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Friday, December 2, 2022
Permits Filed For 3217 Westchester Avenue In Pelham Bay, The Bronx
Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 3217 Westchester Avenue in Pelham Bay, The Bronx. Located between Wilkinson Avenue and Continental Avenue, the lot is three blocks from the Pelham Bay Park subway station, serviced by the 6 train. Paul Lumaj of Dedaj Construction Corp. is listed as the owner behind the applications.
The proposed 66-foot-tall development will yield 53,391 square feet, with 37,489 square feet designated for residential space, 9,627 square feet for community facility space, and 6,275 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 55 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 681 square feet. The masonry-based structure will also have a cellar and 16 enclosed parking spaces.
Badaly Architects is listed as the architect of record.
Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.
Permits Filed For 1465 Bryant Avenue In Crotona Park East, The Bronx
Permits have been filed for a nine-story mixed-use building at 1465 Bryant Avenue in Crotona Park East, The Bronx. Located between Jennings Street and East 172nd Street, the lot is within walking distance of the Freeman Street subway station, serviced by the 2 and 5 trains. Christopher Lacovara of Community Access, Inc. is listed as the owner behind the applications.
The proposed 94-foot-tall development will yield 37,607 square feet, with 23,300 square feet designated for community facility space and 14,307 square feet for residential space. The building will have 70 residences for the Affordable Independent Residence for Seniors program. The concrete-based structure will also have a terrace, cellar, and a 31-foot-long rear yard.
ESKW/A is listed as the architect of record.
Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.
Attorney General James Reaches Multistate Agreement with CarMax to Protect Drivers’ Safety
CarMax Failed to Tell Consumers about Safety Recalls on Their Vehicles
New Industry Standard Will Require Used Car Dealers to Inform Drivers of Open Safety Recalls Prior to Selling Used Vehicles
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a multistate coalition of 35 attorneys general today secured $1 million from CarMax for failing to disclose open safety recalls on their used vehicles to consumers before sales. CarMax did not provide consumers with information about safety recalls on critical vehicle parts, such as brakes and fuel pumps, before selling vehicles. Today’s agreement will set a new industry standard for used car dealers to disclose open safety recalls to customers before they make a purchase. New York will receive an estimated $53,772.49 of the total settlement funds.
“When someone buys a car, they need to know that it will keep them safe,” said Attorney General James. “CarMax put New Yorkers at risk by allowing drivers to get on the road without warning them that their newly purchased vehicles had open safety recalls. This agreement will protect New Yorkers and ensure that consumers are aware of any safety recall before they start driving. As Attorney General, I will continue to ensure that companies that bypass the law are held to account and that New Yorkers are protected.”
A multistate investigation found that CarMax, a nationwide used car dealer, misled consumers by failing to disclose needed repairs on vehicles with open safety recalls. CarMax classified those vehicles as “safe” despite there being open recalls for parts, including airbags and other critical safety features.
Today’s agreement requires CarMax to stop these improper practices and changes overall industry standards in the used car market to protect consumers. Customers of used car dealerships will now be able to access information about any open safety recalls for any vehicles available for purchase. Under the agreement, CarMax is required to provide digital links for vehicles advertised online and QR codes for vehicles available on their lots which will allow consumers to access this information as they shop.
In addition, CarMax will present customers with documentation on any open safety recalls and obtain their signature to confirm proper disclosure before presenting the with any sales paperwork. The company will pay $1 million in penalties, of which an estimated $53,772.49 will go to New York.
CarMax will continue to use the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration’s vehicle identification number tool to provide important safety information, including open recalls, to consumers. To check for any open recalls on their vehicle, consumers can use this online tool.
Joining Attorney General James in today’s agreement are the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
This agreement was led by Deputy Assistant Attorney General in Charge of the Rochester Regional Office Benjamin Bruce and Consumer Frauds Bureau Chief Jane Azia. The Rochester Regional Office is a part of the Division of Regional Affairs, which is led by Deputy Attorney General Jill Faber. The Consumer Frauds Bureau is a part of the Division of Economic Justice and is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo. The Division of Regional Affairs and the Division of Economic Justice are overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
Florida Man Sentenced To 18 Months For Theft Of Over $20 Million In SIM Swap Scheme
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NICHOLAS TRUGLIA was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his participation in the theft of over $20 million worth of cryptocurrency during a SIM swap attack of a victim (the “Victim”) and was further ordered to pay $20,379,007 in restitution to the Victim within 60 days. TRUGLIA was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nicholas Truglia and his associates stole a staggering amount of cryptocurrency from the victim through a complex SIM swap scheme. Nevertheless, today’s sentencing goes to show that no matter how sophisticated the crime is, this Office will continue to successfully prosecute those who choose to defraud others.”
According to Count One of the Indictment, to which TRUGLIA pled guilty, and other statements and submissions made in Court:
In or around January 2018, TRUGLIA participated in a scheme to conduct a cyber intrusion of online accounts of the Victim in order to steal cryptocurrency. During the course of the scheme, participants in the scheme (the “Scheme Participants”) gained unauthorized access to online accounts of the Victim through a cyber intrusion technique referred to as “SIM swapping.” During a SIM swap attack, cyber threat actors gain control of a victim’s mobile phone number by linking that number to a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) card controlled by the threat actors, resulting in the victim’s calls and messages being routed to a device controlled by the threat actors. The threat actors then use control of the victim’s mobile phone number to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the victim that are registered to the mobile phone number.
The Scheme Participants successfully gained unauthorized access to online accounts of the Victim via a SIM swap of the Victim’s mobile phone number (the “SIM Swap”). The Scheme Participants then used those online accounts to gain access to a cryptocurrency wallet of the Victim containing over $20 million worth of the Victim’s cryptocurrency. One of the Scheme Participants contacted TRUGLIA and added him to an online call with other Scheme Participants, during which TRUGLIA learned of the SIM Swap and agreed to receive cryptocurrency fraudulently diverted from the Victim’s cryptocurrency wallet into an online account held by TRUGLIA (the “Truglia Account”). Over the next few hours, TRUGLIA made the Truglia Account available to other Scheme Participants to receive the Victim’s stolen cryptocurrency, where it was converted into Bitcoin. Scheme Participants transferred much of this Bitcoin to other accounts controlled by them and left a portion of the criminal proceeds for TRUGLIA. In total, during the SIM Swap, Scheme Participants stole over $20 million worth of the Victim’s cryptocurrency, with the defendant keeping at least approximately $673,000 worth of the stolen funds.
In addition to his prison term, TRUGLIA, 25, of Ocoee, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. In addition to his restitution obligation of $20,379,007, TRUGLIA was further ordered to forfeit $983,010.72.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Las Vegas Field Office.
NYCHCC - 17th Annual Hispanic Business Award Banquet & Scholarship Ceremony
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New York City Comptroller Brad Lander Issues Annual Report on Capital Debt and Obligations for Fiscal Year 2023
Analysis shows the City’s debt burden declined in recent years across multiple indicators.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the Annual Report on Capital Debt and Obligations for fiscal year 2023, which assesses the current state of the City of New York’s debt burden compared to its tax base, the statutory debt limit, and other cities across the nation. The City’s debt finances capital construction and improvements to the infrastructure relied on by millions of residents, tourists, and daily commuters.
“New York City’s infrastructure is the foundation for our shared thriving. City capital projects are the school buildings that educate our kids; the tunnels that bring us clean water; our public parks, libraries, hospitals, affordable housing for families; the space and technology needed for our municipal government and courts; and the roads and bridges that New Yorkers rely on every day. Capital debt financing is how we pay for most of those projects, so it is critical we keep a sharp eye on our capital debt and obligations,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
While federal and state investment, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the New York State Environmental Bond Act, will finance some projects in the years ahead, the City funds the vast majority of its infrastructure projects through debt financing.
The City’s debt, excluding that of the New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority, grew from $39.55 billion in FY 2000 to $95.27 billion in FY 2022, an increase of 141%. Over the same period, New York City personal income grew by 136% and local tax revenues by 205%.
By several measures, the City’s debt burden relative to its tax base has improved over the past two decades. Debt service as a percentage of local tax revenues dropped from 17.2% in FY 2002 to 9.7% in FY 2022. Debt outstanding as a percent of the City’s total personal income has decreased from 15.2% in FY 2002 to 13.2% in FY 2022. Finally, debt outstanding as a percent of taxable assessed property values decreased from 41.7% in FY 2002 to 36.6% in FY 2022. Debt as a percentage of property market values was 3.4% in FY 2021, using a sales-based valuation of real estate.
The City’s outstanding debt remains well under the State constitutional limit. The City’s debt ceiling, which is defined by the State constitution as 10% of the five-year rolling average of the full value of taxable City real property, is currently $127.45 billion. Current outstanding debt, which counts toward that debt-limit totals $85.94 billion as of July 1, 2022, leaving the City with a debt-incurring power of $41.51 billion.
The City’s strong credit rating is another bright sign for the City’s ability to afford its current debt. For FY 2022, Moody’s Investors Service maintained the City’s GO bond rating at Aa2; Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings (S&P) maintained its rating of the City’s GO bonds at AA; Fitch Ratings (Fitch) maintained its rating of GO bonds at AA- and changed its outlook to positive; and the City’s GO bonds received a rating of AA+ from Kroll Bond Rating Agency.
Together with the Mayor’s Office, the Comptroller has focused over the past year on reforming the City’s processes for capital projects procurement and execution, in order to reduce cost overruns and delays, create good jobs and economic opportunities, and strengthen the City’s capacity to deliver critical projects in the years ahead. The Comptroller has also identified the need to improve infrastructure planning to guide spending and prioritize projects.
“With aging bridges and sewer mains, growing housing and technology needs, and the urgent challenges of the climate crisis, our need for infrastructure improvements will grow in the coming years,” continued Comptroller Lander. “This report shows we have the fiscal capacity for growing capital investments. Now, it’s up to us to make them wisely and effectively.”
View the full Annual Report on Capital Debt and Obligations here.
Russian Citizen Sentenced To 46 Months For Laundering Proceeds Of Internet Frauds
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TARAS ILYICH BEVZ, a citizen of Russia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for laundering over a million dollars of proceeds of various internet frauds targeting dozens of U.S. citizens and companies. BEVZ was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Bevz, a Russian citizen, traveled to the United States on a tourist visa to engage in a crime spree that left over 40 people and entities with over a million dollars in losses. From the day he set foot on American soil, he ran companies and bank accounts that laundered proceeds of various sophisticated internet fraud schemes. Bevz’s illegal journey to America to commit crimes comes to an end with a significant prison sentence.”
According to Count Two of the Indictment, to which BEVZ pled guilty, and other statements and submissions made in Court:
On or about November 12, 2019, BEVZ entered the United States from Russia on a B2 tourist visa, which prohibited him from working in the United States. He immediately set to work preparing for the corrupt scheme to launder proceeds of various internet frauds. On the day of his arrival, BEVZ registered a corporation in New York that would be used to launder proceeds and subsequently registered a second corporation. From December 2019 to March 2021, BEVZ opened bank accounts for one or both of these companies at nine different banks, including in Manhattan bank branches.
From November 2019 through at least April 2021, BEVZ laundered the proceeds of at least two internet fraud schemes operated by co-conspirators: a hacking scheme and a vehicle fraud scheme. The hacking scheme compromised multiple companies’ bank accounts and sent proceeds to BEVZ’s accounts, among others. The fraud scheme targeted victims through internet ads for the sale of cars, RVs, motorcycles, and boats. The victims were directed to send money to BEVZ’s accounts, among others; their money was then withdrawn by BEVZ as cash or transferred to Turkey, among other destinations. The purported cars, motorcycles, and boats were never delivered to the victims. BEVZ supervised at least one other individual who similarly opened bank accounts and transacted with proceeds from the vehicle fraud scheme. BEVZ persisted in this scheme even after at least one bank prevented him from transferring money and shut down his account.
At least 42 victims lost money as part of BEVZ and his co-conspirators’ schemes. They include vulnerable victims whose business and personal savings accounts were drained as a result of the fraud and couples who have had to delay retirement. The victims represent a cross-section of society, including first generation Americans, teachers, and small business owners. They include a family who spent $26,500 to purchase an RV to transport an ailing parent cross-country over the holidays that was never delivered.
In addition to his prison term, BEVZ, 33, was ordered pay $1,044,924 in restitution and forfeit $1,044,924.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.