Former Comptroller And Compliance Specialist At Investment Adviser Firm Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Defraud Clients

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VANIA MAY BELL, the former comptroller and chief compliance officer of Executive Compensation Planners, Inc. (“ECP”), a registered investment adviser and financial planning firm located in New City, New York, pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy with her father, Hector May, the former president of ECP, to defraud certain investment advisory clients (the “Victims”) out of more than $11 million.  BELL pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As Vania May Bell admitted, for years, she and her father, Hector May, violated the trust of ECP’s clients by taking their money intended for investments and instead spending it for personal and business expenses as part of an illegal Ponzi scheme.  In total, Bell and May stole more than $11 million from over 15 victims that included a pension plan, and vulnerable and elderly individuals.  Now, she has confessed to her crime and faces significant time in prison.”

According to Count One of the Indictment, to which BELL pled guilty, and other statements and submissions in made in Court:          

Beginning in 1982, May was the president of ECP and provided financial advisory services to numerous clients. In 1993, BELL joined ECP, where she held various titles including comptroller and chief compliance officer.  ECP worked with a broker dealer (“Broker Dealer-1”), of which May became a registered representative in 1994.  In its role as a broker dealer, Broker Dealer-1 facilitated the buying and selling of securities for clients of Broker Dealer-1’s registered representatives, including clients of May.  Broker Dealer-1 and associated clearing firms maintained securities accounts for ECP’s clients and, through those accounts, held ECP’s clients’ money, executed their securities trades, produced account statements reflecting activity in the clients’ accounts, and forwarded these account statements to ECP’s clients. 

In order to obtain money from the Victims’ securities accounts with Broker Dealer-1, May advised the Victims, among other things, that they should use money from those accounts to have ECP, rather than Broker Dealer-1, purchase bonds on their behalf.  He further represented that by purchasing bonds through ECP directly, the Victims could avoid transaction fees.  Because May lacked the authority to withdraw money directly from the Victims’ accounts with Broker Dealer-1, he persuaded the Victims to withdraw the money themselves and to forward that money to an ECP “custodial” account (the “ECP Custodial Account”), so that he could use the money to purchase bonds on their behalf. 

With BELL’s assistance, May guided the Victims, first, to withdraw their money from their Broker Dealer-1 accounts, and second, to send that money to the ECP Custodial Account by wire transfer or check.  At times, May falsely represented that the funds being withdrawn from Victims’ Broker Dealer-1 accounts were the proceeds of prior bond purchases May had made.  After the Victims sent their money to the ECP Custodial Account, May and BELL did not use the money to purchase bonds.  Instead, BELL and May transferred the money to ECP’s “operating” account and spent it on business expenses, personal expenses, and to make payments to certain Victims in order to perpetuate the scheme and conceal the fraud. 

Specifically, in some cases, BELL and May used Victims’ funds to make purported bond interest payments to other Victims.  In other cases, May used Victims’ funds to make payments to other Victims who wished to withdraw funds from their accounts.  BELL and May also created phony “consolidated” account statements that they issued through ECP and sent to the Victims.  These “consolidated” account statements purported to reflect the Victims’ total portfolio balances and included the names of bonds May falsely represented that he purchased for the Victims and the amounts of interest the Victims were supposedly earning on the bonds.  In order to create the phony consolidated account statements, May provided BELL with bond names and false interest earnings, and BELL created ECP computerized account statements and had them distributed to the Victims.

To keep track of the money that the co-conspirators were taking from the Victims, BELL processed the Victims’ payments for the purported bonds, entered them in a computerized accounting program, and, through that program, kept track of how BELL and May received and spent the Victims’ stolen money.  In this way, from the late 1990’s through March 9, 2018, BELL and May induced Victims to forward them more than $11,400,000.

BELL, 57, of Montvale, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing before Judge Nelson S. Román has been scheduled for July 7, 2022.

May, who pled guilty in a separate case in December 2018, to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and investment advisor fraud, was sentenced on July 31, 2019, to thirteen years in prison.  He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay $8,041,233 in restitution and forfeit $11,452,185.  

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS ASIM REHMAN OATH COMMISSIONER AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE

 

  New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointment of Asim Rehman as commissioner and chief administrative law judge of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). Rehman will be the first Muslim-American and the first person of South Asian descent to lead OATH. He currently serves as deputy commissioner for legal matters and general counsel at the New York City Department of Correction (DOC). 

In his role, Rehman will deepen OATH’s mission of adjudicating city matters fairly, resolving conflicts within city agencies, and providing inclusive and equitable access to justice. He will also help deliver on Mayor Adams’ vision of a more just and efficient administration of city services.

 

“In order for our city to operate effectively and carry out its core functions, we need fair, expeditious, and just administrative trials and hearings,” said Mayor Adams. “Asim Rehman is a proven reformer, who will bring his legal expertise and keen understanding of city government to his new role at OATH, and I’m proud to announce his appointment.”

 

“The work that OATH does is critical to the mission of making our city fairer, more inclusive, and more equitable,” said Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall Brendan McGuire. “Asim Rehman has not only impeccable legal credentials, but also a deep commitment to public service and fidelity to the law. I look forward to working with him to further OATH’s mission.”

 

“I am thrilled and honored to receive this appointment, and I look forward to working with OATH’s dedicated public servants to further the agency’s mission,” said incoming OATH Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge Asim Rehman. “Through the sound administration of trials and hearings and a thoughtful approach to conflict resolution, OATH helps New York City meet its goal of being not only the greatest city, but also the fairest and most just city. I am deeply grateful to Mayor Adams for this humbling opportunity.”

 

“Asim Rehman is an exemplary public servant with an unwavering commitment to justice and the rule of law,” said Dr. Sarah Sayeed, chair and executive director, New York City Civic Engagement Commission. “He is also a compassionate person and a community builder. I am excited to see what OATH will become under his leadership.”

 

“I have known Asim for a decade and a half as a law colleague, a civil rights advocate, a leading light of the bar, and my chief of staff at the Law Department,” said Jim Johnson, former corporation counsel, New York City Law Department. “He is a fearless public servant with a gravitas beyond his years and an eye always turned toward doing right, particularly for the most vulnerable. Justice is his north star, fresh thinking is his key approach, and compassion is his foundation. He will be a terrific commissioner at OATH.”

 

“I congratulate Asim Rehman on his appointment as the new commissioner of OATH,” said Philip Eure, former inspector general, New York City Police Department (NYPD). “From his time working with me, I can say that Asim is a talented lawyer with a keen intellect and attention to detail that will serve the city well as he takes on this new responsibility. Asim will further ensure that justice is administered fairly in ways that will improve how the city functions.”

 

“My deepest congratulations to Asim Rehman as the next commissioner of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings,” said Dr. Debbie Almontaser, CEO and founder, Bridging Cultures Group. “I can’t think of a better person to head this office than Asim Rehman. He has been a staunch advocate for justice as a lawyer in the private and public sector. As a New York City public servant, Asim has taken on tremendous challenges with skill, heart, and a steady hand, always putting the people first. While in the private sector, Asim put in countless hours working with me and other community advocates to improve the lives of New Yorkers, all outside of his day job. I commend Mayor Adams on his quest to create an administration reflecting the diversity of our beloved city.”

 

“The Muslim Bar Association of New York congratulates Asim Rehman on his appointment as the new commissioner and chief administrative law judge at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings,” said Sania Khan, president, Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY). “Asim is a brilliant attorney and a compassionate leader, who will undoubtedly execute this role with equity and fairness in mind. As a founding member and former president of MuBANY, Asim has always been dedicated to advancing the voices of underrepresented communities, and we look forward to all the good work he will continue to do through this role.”

 

“New York City is fortunate to land such a wise, clear-thinking, hard-working, and dedicated public servant for the important role of commissioner and chief administrative law judge of OATH,” said John Kiernan, former president, New York City Bar Association; and former co-chair of litigation, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. “Asim is both a terrific lawyer and a pragmatic manager, a powerful combination that makes him ideally suited for this major responsibility.”

 

“Asim Rehman embodies all the qualities the legal profession values: honor, integrity, accountability, and a deep commitment to fairness, equity, and justice,” said Anthony Crowell, dean and president, New York Law School; and former counselor to former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “As our city’s chief administrative law judge, I know his exceptional leadership skills and keen intellect will enable OATH to continue its mission with the highest degree of professional excellence and public confidence. I have known and worked with Asim for many years and seen firsthand his deep commitment to the rule of law, the transformative influence he has on those he teaches, and the care he has for the people of our great city whom he serves. I am excited to congratulate and support him on this extraordinary and historic appointment. I also extend my congratulations to Mayor Adams for his vision and commitment to this vitally important agency.”

 

“Mayor Adams has made a superb choice in naming Asim Rehman as OATH commissioner. I was fortunate to have Asim as a law clerk shortly after he graduated from law school and have followed his impressive career since then,” said John S. Martin, Jr., retired federal district court judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. “He is an outstanding lawyer and, as his record indicates, he has a strong commitment to public service. He is not only a great lawyer, but also an outstanding human being who will see that everyone who comes before his office will be treated with fairness and respect.”

 

“The South Asian Bar Association of New York proudly celebrates Asim Rehman's appointment as commissioner of OATH, and we thank Mayor Eric Adams for continuing to promote our very best lawyers to positions of authority,” said L. Austin D’Souza, president, South Asian Bar Association of New York. “Asim has been a leader in the South Asian legal community for decades. He is a seasoned manager, problem solver, and highly skilled lawyer. We have full confidence that he will excel in this new role.”

 

About Asim Rehman

 

Asim Rehman will serve as commissioner of OATH. Rehman currently serves as deputy commissioner for legal matters and general counsel at the New York City Department of Correction, where he oversees the agency’s legal operations and provides advice and counsel to agency leadership.     

 

In 2020, Rehman joined the New York City Law Department as chief of staff. As a member of the executive team, Rehman supported the Law Department’s efforts to provide legal guidance to the city throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Rehman joined city government in 2014 as general counsel for the new Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Investigation for the NYPD. As general counsel and later first deputy inspector general, Rehman helped build this independent oversight office from the ground up, managed legal operations, supervised investigations, and oversaw the release of critical reports aimed at reforming the NYPD.

 

Rehman began his legal career as a federal law clerk in the Southern District of New York and then practiced law with two law firms, handling complex litigation, white-collar criminal defense, internal and government investigations, anti-corruption matters, and a broad range of pro bono cases. During this time, he also served as a pro bono special assistant district attorney in Brooklyn. Rehman later worked as corporate counsel for MetLife, where he litigated a broad range of domestic matters, assisted the company with regulatory compliance, and helped manage the corporation’s overseas litigation.

 

Rehman is an adjunct professor of law at New York Law School, where he teaches “Law, Public Policy & Social Change.”

 

A Staten Island native, Rehman is a graduate of Haverford College and the University of Michigan Law School.

 

Rehman will report to Brendan McGuire, chief counsel to the mayor and City Hall.

WILLIAMS & ARCHILA RELEASE “SAFE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES” POLICY AGENDA TO COUNTER HOCHUL’S HARMFUL PUBLIC SAFETY PLATFORM

 

WILLIAMS & ARCHILA RELEASE “SAFE AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES” POLICY AGENDA TO COUNTER HOCHUL’S HARMFUL PUBLIC SAFETY PLATFORM

 Today, the Jumaane for Governor and Ana María for Lieutenant Governor campaigns released their comprehensive plan to address public safety and crime in New York State. The 10-point plan comes after holding multiple community engagement events and public discussions surrounding its framework– as opposed to Governor Kathy Hochul’s resistance to discussing her dangerous plan publicly. Read the full plan here.

NYC Public Advocate and candidate for Governor Jumaane Williams said, "Governor Hochul's attempt to roll back the critical bail reforms won in 2019 demonstrates her willingness to cave into fearmongering and fallacies while ignoring the facts.  She has said in her own words that bail reform worked, and has had nothing to do with a rise in violent crime. True public safety requires addressing the issue from a holistic approach, which is why I've laid out a ten-point plan that will help address the rise in crime both in the immediate and long term. I urge the administration to end its divisiveness and adopt these comprehensive recommendations that will address public safety both in the immediate and long term for our state."

As detailed in the “Safe and Thriving Communities” platform, a Williams-Archila Administration will take a stabilizing approach to public safety in response to the pandemic and all it disrupted. New York must begin caring for its people and better addressing moments of crisis through deescalation, while fundamentally overhauling our systems like housing, healthcare and general wellbeing to holistically address what makes a community safe. 

The ten point plan framework was announced publicly last week. Since then, Williams and Archila have embarked in community engagement events to publicly discuss their framework which has garnered support from public safety and criminal justice advocates across the city and state.

“To keep our communities safe, we need to make sure they have the resources needed to truly thrive,” said Ana María Archila, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. “Instead of giving into fear-mongering and lies about criminal justice reforms, we should invest in proven solutions to tackle gun violence and our state’s mental health crisis, and invest in the housing, jobs, and infrastructure that our neighborhoods need.”

Specifically, the 15-page, 10-point plan focuses on the following top ten policy priorities, including: 

1 - Invest one billion dollars statewide in underfunded gun violence prevention, youth programming, and victims’ services programs 

2 - Build a statewide mental health infrastructure so all New Yorkers can access mental health services and supports in their communities

3 - Develop a state program of trauma response for communities and neighborhoods ripped apart by violence 

4 - Invest greater resources for community-based strategies to prevent and address interpersonal violence such as hate crimes, domestic violence, and sexual violence 

5 - Implement a housing, jobs, and infrastructure investment plan in the neighborhoods across New York State with the highest amounts of gun violence and overdose deaths

6 - Stop the flow of guns into communities by focusing on the supply chain of weapons

7 - Defend hard fought civil rights reforms and dismantle the racial injustices plaguing our criminal justice system 

8 - End the failed war on drugs upstate and downstate, and invest in compassionate care and support for people and communities

9 - Ensure accountable, transparent, and focused policing, so they are responding to acute situations that specifically require law enforcement, not matters like routine traffic stops, mental health response, or addressing poverty

10 - Disrupt cycles of incarceration and instability by providing currently and formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with support and resources

The full plan can be viewed here and downloaded here. 

Attorney General James Warns Debt Collectors of New State Regulations Banning Lawsuits on Old Debts

 

New State Consumer Debt Protection Laws Go into Effect in April, Reduce Statute of Limitations on Debt Collectors From Six Years to Three Years

AG James Urges Consumers Who Believe They Are Victims of Improper Debt Collection Practices to File a Complaint With OAG

 New York Attorney General Letitia James sent letters to the largest credit card companies and major debt collectors operating in New York, warning them of new state regulations that prevent them from suing consumers for old debts. The Consumer Credit Fairness Act of 2021 — which was signed into law last November — will go into effect next month and reduces the statute of limitations for consumer debt collection from six years to three years. The new state regulations come on the heels of similar nationwide regulations from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that came into effect late last year. Attorney General James’ letter makes it clear that her office stands ready to enforce these regulations to protect vulnerable New Yorkers.

“For too long, debt collectors used unfair and abusive tactics to improperly collect debts,” said Attorney General James. “Abusive debt collection practices of the past hurt low- and moderate-income New Yorkers the most and buried them deeper into financial struggles. These new regulations will give us stronger tools to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers from predatory debt collectors. My office has reached out to all the major debt collectors in the state and the largest credit card companies to ensure that they comply with the new laws starting on day one without excuses. I urge any New Yorker who feels that they have been a victim of improper debt collection to contact my office. Consumers have rights and my office is committed to protecting them.”

The Consumer Credit Fairness Act of 2021 strengthens consumer protections by requiring debt collectors to be more transparent and honest when communicating with consumers. In her letter to the industry, Attorney General James warned debt collectors of their duties under federal and state law:

• Limit Communications With Consumers. Debt collectors have for years had a duty under state and federal law to avoid harassing communications; the new regulations now add bright line rules to that general obligation:
• Debt collectors may not call consumers more than seven times in any seven-day period;
• After making contact with a consumer by phone, debt collectors must wait seven days before calling again;
• Debt collectors cannot call you between 9pm and 8am, local time;
• Debt collectors cannot contact consumers by any or all means of communication (email, text, phone, and so on), or at a consumer’s workplace, if a consumer asks them not to;
• Debt collectors generally cannot contact consumers via work email address, public social media postings, or through third parties (though they may under some circumstances contact third parties to obtain information about a consumer’s location).
  
  
• Tell Consumers the Facts — Debt collectors must provide consumers with key information about their debt within five days of their first communication. These “validation notices” must include:
• The name of company or person the consumer originally owed the debt to;
• The date and amount of the original debt; and
• An itemization of fees, interest, payments, and credits that have been added to or deducted from the original debt.
  
  
• Take Debt Disputes Seriously — Consumers have a right to dispute a debt, and debt collectors must provide information on how to dispute the debt in the validation notice. Once a consumer disputes a debt, the collector must stop all attempts to collect from that consumer until the collector provides information supporting their claim to the debt.
  
  
• Give Consumers Full Information About Any Debt Lawsuit a Debt Collector Files. Debt collectors who file a lawsuit against a consumer must include in the very first filing made in that lawsuit detailed information about the debt, including the name of the original person or company the consumer owed the debt to, the last four digits of the consumer’s account number, the date of the last payment, and itemization of the amount sought. They must also attach the original contract creating the debt (in most cases).
  
  
• Avoid Suing or Threatening to Sue Consumers for Time-Barred Debts. Under longstanding New York regulation, debt collectors are required to have reasonable procedures in place to determine whether debts they hold are time-barred, and to notify consumers, before accepting a payment from them, if the debt they are collecting is time-barred. CFPB regulations clarify that suing or threatening to sue a consumer for a time-barred debt — even an implied threat to sue — is an automatic violation of federal law.
  
  
• Be Aware of New, Shorter Statute of Limitations Applicable to Consumer Debts. From April 7, 2022, creditors cannot sue or make a threat to sue consumers (implicitly or explicitly) on debts that are older than three years, down from six years in most cases. Moreover, any payment a consumer makes after that three-year period cannot be used to revive the time-barred debt.
  
• Consumers are cautioned that until April 7, 2022, if they make a payment on a debt that is too old for a lawsuit, the payment may renew the creditor’s ability to sue them for the full amount of the old debt.

In December, Attorney General James issued a consumer alert to notify consumers of the new federal consumer debt regulations and to inform them of their rights. The federal regulations limit how and when debt collectors are allowed to contact consumers. These rules also require debt collectors to give consumers detailed information about the origin and history of the debt they seek to collect.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has brought dozens of enforcement actions and obtained numerous settlements against debt collectors that engaged in improper debt collection tactics. In 2019, Attorney General James partnered with the Federal Trade Commission to obtain court orders halting a scheme to distribute and collect on millions of dollars in “phantom debts” — fake debts that consumers did not owe. Earlier, OAG reached agreements with four of the nation’s major debt buyers, which regularly pursued untimely lawsuits against New York consumers, often obtaining default judgments when the consumers failed to respond to the lawsuits. As a result of OAG’s actions, many companies and individuals have been permanently banned from engaging in debt collection in New York.

Attorney General James urges New Yorkers to know their rights and to report debt collectors to her office if they fail to follow the law or if they engage in conduct that is deceptive, harassing, or abusive. Consumers who are having these experiences with debt collectors are urged to file complaints with OAG online or to call OAG’s consumer helpline at 1-800-771-7755.

DEC PREPARES TO KICK OFF UNOFFICIAL START OF SPRING WITH TROUT FISHING OPPORTUNITIES

 

With Year-Round Trout Seasons, April 1 Marks End of Catch-and-Release-Only and Start of Harvest Season

More Than 1.8 Million Trout Being Stocked Statewide

 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the upcoming start of the spring trout fishing season, which provides excellent angling opportunities statewide thanks to the State’s extensive stocking program and considerable number of wild trout fisheries. DEC’s spring trout stocking begins in March and runs through early June, and includes more than 1.8 million trout stocked in waters statewide. 

"Fishing in New York State is a highly anticipated, world-class experience that brings seasoned and amateur anglers to our waters in every corner of the State every spring," Commissioner Seggos said. “DEC’s extensive fish stocking efforts throughout the State is certain to complement our existing healthy fisheries and make the upcoming harvest season a success.”

Trout Fishing 

For decades, April 1 was the traditional “opening day” of trout fishing season. This year, the date marks the opening of the harvest season for trout because year-round fishing was made available on most streams with the implementation of an Oct. 16 – March 31 artificial lures-only catch-and-release season.  

Trout Stocking 

DEC stocking trucks have already begun hitting the roadways and trout stocking is in full swing with 1,872,105 catchable brown, rainbow, and brook trout stocked in ponds and streams across the State this spring. Stocked-Extended streams (listed in the Trout Streams section of the regulations guide) will receive fish every other week for two months to enhance season-long opportunities for angler success. Most streams will also receive a seeding of larger stocked trout. Spring trout stocking lists, including the week of stocking for trout streams, can be found at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30465.html. Additionally, DEC recognizes some fisheries rely on stocked fish to reach a certain size before they can be harvested. Visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30467.html to find locations where these put-grow-and-take stockings of brook trout, lake trout and Atlantic salmon take place. 

New Fishing Regulations

DEC recently announced the adoption of new freshwater fishing regulations that will take effect on April 1. Following a public comment period on draft proposals earlier this year, the new regulations reflect the input and support of the angling community in DEC’s efforts to make fishing New York’s waters less complicated. Of particular interest to trout anglers is a new statewide regulation for rainbow trout, brown trout, and splake. The regulation creates consistency with inland trout regulations and expands opportunities for year-round fishing. A complete compilation of changes and an assessment of public comment associated with the rulemaking can be found at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/124258.html. 

New Trout Stream Signage

As part of DEC’s efforts to make fishing more enjoyable, DEC has posted “Management Category” signs on most of the State’s 1,500 miles of public fishing rights. Management categories make a sharp distinction between wild trout management (wild, wild quality, wild premier) and stocked trout management (stocked, stocked extended) and more details can be found here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/tsmpreachcat.pdf  These signs convey not only the management category for a particular stream reach, but also the regulations associated with the reach. Anglers are advised to look for the white and green signs with a trout when fishing trout streams with public fishing rights.  

Trout Stream Fishing Opportunities 

Last year DEC launched an interactive Trout Stream Fishing Map to provide anglers with one-stop-shopping for information about stocking, fishing access, season dates, and regulations on DECinfo Locator. Anglers will be able to view trout stream reaches color-coded by management category and fishing access associated with those reaches. These layers will allow trout stream anglers to plan their trips and find their preferred trout stream fishing experiences. Links to the Trout Stream Fishing Map and a User Guide are available here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/122444.html. Anglers are encouraged to check out this valuable resource when planning their next fishing trip.

2022 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide

The new guide with recently adopted regulations changes is posted on the DEC website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html. Hard copies of the guide are currently being produced and guides are anticipated to be available at License Issuing Agents by the second week of April. Hard copies can also be requested by emailing FWFish@dec.ny.gov. In 2021, DEC removed advertisements and articles from the annual fishing regulations guide to make it easier to use. This approach and larger print size continues this year, along with more improvements to facilitate finding regulations. Measuring 5 ½ x 8 ½ inches, the new guide allows anglers to keep a copy in their glovebox or tacklebox.

Brooklyn Company Admits Price Gouging KN95 Masks During COVID-19 Pandemic

 

 A New York company admitted its role in price gouging a chain of New Jersey grocery stores in connection with the sale of KN95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Milk & Honey Ventures LLC (MHV), a company based in Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen on March 28, 2022, to an information charging it with price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In March 2020, MHV and two partners purchased 250,000 KN95 filtering facepiece respirators from a foreign manufacturer. MHV and one of those partners then sold 100,000 of those masks to a chain of New Jersey grocery stores at prices in excess of prevailing market prices. MHV sold the masks at a price of $5.25 per mask, which amounted to a markup of more than 400 percent from its acquisition cost. Prior to the spread of COVID-19, MHV had no history of selling personal protective equipment.

A violation of the Defense Production Act carries a maximum fine of $200,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, or twice the gross pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for MHV is scheduled for Aug. 9, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Peter Fitzhugh in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Governor Hochul Announces $21 Million in Funding for Nation’s First Assertive Community Treatment Teams Dedicated to Children and Their Families

 

New York is First State in Nation to use Innovative Program to Assist At-Risk Youth Who Have Not Responded Well to Traditional Treatment 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $21 million in funding awards for 15 Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams. New York is the first state in the nation to enact Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, which serve children ages 10 to 21 and their families, providing services and support in the home and community settings. The teams allow young people who are at risk of entering residential or inpatient psychiatric treatment to receive services while remaining with their families and in their communities. 

"When at-risk young people are suffering from hardships, it is imperative that families stay together," Governor Hochul said. "In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York is leading the way in developing new and innovative ways to provide behavioral healthcare to vulnerable individuals. With the help of this new program, children across the state will have the opportunity to remain with their families and receive the services they need."

OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, "We are very proud at OMH to be the first state mental health agency in the nation to modify the successful adult ACT team model and use it to serve young people and their families. The pioneering teams we are funding and developing will provide services to at-risk young people when and where they need it most, and help them stay in school and develop the skills they can use to lead successful and independent lives." 

Representative Yvette Clarke said, "When our young people are suffering with mental health issues and facing additional barriers that prevent them from getting the support and treatment they need, the onus is on us, their elected officials, to ensure they find the right solutions to help them overcome these difficulties. Similar to my work as a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee when I helped introduce The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act, a crucial piece of legislation to prohibit discriminatory practices against individuals with disabilities who need Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS), so too must we join hands to codify existing laws and strengthen the rights of young New Yorkers with disabilities, including mental health disorders, in a setting that supports the delivery of adequate treatment services and promotes healing. Thanks to the NYS Office of Mental Health and Governor Hochul's commitment to help our young people and their families overcome the difficulties accessing the right mental health treatment, that obligation is being fulfilled. Today's funding announcement, which I wholeheartedly support, will provide our state's revolutionary Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams with the resources they need to keep our kids healthy in their own homes, and in their community."

Representative Adriano Espaillat said, "I commend Governor Hochul on today's announcement to allocation $21 million for community treatment teams to further our efforts to address the mental health of children and their families. Community treatment teams are a vital component of our efforts to expanded access and services to mental health resources, and the development of these Youth Assertive Community Treatment providers will help increase the overall access to intensive and individualized services to provide critical support to children and their families daily as needed."

By using a team approach, Youth ACT teams can deliver intensive, highly coordinated, individualized services and skilled therapeutic interventions to ensure the child and their family have the level of treatment and services to support their recovery. They are highly responsive and flexible to meet the individualized, changing needs of the child and family, and they offer support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

The development of Youth ACT represents a commitment by the NYS Office of Mental Health to increase access to services in the home and community for children and youth with mental health issues and their families. As the teams begin to treat clients, OMH will evaluate their effectiveness, and has formed a steering committee of researchers, clinicians, and family and youth partners to guide the evaluation and refine the model. 

Youth ACT teams by region include: 

Capital Region: 

Parson's Child and Family Centers, serving Albany & Schenectady Counties, 36 slot team 

Central New York: 

Onondaga Case Management, serving Onondaga County, 48 slot team 

Hillside, serving Chenango and Cortland counties, 36 slot team

Finger Lakes: 

Hillside, serving Monroe County, 48 slot team 

Long Island: 

Central Nassau, serving Nassau County, 48 slot team 

Hope for Youth, serving Suffolk County, 36 slot team 

Mid-Hudson: 

MHA Westchester, serving Westchester County, 48 slot team 

New York City: 

Child Center of NY, serving Manhattan, 48 slot team 

Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services, serving Staten Island, 36 slot team 

Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services, serving Queens, 36 slot team 

Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services, serving Bronx, 36 slot team 

JCCA, serving Brooklyn, 48 slot team 

Southern Tier: 

Children's Home of Wyoming, serving Broome County, 48 slot team 

Western New York: 

Child and Family Services, serving Erie & Niagara Counties, 48 slot team 

Mohawk Valley:

Integrated Community Alternatives Network (ICAN), serving Oneida County, 48 slot team

OMH will soon be issuing a Request for Proposal to develop another five teams that will serve children and families in the following counties: 

Capital Region: 

One team serving Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties 

Mid-Hudson:  

One team serving Orange County 

Mohawk Valley:

One team serving Fulton and Montgomery Counties

Finger Lakes: 

One team Serving Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates Counties 

Southern Tier:

One team Serving Steuben and Chemung Counties  

EDITOR'S NOTE:

What Happened to the 875 Million Dollars for Thrive NYC for this?

Thessalonica Court Achieves Sustainability Milestone At 350 Saint Anns Avenue In Mott Haven, The Bronx

 

Thessalonica Court in Mott Haven, The Bronx has become the nation’s first affordable housing property to achieve both Enterprise Green Communities and the WELL Building Standard certifications. Working in collaboration, Enterprise and The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) debuted the joint certification program for affordable buildings in 2019 to encourage developers to build healthier buildings for the country’s most vulnerable populations.

Located at 350 Saint Anns Avenue, Thessalonica Court is a Project Based Section 8 building with 191 units of affordable housing. Jonathan Rose Companies acquired the property from Omni New York in 2020 for approximately $64 million. Since then, the owner-developer committed to an extensive rehabilitation project to improve resident quality of life, bolster energy performance, and infrastructure upgrades to mitigate the impact of severe rainfall.

“By prioritizing resident well-being and building a collective commitment to environmental sustainability, Enterprise Green Communities fundamentally changed how developers create affordable homes,” said Rose Companies president Jonathan F.P. Rose.