Housing Lottery Launches For Mount Hope Walton Apartments At 1761 Walton Avenue In Mount Hope, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for Mount Hope Walton Apartments, a 14-story mixed-use building at 1761 Walton Avenue in Mount Hope, The Bronx. Developed by Procida Development Group and Mount Hope Housing Corporation and designed by Aufgang Architects, the structure yields 103 income-restricted apartments and a 9,500-square-foot community gymnasium. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 86 units for residents at 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $24,515 to $140,080.

Amenities include a virtual doorman, shared laundry facilities, common area Wi-Fi, two indoor recreation rooms, an outdoor terrace, package lockers, and bicycle storage. Residences have energy-efficient appliances, air conditioning, and name-brand kitchen finishes and countertops. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 30 percent of the AMI, there are two one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $617 for incomes ranging from $24,515 to $38,130; four two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $728 for incomes ranging from $29,383 to $45,750; and four three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $830 for incomes ranging from $33,978 to $52,530.

At 50 percent of the AMI, there are 12 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,146 for incomes ranging from $42,652 to $63,550; eight two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,364 for incomes ranging from $51,189 to $76,250; and five three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,564 for incomes ranging from $59,143 to $87,550.

At 60 percent of the AMI, there are 18 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,411 for incomes ranging from $51,738 to $76,260; two two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,682 for incomes ranging from $62,092 to $91,500; and one three-bedroom with a monthly rent of $1,931 for incomes ranging from $71,726 to $105,060.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are 20 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,888 for incomes ranging from $68,092 to $101,680; six two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,254 for incomes ranging from $81,703 to $122,000; and four three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,592 for incomes ranging from $94,389 to $140,080.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 13, 2024.

Members Of Bronx Crew Charged With Conducting Round-The-Clock Drug Operation Across The Street From A School

 

Defendants Allegedly Sold Fentanyl, Heroin, and Crack Cocaine, and Carried Guns

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging three members of a Bronx-based narcotics trafficking organization with conspiring to distribute narcotics and with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking conspiracy.  BRYANT ESTEVEZ, a/k/a “Smack,” and TEREL BYERS, a/k/a “Rell,” a/k/a “Raff,” were arrested yesterday and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.  A third defendant, JOHNNY MONTEDEOCA, a/k/a “Chi,” remains at large.  This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants took over an apartment building in the Bronx and used it to sell fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs, and carried guns to protect their operation.  Worse still, they allegedly peddled these incredibly dangerous substances mere feet from a grade school.  Today’s arrests make abundantly clear that this level of disregard for the safety and well-being of the communities in this district will not be tolerated.  Thanks to the work of law enforcement and the prosecutors of this Office, these defendants now face serious federal penalties.” 

NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “These charges exemplify the NYPD’s efforts to eliminate illegal drugs and guns from New York City neighborhoods – especially in the vicinity of our schools.  I commend our dedicated NYPD investigators and everyone involved in this case from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District because safeguarding our children will always be at the forefront of our shared public safety mission.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and in other court filings:[1]

From at least in or about February 2023 through at least in or about December 2023, ESTEVEZ, BYERS, and MONTEDEOCA were part of a narcotics trafficking organization that sold drugs and firearms in the Bronx.  This organization (the “Concord Avenue Crew”) operated principally out of a residential building (the “Building”) located on Concord Avenue in the Bronx across the street from an elementary and middle school.  The Concord Avenue Crew sold drugs — including fentanyl-laced heroin, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine — from the Building at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week.  These sales were conducted, among other places, on the sidewalk in front of the Building; through the window of a street-level apartment in the Building; and inside a side entrance to the Building.  The Concord Avenue Crew’s narcotics trafficking operation caused drug customers to line up on the street outside the Building, interfered with residents’ access to the Building, and prompted repeated complaints to the NYPD by residents and by parents whose children attended school across the street.

Members of the Concord Avenue Crew routinely carried firearms in connection with their narcotics trafficking operation, including by carrying firearms on their persons and storing them in areas where they were stashing and selling narcotics.  On multiple occasions, members of the Concord Avenue Crew also sold firearms to undercover officers.

ESTEVEZ, 25, of the Bronx, New York; BYERS, 21, of the Bronx, New York; and MONTEDEOCA, 34, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and mixtures and substances containing detectable amounts of heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine.  This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.  Each of the defendants is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking offense charged in the Indictment, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and thanked the Office of the New York State Attorney General for its assistance. 

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit and Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick R. Moroney and Alexandra S. Messiter are in charge of the prosecution.

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

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

Justice Department Announces Terrorism Charges Against High-Ranking Hezbollah Member Who Helped Plan 1994 Bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Samuel Salman El Reda Participated in Terrorist Operations for Hezbollah in South America, Asia and Lebanon, and Helped Plan and Execute Hezbollah’s July 18, 1994, Bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina Building in Buenos Aires, Killing 85 People

A Manhattan federal court unsealed terrorism charges against Samuel Salman El Reda, aka Samuel Salman El Reda El Reda, Salman Raouf Salman, Sulayman Rammal, Salman Ramal, Salman Raouf Salman, and Hajj, 58, a dual Colombian-Lebanese citizen and member of Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), in connection with El Reda’s alleged role leading decades of terrorist activity on behalf of Hezbollah and the IJO.

El Reda is charged with, among other offenses, conspiring to provide and providing material support to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. El Reda is based in Lebanon and remains at large.

“Nearly three decades ago, long-time Hezbollah terrorist operative Samuel Salman El Reda allegedly helped plan and execute the heinous attack on a Buenos Aires Jewish community center that murdered 85 innocent people and injured countless others,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This indictment serves as a message to those who engage in acts of terror: that the Justice Department’s memory is long, and we will not relent in our efforts to bring them to justice.”

“As alleged, for decades, Samuel Salman El Reda has led terrorist operations on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Organization of Hezbollah, including a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires that massacred 85 innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “The career prosecutors of this office have not forgotten the pain and suffering that El Reda has allegedly caused, and we thank the dedication of our law enforcement partners for pursuing this important case. The Southern District of New York continues to be a leader in prosecuting violent terrorists and terrorist organizations, and we will not rest until those who create chaos and destruction are brought to justice.”

“While it’s been nearly 30 years since this horrific terrorist attack, the FBI and our partners throughout the U.S. government are committed to delivering justice for the victims’ families,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Our reach and our memory are long, as this investigation shows. The charges unsealed today are a result of the hard work and determination of the men and women of the FBI and Justice Department, and the assistance of our international partners in law enforcement.”

According to court documents, Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based Shia Islamic organization with political, social and terrorist components. Hezbollah was founded in the 1980s with support from Iran after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and its mission includes establishing a fundamentalist Islamic state in Lebanon. Since Hezbollah’s formation, the organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including U.S. citizens and military personnel. In 1997, the Department of State designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization, pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and it remains so designated today. In 2001, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, the Department of the Treasury designated Hezbollah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. In 2010, State Department officials described Hezbollah as the most technically capable terrorist group in the world and a continued security threat to the United States.

The IJO, which is also known as the External Security Organization and “Unit 910,” is a component of Hezbollah responsible for the planning and coordination of intelligence, counterintelligence and terrorist activities on behalf of Hezbollah outside of Lebanon. In July 2012, an IJO operative detonated explosives on a bus transporting Israeli tourists in the vicinity of an airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing six people and injuring 32 others. Law enforcement authorities have disrupted several other IJO attack-planning operations around the world, including through the arrest of an IJO operative surveilling Israeli targets in Cyprus in 2012, the seizure of bomb-making precursor chemicals in Thailand in 2012, the seizure of similar chemicals in May 2015 in connection with the arrest of another IJO operative, and the seizure of approximately three tons of ammonium nitrate in London in the fall of 2015. Since June 2017, multiple IJO operatives have been arrested, charged and convicted in the Southern District of New York for terrorism-related offenses.

Beginning in at least 1993, El Reda has led terrorist operations on behalf of Hezbollah and the IJO in South America, Asia and Lebanon. El Reda was responsible for, among other things, helping to plan and execute the July 18, 1994, bombing of the Asociaión Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) building in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds more. El Reda’s activities for Hezbollah in connection with the AMIA bombing included relaying information to IJO operatives that was used for planning and executing the attack. In the decades following the attack, El Reda continued to engage in terrorist activity on Hezbollah’s behalf by recruiting, training and managing IJO operatives around the world. El Reda deployed IJO operatives to Thailand, Panama and Peru, among other places, to help Hezbollah and the IJO conduct pre-operational surveillance in support of attack planning and stockpile explosive precursor chemicals, including ammonium nitrate. For example, in or about May 2009, El Reda instructed an IJO operative to travel to Thailand to help destroy a cache of ammonium nitrate and other explosive materials that the IJO believed was under law enforcement surveillance. In or about February 2011, El Reda instructed an IJO operative to travel to Panama to surveil the Panama Canal and Embassies maintained by the United States and Israel, and in or about January 2012, El Reda instructed an IJO operative to travel again to Panama to conduct additional pre-operational surveillance.

El Reda is charged with: (i) providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (ii) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (iii) aiding and abetting the receipt of military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison or a fine; and (iv) conspiring to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York Police Department, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Jason A. Richman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Deputy Chief Larry Schneider of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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

TWO MEN INDICTED FOR ATTACKING NYPD TRANSIT LIEUTENANT

 

Defendants Allegedly Beat Officer Who Asked Them To Leave Train Station After Fight

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two Westchester men were indicted on First-Degree Assault and additional charges for punching and kicking an NYPD Transit Lieutenant in a Bronx subway station.

 District Attorney Clark said, “New Yorkers must be able to use public transportation in safety. The defendants not only allegedly jeopardized the safety of straphangers going about their commute, they also allegedly brutally attacked an officer who was trying to defuse a dangerous situation, which is his job.” 

 District Attorney Clark said Brian Innocent, 24 of New Rochelle and Marquise Webb, 24, of Yonkers, were arraigned today on first-degree Assault, Assault on a Police Officer, two counts of second-degree Assault, second-degree Gang Assault, third-degree Assault, second-degree Obstructing Governmental Administration, Resisting Arrest, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Kim Parker. Bail was set at $5,000 cash and $20,000 bond. The defendants are due back in court on February 27, 2024. 

 According to the investigation, on November 11, 2023, at approximately 8:55 p.m. Lieutenant Gypsy Pichardo of Transit District 3 responded to a fight on a northbound No. 1 train at the 238th Street station. When Pichardo asked the defendants to leave the station, they refused and tried to enter another train car. When he attempted to arrest the defendants, he was allegedly punched and stomped on by them. The defendants were later apprehended by police officers of the 50th Precinct at the 225th Street station. The victim received eight stitches around his eye and suffered impaired sight as well as swelling and bruising to his face. He has difficulty with balance when walking.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Captain Robert Rios of Transit District 3, and NYPD Police Officer Kyle Martin of the 50 Precinct for their work.

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

Permits Filed For 280 East 161st Street In Concourse Village, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 19-story residential building to be used for shelter housing at 280 East 161st Street in Concourse Village, The Bronx. Located near the intersection of East 161st Street and Morris Avenue, the lot is near the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Dimitrios Katehis of Gilbane Development Co. is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 191-foot-tall development will yield 202,957 square feet designated for community facility space. The building will have 266 residences with an average unit scope of 762 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar and 79 open parking spaces.

Aufgang Architects is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Finds State Needs To Do More To Address Nursing Home Pandemic Issues

 

The state Department of Health (DOH) has made limited progress in addressing the widespread failures identified in a March 2022 audit of the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak in nursing homes, according to a follow up report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The initial audit found the state was unprepared to respond to infectious disease outbreaks at nursing homes, even before the pandemic, under the previous administration. Also, the state’s persistent underinvestment in public health over the past decade may have limited DOH’s ability to prepare and respond in the most effective way. If DOH had better data, accurate information systems, and an established system of proactive infection control for facilities prior to the pandemic, it could have helped facilities be better prepared. Auditors also determined that DOH gave the public inaccurate COVID-19 death tallies and undercounted those deaths as the Executive took control of public updates on the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic devastated families and left many whose loved ones contracted the virus in nursing homes with unanswered questions,” said DiNapoli. “Last year, my office examined the extent to which residents in New York’s nursing homes were not adequately protected and the state’s shortfalls in managing the outbreak. Our follow-up review shows limited progress in fixing all that went wrong. Much more work must be done to address problems that still exist to this day. We have to learn from past mistakes, or we risk repeating them.” Of the four recommendations to DOH in the initial audit, one was fully implemented, one was partially implemented, two others were unaddressed, and one recommendation to the Governor was partially implemented. The initial audit recommended: DOH expand its use of infection control data to identify patterns and find ways to improve infection control practices and nursing home surveys, among other recommendations. Status: Partially implemented. Auditors found that some improvements in data quality were made. They compared DOH’s publicly reported nursing home resident deaths from COVID-19 as of May 16, 2023, to its internal documentation and determined the data sets matched, which was not the case for nearly the entire scope of the initial audit. However, due to data limitations auditors were unable to test the completeness or accuracy of the data. Moreover, DOH has yet to fully use infection control data to detect or identify emerging infectious diseases to shape policies or develop an outbreak management system. Officials said they were strengthening their collection, use and analysis of data but did not provide specifics. DOH also did not provide supporting documentation, such as meeting minutes, to show it has strengthened communication and coordination with localities and epidemiologists. DOH help facilities understand how to correctly submit information into the Nosocomial Outbreak Reporting Application (NORA) and maintain support for data submitted on Health Electronic Response Data System (HERDS) surveys to improve data quality, consistency and accountability. Status: Not implemented. DOH has not provided any new guidance to facilities on NORA submissions or support for data submitted on HERDS surveys. Because the initial audit found infections and outbreaks were significantly underreported in NORA, and inaccuracies in non-death COVID-19 data in HERDS, auditors urged DOH to guide facilities on submitting data. DOH’s failure to act on this recommendation means it is likely still collecting, reporting and analyzing data that is inaccurate, inconsistent, and incomplete. DOH should improve controls over additions and deletions from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare (CMS) database and determine if publicly reported nursing home survey data is reliable. Status: Not implemented. Auditors tested data in the initial audit and the follow-up and found a significant number of discrepancies, which means that not all publicly reported data is reliable. The reliability of this data is critical because it is used by the public to make decisions about nursing homes. DOH evaluate and request resources as necessary to adequately address public health emergencies. Status: Implemented. DOH conducted a needs assessment and requested 74 new staff positions. 55 are currently filled. The Governor should assess and document the adequacy of the internal control environment at DOH and the Executive Chamber and take steps to fix it. Status: Partially implemented. According to the Executive Chamber, it has required state agencies to develop transparency plans and post data online. It is working with health providers to collect operational information and has encouraged DOH to improve communication with stakeholders to address concerns about public disclosure of COVID-19 information. It has appointed a new leadership team at DOH, who have restructured the flow of information. However, the Executive Chamber did not provide detailed information to support that it had assessed the internal control environment. A separate independent review is underway at the direction of the Executive. The review, conducted by an outside contractor, is evaluating the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once public, this review may also give families more answers and help improve accountability. Follow Up: Use, Collection, and Reporting of Infection Control Data (Follow-Up) 2022 Audit Use, Collection, and Reporting of Infection Control Data Other Relevant audits: Nursing Home Surveillance and Follow Up Oversight of Resident Care-Related Medical Equipment in Nursing Homes and Follow Up

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON CITY COUNCIL BILLS THAT WILL MAKE NEW YORK CITY LESS SAFE

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after the New York City Council voted to pass Intro. 586-A and Intro. 549-A, two bills that will make the city less safe:

 

“The New York City Council has taken action today that, if implemented, will unquestionably make our city less safe.

 

“Since day one, our administration has made public safety our top priority, and we have delivered results: Overall crime is down, shootings are down, and New Yorkers are safer than they were two years ago. The bills passed today will undermine two years of progress.

 

“When I was a police officer, I fought for transparency and against abusive policing tactics that targeted communities like the one where I grew up. Intro. 586-A would not advance those goals — it will slow down police response times and divert our officers from responding to emergency incidents. In every City Council district in this city, our officers will be forced to spend more time in their cars and on their phones, and less time walking the streets and engaging with New Yorkers. And as the city faces significant budget challenges, with an unprecedented $7 billion gap that must be closed next month by law, the City Council’s choice to pass this bill will mean millions of dollars in additional overtime costs that will force us to make further painful cuts.

 

“At the same time, our administration has achieved significant reductions in key indicators of violence in our correction system. And we have been clear: Our administration does not support solitary confinement in our jails, and New York City has not used the practice for years. But Intro. 549-A will also point us in the wrong direction. Under this bill, the Department of Correction will no longer be able to protect people in custody, or the predominantly Black and Brown union workers charged with their safety, from violent individuals. Furthermore, this bill raises serious potential conflicts with directions that the Department of Correction has received from the federal monitor.

 

“We are reviewing all options.”

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON COUNCIL'S PASSAGE OF HIS LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO BAN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND ENHANCE POLICE TRANSPARENCY

"Today the city council passed key legislation, with veto-proof majorities, to advance the causes of justice, equity, and public safety. I thank them for their support of my bills to ban solitary confinement and advance transparency in policing, among other bills. This legislation will be transformative in advancing public safety and justice.

"Leading up to this vote, there was a concerted misinformation campaign that misled the public about what these bills will achieve. Instead of honestly engaging with the realities of the legislation and its impact, opponents invented imaginary legislation — then condemned it.

"Now that these bills have been passed, I hope that the administration will work with us to ensure they are enacted and implemented effectively. 

"We have a moral mandate to do all we can to end systemic injustices and inequities, to build policies that make New Yorkers safer. We can have better policing and safer streets at the same time. We can protect corrections officers and basic human rights at the same time.

"But if we don’t recognize these realities, we will never be able to make the changes we need. I ask the opponents of these bills to look back at the last time they opposed reforms, in 2013, and to not repeat the mistakes of decades past."