Rockland County Man Sentenced To 7 Years For Ponzi-Like Securities Fraud Scheme Targeting Local Haitian Community

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RULESS PIERRE was sentenced to 84 months in prison yesterday in connection with his Ponzi-like securities fraud schemes that primarily targeted PIERRE’s own Haitian community in Rockland County, New York.  PIERRE was convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud, and structuring offenses after a jury trial in May 2021 before U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein, who imposed the sentence. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Ruless Pierre violated the trust of his closest friends and fellow community members.  Pierre’s brazen lies caused many of his victims not only financial losses, but long-lasting emotional damage as well.  This sentence achieves some measure of justice for Pierre’s victims and puts fraudsters on notice that we will protect investors from those that would violate their trust.”   

According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and the evidence presented at trial: 

Investment Promissory Fraud

From at least November 2016 through October 2019, PIERRE solicited money from investors in Ruless Pierre Consulting Group (“RPCG”) by falsely promising them that he would earn a 20% return on their initial investment every 60 days through stock trading (the “Promissory Note Fraud”).  The investments were written down in documents known as “Investment Promissory Notes.”  These investment contracts generally promised that the investor would be paid 20% interest every 60 days and that the investor could withdraw all funds from the investment with 30 days’ notice.  Based on these documents and the false representations of PIERRE, the investors understood that their principal and interest were guaranteed.  

During the course of the investment fraud scheme, PIERRE fraudulently obtained over $2 million from approximately 100 investors.  After receiving money from investors, PIERRE deposited the money into one of his personal bank accounts or bank accounts of RPCG.  PIERRE then transferred the money to trading accounts, where he engaged in unprofitable day trading.  Despite his trading losses, PIERRE repeatedly and falsely represented to investors, including in investment statements containing fictitious balances, that the trading was profitable and that their investments were growing as promised.  In addition to losing their money, PIERRE also used investors’ funds to pay for personal expenses, including luxury vehicles.  Additionally, PIERRE further concealed the truth from investors by using money obtained from new investors to make redemption payments to previous investors, in Ponzi-like fashion.

The Franchise Investment Fraud

Beginning in or about November 2018, PIERRE began to offer investors, including some individuals who invested in his Promissory Note Fraud, the opportunity to purchase partnership interests in a partnership that would run three fast-food franchise locations (hereinafter, the “Franchise Investment Fraud”).   At the time, PIERRE did not own any of the fast-food franchises, but he was in discussions regarding purchasing them.  Each investment was memorialized in a document entitled “Silent Partnership Agreement.” 

The Silent Partnership Agreements promised the investors a 5% monthly return on the investment, in addition to a 40% pro rata share of the quarterly gross operating profit.  The minimum investment was $5,000. 

The Silent Partnership Agreements further provided that PIERRE was the General Partner, and that he was responsible “for the complete management, control, and policies related to the operation and conduct of the business.”

PIERRE received financial statements for the franchise locations, which showed minimal profits.  Nonetheless, PIERRE promised investors an unrealistic 5% monthly return on their investment.

In or about April 2019, PIERRE purchased one fast food franchise for approximately $50,000.  Pierre did not purchase the other franchises.

PIERRE deposited the fast-food franchise investors’ money in various bank accounts, which commingled the funds from the Franchise Investment Fraud with the Promissory Note Fraud.  In Ponzi-like fashion, PIERRE fraudulently misappropriated some of the fast-food franchise investors’ money to pay back investors in the Promissory Note Fraud.

In total, PIERRE raised at least $200,000 by selling the Silent Partnership Agreements to at least 18 investors.  Some of the investors were paid their five percent monthly distribution, but the vast majority of the investors were not been made whole.  The fast-food franchise went out of business in December 2019.

The Embezzlement Fraud Scheme and Structuring

In the another scheme, PIERRE embezzled money from his former employers.  From approximately 2007 until February 2016, PIERRE was the director of finance for two different hotels, which were owned by the same company (“Company-1”).  One hotel was located in the Palisades, New York (“Hotel-1”), while the other was located in Armonk, New York (“Hotel-2”) (collectively, “the Hotels”).   As the director of finance, PIERRE was the signatory on several bank accounts held in the name of the management companies that managed the Hotels (“Management Companies”). 

After August 2018, PIERRE no longer worked at either Hotel-1 or Hotel-2, but he regularly wrote himself checks payable to cash from the Management Companies’ bank accounts.  Specifically, from September 2018 through March 2019, PIERRE wrote over 70 checks to “cash” or “petty cash” from one of the bank accounts for Hotel-1, for over $300,000.

In addition, from March 2017 through 2019, PIERRE deposited large amounts of cash into his personal bank accounts in amounts that were generally less than $10,000.  The deposits were conducted at various bank locations and typically took place on the same day, consecutive days, or within a short period of time.  For example, in just seven months, from June 2018 through December 2018, PIERRE deposited approximately $225,612, through 138 cash deposits all under $10,000, into a bank account in the name of RPCG.

In addition to the prison term, PIERRE, 52, of Nanuet, New York, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $3,701,893.91 and restitution to victims in the amount of $2,030,337.32.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and thanked the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Internal Revenue Service, the New York City Police Department, and the New York City Sherriff’s Office, which assisted in the investigation.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has brought and filed a civil enforcement action against the defendant.  

23 ALLEGED RIVER PARK TOWERS GANG MEMBERS CHARGED IN THREE INDICTMENTS FOR GUN CRIMES, RIKERS ISLAND BEATDOWN AND ATTEMPTED MURDER

 

Defendants Include Drill Rappers Who Posted Videos Boasting of Shootings They Committed; Defendants Livestreamed Killing of a Pigeon When They Got 100 views

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell today announced that 21 men and one teen—alleged members of the RPT organization— have been charged in a 65-count indictment with Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Attempted Murder, Attempted Assault, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and numerous other charges related to multiple shootings in and around the River Park Towers complex in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.

  Another indictment charges seven of the defendants with Attempted Murder, Weapons Possession, and other charges for an incident on August 17, 2020, in which they fired approximately 11 shots into a building vestibule, and barely missed the head of one of the targets. A third indictment is for an incident in a Rikers Island jail on April 25, 2021, when members of the RPT organization and their allies committed a gang assault on a member of the Crips

  The defendants are also charged with an Animal Cruelty misdemeanor. They were livestreaming a pigeon that flew into the area and likened the bird to a Crip who wandered into their neighborhood. One defendant said, “If we get a hundred views, we’ll kill it.” They reached that number and beat the pigeon to death with a cane on Facebook live.

 District Attorney Clark said, “These defendants allegedly engaged in gun violence, committing six shootings, one which injured a rival gang member. They allegedly fired wildly on the streets without regard for the lives of anyone else. They allegedly possessed a gun used in shootings that they posed with on social media and rapped about the violence. I thank the NYPD for their partnership in this investigation. We are doing all we can to battle the gun scourge, but more must be done to deviate young people from a life of gangs and senseless violence.

 “I am calling on rappers from the Bronx to stop using music to encourage shootings and use it to better the community. I am asking to have a summit with aspiring rappers and the rap stars who come from the Bronx, record companies, radio stations and social media so we can find solutions to prevent further violence.”

 Commissioner Sewell said, “These long-term, Gun Violence Suppression Division investigations are carefully constructed, precisely focused tools that have a huge impact on eradicating gun violence and improving life for all New Yorkers. They underscore the importance of our mission to protect those who cannot protect themselves, in this case against a violent crew whose members stand accused of multiple shootings, assaults and other crimes, and I want to thank the NYPD case detectives, our officers in the Warrants Section, and the prosecutors in the Bronx District Attorney’s office for working together to achieve the safe and successful outcomes resulting in today’s indictments.”

 District Attorney Clark said six of the defendants, Jessie Battice, Shahiem Spencer, Jalias Perez, Jaylen Johnson, Daniel Agyemang, and Ernest Taluy were arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Judith Lieb on May 20, 2022. For Jalias Perez, bail was set in the amounts of $250,000 cash/$500,000 bond/$500,000 partially secured bond at 10% with a 72-hour examination of surety. The other five were remanded as defense counsel reserved bail applications.

 District Attorney Clark said three defendants, Daniel Collins, Lashar Williams, and Sheriff Jarjou, were arraigned May 23, 2022 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Judith Lieb and all were remanded.

 Eight defendants are incarcerated on other charges and will be arraigned in the coming days. The remaining six defendants are still being sought.

 According to the investigation by the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Division and the Bronx DA’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, from on or about January 2, 2020 to on or about March 16, 2022, the defendants were members or associates of “the RPT organization,” which operated in and around the River Park Towers housing development between the Major Deegan Expressway and the Harlem River.

 According to the investigation, the defendants agreed to engage in acts of violence including murder and the assault of members of rival street crews; and to acquire, possess and use firearms According to the investigation, the defendants agreed to engage in acts of violence including murder and the assault of members of rival street crews; and to acquire, possess and use firearms

 According to the investigation, around the time of the shootings, members would brag about their acts of violence and their easy access to firearms in their music videos while taunting members of the opposition. They also utilized various social media platforms to recruit and gain a following and would not only taunt rival groups and display firearms on social media, but commit shocking acts on social media for views, including the killing of a pigeon on Facebook live.

 The Conspiracy indictment includes seven shootings and eight gun possessions. One of the guns is tied by ballistics evidence to three shootings which they talked about on social media, while holding the distinctive black and tan firearm.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the Field Intelligence Officers, Neighborhood Coordination Officers, and Public Safety Officers of the 46 th and 52nd Precincts. District Attorney Clark thanked Captain Vincent Fuca and Investigator Juan Rivera of the Department of Correction’s Correction Intelligence Bureau and Investigator Walter Holmes, Bronx District Attorney Riker’s Island Liaison.

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

Alessandra Biaggi - I’m running for Congress against Sean Patrick Maloney

 

Friends -

I’ve got some huge news to share this morning regarding my campaign for Congress, and I wanted you to be one of the very first to know:

I’m running to be the next member of Congress from New York’s 17th district, a newly redrawn district that includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, and Dutchess counties.

I’ll explain the stakes of this decision in just a moment.

Here’s the truth: This is going to be a tough race, right from the start.

We are facing off against Sean Patrick Maloney, a very well-funded and well-connected corporate Democrat. He is the kind of opponent who can rally the political and corporate establishment in both New York and Washington to try and stop us.

I decided to run for Congress in the first place because I'm so frustrated by what's simply not happening in Washington. Democrats talk the talk about tackling climate change, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, passing stricter gun laws, protecting abortion rights — the list goes on. But nothing ever changes.

Sean Patrick Maloney represents what doesn’t work with the Democratic Party today.

I’m no stranger to Sean Patrick Maloney’s kind of opposition.

I won my race for State Senate in 2018 by primarying a powerful seven-term Democrat. 

I’ve never shied away from fights like these before, because I know that I have supporters like you standing with me. 

I know that together, we can build a grassroots movement that will mobilize, organize, and win all across the 17th district. 

Here’s the truth: This is going to be a tough race, right from the start.

We are facing off against Sean Patrick Maloney, a very well-funded and well-connected corporate Democrat. He is the kind of opponent who can rally the political and corporate establishment in both New York and Washington to try and stop us.

I decided to run for Congress in the first place because I'm so frustrated by what's simply not happening in Washington. Democrats talk the talk about tackling climate change, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, passing stricter gun laws, protecting abortion rights — the list goes on. But nothing ever changes.

Sean Patrick Maloney represents what doesn’t work with the Democratic Party today.

He's gladly taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs who poison our political system with endless dark money.

From the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, who make billions in profits while working people struggle to afford health care and prescription drugs? Check.

From Wall Street banks, whose greed and corruption crashed the economy as their executives paid themselves massive bonuses with taxpayer dollars? Yes, them too.

I’m no stranger to Sean Patrick Maloney’s kind of opposition.

I won my race for State Senate in 2018 by primarying a powerful seven-term fake Democrat. We were outspent nearly 10-to-1, with outside special interests spending millions of dollars trying to stop us.

It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.

I’ve never shied away from fights like these before, because I know that I have supporters like you standing with me. We know this is possible because the political currency of our time is people.

That’s why I’m not accepting a cent of corporate PAC money, and it’s why we’re funding our campaign the right way — with lots and lots of people chipping in what they can.

I know that together, we can build a grassroots movement that will mobilize, organize, and win all across the 17th district. 

Paid For By Alessandra Biaggi for Congress

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We have edited this announcement as to delete any reference to solicitation and a certain demeaning image of a past opponent. 

MAYOR ADAMS, GOVERNOR HOCHUL LAUNCH “NEW” NEW YORK BLUE-RIBBON PANEL ON FUTURE OF NYC’S, REGION’S ECONOMY

 

Robin Hood CEO Richard Buery, Former Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff to Lead Expert Panel Set to Convene in June

 

Panel Will Develop Recommendations for Reimagining How and Where People Work and Driving Inclusive Growth for the City and Region

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul today launched a “New” New York blue-ribbon panel to examine the future of New York City and the region’s economy, to be led by co-chairs Robin Hood CEO Richard Buery and former Sidewalk Labs CEO Daniel Doctoroff. The “New” New York panel — one of 70 concrete proposals Mayor Adams first announced in his “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery” plan in March — will develop actionable strategies for the resurgence and resilience of the city’s commercial districts. The initiative also builds upon Governor Hochul’s ambitious 2022 State of the State agenda and fiscal year 2023 New York State budget, which made historic investments to advance economic opportunity for New Yorkers across all communities.

 

The panel’s recommendations will focus on how and where people work as well as the mix and use of space in key employment centers, with a goal of minimizing vacancy, catalyzing vibrancy, and bolstering the tax base. It will also inform New York City’s path to an inclusive economic recovery with increased opportunities for New Yorkers to thrive in family-sustaining jobs.

 

“While our city continues to add jobs at a faster rate than the rest of the country, we have more work to do to ensure all New Yorkers can access family sustaining careers,” said Mayor Adams. “The experts on our ‘New’ New York panel will identify actionable strategies to build a more equitable economy, reimagine our central business districts, and prepare our city to lead in the industries of the future. I am extremely pleased to have Richard Buery and Dan Doctoroff lending their experience and creativity to this critical effort.”

 

“It is critical that we find new, innovative solutions to move New York’s economy forward as we continue to build back better than ever from the COVID pandemic,” said Governor Hochul. “The ‘New’ New York panel is laying the groundwork today to usher in a brighter tomorrow, and their expertise will help support bold initiatives in every corner of the state. I thank Richard Buery and Dan Doctoroff for leading this effort, and look forward to working with them to create a New Era for New York.”

 

“As we continue to rebuild our economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a responsibility to make sure all New Yorkers can share in the promise and opportunity of our city,” said New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres Springer. “A truly equitable recovery will require coordinated efforts from both the city and the state — and the ‘New’ New York Panel will provide us with a concrete roadmap for that collaboration. I look forward to working with Richard Buery and Dan Doctoroff in the months ahead as they lead this diverse group of experts.”

 

“There’s no place that is more innovative and primed for equitable economic growth than New York City,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “I am thrilled Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams are convening the ‘New’ New York panel, and I am confident that their recommendations will improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers while also supporting the ways people will live and work in the future.”

 

“The economy of our region — and the nation — depend on a strong, vibrant, resilient New York,” said Empire State Development Commissioner, President, and CEO Hope Knight. “The ‘New’ New York panel convened by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams includes some of the brightest and most determined New Yorkers, who — with their collective experience and expertise — will undoubtedly provide a thoughtful, actionable blueprint to expand New York’s economy and ensure it provides opportunity for all.”

 

“New York City has always found new ways to reinvent itself, and the post-COVID era will be no different, because New York’s dynamism, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit cannot be matched. The central question for the future is not if New York will rebound but how and who will get to participate,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr. “How we reimagine our region’s economy and who we create new opportunities for will determine our city’s future competitiveness. Creating vibrant centers for commerce throughout the city underscores our commitment to inclusiveness and equity while positioning New York City as an engine of opportunity for all New Yorkers and our economy, a global example of how to foster universal prosperity.”

 

“After 9/11, we rethought and replanned central business districts across the city — in Hudson Yards, Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, Long Island City, Harlem, Flushing, and Jamaica. Never would I have thought that we would need to do it again, just two decades later,” said Daniel Doctoroff. “But work is changing, technology is opening new opportunities for placemaking, and we can be far more intentional about the way in which we connect people to opportunity. The one thing about New York that hasn’t changed is we are unafraid to take the big leaps that make it the most interesting, dynamic, and open city in the world, which is why I know what will emerge from this effort will be bold and actionable, and it will help to ensure a vibrant future that is more equitable and inclusive.”

The “New” New York panel will identify high-impact ideas to spur the equitable recovery of the New York City region by addressing the changing needs of workers, residents, and companies stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the longstanding and systemic challenges of underserved workers and entrepreneurs. Comprised of a broad and diverse cross-section of civic leaders and industry experts, the panel is charged with creating a shared city-state agenda for investments, legislation, development projects, infrastructure, and long-term, transformative initiatives. The panel is expected to convene in June and present recommendations before the end of 2022.

 

The panel will focus on transforming the city’s job centers, including Midtown Manhattan, and other neighborhoods to support the ways people will live and work in the future. It will also identify key industries of the future, areas for regional cooperation especially related to infrastructure, and robust talent development opportunities to position local workers for careers in those industries.

 

The panel is expected to focus its efforts across three sets of goals: (1) investing in placemaking, (2) growing future industries, and (3) supporting our people.  Specific goals will be developed by the panel, and additional panelists will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

About Richard R. Buery, Jr.

 

Richard R. Buery, Jr. is the CEO of Robin Hood, New York City's largest poverty fighting philanthropy. He has spent his career fighting to advance equal opportunities for families and communities often left behind. Buery served as Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives for the City of New York during the DeBlasio administration and was the key architect of the City’s Pre-K for All initiative, enabling 50,000 additional 4-year-olds to get an early start on their education through a free, full-day program, among other key programs in education and mental health. He has also worked for or led four major nonprofits, including the Brennan Center at NYU’s School of Law, KIPP, Children’s Aid, and Achievement First. Additionally, Buery founded Groundwork to support the educational aspirations of public housing residents in Brooklyn, and was cofounder of the national nonprofit, iMentor, which pairs high school students with mentors to help them navigate to and through college. Buery also serves as a Public Service Fellow at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he was the Distinguished Visiting Urbanist during the Spring of 2019. He is also a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, a Senior Fellow at the GovLab at NYU, and a partner at the Perception Institute. He serves on the boards of the Kresge Foundation, iMentor, United to Protect Democracy, Atria Health Collaborative, the Grace Church School, and on the Alumni Advisory Council of the Tsai Leadership Program at Yale Law School. Buery graduated from Harvard University and Yale Law School. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Deborah and their two sons.

 

About Daniel L. Doctoroff

 

Daniel L. Doctoroff led New York's recovery after 9/11 as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Together, they developed a Five Borough Economic Development plan that transformed neighborhoods across the city, promoted new industries, produced hundreds of thousands of jobs, created a record affordable housing plan, and developed a pathbreaking sustainability plan. Mr. Doctoroff then led Bloomberg LP for seven years, including through the financial crisis, during which revenues nearly doubled and the company expanded beyond its core Terminal business. Then Mr. Doctoroff and Google created Sidewalk Labs, an urban innovation company that developed a vision for an innovation district and leveraged that vision to start companies that have created new models for urban health care, urban data and information, advanced infrastructure, building energy efficiency, and master planning, among others. Mr. Doctoroff is the Founding Chairman of The Shed and the Founding Chairman of Target ALS, which has pioneered a new approach to ALS research.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We wonder if Mr. Doctoroff still owns the office building in midtown Manhattan during the Bloomberg administration, which was across the street from where a new football stadium for the Jets was proposed? The office building was rumored to be the new headquarters for the football team.

We wonder what he will have up his sleeve, or under the table in this position.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - News, Resources , and Updates

 

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

After the horrific fire at Twin Parks North West where we lost 17 people, among them eight children, I joined my colleague Council Member Oswald Feliz to discuss steps to prevent another tragedy of this magnitude from happening again. The result was a legislative package dedicated to strengthening fire safety laws to protect our residents and families.

That package makes amendments to existing legislation and introduces new ones:

 

•   The time that property owners have to correct self-closing door violations will be lowered.
•   NYC Department of Housing will re-inspect all self-closing door violations.
•   Fines and penalties for self-closing door violations will be increased.
•   The definition of self-closing will include doors that fully shut and latch.

 

Last week, those bills were passed by the New York City Council and I am grateful to Council Member Feliz, the Members of the Fire Safety Task Force, and the New York City Council for their collaboration and partnership to ensure our residents have the protections they deserve.

Our community also scored another win with the introduction of a new bill that will make speed cameras operational 24/7 through 2025 in all five boroughs. The bill is expected to pass in June and is a necessary step towards making our streets safer. I want to thank our State legislators and transit advocates for pushing this forward.

Though there were some wins in our borough, this was a difficult week, to say the least. Monday afternoon, Kyhara Tay, an outgoing, adventurous, joyful 11-year-old girl was shot in the stomach by a stray bullet and succumbed to her injuries that night. The alleged suspect, a 15-year-old boy, is in police custody. This is horrifying and a reminder of the magnitude of our fight against gun violence. Children are shooting children. How did we get here? We need to do better.

As your borough president, I am dedicated to ensuring the safety of our children. They are counting on us and we won’t stop fighting for their safety and their right to enjoy a childhood free of fear.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

IN THE COMMUNITY

BP Gibson joined her colleagues in government alongside anti-gun violence advocates in calling attention to the senseless death of 11-year-old Kyhara Tay. BP Gibson attends Met Council's Legislative Breakfast.

BP Gibson attended C.E.P.B.A. Community Breakfast. BP Gibson attended the 150th Celebration of Riverdale Neighborhood House.

BP Gibson attended the UFT Career and College Fair. BP Gibson celebrated the 110th Anniversary of Butler Memorial United Methodist Church.

BP Gibson attended Speaker Adrienne Adams` State of the City. BP Gibson marched alongside elected officials for the Annual Celebrate Israel Parade.

BP Gibson attended the 45th Precinct Council Breakfast and the 49th Precinct Community Council Breakfast and presented citations to our brave uniformed officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.

HEALTH In response to the rise in COVID-19 cases in our city, we urge all of you to take care of yourselves: get tested, get vaccinated, and get boosted. You can find more information on COVID-19 resources for New York City residents on the NYC Covid-19 City-wide Information Portal. Officials have also confirmed 4 cases of Legionnaires in the Bronx and we urge anyone in the zip codes 10452 and 10456 who is experiencing flu-like symptoms to seek medical attention. Our health officials are testing cooling towers in the Bronx for Legionella bacteria. COMMUNITY EVENTS

DEC ANNOUNCES ‘MONSTER’ CHANNEL CATFISH BREAKS STATE RECORD

Catfish Marks First New York State Record Fish Established in 2022

 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that the State record for channel catfish was broken on May 8, 2022. Using cut bait while bottom fishing, Bailey Williams of Watertown reeled in a 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish from the Black River in Jefferson County. Bailey’s record-breaking catch surpassed the previous State record catfish, caught from Lake Ontario in 2017, by 9 ounces. 

“New York has an abundance of quality habitat that supports healthy fish populations and provides outstanding angling opportunities, and Mr. Williams’ catch is a great example,” said Commissioner Seggos. “I encourage those fishing in New York to check out the Angler Achievement Awards Program before your next fishing trip. It’s an exciting program designed to recognize sizable catches and shed light on where quality fishing opportunities exist around our State.”

Channel catfish are the largest catfish that live in New York. They feed primarily on the bottom at night and are most easily caught using live bait such as worms or baitfish. When hooked, catfish can provide a challenge for even the most experienced angler. For more information on fishing for catfish, visit DEC’s website.

Mr. Williams submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program, which tracks State-record fish. Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and an embroidered patch commemorating their achievement. The three categories that make up the program are: Catch and Release, Annual Award, and State Record.

For more information about the Angler Achievement Awards Program, including a downloadable application form, go to DEC's website. For additional information on the Angler Achievement Awards Program call (518) 402-8891 or email fwfish@dec.ny.gov.