Attorney General James Announces Conviction of Former Nursing Home Employee for Raping a Resident Suffering from Dementia

 

Khadka Pradhan Raped an 81-Year-Old Resident While He Worked as Housekeeper at Shore Winds Nursing Home in Rochester

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that Khadka Pradhan, 52, of Rochester was found guilty of raping and otherwise sexually assaulting an 81-year-old resident suffering from dementia at the Shore Winds Nursing Home in Rochester, where he worked as a housekeeper in September 2021. A Monroe County jury convicted Pradhan of all charges in the December 2021 indictment: Rape in the First Degree, Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the First Degree, and lesser-included offenses. Pradhan has been remanded into custody until sentencing, scheduled for January 6, 2023. He faces up to 25 years in state prison.

“Khadka Pradhan hideously violated an elderly woman with dementia in her home, where her loved ones trusted she would be cared for and protected,” said Attorney General James. “Pradhan abused and took advantage of our most vulnerable, and today, the jury convicted him of these heinous and reprehensible crimes. My office will always ensure violent criminals are held accountable for threatening New Yorkers’ safety.”

Pradhan was tried in Monroe County Court in Rochester before Judge Caroline E. Morrison. Evidence presented at the trial proved that in the early morning hours of September 29, 2021, Pradhan entered the room of a vulnerable and mentally disabled resident at Shore Winds Nursing Home and raped her. Another employee at the facility entered the resident’s room and observed Pradhan engaged in the assault. Other employees detained Pradhan and attended to the resident until the Rochester Police Department (RPD) arrived on the scene. DNA evidence obtained by RPD and admitted into evidence during the trial connected Pradhan to the crime.

Attorney General James would like to thank RPD, the Monroe County District Attorney’s office, and the Monroe County Crime Laboratory for their valuable assistance in this investigation, and the New York State Department of Health for promptly referring this matter to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

Reporting Medicaid Provider Fraud: MFCU defends the public by addressing Medicaid provider fraud and protecting nursing home residents from abuse and neglect. If an individual believes they have information about Medicaid provider fraud or about an incident of abuse or neglect of a nursing home resident, they can file a confidential complaint online on the OAG website or by calling the MFCU hotline at (800) 771-7755. If the situation is an emergency, they should call 911.

MFCU’s total funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2023 is $65,717,936. Of that total, 75 percent, or $49,288,452, is awarded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $16,429,484 for FY 2023, is funded by New York state. Through MFCU’s recoveries in law enforcement actions, it regularly returns more to the state than it receives in state funding.

VCJC News & Notes 11/4/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 11/4/22 @ 5:30 pm Shabbos morning services MAY NOT BE HELD, BUT WOULD BE at 8:45 am. SEE BELOW. Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 11/5/22 @ 6:33 pm   Building Closure As a result of a leak in the Con Ed gas line to the building, the building has been closed.  While repairs are already underway, we are not certain when they will be completed and when we will be able to reopen.   The status of the building, and whether it will be open, won't be open, or we don't know which, for Shabbos services will be posted by 5:15PM on Friday,  The notice will be on the home page of the website.  Van Cortlandt Jewish Center 3880 Sedgwick Ave Bronx, NY 10463

Founder Of Cyberfraud Prevention Company Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Defrauding Investors Out Of Over $100 Million

Adam Rogas Raised $123 Million From Investors Using Financial Statements That Showed Tens of Millions of Dollars of Revenue and Assets that Did Not Exist 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ADAM ROGAS, the co-founder and former CEO, CFO, and member of the board of directors of a Las Vegas-based cyberfraud prevention company NS8, Inc. (“NS8”), was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to five years in prison for engaging in securities fraud by creating and using fraudulent financial data to obtain over $123 million in financing for NS8, of which he personally obtained approximately $17.5 million.  ROGAS pled guilty on March 16, 2022, before United States District Judge John P. Cronan, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Adam Rogas took the ‘fake-it-till-you-make-it’ saying to a criminal extreme.  While claiming to be in the fraud prevention business, Rogas himself faked nearly all of his company’s customers, revenue, and assets.  In doing so, he defrauded investors out of over $100 million.  Now Rogas will report to prison to be held accountable for his fraudulent scheme.”

In handing down ROGAS’s sentence, Judge Cronan characterized the defendant’s fraud as “brazen, calculated, and long-running.”

According to the Complaint, Indictment, other publicly filed documents, and statements made in court:

ADAM ROGAS was a co-founder of NS8 and served as its CEO, CFO, and as a member of its board of directors.  ROGAS was also primarily responsible for the company’s fundraising activities.  NS8, which was based in Las Vegas, Nevada, was a cyberfraud prevention company that developed and sold electronic tools to help online vendors assess the fraud risks of customer transactions.  In the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2020, NS8 engaged in fundraising rounds through which it issued Series A Preferred Shares and obtained approximately $123 million in investor funds.  ROGAS used the materially misleading financial statements to raise those funds.

Specifically, ROGAS maintained control over a bank account into which NS8 received revenue from its customers and periodically provided monthly statements from that account to NS8’s finance department so that NS8’s financial statements could be created.  ROGAS also maintained control over spreadsheets that purportedly tracked customer revenue, which were also used to generate NS8’s financial statements.

During the fundraising process in the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020, ROGAS altered the bank statements before providing them to NS8’s finance department to show tens of millions of dollars in both customer revenue and bank balances that did not exist.  In the period from January 2019 through February 2020, between at least approximately 40% and 95% of the purported total assets on NS8’s balance sheet were fictitious.  In that same period, the bank statements that ROGAS altered reflected over $40 million in fictitious revenue.  ROGAS also falsified nearly all of NS8’s purported customers on internal tracking spreadsheets.

Additionally, ROGAS provided the falsified bank records he had created to auditors who were conducting due diligence on behalf of potential investors.  After these fundraising rounds concluded, NS8 conducted a tender offer with the funds raised from investors, and ROGAS received $17.5 million in proceeds from that tender offer, personally and through a company he controlled.  After ROGAS’s fraud was uncovered, NS8 ultimately entered bankruptcy proceedings.  ROGAS used his fraudulent proceeds to purchase, among other things, luxury goods and a residence in the Dominican Republic.

In addition to his prison term, ROGAS, 45, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to three years’ supervised release and ordered to forfeit $17,542,259.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI in this investigation.  Mr. Williams further thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.  

MAYOR ADAMS CELEBRATES OPENING OF 90 SANDS, FORMER HOTEL REIMAGINED AS AFFORDABLE, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING

 

90 Sands Brings Nearly 500 New Affordable and Supportive Homes to Brooklyn With Successful Pilot Program to Directly Refer Clients from Street Outreach

 

Project Delivers on Goals Outlined in Mayor Adams’ “Housing Our Neighbors” Blueprint and Demonstrates Need for State Law on Hotel Conversions That Adams Administration Helped Pass

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) today joined Breaking Ground to celebrate the opening of 90 Sands, a former Jehovah’s Witnesses hotel converted into 491 affordable and supportive housing units in the high-cost neighborhood of Dumbo, Brooklyn. Of the 491 apartments at 90 Sands, 185 will be rent-restricted for New Yorkers — affordable for extremely low- to moderate-income households. Additionally, 305 units will be home to New Yorkers who formerly experienced homelessness.

 

“When we launched ‘Housing Our Neighbors,’ I said that safe, stable, and affordable housing is fundamental to a prosperous, inclusive city. That is what we are delivering today,” said Mayor Adams. “90 Sands demonstrates exactly why we fought for hotel conversion legislation in Albany: To create affordable housing more quickly and efficiently than we can starting from scratch. And I promised we would celebrate New Yorkers getting into homes, not people signing deals, and I am proud to say that with our innovative referral pilot, we housed 80 people here in just one week.”

 

The Adams administration worked closely with Breaking Ground to implement a pilot program specific to the development of 90 Sands that allowed for the direct referral of clients experiencing homelessness from street outreach and transitional housing programs to supportive apartments. This streamlined process — made possible by cross-agency collaboration — cuts the time it typically takes to complete a permanent housing placement by more than two months.

 

As a part of Mayor Adams’ “Housing Our Neighbors” blueprint, the city is also pursuing opportunities to convert vacant hotels into new supportive and affordable housing, creating additional housing options for low-income households and New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. This project underwent a lengthy and expensive land use review process to convert to affordable housing, despite being uniquely well positioned for such a conversion. A new state law that Mayor Adams helped get passed in the state Legislature — which would have eliminated two years from the development process at 90 Sands had it been in place — will ease the process for these conversions going forward, and additional state funds are available to help these projects reach completion more quickly and cost efficiently.

 

“As a lifelong supportive housing advocate, I am so proud to celebrate the opening of 90 Sands with Breaking Ground, CUCS, and all of our new neighbors who now have a home of their own. This project was not easy, including a lengthy and expensive land use rezoning, but it is a model of the type of work we can do to house all New Yorkers,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “Beyond housing for almost 500 more people, a top priority of the Adams administration strategic housing blueprint, ‘Housing Our Neighbors,’ is to tackle administrative burdens that delay housing access. In an incredible feat, Breaking Ground and CUCS worked with the city to house people in a new direct referral pilot that we hope to explore as a way to get people out of the shelter system and into permanent housing faster.”

 

“In line with this administration’s ‘Housing Our Neighbors’ blueprint, serving the most vulnerable New Yorkers is a key priority, as is creating affordable housing opportunities in all our city’s neighborhoods. As we look to convert vacant hotels into affordable and supportive housing, 90 Sands serves as an important model,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión. “An old hotel is now 491 beautiful affordable homes in the heart of Dumbo, with critical supportive services to help more than 300 New Yorkers formerly experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. We commend Breaking Ground and all our partners for bringing this ambitious project to fruition.”

 

“The 90 Sands development is providing hundreds of households with safe and affordable housing alongside extensive services, ranging from case management to health care and career counseling,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “Congratulations to all the residents on their new homes, and thanks to our many partners who remain deeply committed to providing safe and stable housing to New Yorkers in need.”

 

“This administration continues to put people first by prioritizing the creation of affordable and supportive housing across the city, while also expanding access to these critical housing opportunities for some of our most vulnerable populations,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary P. Jenkins. “Projects like 90 Sands are essential to the city’s effort to efficiently connect New Yorkers in need — including those who formerly experienced homelessness — to affordable housing and high-quality supports that allow them to stabilize their lives and get back on their feet. We would like to thank Breaking Ground, CUCS, our partners in city government, and all others who worked so hard to make this tremendous project a reality.”

 

The 30-story building features a 24-hour attended lobby, security camera system throughout, multipurpose room for community events and meetings, a digital library, a fitness room, and extensive bike storage. 90 Sands also includes a newly activated plaza for public use at the corner of Sands Street and Jay Street, adding a new green space to the Downtown Brooklyn and Dumbo communities. Breaking Ground plans to bring in community-serving uses to occupy more than 20,000 square feet of community facility and commercial space on the ground floor and lower level.

 

CUCS will provide onsite social services to residents of 90 Sands. Services provided at 90 Sands will be available to all tenants and will include case management, primary medical care, mental health services, employment readiness, and benefits counseling, among others. Breaking Ground and CUCS have a longstanding partnership, and 90 Sands marks their 12^th building together to provide housing and onsite support for individuals and families formerly experiencing homelessness. This is Breaking Ground’s fourth hotel conversion project in New York City.

 

Until August 2017, 90 Sands was a residential hotel operated by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. On this project, Monadnock Construction, Inc. is the general contractor, Beyer Blinder Belle is the project architect, and W Architecture and Planning designed the public plaza space at the corner of Jay and Sands Street.

 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION ISSUES WARNINGS FOR CONSUMERS AS HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES

Five-Part Shopping Series to Assist Cost-Conscious Consumers During this Year’s Holiday Season

Part One: Tips to Help Consumers Shop Safely Online as Holiday Season Gets an Early Start

Secretary Robert J. Rodriguez, “It’s a one-two punch for cost-conscious New Yorkers as they battle rising prices and ever-evolving scams”

The New York Department of State’s Consumer Protection Division (DCP) today announced the rollout of a five-part consumer alert series to help cost-conscious New Yorkers navigate the holiday shopping season. In the coming weeks, consumers will receive guidance on charity scams, credit cards, gift cards, refunds, returns and warranties. In this first consumer alert, DCP wants to empower New Yorkers with actionable fraud prevention tips, so they have greater awareness and control when shopping online.

“This holiday season, it’s a one-two punch for cost-conscious New Yorkers as they battle rising prices and ever-evolving scams,” said New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez, who oversees the Division of Consumer Protection.  “New Yorkers need to know how to spot fake online reviews, fake texts impersonating package delivery companies and they should never keep their credit cards on file for future purchases. There are laws to protect consumers, but consumers also need to know how to protect themselves from scammers this holiday season.”

The convenience of shopping online creates both opportunities and challenges for consumers. One of the major challenges is figuring out what is real or fake as scammers find new, more sophisticated ways to trick consumers. 

Shop Safely Online with these Tips:

• Don’t rush when buying online: Technology has simplified the way we shop. With a click of a button, we can quickly shop multiple sites, browse hundreds of items, comparison shop, find deals, read consumer reviews and make purchase decisions for a variety of items. Before you click, take the time to carefully read and review what you’re buying and who you’re buying it from.
• Be careful when shopping on social media: Social media commerce is gaining ground among shoppers, and according to experts it’s growing three times faster than traditional ecommerce. As more consumers browse and shop directly on social media platforms, we urge consumers to pay attention to brand imposters and fake retailers with fake consumer reviews. Avoid placing orders on these copycat sites for products that will never arrive.
• Shop on trusted sites with retailers known to you. Consumers are exposed to hundreds of retailer websites, and some promote products that may not meet their expectation by offering a poor-quality version of the advertised item. Some consumers have also reported not receiving any product at all. Use caution on trusted sites that host items for third-party sellers.
• Beware of third-party vendors. If redirected from a trusted site to a third-party site, read the seller’s policies, review ratings, read consumer comments, and most importantly do a broad internet search before making your purchase. Trusted retailers who host third-party sellers do not warranty their sales, thus you could get a substandard product or no product at all when you take the risk and purchase from an unknown third-party vendor.
• Do your research if you want to try a new site or retailer. Performing a broad internet search will provide you with important feedback from other customers.
• Learn how to spot a fake review: Watch out for fake reviews online. One red flag to look for is one-sided reviews with no specifics. Real reviews often reflect customer experiences that are balanced, descriptive and subjective. Also look for multiple reviews that look very similar and posted during the same timeframe. This is a sign that the reviewers are either copying information or were all written by the same person.
• Read product specifications. Online marketing is geared to get you to buy, so it is important to understand the product you are purchasing and the terms of the sale to ensure you are getting what you want.

Don’t be Fooled by Package and Delivery Scams:

• Keep track of your packages. Package tracking and delivery scams are common during the holidays. Review the tracking information for your package and note any issues right away through the retailer’s websites.
• Beware of phishing attempts. Another common scam this time of year is scammers using phishing emails and text messages to impersonate delivery companies (e.g., UPS, USPS, FedEx), banking and credit card companies, and other large retailers (e.g., Netflix, PayPal, eBay, Amazon), which often include links to sites attempting to steal your information.  Always open a browser and type the company’s website address yourself instead of clicking on a link in an email or text message.

Tips for Using Credit Cards Online:

• Check the website’s encryption; It’s easier than you think. Before entering your credit card information, make sure that the website’s address begins with “https” and that there is a closed lock on the website address bar or unbroken key symbol in the lower portion of your window.
• Don’t keep the credit card on file for future purchases. Provide your credit card number each time you make a purchase.
• Designate one credit card and one email address for online shopping. This will allow for easy review of purchases and provide protection in case of a dispute.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer

MAYOR ADAMS BRINGS BACK “DUSK AND DARKNESS,” MULTI-AGENCY TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

 

As Daylight Savings Ends, Streets Become More Dangerous in Evenings and at Night, Especially for Pedestrians and Cyclists

 

As Overnight Garbage Collection Has Increased, Campaign Will Place Greater Emphasis on Safer Truck Driving and Worker Protection

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the return of the city’s annual “Dusk and Darkness” traffic enforcement and education campaign to keep pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users safe during fall and winter evenings, especially after the end of daylight saving time this Sunday, November 6. This year, the Dusk and Darkness campaign will focus on promoting safe practices for the carting of commercial waste — handled by private companies — to protect workers and other road users, while the New York City Police Department (NYPD) will expand traffic enforcement of dangerous moving violations during the more dangerous evening and overnight hours.

 

Launched in 2016 and now in its seventh year, the Dusk and Darkness campaign combines proven tactics to combat elevated rates of fatal crashes. During fall evenings, rush hour occurs at a time when sunlight and visibility are dramatically and suddenly reduced, leading to some of the highest fatal crash rates of the calendar year. In the past, this campaign has improved safety on city streets — reducing the average number of evening and overnight fatalities each year by 13.5 percent over the years it has been in place as compared to the five years prior. In that time frame, the average number of pedestrian fatalities declined 21.7 percent and the average number of motor vehicle occupant fatalities dropped by 25.8 percent.

 

“This initiative brings together three things our administration has focused on since day one: following the data, breaking down siloes between agencies, and keeping New Yorkers safe,” said Mayor Adams. “We have seen how dangerous the streets can be after the clocks change, and we are deploying targeted, proven strategies to give New Yorkers the tools they need to keep themselves and their neighbors safe. Street safety is public safety.”

 

“This goes for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians: It’s on everyone sharing the road to be aware of each other, their surroundings, and the heightened risks this time of year,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “At the end of the day, we want everyone to get home safely. Education and enforcement are key to making that happen.”

 

“As the days get shorter, it’s important we all travel through this city with caution and consideration for our fellow New Yorkers. I urge all drivers to keep their speeds low, bikers to wear reflective gear, and pedestrians to cross the streets with caution,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I thank DOT, TLC, NYPD, and all the Vision Zero agencies for getting this important message out and helping to keep our streets safe.”

‘Dusk and Darkness’ tips for drivers and pedestrians. Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

“Our campaign this year will be a layered initiative of preventive policing measures designed to keep all road users safe — focused on increased enforcement and education on the hazards of this time of year,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Y. Royster. “Prevention will be a key component to this seasonal initiative, and the NYPD will be utilizing data to inform our flexible deployment plan and conducting outreach to drivers to remind them that their choices matter behind the wheel.”

 

“Drivers must operate their vehicles responsibly every time they get behind the wheel, but as our days get shorter, they have a heightened responsibility to drive carefully to keep their fellow New Yorkers safe, especially in the evenings that we know are more dangerous,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Programs like Dusk and Darkness are great examples of how education and enforcement complement our safe street redesigns to combat reckless driving. We thank our sister agencies for their continued partnership.”

 

“While this season brings less daylight for us all, that should not mean more New Yorkers dying due to dangerous driving,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “The Dusk to Darkness program reminds us to stay vigilant and helps everyone navigate these darker months safely.”

 

“As we set our clocks back, let’s also remember to keep our speedometers set — at a safe 25 mph or less unless otherwise posted,” said New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chair David Do. “We know that nothing prevents more traffic deaths than driving within the speed limit and between dusk and darkness are the times when crashes are most likely to occur. We literally drive this home to our for-hire drivers during their training. Per miles driven, they are among the safest drivers in the city.”

 

“As the daylight hours decrease in the fall and winter, our attention and focus behind the wheel must increase,” said New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “As the standard bearer for fleet safety, we have a responsibility to ensure our fleet operators have the resources they need to best perform their duties, including investing in adaptive headlights, heated mirrors, and safety lights for work trucks. In addition to these efforts, we are proud to help educate others and increase awareness about the Dusk and Darkness campaign. We remind all motorists to drive cautiously, slow down, and don’t let one night ruin a life.”

 

“Commercial waste haulers perform an essential service for our city, and it is imperative that they prioritize safety during their operations,” said New York City Business Integrity Commission (BIC) Commissioner Elizabeth Crotty. “BIC is proud to participate in the Dusk and Darkness outreach campaign, along with our other Vision Zero partners, as we work to address this important public safety issue.”

 

Dusk and Darkness this year includes the following initiatives:

 

Day of Awareness: DOT and NYPD Vision Zero Street Teams are spread out at high-visibility locations across all five boroughs this morning to remind commuters of the increased dangers of traffic crashes during the fall evening and overnight hours. Those teams will also be visible this evening.

 

Increased Evening and Overnight Enforcement: The NYPD is engaging in sustained, increased enforcement that kicked off on Halloween and will continue through the fall and winter. NYPD officers will be deployed on highways and local streets, with an increased focus on driving behavior that endangers vulnerable road users. Officers will be on alert to enforce against hazardous driving violations to keep pedestrians and cyclists, including older adults and children, safe in neighborhoods throughout the city. Enforcement will focus on speeding drivers, drivers that fail to yield, and distracted drivers using their cell phones while behind the wheel. NYPD traffic agents will increase enforcement against vehicles that are double-parked and blocking bike and bus lanes.

 

Daylight Saving Awareness: As the end of daylight saving time approaches on Sunday, Vision Zero Task Force agencies and partners will use social media channels to alert drivers to the dangers of lower visibility, while encouraging them to follow the 25-mile-per-hour citywide speed limit and to yield to pedestrians and cyclists throughout the season. DOT will also feature the driver-targeted Vision Zero “Speeding Ruins Lives” awareness campaigns on bus shelters, on LinkNYC kiosks, and in print advertising. DOT’s marketing efforts will also focus on evening rush hours, with a drive-time radio ad campaign that targets drivers at the exact time of day when driver awareness needs to be heightened.

 

For-Hire Vehicle Driver Safety: TLC will visit areas frequented by for-hire vehicle drivers to remind them of the importance of using extra caution during low-visibility periods, including by driving 25 miles per hour unless otherwise posted. TLC will also reiterate this message to drivers and passengers via social media.

 

Commercial Waste Industry Safety: BIC enforcement activities include evening and overnight operations in partnership with the NYPD and other partner agencies. Safety enforcement includes garage inspections, truck stops, and regulatory action to ensure trade waste companies comply with safety requirements that aim to protect trade waste workers and all road users. For Dusk and Darkness, BIC is sharing additional resources and information with trade waste companies regarding safe operations.

 

BIC takes a holistic approach to regulating traffic safety in the commercial waste hauling industry, with robust driver training and vehicle inspection programs. Since 2016, BIC has held five safety symposia for the industry and visited more than a dozen trade waste companies to join their safety events and trainings to connect directly with drivers and helpers. BIC is currently engaged in various education, outreach, and compliance tracking efforts to ensure the private sector installs side guards — life-saving tools that protect cyclists and pedestrians — on their vehicles by the legally required mandate of January 1, 2023.

NYCHA Superintendents Plead Guilty To Accepting Bribes

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LEROY GIBBS and JULIO FIGUEROA each pled guilty to accepting bribes for awarding no-bid contracts at the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) facilities at which they served as superintendents.  GIBBS pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein on October 7, 2022, and will be sentenced by United States District Judge Colleen McMahon on January 25, 2023.  FIGUEROA pled guilty today before United States District Judge Denise L. Cote and will be sentenced by Judge Cote on February 9, 2023. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Leroy Gibbs and Julio Figueroa betrayed the trust placed in them by the New York City Housing Authority by accepting bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts.  Gibbs and Figueroa now stand convicted of federal felonies and will face sentencing for their crimes.”

According to the Complaints, Informations, and statements made in court:

In February 2020, GIBBS, who was then employed as the Resident Buildings Superintendent at Douglass Houses in New York, New York, solicited and accepted approximately $2,000 in bribes from a confidential informant (the “CI”) in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts to the CI worth a total of approximately $9,950 from NYCHA for work at that NYCHA facility.

Between July 2021 and August 2022, FIGUEROA, who was then employed as the Assistant Resident Buildings Superintendent at the Ft. Independence St.-Heath Ave. Houses in the Bronx, New York, solicited and accepted approximately $6,000 in bribes from the CI in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts to the CI worth a total of approximately $46,622 from NYCHA for work at that NYCHA facility.

GIBBS, 58, of Bay Shore, New York, and FIGUEROA, 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, each pled guilty to one count of solicitation and receipt of a bribe, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  Under the terms of their plea agreements, GIBBS agreed to forfeit $2,000 and make restitution in the amount of $2,000, and FIGUEROA agreed to forfeit $6,000 and make restitution in the amount of $6,000.

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

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Ghosh and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution. 

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE RESPONDS TO THE MISINFORMATION AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIS BILL TO END THE TORTURE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

 

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams continued his push to end the torture of solitary confinement by correcting misinformation from the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association (COBA) and mischaracterizations from City Hall about the bill. The Public Advocate is a prime sponsor of Intro. 549, the most comprehensive and concrete legislative effort to end the practice of solitary, which the United Nations defines as torture, on a citywide level. The ongoing work to end solitary both in name and in practice, while maintaining the ability to temporarily separate individuals, comes as eighteen incarcerated New Yorkers have already died this year alone, and people on both sides of the bars face danger.

The Public Advocate issued the following statement in response to efforts by COBA president Benny Boscio yesterday to blame the current dangers on his bill and mislead the public about the impact the bill would have.

“The danger and harm that corrections officers face, the pain and suffering many have endured, are real – the claims and arguments being used by COBA are not. A bill to finally ban solitary, which is torture, in New York City, a bill which has not even been enacted yet, is clearly not causing the current crisis conditions on Rikers. This is misinformation, spread in the hopes of propagating misconceptions about the bill and preserving a dangerous status quo on Rikers, where this week an officer was stabbed fifteen times the same day that an eighteenth detainee of the year lost their life.

“I'm not interested in personal attacks, I'm interested in progress. If leadership would like to further discuss what the legislation would actually do, and how we can work together to end the crisis conditions on Rikers that threaten people on both sides of the bars, they can finally agree to meet with my office and me.” 

COBA has repeatedly refused to meet with the Public Advocate as well as his staff about Intro 549, despite persistent and ongoing outreach. 

Yesterday’s comments from COBA are part of a longstanding effort to amplify disinformation regarding the causes behind current conditions on the island and argue that legislation to ban torture is both unnecessary and unacceptable. In September, at a hearing on Intro. 549, both COBA and DOC leadership repeated several misconceptions about the legislation. Following the hearing, the Public Advocate wrote a letter to City Hall in an attempt to “address these misunderstandings so we can partner to end torture in a city that can and should lead on issues of justice.”

Those misconceptions include the wrongful assertions that:

•    There is no solitary confinement currently on Rikers Island. 
•   Maintaining the status quo will make Rikers Island safer for both staff and incarcerated people.
•    Under this legislation, no one can be separated or face consequences after a violent incident. 

DOC leadership has agreed that the torturous practice is “inhumane” and supported the call to prohibit it in New York City, yet refuses to support the legislation that would finally end solitary confinement once and for all. DOC has also argued that solitary confinement is necessary to punish incarcerated individuals who attack others, and the bill does not allow for separation for someone who has engaged in violence. The opposite is true: the bill lays out a strategy to separate, de-escalate, and investigate violent incidents, and solitary confinement makes it more likely for incarcerated individuals to be violent. 

The administration has yet to respond to this letter.

Read the full letter from the Public Advocate to the administration about the ongoing effort to make New York City a leader in the effort to reform a system of legal justice that has for far too long been unjust.