Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Should I resign from the City Council if I used My Influence to Get a Moving Violation Quashed


Vanessa L. Gibson

Hi - My name is Vanessa Gibson, and I chair the City Council Public Safety Committee. Yes it is against the law to talk on your cell phone while driving. The Daily News reports that in 2014 I was given such a ticket for driving and talking on my cell phone. They also say that I used my influence in the council and got the ticket quashed. That moving violation is five points on a license. 
Others who were in politics have had their careers ended for doing similar things, should I resign? 

Affordable Housing Yes, But Not in My Council District


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Hi my name is Ydanis Rodriguez - I am the City Council Transportation Committee Chair. We in the City Council voted for the mayor's Affordable Housing plan citywide. Yes I want more affordable housing, but not in my district. Put it somewhere else in the city. I am good friends with the speaker, so it won't be built in my council district.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Derek Galanis Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Securities Fraud



  Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DEREK GALANIS pled guilty today to manipulating the market for Gerova Financial Group, Ltd. (“Gerova”), a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and to defrauding the shareholders of that company.  GALANIS pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox. 
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:  “As he admitted in his guilty plea today, Derek Galanis conspired to have Gerova issue more than $70 million worth of shares for no legitimate business purpose and to hide Jason Galanis’s control of those shares.  Galanis and his co-conspirators then artificially manipulated Gerova’s stock price so that they could secretly cash out for massive profits.  Derek Galanis is the fourth person to plead guilty in this stock fraud scheme that left many victim investors holding worthless shares.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment filed against DEREK GALANIS and his co-conspirators, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings[1]:
The Gerova Scheme
From 2009 to 2011, DEREK GALANIS, along with his co-conspirators Jason Galanis, John Galanis, Jared Galanis, Gary Hirst, Ymer Shahini, and Gavin Hamels, engaged in a scheme to defraud the shareholders of Gerova, and the investing public, by effecting securities transactions in Gerova stock for the purpose of conferring millions of dollars of undisclosed remuneration on the co-conspirators, without adequate disclosure of Jason Galanis’s role in directing the transactions or the benefits received by Jason Galanis and his co-conspirators.
As a part of the scheme to defraud, Jason Galanis obtained sufficient control over Gerova so as to be able to cause Gerova to enter into transactions of his design, and for his benefit, including the issuance of Gerova stock.  Jason Galanis obtained this control without causing himself to be identified as an officer or director of Gerova in order to appear to abide by an SEC-imposed bar that forbade him from holding such positions at publicly traded companies.  Among other means and methods, Jason Galanis, with the assistance of Hirst, caused over five million shares of Gerova stock, which represented nearly half the company’s public float and which were intended for Jason Galanis’s ultimate benefit, to be issued to and held in the name of Ymer Shahini, who knowingly served as a foreign nominee for Jason Galanis.  DEREK GALANIS, a longstanding friend of Shahini’s, recruited Shahini to the scheme, telling Shahini in an email, “All we need is a foreign national we trust which is where you come in my friend.”  DEREK GALANIS, Jason Galanis, John Galanis, Jared Galanis, Hirst, and Shahini understood that the purpose of the stock grant to Shahini was to disguise Jason Galanis’s ownership interest in the stock, and to evade the SEC’s regulations for issuing unregistered shares of stock. 
At the same time, and as a further part of the scheme to defraud, John Galanis and Jared Galanis, with DEREK GALANIS’s knowledge, opened and managed brokerage accounts in the name of Shahini (the “Shahini Accounts”), effected the sale of Gerova stock from the Shahini Accounts through manipulative trading, and received and concealed the proceeds, knowing that this activity was designed to conceal from the investing public Jason Galanis’s ownership of and control over the Gerova stock.  In total, DEREK GALANIS and his co-conspirators sold nearly $20 million worth of Gerova shares from the Shahini Accounts for their own benefit.
In contrast, unsuspecting Gerova shareholders were left with a worthless investment.  More specifically, in March 2011 the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) halted trading of Gerova and in April 2011 Gerova asked the NYSE to delist its securities.  By November 2, 2011, Gerova’s stock price had bottomed out at $0.00 per share. 
DEREK GALANIS, 44, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 
Jason Galanis, 46, pled guilty on July 21, 2016, to two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 
John Galanis, 73, pled guilty on July 20, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 
Gavin Hamels, 40, pled guilty on March 22, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences for the defendants will be determined by the judge.  
         
Trial against defendants Gary Hirst and Jared Galanis is scheduled for September 12, 2016, on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud, and with regard to Jared Galanis, on charges of investment adviser fraud and misprision of a felony.  Defendant Ymer Shahini remains a fugitive.  The allegations contained in the Indictment as to those defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mr. Bharara praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the SEC.
The charges were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud.  Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations.  Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants.  For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.                   
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Blais, Aimee Hector, and Rebecca Mermelstein are in charge of the prosecution.  
 

[1]  As for the defendants who have not pled guilty (Gary Hirst, Jared Galanis, and Ymer Shahini), the charges described herein constitute only allegations.

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - Another Chance - Resolve Outstanding Warrants and Clearing Your Record


Another Chance 

Resolving Outstanding  Warrants 
Clear Your Record

Saturday, September 17, 2016 
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Mount Hope Community Center 
55 E 175th Street, Bronx, NY 10453  

Warrants for Quality of Life Summonses Including: 
Consumption of Alcohol in Public 
Disorderly Conduct 
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 
Trespassing, Loitering, Littering,  
Riding a Bicycle on the Sidewalk, Unleashed Dog, Spitting, Making Unreasonable Noise, Being in the Public Park after Closing  
And Much More


In collaboration with the Office of Court Administration, The Legal Aid Society, NYPD, and the Mount Hope Housing Company Inc. For more information: 718-590-2272

Friends of Van Cortlandt Park Report Illicit Discharge into Tibbetts Brook in Yonkers



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The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have reported to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation what we believe to be a continuous illicit discharge into Tibbetts Brook within Yonkers.  The staff of the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park and community members have reported this pipe discharging during dry weather and strong smells of detergent and discoloration, a blue-green color, have been reported too. The 4 foot pipe is located along the South County Trail adjacent to Lawton Street nearby where the Brophy Brothers Wholesale is located. The coordinates are 40.9122, -73.8842 and the best way to access the pipe is by entering the South County Bike Trail from Alan B Shepard Jr. Place and heading south to the next block, before you reach the overpass that is McLean Avenue.

The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have been running a monitoring program of Tibbetts Brook and the connected Van Cortlandt Lake within Van Cortlandt Park weekly since December 2015.  The data we were collecting led us to believe that some of the pollution sources affecting the water quality were located within Westchester County and therefore we took samples on August 9th, 2016 (picture above taken on that day).  The data we collected that day shows an increase in Fecal Coliform colonies from 260 MPN/100ml, upstream of the pipe, and 4,800 MPN/100ml., downstream of the pipe.  This is an alarming increase and significantly higher than the EPA standards of 200 MPN/100ml.
 
The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park look forward to working with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and other authorities to determine the source of this illicit discharge and to fix the problem.  The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park will continue our weekly water quality monitoring and will report other sources of pollution as we find them.  We are dedicated to be the voice for this waterway.

Thanks to Ms. Christina Taylor, 
Executive Director of Friends of Van Cortlandt Park
Phone: 718-601-1460.

Upcoming Legal Housing Consultations Event with NYLAG At Community Board 7


  In partnership with Council Member Andrew Cohen and his sponsorship of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Bronx Community Board 7 will be having a NYLAG mobile van parked outside of our office located at 229-A East 204th Street to provide consultation services for those who need assistance with housing legal issues. The services will be available on August 26th from 12:00 PM-5:00 PM. Please feel free to let anyone know who might need assistance to come attend

Andrew Sandler  District Manager

Bronx Community Board 7


229-A East 204th Street Bronx, NY 10458

P: 718-933-5650/51 F: 718-933-1829

Email: ansandler@cb.nyc.gov<mailto:ansandler@cb.nyc.gov>

Web: www.bronxcb7.info<http://www.bronxcb7.info/>

Monday, August 15, 2016

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Guilty Plea Of The Leader Of A Brooklyn Based Gun Trafficking Ring


Dubbed “Operation Midnight Run,” Joint AG-NYPD Investigation Leads To A Top Count Plea For Lead Defendant Natasha Harris; Harris Will Be Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison
Schneiderman: If You Bring Deadly Illegal Weapons Into Our State, We Will Catch You And Prosecute To The Fullest Extent Of The Law
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today the top count plea of Natasha Harris for her role as the leader of a high-volume gun trafficking ring. Harris will be sentenced to 15 years in prison. Harris pled guilty to seventeen counts including multiple counts of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree. 
“Natasha Harris led a dangerous gun trafficking ring that used Chinatown buses as a method to bring guns into our communities and fuel the epidemic of gun violence,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message– if you bring deadly illegal weapons into our state, we will catch you and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”
The investigation, led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and the NYPD’s Firearms Investigation Unit, began in the spring of 2014. The investigation involved a high-volume gun trafficking ring that allegedly funneled firearms from Florida to New York City, often beneath Chinatown buses. According to the 196-count felony indictment the investigative team seized more than 70 illegal guns bought at gun shows in Florida, many of which were then resold in New York for up to four times their original price.
Defendant Octavio Batista was previously sentenced to 12 years in prison. Defendant Michele Cantres was also sentenced to seven years in prison and five years post release supervision.

BRONX BUSINESS CELEBRATES EASCO BOILERS 90 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S ONLY BLACK-OWNED BOILER MANUFACTURERS


  A family-owned and operated institution, Easco Boiler Company is celebrating 90 years of business, with a press conference and open house this Tuesday, August 16th at their headquarters. Leon Eastmond, 89 years old, took the reins of the business from his father in 1948, and has entrusted his grandson Tyren, the fourth generation of the family to manage operations, with the role of COO. Under Tyren’s leadership, the company is focused on expansion, sustainability and deepening community relationships.  

As the country is focused on job creation, especially in disadvantaged communities, Easco is a model for employment policies that strengthen and add value to the community.  The company has paid wages starting at $15 per hour and up, with great benefits, long before advocates began pushing for a $15 minimum wage nationally. Easco also provides job training for formerly incarcerated individuals and has a “scholarship fund” for those who aren’t able to support themselves while learning a new trade. This foresight is based on the family wisdom that well-treated employees craft a better product and contribute to long term growth.

Reflecting on their 90th year in business, Easco patriarch Leon Eastmond noted the need for the city to recommit to helping build and sustain local businesses. “Black and Latino communities The resilient people of the Bronx deserve a fair chance to work, gain skills and reinvest in their community. Our city leaders must stay actively engaged in making sure the policies and procedures of city agencies support a create opportunity for the citizens of our great city.”  

“Easco is a staple in the black community and a model for the nation,” said Tyren Eastmond, “We are committed to the economic advancement of the most vulnerable and the most in need of good jobs. This is the real value of a legacy business like ours, in the Bronx and beyond.”

Many elected and business leaders will be on hand.

Tuesday, August 16th - 11:00 am

Easco Boiler Headquarters 175 Leggett Ave, Bronx, NY 10474