEGG was a member of IHAG’s management and a relationship manager for one of the U.S. taxpayer-clients who participated in the Singapore Solution scheme.  RÜEGG is alleged to have helped the U.S. taxpayer-client conceal approximately $50 million in undeclared assets at IHAG through the Singapore Solution. 

If convicted, the individual defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and ALLIED FINANCE faces monetary penalties.

The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Also unsealed today was the guilty plea of Wayne Franklyn Chinn, one of the U.S. taxpayer-clients who participated in the Singapore Solution scheme.  According to statements made during CHINN’s plea proceeding, and related court filings:

From at least in or about 2001 through at least in or about January 2019, CHINN concealed approximately $5 million in undisclosed and untaxed income for tax years 2001 through 2018.  During this period, CHINN held offshore accounts at IHAG in nominee names.  Beginning in 2010, CHINN and others transferred funds from these offshore accounts at IHAG through nominee accounts outside of Switzerland, including in Hong Kong, before returning them to newly opened accounts at IHAG held in the name of a Singapore-based trust company purportedly on behalf of two foundations created by a co-conspirator.  They did so to continue to conceal CHINN’s income and assets from U.S. authorities.  CHINN subsequently transferred the funds out of Switzerland to undeclared accounts in Singapore.  CHINN did not file any tax returns or disclose his offshore bank accounts during the years at issue.  

CHINN, 79, of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and San Francisco, California, pled guilty on December 19, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox to one count of tax evasion for the calendar years 2001 through 2018, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.  CHINN also consented to the civil forfeiture of 83% of the funds held in five accounts at two Singapore banks, which resulted in the successful forfeiture and repatriation to the United States of approximately $2.2 million.  The civil forfeiture proceeding is United States of America v. Certain Funds on Deposit in Various Accounts, 20 Civ. 3397 (LJL). 

CHINN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Marrero on November 19, 2021.

The maximum potential sentences set forth above are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court.

Ms. Strauss and Mr. Goldberg praised the outstanding work of IRS-CI.  Ms. Strauss thanked the Department of Justice’s Tax Division for their partnership on this case.  Ms. Strauss, Mr. Goldberg, and Mr. Lee also thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers, and the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force for their assistance in this matter.

This prosecution is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Tax Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Sean Green of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution.

[1]  As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

[2]  In November 2015, IHAG entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice, paid a penalty of approximately $7.4 million, and agreed to cooperate with U.S. authorities.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

 45,701 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

31 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday 

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

"New Yorkers are still getting infected with COVID-19 every day, and the key to ending this pandemic for good is to increase our vaccination rate," Governor Hochul said. "We're moving mountains to get the vaccine into our communities—particularly those that have low vaccination rates—and to the 12 to 17 age group. However, every eligible New Yorker should take the vaccine, and that's how we'll restore our state's economy to full strength and build prosperity for everyone." 

  

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 134,915 
• Total Positive - 4,114
• Percent Positive - 3.05%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.65%
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,363 (+22)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 241
• Patients in ICU - 568 (+4)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 311 (-5)
• Total Discharges - 200,186 (+190)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 31
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 44,463

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 - 55,674

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 - 25,112,936
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 45,701
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 367,356
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 81.3%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 73.3%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 83.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 75.2%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 68.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 61.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 71.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 63.5%

Man Convicted Of Murder In Manhattan Federal Court For June 2000 Fatal Shooting

 

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RALPH BERRY was found guilty by a unanimous Manhattan jury for the murder of Caprice Jones in the vicinity of 751 East 161 Street, Bronx, New York.  BERRY will be sentenced before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan, who presided over the jury trial.  

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “In June of 2000, Caprice Jones was senselessly gunned down, the unintended victim of drug-dealer Ralph Berry and a co-defendant, who tragically missed their mark when trying to murder a rival dealer. Instead, their bullet struck Jones, who died after suffering a years-long spinal injury.  This case typifies the inherent danger of the drug trade, which oftentimes leaves innocent victims in its wake. I commend the career prosecutors and agents of this Office in their partnership with the outstanding detectives of the NYPD for their determination in bringing closure in the cold case.”

According to the Indictmentand other evidence presented at trial in federal court:

In the summer of 2000, BERRY was the head of a violent drug crew that operated in the McKinley Housing Development in the Bronx, New York.  On June 21, 2000, BERRY ordered one of his subordinates to shoot a rival drug dealer with whom BERRY had been feuding over drug territory.  That subordinate followed BERRY’s order and fired multiple shots into a Father’s Day barbecue being held on the McKinley Houses basketball courts. Caprice Jones, an innocent bystander who was not involved in the drug dispute, was struck in the spine by one of the bullets. The gunshot injury Jones sustained that day left him paralyzed from the waist down and ultimately caused his death in November 2010, at the age of 42.

BERRY, 54, was convicted of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, murder in connection with a drug trafficking crime, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, and murder in aid of a racketeering enterprise, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.  

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

 Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study - Next Stop: Hunts Point & Co-op City!!

 

Remote Open House for Hunts Point & Co-op City is open to all!   The Bronx Metro-North Study (BMNS) Team and the Department of City Planning (DCP) invites you to engage with us through our Remote Open House!   Since May 2021, we launched the Remote Open House for the station areas around Parkchester/Van Nest and Morris Park. This week we are excited to announce that the Hunts Point and Co-op City station areas are open!  Since launching our remote engagement: 1,000+ visitors who have accessed our Remote Open House 90+ Station-Area Surveys have been completed 70+ Community Members have participated in our Remote Workshops Make sure to get on-board and stop at our Hunts Point and Co-op City stations and tell us what you want to see and what your needs and concerns are for the planned new station-areas by taking the survey or booking office hours with one of our planners!    Engage with the BMNS Team via our Remote Open House    Remote Open House Only have a few minutes? Take our Surveys! Be sure to complete the surveys for the Hunts Point and Co-op City station areas, by choosing a station below to let us know what your vision is for the neighborhoods around these new planned stations!    Surveys for these station areas will be available until end of Fall 2021!

Hunts Point Station Area Survey           Co-op City Station Area Survey

Representative Adriano Espaillat Secures Over $8 Million in Grant Funding for District Health Centers

 

Resources Will Support COVID-19 and Primary Health Care Infrastructure Needs in New York City's Medically Underserved Communities

 Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) announced that he has secured over $8 million in American Rescue Plan funding for nine Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program-funded health centers in New York's 13th congressional district that will support major health care construction and renovation projects throughout New York City. These awards will strengthen primary health care infrastructure and advance health equity and health outcomes in medically underserved communities, including through projects that support COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination. The awards were made through the Health Resources and Services Administration.

“Health centers are lifeline for many of our most vulnerable families across the country, and this was made especially clear amidst the pandemic,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we are able to modernize facilities across my district and New York City to meet the most pressing public health challenges. This historic investment means we get to expand access to care for COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination – all while advancing equity along the way.”

HRSA Health Centers in New York’s 13^th congressional district receiving funding are:

• EAST HARLEM COUNCIL FOR HUMAN SERVICES, INC - $624,586
• HERITAGE HEALTH AND HOUSING, INC - $548,521
• SETTLEMENT HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES, INC - $649,589
• UPPER ROOM AIDS MINISTRY, INC.: ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE CENTER - $552,360
• MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER - $427,510
• MORRIS HEIGHTS HEALTH CENTER, INC - $1,118,860
• COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE NETWORK, INC., - $1,099,247
• INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY HEALTH - $1,764,329
• NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS - $1,899,266

Health centers will use this funding for COVID-19-related capital needs, constructing new facilities, renovating and expanding existing facilities to enhance response to pandemics, and purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment, including telehealth technology, mobile medical vans, and freezers to store vaccines.

For more information or assistance with applying for federal grants, you can contact our office directly or visit: espaillat.house.gov/services/grant-applicants.

Attorney General James Announces 125 Guns Turned in at Community Gun Buyback in Plattsburgh

 

AG James Has Taken More Than 2,200 

Firearms Out of Communities Since 2019

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that 125 firearms were turned in to law enforcement at a community gun buyback event in Plattsburgh hosted by her office and the Plattsburgh Police Department. In a continued effort to protect New York communities, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) accepts — with no questions asked — working and non-working, unloaded firearms in exchange for compensation on site. To date, Attorney General James has taken more than 2,200 firearms out of communities through gun buyback events and other efforts since taking office in 2019. 

“Our neighborhoods are safer when we take dangerous guns out of our communities and ensure that they can never be of harm to anyone,” said Attorney General James. “In light of an increase in gun-related violent crime across Clinton County, it is essential that we do everything we can to stop gun violence and protect our families and children. My office will continue to take every measure possible to protect communities in Plattsburgh and throughout New York, and we thank our partners in law enforcement for their vital support and collaboration in this effort.” 

“The gun buyback event is a safe and efficient way to remove unwanted guns that people may have laying around their house,” said Plattsburgh Police Lieutenant Darin Perrotte. “Many North Country residents possess firearms either that they personally purchased or acquired as they were passed down generationally. These may be hunting rifles, pistols, or other antique firearms. The gun buyback gives people a safe means for disposing of these firearms and preventing them from ending up in the wrong hands. We thank the New York Attorney General’s Office for working in collaboration with the Plattsburgh Police Department to safely remove these guns from our streets.”

Today’s community gun buyback resulted in the collection of 125 guns, including 63 handguns, 57 shotguns and rifles, and 5 non-working guns. Since 2013, OAG has hosted gun buyback events throughout New York state and has successfully collected more than 4,200 firearms.

In exchange for the firearms, OAG offered monetary compensation, in the form of prepaid gift cards, when an unloaded gun was received and secured by an officer on site. 

“The partnership with the Attorney General's Office has been instrumental in developing this opportunity for our community,” said Plattsburgh Mayor Christopher Rosenquest. “That partnership is much appreciated and respected. Not only does this program help remove unused or unneeded firearms off of our community's streets but also shows our community members, business leaders, and other municipal leaders that we're actively working towards responsibly making our street's safer. It's important for the community to understand that a lot of the firearms surrendered are from owners who either are no longer interested in owning the weapon. Surrendering these items reduces the chance of them getting stolen or lost over the years.”

Gun violence is a public health crisis that is plaguing communities throughout New York, and today’s event is the latest action that Attorney General James has taken to combat this crisis and protect New Yorkers from harm. This year alone, Attorney General James has held 13 gun buybacks across the state, and has also secured dozens of dangerous firearms through takedowns of violent groups terrorizing New York. To date, Attorney General James has taken a total of more than 2,200 guns out of communities since 2019.