Attorney General James Announces Historic Judgment Against Predatory Lender

 

Richmond Companies Required to Pay More Than $77 Million to Small Businesses for Usury and Outrageous Interest Rates

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a historic court judgment against three merchant cash advance companies, Richmond Capital Group, Ram Capital Funding, and Viceroy Capital Funding (Richmond companies) and their principals, Jonathan Braun, Tzvi Reich, Robert Giardina, and Michelle Gregg, for usury and fraud due to illegally high-interest, short-term loans and undisclosed fees. The judgment amount against the Richmond companies is more than $77,298,631, and follows the major court victory Attorney General James secured in September 2023, which included the cancellation of all outstanding debts of the small businesses. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed a lawsuit against the Richmond companies for violating multiple state laws, including Executive Law § 63(12), due to their illegal, high-interest loans disguised as merchant cash advances.

“This historic judgment should send a clear message that anyone who takes advantage of small businesses in New York will regret their greed and actions,” said Attorney General James. “Small businesses in New York and throughout the nation are major job creators, but they face enormous challenges and companies that prey on them hurt our entire economy. I am proud to have secured this decision for over $77 million to be returned to small businesses that have suffered because of the Richmond companies.”

In June 2020, Attorney General James sued the Richmond companies for hurting small businesses in New York and throughout the nation. The OAG investigation uncovered that the Richmond companies were loaning money to small business owners at astronomically high interest rates and over short terms, illegally charging undisclosed fees, debiting excess amounts from merchants’ bank accounts, and fraudulently obtaining judgments against merchants by filing false affidavits in New York state courts. One example presented to the court showed that the Richmond companies loaned $10,000 to a small business and required its owner to pay back $19,900 within 10 days, through daily payments of $1,999. As a result of the large daily payments and the short, 10-day repayment term, the annual interest rate for the merchant cash advance, including fees, came close to 4,000 percent — almost 250 times the legal interest rate.

The September 2023 court decision required the Richmond companies to stop collecting on their outstanding debt and to repay thousands of small businesses the unfair interest they had to pay. The decision by Judge Andrew Borrok of the New York State Supreme Court for New York County follows the Richmond companies’ refusal to provide an accounting and full history of monies collected as part of the September 2023 court decision.

D.A. Bragg: Seven Indicted In Assault On Police Officers In Times Square

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of seven individuals for their roles in an assault on two NYPD officers in Times Square on January 27, 2024.

Of the seven indicted today:

1.   Five were arrested last week: DARWIN ANDRES GOMEZ-IZQUIEL, WILSON JUAREZ, KELVIN SERVITA AROCHA, YORMAN REVERON, and YOHENRY BRITO.
2.   Two additional individuals have been indicted, but they have not been apprehended and their names remain under seal until they are arraigned in Supreme Court.

The Office also shared information about additional individuals who have not been identified. Anyone with information about these individuals should call 212-335-9040. The Office’s investigation into the assault in Times Square remains ongoing.

Today’s New York State Supreme Court indictment follows a thorough investigation of each individual’s conduct that included a review of several different angles of video surveillance, review of a variety of body worn camera footage, and interviews with witnesses. The Statement of Facts details that, as alleged, the defendants are responsible for a range of conduct, which the Office was able to verify following a comprehensive review of evidence.

BRITO, GOMEZ-IZQUIEL, REVERON and AROCHA are all charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment on two counts of Assault in the Second Degree and one count of Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree. JUAREZ and BRITO are each charged with one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence. JUAREZ is charged with two counts of Hindering Prosecution in the Third Degree, while BRITO is charged with one count. [1]

“The assault on our police officers in Times Square outraged and sickened me. We have absolutely no tolerance for this despicable behavior. Our joint investigation with the NYPD helped us determine the alleged roles of new individuals involved, including some who are charged with having committed the most violent conduct and have not yet been apprehended. We ask the public to share any information on these individuals by calling the Office at 212-335-9040,” said District Attorney Bragg. “The thorough nature of our joint investigation reflects the utmost seriousness in which we are treating this incident – accountability, justice and public safety only comes from charging the right people with the right conduct. I am extraordinarily grateful to Commissioner Caban and the entire NYPD for their close partnership on this investigation, along with our team of dedicated prosecutors and analysts who have worked tirelessly to uncover every piece of evidence.”

NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said, “As this thorough investigation continues, the men and women of the NYPD remain committed to working with the office of the Manhattan district attorney to ensure that everyone who took part in this despicable incident is held fully accountable for their actions.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record, at approximately 8:30 p.m. near 220 West 42nd Street, two police officers instructed the defendants to move to West 41st Street. One officer eventually grasped BRITO and pushed him against a building. BRITO then attempted to escape and struggled against the officers while he was held on the ground. BRITO fled the scene and was arrested on January 31st. He has been held on bail since February 1st.

The first four individuals arrested that evening were GOMEZ-IZQUIEL, JUAREZ, AROCHA and REVERON. Of those four, GOMEZ-IZQUIEL is charged with allegedly grabbing one officer and kicking the other once. REVERON is charged with allegedly grabbing, pulling and throwing the two officers to the ground. Neither JUAREZ nor AROCHA ever hit or kick either officer – AROCHA kicked a police radio and JUAREZ watched from a distance, before eventually giving his grey jacket to BRITO.   

Over the last several days, there have been rumors that the four individuals above left the City and were taken into custody by federal authorities. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office was informed by Homeland Security Investigations on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, that the four individuals they took into custody were not affiliated with the New York City investigation. To date, the Office has not received any indication from federal authorities that they have detained any individual related to the Office’s case.

The names of the additional two individuals indicted today are sealed:

1.   One individual in a black jacket, light blue hood and black pants, allegedly kicked and then grabbed the leg of an officer. He was taken into custody at the scene but eventually released by the NYPD. 
2.   The other individual, in a red, white and blue FILA jacket, grabbed an officer. Later that evening, JUAREZ was found wearing the FILA jacket.

Three individuals have not yet been identified. Of those three individuals:

1.   One individual, wearing an red hooded sweatshirt and white hat, kicked an officer’s head multiple times and grabbed and pulled the collar of the other officer.
2.   A second individual, wearing a black puffer coat, kicked an officer in the head once and fell to the ground.
3.    A third individual, wearing a black jacket with a hood over a white brimmed hat, kicked an officer in the foot.

Another individual, wearing light pink sneakers, kicked an officer in the upper body at least once. The individual initially charged with this conduct is Jhoan Boada, who has not been indicted as the Office continues to investigate.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Kotin, Mireille Dee and Neil Greenwell, with the assistance of Analyst Anastasia Trico, under the supervision of David Hammer (Chief of Trial Bureau 70) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division).

D.A. Bragg thanked Lt. John Peitanza, Detectives Robert Rivera and Lana Blanco, and police officers Jonathan Jimenez, and Kelvin Villegas of Midtown South; and the SMART Team.

Defendant Information:

YOHENRY BRITO

New York, New York

Charged

•   Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•   Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count
•   Tampering with Physical Evidence, a class E felony, one count
•   Hindering Prosecution in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count 

DARWIN ANDRES GOMEZ-IZQUIEL

New York, New York

Charged

•   Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•   Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

YORMAN REVERON

New York, New York

Charged

•   Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•   Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

KELVIN SERVITA AROCHA

New York, New York

Charged

•   Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, two counts
•   Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

New York, New York

Charged

•   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
•   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
•   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

New York, New York

Charged

•   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
•   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
•   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

WILSON JUAREZ

New York, New York

Charged:

•   Tampering with Physical Evidence, a class E felony, one count
•   Hindering Prosecution in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, two counts

[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court. 

Founder and Former CEO of Sustainable Fuel Company Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Embezzlement and Investor Fraud Scheme

 

The founder and former CEO of a sustainable fuel company pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to embezzle at least $5.9 million from the company and to defraud several investors out of $15 million.

According to court documents, between 2021 and 2022, Bryan Sherbacow, 55, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C., defrauded the company he co-founded by transferring company funds without authorization to his personal bank account and by making unauthorized personal expenditures from a company bank account. Sherbacow attempted to conceal his actions by, among other things, emailing altered bank statements and other falsified financial records to the company’s outside accounting firm and members of the company’s board. Sherbacow used embezzled funds to pay for, among other things, a vintage Mercedes-Benz sports car, a Range Rover sport utility vehicle, payments to an art auction operator, personal tax liens, personal credit card payments, rent payments on personal residences, payment to a beach club, electronics, and a down payment on a condo. 

To raise additional funds for the company, Sherbacow also sent or caused to be sent altered bank statements and other falsified financial records to prospective and current investors. For example, Sherbacow caused a false and fabricated bank statement to be sent to two investors, in which Sherbacow intentionally removed transactions showing transfers from the company bank account to his personal bank account and falsified account balance information to make it appear that the company possessed more cash on hand than it possessed, due in part to Sherbacow’s unauthorized transfer of funds. Sherbacow also caused a balance sheet containing false and misleading financial information to be sent to another investor. In at least partial reliance on the fabricated bank statement and false and misleading financial information, three investors collectively invested approximately $15 million. 

Sherbacow pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case.

Brooklyn Woman Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For COVID-19 Fraud Scheme And Fraud On NYCHA

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHANETTE LEWIS was sentenced today to three years in prison for her role in two fraud schemes.  LEWIS participated in a scheme to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud by (i) defrauding New York City’s COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program, and (ii) committing unemployment benefits fraud.  LEWIS also committed a fraud in which she submitted fabricated documents to the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) — such as purported Orders of Protection bearing Judges’ names, purported letters from a District Attorney, and purported letters from healthcare professionals attesting to alleged medical issues — in order to secure public housing benefits for her customers.  LEWIS’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Chanette Lewis exploited multiple lifelines offered to New York City residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Each of her schemes misappropriated identifying information of hardworking individuals, including medical professionals whose services were vital during the pandemic.  For her brazen crimes, Lewis has now been sentenced to prison.” 

LEWIS’s COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud Scheme

During 2020 and 2021, LEWIS conspired to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud in two ways.

First, LEWIS defrauded the COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program (the “Program”).  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City created the Program.  Funded by New York City and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Program provided free hotel rooms for qualifying individuals throughout New York City.  In total, the Program was open to (i) healthcare workers who needed to isolate because of exposure to COVID-19; (ii) patients who had tested positive for COVID-19; (iii) individuals who believed, based on their symptoms, that they were infected with COVID-19; and (iv) individuals who lived with someone who contracted COVID-19.  As stated on the City’s website describing the Program, such individuals “may qualify to self-isolate in a hotel, free of charge, for up to 14 days if you do not have a safe place to self-isolate.”  Those who wished to book a hotel room through the Program could either call a phone number or use an online hotel booking platform. 

LEWIS defrauded the Program in several respects.  First, she secured free Program hotel rooms for herself by falsely claiming to be a healthcare worker.  Second, she sold at least approximately 1,936 nights’ worth of fraudulently obtained hotel rooms to customers who were ineligible for the Program.  Third, LEWIS abused her employment, which was supposed to be in service of the Program.  Specifically, LEWIS worked at a call center that handled phone calls and certain reservations for the Program for several months in 2020.  As a result of her employment, LEWIS had access to legitimate healthcare workers’ identifying information.  LEWIS abused her position, including by misappropriating healthcare workers’ identifying information, revealing the Program’s inner workings to co-conspirators, and making unauthorized sales of Program hotel rooms to ineligible individuals.  For instance, LEWIS sold a co-defendant personal identifying information of at least five healthcare professionals, as well as certain “codes” to use when booking hotel reservations through the Program, such as an employee ID number and license number.  LEWIS also advertised to potential customers that when hotels asked for a healthcare worker’s identification, LEWIS would supply a purported paystub and a letter falsely asserting that the individual was a healthcare worker.

Second, during 2020 and 2021, LEWIS committed unemployment benefits fraud in New York State by fraudulently obtaining such benefits for herself and also by stealing the identity of an incarcerated individual and conspiring to obtain unemployment benefits issued for the benefit of that individual.  In total, LEWIS fraudulently obtained approximately $47,000 in unemployment benefits.

LEWIS’s Fraud on NYCHA

During 2020 and 2021, LEWIS participated in a separate conspiracy to defraud NYCHA.  LEWIS submitted fabricated documents to NYCHA — such as purported Orders of Protection bearing Judges’ names, purported letters from a District Attorney, and purported letters from doctors attesting to alleged medical issues — in order to secure public housing benefits for her customers, including transfers to larger NYCHA apartments.  In total, LEWIS submitted fraudulent applications to NYCHA on behalf of more than approximately 30 individuals, a number of whom in fact received the public housing benefit they requested based on fraudulent documentation submitted by LEWIS.

In addition to her prison term, LEWIS, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $289,536 and to pay restitution of $360,330. 

LEWIS’s three co-defendants — Tatiana Benjamin, Tatiana Daniel, and Heaven West — previously pled guilty.  On February 1, 2024, Benjamin was sentenced principally to one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $294,624, and forfeiture of $51,088; and West was sentenced principally to time served, three years of supervised release, restitution of $59,644, and forfeiture of $23,684.  Daniel’s sentencing is scheduled for March 6, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of agents, investigators, and analysts from the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this investigation.  He also expressed gratitude to the New York City Police Department, the New York State Department of Labor, and the DOL-OIG Atlanta Regional Office for their assistance.

New NYC Comptroller Report Provides Blueprint for Improved Capacity at Department of Housing Preservation and Development

 

After historic loss of staff during pandemic, HPD has made significant strides — but “development pain points” & loss of institutional knowledge hamper agency’s ability to build & renovate affordable housing at scale required by city’s housing crisis

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released a new report, Building Blocks of Change, detailing the state of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), its staffing shortage and turnover, and its impact on the City’s ability to deliver affordable housing to New Yorkers. While the agency has made significant progress in efforts to staff back up after historic pandemic declines, the loss of institutional knowledge has compounded pre-existing “development pain points” that delay and hamper projects. The report outlines management reforms needed to ensure that the agency can fulfill its critical mandate to build and preserve quality, affordable housing.

“HPD needs to dramatically increase the pace of affordable housing production in order to confront our city’s housing crisis,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “But longstanding bottlenecks plus pandemic turnover of experienced staff have caused a backlog when we can least afford it. HPD needs to continue to streamline the development process, upgrade its technology, and enhance training and support for staff in order to deliver the affordable housing that New Yorkers urgently need.”

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 between April 2020 and October 2022, HPD lost nearly a third of its full-time employees, including many of its more experienced staff. In Fiscal Year 2022, the agency spent only 60% of its planned capital commitments. Despite successful efforts to staff back up in core program areas, significant challenges remain.

In order to correct for the period of low production of affordable housing, HPD would need to increase housing production by 42% in the upcoming fiscal year, just to hit its pre-existing targets – and by far more than that to help meet Mayor Adams’ “moonshot” goal of 500,000 new units of housing in NYC over the next 10 years.

With post-pandemic rents at all-time highs, housing starts at extremely low levels, homeownership far beyond the reach of most families, more tenants than ever facing high rent burdens, and historically high homelessness, HPD has an urgent role to play in combatting the crisis through financing the production and preservation of affordable housing.

The report focused on several challenges, among them:

Staffing:

• Between 2013 and 2019, the City of New York increased the workforce at HPD by over 500 full time employees and significantly scaled up housing production – quadrupling the agency’s annual capital expenditures from $414 million in 2013 to $1.68 billion in 2019. However, from April 2020 to October 2022, HPD experienced a net loss of 286 staff.
• Thanks to HPD leadership’s focus and OMB’s removal of barriers, HPD has hired an additional 863 full time employees in the past six fiscal quarters, while losing only 651 people. Likely as a result, the agency increased its spending rate from 60% of capital plan commitments in FY22 to 90% in FY23.

Backlog:

• From FY17 – FY19, HPD’s New Construction projects took an average 3.66 years to go from construction loan closing to permanent financing. The average timeline increased to 4.86 years in the three years following the onset of the pandemic, between FY21 – FY23.
• For Preservation projects, the timeline for completion for FY17 – FY19 was 3.22 years, increasing to 4.05 in FY21 – FY23.
• The number of affordable housing starts declined significantly during FY22, dropping to just 14,793 units – nearly 12,000 units less than the average number of affordable housing starts over the four previous fiscal years.
• Between FY21 and FY23, the median time to approve an applicant from the housing lottery increased from 88 days to 192 days (which means an apartment sits vacant for six months)​. For units set aside for homeless households, median time increased from 106 to 243 days.

To help identify specific challenges and chart a detailed path forward, the Comptroller’s Office analyzed staffing reports and budget data, and conducted nearly 40 interviews with former staff, developers, and not-for-profit organizations that work with HPD. Drawing from these interviews and data, the report identifies a series of management reforms to enhance HPD’s capacity:

1. Streamline processes to address development pain points. HPD made progress in improving and standardizing certain processes for greater efficiency. HPD should build on that good work to update its term sheets. Additionally, OMB should expedite approval and work to streamline their underwriting review.
2. Provide more flexibility and support for affordable housing developers. The City should expand funding for HPD’s Landlord Ambassador program to provide support for small owners, and offer flexibility to developers, especially where projects are delayed due to HPD’s staffing challenges.
3. Enhance training, support, and hybrid work options for HPD staff.
4. Upgrade HPD’s technology. HPD should create an agency-wide CRM, improve Housing Connect 2.0, and update its file management technology. The report identifies the Battery Park City Joint Purpose Fund, traditionally used for affordable housing, as a potential source of funding for these upgrades.

“We’re in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, yet the agency most directly responsible for housing in New York City isn’t getting the support it needs,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “I’m alarmed that the City has a backlog of affordable housing projects that are facing delay after delay, which only exacerbates housing insecurity. New Yorkers need a fully operational agency for the stability of working families.”

“Black, Brown, and working class New Yorkers are being forced out of our City at alarming rates due to a lack of deeply affordable housing. Unfortunately, the Comptroller’s damning report on HPD staffing shows that we will not reverse this trend if we do not take urgent action to address HPD’s hiring and retention practices. While this report confirms what I and many of my colleagues see in our districts as housing placements and developments stall, it will also help us fight to build our City’s housing capacity in order to meet today’s unprecedented demand. As Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus, I will do everything in my power to push for housing solutions that help us streamline our affordable housing pipeline and support our City’s housing agencies,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus.

“The Comptroller’s report sheds a clear light on not only the challenges that HPD has been facing, but also on the negative impacts that insufficient resources and staffing have had on nonprofit affordable housing developers, low income tenants, and the broader New York City housing ecosystem. In light of the affordability and homelessness crisis, it’s more important than ever that we have the tools and resources needed to build and preserve as much deeply affordable housing as possible,” said Emily Goldstein, Director of Organizing & Advocacy at the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development.

“The City’s housing-related agencies have been significantly understaffed and under-resourced for at least three years, which has resulted in reduced affordable housing production and delays securing housing and preventing homelessness,” said Rachel Fee, Executive Director, New York Housing Conference. “While HPD’s headcount has now reached pre-pandemic levels, a proposed hiring freeze and budget cuts endanger that progress. Instead, HPD must be prepared to add staffing, especially if Congress increases Low-Income Housing Tax Credit resources under the proposed tax framework. We appreciate Comptroller Lander and his team for their analysis of the City’s staffing and processing issues, and we encourage the Adams administration to implement the report’s recommendations to ensure we’re doing everything we can to increase affordable housing production in New York.”

“HPD is a critical city agency which requires consistent levels of investment in its staffing, management tools, capital and the partnerships – especially with the nonprofit community development sector – needed to address NYC’s dire affordable housing crisis impacting the quality of life for all New Yorkers and our communities.  Mayor Adams has launched and laid out important initiatives to advance the preservation and development of affordable housing, but to realize those goals the City needs to invest at historic levels and recommit itself to true partnerships with CDCs,” said Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee

“We appreciate the Office of the New York City Comptroller’s efforts in creating this in-depth analysis. As a vital partner in the work of affordable homeownership development and preservation, the City’s challenges have a tremendous impact on the pipeline, projects, programs, and balance sheets of organizations like ours. We sincerely hope these findings will enable us to work collectively to streamline processes and accelerate the pace of delivering housing solutions that will better serve hardworking New York families,” said Karen Haycox, CEO, Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County.

Read the full Building Blocks of Change report here.

MAYOR ADAMS RECOMMENDS DEPUTY MAYOR MEERA JOSHI, DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING DIRECTOR DAN GARODNICK TO SERVE ON MTA BOARD

 

Deputy Mayor Joshi Has Led City’s Successful Efforts to Improve Street Safety, Create Vibrant Public Spaces

 

DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick Has Spearheaded Administration’s Land Use Priorities, Including Transit-Oriented Development

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the recommendation of Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick to serve on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board — showcasing his commitment to providing New Yorkers with a safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation system by appointing two longtime supporters of public transit to the MTA Board. Currently overseeing the Adams administration’s transportation and infrastructure portfolio, Deputy Mayor Joshi spearheads the administration’s street safety work — which helped make 2023 New York City’s second-safest year for pedestrians since Vision Zero began in 2014 — while also creating vibrant public spaces in all five boroughs and preparing the city for congestion pricing. Director Garodnick leads the city’s land use priorities, including neighborhood plans in every borough and three citywide zoning text amendments focusing on the environment, economic development, and housing. All MTA board nominations are subject to New York State Senate confirmation.

 

“Deputy Mayor Joshi and Director Garodnick are the perfect people to help secure the MTA’s future and deliver a world-class, safe, reliable, and accessible transportation system to all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “New York City’s transit system is our backbone, and once confirmed to the MTA Board, Deputy Mayor Joshi and Director Garodnick will help ensure our backbone is stronger than ever. We want to thank Governor Hochul and our partners at the MTA for their collaboration on moving our city forward.”

 

“Perhaps nothing impacts the smooth operations of New York more than its public transit system; it is the backbone around which our economy functions and our identity as New Yorkers is built. Supporting the MTA’s fiscal and operational wellbeing through this moment of transition would be a great honor and privilege,” said Deputy Mayor Joshi. “From delivering needed upgrades to effectively operationalizing congestion pricing, I am committed to faithfully serving the people of New York as a member of the MTA’s Board of Directors. I am deeply grateful for Mayor Adams’ nomination and look forward to the State Senate’s review.”

 

“Our mass transit system is the lifeblood of New York City and our entire region. I’m honored to be recommended by Mayor Adams to this important role, and I will work every day to deliver the safe and reliable transit system that New Yorkers rely on and deserve,” said DCP Director Garodnick. “Transportation is a critical part of smart planning and land use, and this is a tremendous opportunity to advance even stronger housing, job, and transit efforts in the years to come.”

 

Over his two years in office, Mayor Adams has prioritized making the city’s transit system safe, reliable, and accessible. Mayor Adams launched the Subway Safety Plan to address public safety concerns and support people experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness on New York City’s subways almost two years ago. Additionally, last year, Mayor Adams and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced an agreement to baseline $75 million in funding for Fair Fares — which provides discounted Metro Cards to low-income New Yorkers — in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. This milestone marked the first time the city guaranteed annual funding for Fair Fares, and this year, Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams increased the baseline to $95 million while adding another $11 million to provide free MetroCards to Summer Youth Employment Program participants. Additionally, the administration has partnered with the MTA to invest in transit-oriented development, including a joint $500 million investment in accessibility, public realm upgrades, and more around the Broadway Junction station in East Brooklyn.

 

About Meera Joshi

 

Meera Joshi is the deputy mayor for operations, overseeing New York City’s infrastructure, public realm, and climate portfolio. Every day, her teams work to expand the city’s open, green, and aquatic space; reduce New York City’s building and transportation emissions, as well as its waste stream; and protect New Yorkers from the ever-mounting threats from excessive heat and rainwater.

 

Prior to joining the Adams administration, Joshi was President Joe Biden’s nominee for administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency responsible for regulation of interstate trucking.  In this role, she led initiatives aimed at improving roadway safety, the working conditions of truck drivers, and accountability mechanisms to integrate automation. Joshi was previously chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission — the nation’s largest for-hire transportation regulator — where she spearheaded Vision Zero campaigns, keeping high risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road. She led landmark policy changes, including establishing robust open transportation data standards, enacting the nation’s first for-hire driver pay protection program, and providing broad and on-demand access to for-hire transportation for passengers who use wheelchairs.  

 

In addition to her roles in transportation oversight, Joshi was previously the inspector general for the New York City Department of Correction, responsible for investigations of corruption and criminality at all levels of New York City’s jail operations between 2002 and 2008; and the first deputy executive director of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading investigations of civilian allegations of police misconduct. 

 

Joshi holds both a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. 

 

About Dan Garodnick

 

A life-long New Yorker, Dan Garodnick is the director of the New York City Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission. In this role, Garodnick spearheads the city’s land use priorities, including neighborhood plans in every borough and three citywide zoning text amendments focusing on the environment, economic development, and housing.

 

He previously served as a lawyer, not-for profit executive, and 12-year member of the New York City Council. As a member of the City Council representing the East Side of Manhattan, Garodnick chaired the Planning and Economic Development Committees and served as a member of the Land Use, Education, and Transportation Committees. He authored and passed over 50 laws, including tax relief for small businesses, a right for tenants to sue a landlord for harassment, an expanded TransitCheck program, a biotech tax credit, transparency in the use of economic development incentives, the city’s first “green” energy code, and various good government reforms.

 

Garodnick has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.

 

“Deputy Mayor Joshi and City Planning Chair Garodnick will be outstanding representatives of the city on the MTA board, bringing a wealth of knowledge about the city’s evolving infrastructure needs and ensuring close cooperation between City Hall and the leaders of the transit system upon which we all depend,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City.

 

“I applaud the mayor’s choices for the MTA board in Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and Planning Chair Dan Garodnick. They are both extremely qualified, dedicated public servants who I have had the pleasure of working with over many years,” said Carl Weisbrod, senior advisor, HR&A Advisors and former chair, New York City Planning Commission. “I am confident both will do exceptional work to strengthen one of our city’s most important and unifying resources — its public transit system.”