Brooklyn Man Convicted Of Robbing Chanel Store In Soho

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ERIC SPENCER, was convicted for his participation in a robbery of a luxury retail store in New York, New York on February 2, 2021. SPENCER was convicted after a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.

As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

On February 2, 2021, SPENCER robbed a Chanel store located in the SoHo neighborhood in Manhattan. SPENCER and three other co-conspirators entered the store and began ripping handbags off the cables that secured them to store displays. When an armed security guard confronted SPENCER, he reached into his waistband and intimated he had a firearm, causing store personnel to back off as the perpetrators made off with over $200,000 in luxury goods.

In the days after the robbery, SPENCER took photos of the stolen bags on his phone, bragged on his social media account about acquiring so many bags he “COULD OPEN A SMALL BOUTIQUE,” and sent text messages confirming he had sold the stolen merchandise.

Pictured: Spencer fleeing the scene of the SoHo store robbery with stolen merchandise in his hands

 

Pictured: A photo taken by Spencer of a bag stolen in the robbery 

SPENCER, 30, of Brooklyn, New York, was convicted by a jury of one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and one count of Hobbs Act robbery. The maximum potential sentence for each count is 20 years in prison and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Woods for June 30, 2022.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York City Police Department.

Housing Lottery Launches For The Henry At 2395 Palisade Avenue In Spuyten Duyvil, (Riverdale) The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for the Henry, a six story residential building at 2395 Palisade Avenue in Spuyten Duyvil, Riverdale Section of the Bronx. Designed by Kutmicki Bernstein Architects and developed by Timber Equities, the structure yields 55 residencies. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 17 units for residents at 130 percent of the area medium income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from 65,520 to $167,570. 

The Henry at 2395 Palisade Avenue in Spuyten Duyvil, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Units come equipped with dishwashers, washers and dryers, high-speed internet, air conditioning, name-brand appliances and finishes, and energy-efficient appliances. Amenities include common area Wi-Fi, gym, recreation room, package lockers, virtual doorman, garage with electric car charging stations, shared laundry room, and green space including a rooftop terrace.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are three studios with a monthly rent of $1,825 for incomes ranging from $65,520 to $124,150; eight one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,190 for incomes ranging from $78,446 to $139,620; and six two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,675 for incomes ranging from $96,172 to $167,570.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than April 19, 2022.

MAYOR ADAMS SIGNS LEGISLATION EXTENDING HOUSING AND VACANCY SURVEY DEADLINE

 

  New York City Mayor Eric Adams today signed Intro 70 into law, extending the deadline for the city’s Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS). Sponsored by New York City Councilmember and Housing and Buildings Committee Chair Pierina Sanchez, Intro 70 extends the deadline for the HVS from April 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022. 

“I am pleased that my first bill signing and hearing is one that gets stuff done for New York City renters and working people,” said Mayor Adams. “Too many New Yorkers are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table, and this bill provides the time needed for the city to make an informed decision on the extension of rent stabilization.”

 

“The Housing and Vacancy Study is a critical tool in tracking our housing stock and understanding the realities on the ground for New Yorkers trying to find an affordable home for their families,” said New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “I am grateful to Councilmember Sanchez for understanding how important it is for the city to have adequate time to accurately assess the state of our housing market. We cannot rush a review against a short deadline when vital rent stabilized units are on the line. This bill will let us do our job right.”

“For more than 50 years, the ​New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey has been the most reliable source of information on the city’s vacancy rate, the supply and condition of housing, and the continued need for rent regulation. In light of the pandemic’s effect on New York City tenants, collecting thorough citywide data is more important than ever,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “We’re glad to have the Council’s support in extending the ​deadline to allow the New York City Housing Vacancy Survey to more accurately assess the state of housing in this city.”

 

“The pandemic is still impacting New York City on multiple fronts, including exacerbating the housing affordability crisis that predated the arrival of COVID,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Extending the period of determination for our city’s housing emergency will allow tenants to remain protected under rent stabilization laws for additional time. I thank Councilmember Sanchez for her leadership on this important legislation.”

 

“Stabilized housing is essential to maintaining affordability for our New Yorkers,” said New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez. “This bill is critical to ensuring rent stabilization can continue in New York City, upon proper findings in the city’s Housing Vacancy Survey. I am proud to have sponsored this bill as my first act as chair of the Housing and Buildings Committee, and I look forward to continuing all efforts to maintain rent stabilization for the two million New York households relying on city leaders to maintain our rent stabilization laws in this city.”

The HVS is completed every three years in compliance with New York state and New York City’s rent regulation laws, however, the survey scheduled for 2020 was postponed initially due to the 2021 U.S. Census and then further due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Per New York state law, the city’s rent stabilization law is triggered by a “housing emergency,” which is in effect when the city’s rental vacancy rate — as measured by the HVS — is below 5 percent.

 

MAYOR ADAMS OPENS SAFE HAVEN FACILITY, EXPANDING SHELTER ACCESS AND OTHER SERVICES TO NEW YORKERS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS

 

Safe Haven Facility Will Provide Medical, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Services On-Site, Includes 80 Beds to Serve New Yorkers Experiencing Homelessness

 

Part of ~500 Additional Low-Barrier Beds Announced in Subway Safety Plan

 

Over 350 of Promised 500 Beds Will Be Open to Serve New Yorkers This Week

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the opening of the Morris Avenue Safe Haven site in the Bronx, as part of his administration’s continued commitment to connecting New Yorkers experiencing homelessness with access to high-quality shelters and services. The facility will provide 80 beds to New Yorkers in need and will offer dedicated services and medical care on-site, including supports to address mental health and substance use challenges. This Safe Haven is also part of the approximately 500 new low-barrier beds Mayor Adams announced as part of his Subway Safety Plan last month. As of this week, over 350 of the announced 500 beds will be online, with additional beds opening in the coming weeks.

 

“For too long there have been New Yorkers unseen by our government, but we will no longer abandon our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness to lives of suffering and pain,” said Mayor Adams. “The opening of the Morris Avenue Safe Haven, and others like it, will provide unhoused New Yorkers a place to live, heal, and be cared for. Not only are we offering safe spaces to those experiencing homelessness, but we’re offering New Yorkers second chances. The 80 beds at this location will be a part of the 500 beds opening in the coming weeks. Instead of trapping New Yorkers in a labyrinth of despair, we are making sure those who have been lost are found again by providing a path to stability, long-term housing, lasting community, and common purpose.”

 

“Our home is one of our anchors in life and today, this announcement provides additional opportunities for more of our fellow New Yorkers to move toward securing stable, permanent housing,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Thank you to our partners in the field, the staff that provide compassionate, caring services to clients experiencing homelessness, and to the mayor for his continued commitment to this issue. More Safe Haven beds are needed and more will become available in the near future.”

 

“We are doubling down on our commitment to help New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness get back on their feet, which is why we continue to develop specialized resources dedicated to helping New Yorkers in need come off the streets and subways, with thousands of such beds already serving vulnerable New Yorkers citywide,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary P. Jenkins. “This Safe Haven builds on our commitment, and in partnership with not-for-profit provider-partner Care for the Homeless, this site will prove to be a vital resource for our neighbors in need — helping stabilize their lives while encouraging further transition into more permanent housing settings. While there is always more work to be done, New Yorkers should be proud of the positive impact our outreach teams have had on so many lives — and we remain focused on redoubling those efforts and reaching those New Yorkers we have not been able to reach yet, rebuilding trust, and making those important breakthroughs in a caring and compassionate manner.”

 

“The Adams administration has brought added and much-needed attention to the problem of street homelessness in New York City,” said George Nashak, president, Care for the Homeless (CFH). “CFH is proud to partner with Commissioner Jenkins and his team to create effective solutions that bring people indoors, provide high-quality health care and social services, and help clients achieve permanent housing. These are the solutions to street homelessness. CFH is grateful to have the opportunity to open the Morris Avenue Safe Haven.”

 

At this location, shelter provider Care for the Homeless will also operate a Federally-Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC). This full-service licensed health center will provide comprehensive primary health care and behavioral health care to the residents on site, as well as other individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the area. 

 

Safe Havens and stabilization beds are small-scale, low-barrier programs specifically tailored for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness who may be resistant to accepting or who may not be best served by other services, including traditional transitional housing settings. These facilities provide specialized beds and physical and program characteristics specifically meant to address individuals’ unique needs, including smaller physical settings, as well as on-site services and compassionate staff who work closely with these New Yorkers to build trust, stabilize lives, and encourage further transition off the streets and ultimately into permanent housing.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - MARCH 29, 2022

 9 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

"As we continue to closely monitor an uptick in cases, particularly in Central New York, I want to remind New Yorkers that the vaccine and booster are our best tools to move forward safely through this pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "This is the time to remain vigilant, so please get fully vaccinated and boosted as soon as you can. If you feel sick, get tested and limit your exposure to others. If you test positive, talk to a doctor right away about treatments."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:  

• Test Results Reported - 76,157  
• Total Positive - 2,400
• Percent Positive - 3.15%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.43%
• Patient Hospitalization - 845 (+24)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 102
• Patients in ICU - 127 (0)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 59 (+3)
• Total Discharges - 290,457 (+80)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 9
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 55,113    

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only. 

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 70,226

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.      

• Total vaccine doses administered - 37,419,582
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 9,587
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 86,307
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 83.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 86.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 82.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 72.5%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 81.5%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 73.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 89.5% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.1% 

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:  

BOROUGH	Saturday, March 26, 2022	Sunday, March 27, 2022	Monday, March 28, 2022
Bronx	0.88%	0.91%	0.96%
Brooklyn	1.66%	1.70%	1.76%
Manhattan	2.42%	2.46%	2.51%
Queens	1.43%	1.48%	1.54%
Staten Island	1.66%	1.71%	1.86%

You are running out of time - Team Biaggi

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