MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES CREATION OF NEW YOUTH COURT IN THE BRONX

Youth courts train teenagers to adjudicate low-level offenses involving their peers and help prevent further justice involvement

   Mayor de Blasio announced funding for a new youth court in the Bronx, which will train young people to serve as jurors, judges and attorneys as well as to adjudicate  real-life cases involving their peers. The announcement came at a town hall in the 15th Council District in the Bronx.

“Every other borough in the city has a youth court and now we’re making sure the Bronx has this resource too – so young people can access important services, develop leadership skills, and help their peers stay out of trouble,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Young people must have confidence in the criminal justice system. That starts by understanding how it works and by seeing themselves as a part of the administration of justice.”

The program will be administered by the Center for Court Innovation, which currently operates youth courts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The Bronx is the only borough that currently does not have a youth court.

In all other boroughs, youth courts provide an opportunity for teens to develop leadership skills, become community leaders, and help their peers avoid justice system involvement without compromising public safety. The court is estimated to cost around $300,000 per year.

Youth courts, which began operating at Brooklyn’s Red Hook Community Justice Center in 1998, handle low-level offenses committed by first-time offenders that would typically be heard at Family Court. The Center for Court Innovation currently operates five youth courts in New York City and one in Newark New Jersey. The goal is to address youth crime while also helping those in trouble access services, make amends and stay out of future trouble. 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “Youth court not only helps young people take responsibility for their actions and reduces collateral consequences of a criminal record; it also shows them how the criminal justice system works and how they can play a vital role in it as lawyers, judges and jurors. It is a welcome addition to the many reforms that we are implementing in the Bronx.”

Senator Klein announces $865,000 in Project Boost funding for 41 Bronx schools

Innovative new program, KAMP Kenan, enables students to embark on virtual field trips to reputed southern Florida reptile conservatory

  Senator Jeff Klein, joined by school administrators and local teachers, announced $865,000 in state funding toward Project BOOST (Building Options and Opportunities for Students), an academic and cultural enrichment program, at a welcome back dinner on Tuesday night at F&J Pine Restaurant.

Part of this year’s funding allocation will support an innovative new program where Bronx students can take virtual field trips to a reputed southern Florida reptile conservatory. KAMP Kenan, founded by former BMX professional Kenan Harkin, allows students access through video conferencing to Kenan’s refuge for hundreds of reptiles, and to take part in active investigations with alligators, iguanas, pythons and tortoises.

“Over the years Project BOOST has had a tremendous impact on students in The Bronx by enriching classroom instruction. This year I’m excited to announce this exciting new offering with KAMP Kenan that will allow students to get an immersive experience with reptiles without having to leave the classroom. I look forward to hearing about the experiences these students have in the coming months,” said Senator Klein.

Project BOOST, run by the Center for Educational Innovation-Public Education Association (CEI-PEA), provides academic enrichment opportunities to elementary and middle school students who have demonstrated academic talent, but come from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Project BOOST currently operates in 41 schools across the 34th Senate District – providing essential funding for class trips, arts and drama programs and computer science and technology labs.

Assemblyman Sepulveda opposes initial lack of drivers in driverless cars

With Technology Still New, Proposed Legislation by Assemblyman Sepulveda  Would Require Drivers in Driverless Cars for Safety Reasons

                       

"Do we want innocent people - both passengers and pedestrians - to become the crash test dummies for this new technology?"

   A state Assemblyman is warning that a congressional push to pave the way for driverless vehicles could be a formula for death and injury.

 Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda said that he is concerned over initial safety issues with the new technology.

  He has introduced a bill in Albany (A8590) that would require an adult, at least age 18 or a licensed driver, in such vehicles for safety and emergency reasons.

 A Senate panel on Wednesday, Oct. 4, approved bipartisan legislation to pave the way for driverless cars, avoiding the requirement of an adult driver in such vehicles.

 Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) offered, and withdrew, an amendment that would have required a driver behind the wheel of autonomous vehicles, even for the highest levels of automation.

 But Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), who authored the measure, was quoted as saying “The headline tomorrow would read, ‘Senate mandates drivers in driverless cars.’”

 Both the Senate and House have nearly similar bills which once finally voted, would become the nation's first driverless vehicle laws.

 Sepulveda noted that consumer safety advocates are worried that the bill’s exemption language would allow manufacturers to rush these vehicles to market before the technology is fully assured for safety. He added that they also fear some manufacturers might cut back on safety devices such as air bags.

 The Bronx Assemblyman's proposed legislation, now referred to the Assembly Transportation Committee, notes that "Currently, all of the driver assistance systems which are in use today operate only for short times and in extremely limited settings. Auto-parking operates for a few seconds with the driver watching. Emergency braking kicks in at the last moment before an inevitable crash. Lane warning comes on briefly when a car veers out of its lane.

"However, once the car drives itself continuously for minutes or hours, gradual evolution is impossible. Once a car is engaged on the road for autonomous driving there is no margin for error: no room for gradual improvement, learning by doing or evolution. It needs to be able to cope with all driving situations and crisis situations that may arise on the spot."

 Sepulveda noted that the legislation would be reviewed periodically as the technology advances until it may no longer be needed. But that may take a while.

 "Do we want innocent people - both passengers and pedestrians - to become crash test dummies for this new technology? I certainly hope not," said the Assemblyman. "Let's just take a breath here, and think safety along with progress."

               

Assemblyman Sepulveda represents the 87th Assembly District in the Bronx covering Parkchester, Castle Hill, West Farms, Van Nest and Stratton Park.

CITI BIKE MILESTONE: MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES 50 MILLIONTH RIDE

North America’s largest bike-share system is expanding this fall into Astoria, Harlem and Prospect Heights

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate announced that Citi Bike had achieved its 50 millionth ride since the system’s launch in May 2013. In 2017, Citi Bike, currently expanding to Astoria, Harlem and Prospect Heights, is on track to break last year’s record of 14 million rides. By this fall, the system will have doubled in size since 2014, from 6,000 to 12,000 bikes.

“In 2014, we committed to saving a struggling bike-share system and having it expand to more New York City communities,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.  “In almost three years since, the results speak for themselves: from Harlem to Red Hook, from Astoria to Bed-Stuy, those blue bikes have now become part of the fabric of our city -- and we can now look forward to the 100 millionth ride.”

“Fifty million rides is such an extraordinary number, it should be put in perspective: at more than two miles per trip, Citi Bike riders have now collectively bicycled more than 100 million miles -- the distance from earth to the sun!” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “With the boom in cycling, Citi Bike has also been a key to helping us reach our Vision Zero goals – as we have actually seen the positive effects of ‘safety in numbers.’ We congratulate our partners at Motivate for their unabashed success and for reaching this incredible milestone – and commit to working with them on bike share’s bright future here in New York.”

“When the Citi Bike program first launched in New York, 50 million rides seemed like an impossible goal – but New Yorkers don’t shy from a challenge,” said Jay Walder, President and CEO of Motivate, the company that operates Citi Bike. “Today, Citi Bike is a crucial component of our transportation network as more New Yorkers and visitors than ever take to two wheels. We are proud Citi Bike has become a fun, safe and equitable way to get around the city.”

As part of its 2017 expansion, Citi Bike is installing stations in Harlem and in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria, ahead of further expansion into Crown Heights and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. The Citi Bike program continues to be the most widely used bike share system in the nation. Annual ridership has steadily increased year over year, as residents and visitors alike turn to the blue bikes to move around New York City. Riders took 8 million trips in 2014, 10 million in 2015, and almost 14 million in 2016. In 2017, riders are set to break the record once again – with a 19 percent increase in ridership so far this year.

Daily ridership continues to grow as well: the system, the largest among more than 50 bike share systems in North America, regularly records more than 60,000 rides per day in peak season. Riders recently set the new daily ridership record, clocking 74,428 trips on September 12. While individual bikes average seven uses per day, one bike recorded 36 trips over a single day in July. Since the system’s launch, Citi Bike riders have pedaled 102,366,046 miles and offset 53,230,343.92 pounds of carbon and counting.

Citi Bike’s Phase 2 expansion will be completed by the end of 2017, doubling the size of the network. Citi Bike has 10,000 bikes at over 600 stations, and will have 12,000 bikes at 750 stations by the end of this year. In addition to the aforementioned new neighborhoods, stations are currently located every few blocks in Manhattan as far north as 130th Street and in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Red Hook, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint along with Long Island City, Queens.

In 2014, the de Blasio Administration illustrated its commitment to a robust bike share system, successfully securing a new company, Motivate, to operate the system.  An infusion of private capital stabilized the system and improved service has led to growth and record ridership in the two years since.  This year’s installations complete the Phase 2 expansion, and the Administration is exploring new ways to bring bike share to more New Yorkers, including the Bronx and Staten Island.

The annual cost of a Citi Bike membership is $163 or $14.95/month with an annual commitment. NYCHA residents and members of select community development credit unions are eligible to receive discounted $5/month memberships.

Annual members receive an electronic key to undock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited trips up to 45 minutes without incurring any additional costs. Twenty-four-hour and three-day passes are available for purchase at any Citi Bike station or through the Citi Bike app and provide unlimited 30-minute trips. Reduced cost memberships are available for NYCHA residents and members of select credit unions throughout the city, and for IDNYC holders in their first year of membership.

Learn more at citibikenyc.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: 

50,000,000, that's right fifty million Citi Bike rides, and not one of them was in the Bronx. As you see in the above press release there are no plans in the near future to have any in the Bronx either. 

What does the Bronx have to do? Get a Bronx leader elected mayor in four years to get even a Citi Bike Ride? Is the Bronx being REDLINED by Citi Bike like Banks did many years ago?

Hurricane Relief Concert this Saturday, October 7th!

Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Concert  & Car Show

Date: 

Saturday, October 7th,2017

Time : 1PM - 6PM

On E 204th Street

between Bainbridge & Decatur Avenue

Special Guest Hosts - Performers - Kids Zone 
Giveaways - Health Screenings - Bounce Castles

PROCEEDS & DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AND COLLECTED 

Van Nest Neighboehood Alliance 13th City Council Debate

  It was billed as a 13th City Council Forum with candidates Democrat Mark Gjonaj, Republican John Cerini, and Independent Alex Gomez to answer questions from the VNNA. While candidates John Doyle (Liberal Party line) and Marjorie Velazquez (Working Families line) were not listed as showing Democrat Mark Gjonaj was at the CB 11 public hearing for the North Pelham Parkway reconstruction project. In Gjonaj's place was VNNA board member Robert Nolan who gave an opening speech, answered one question, and gave a closing speech for Democratic candidate Mark Gjonaj.

The three candidates are in the middle of three executive board members of the VNNA. The candidates were Republican John Cerini, Independent Alex Gomez, and stand in Democrat Bob Nolan. 

It appeared that Republican candidate John Cerini was opposed to Mr. Nolan (a VNNA board member) sitting in for Democratic candidate Mark Gjonaj, but as the evening went on there was little more opposition to Mr. Nolan who gave an opening speech, answered one question, and gave a closing speech for Democratic candidate Mark Gjonaj.

Independent candidate Alex Gomez who had to go through the petition process a second time after being thrown off the ballot by a Marjorie Velazquez supporter Ms. Rebecca Chant, also gave comments that Democrat Mark Gjonaj should not be allowed to have a stand in for him if Gjonaj was unable to make the forum. 

After candidates John Cerini and Alex Gomez gave their closing statements, Mr. Bob Nolan gave a closing statement for Democratic candidate Mark Gjonaj.

Republican candidate John Cerini stressed his work with the Throggs Neck Business district, Community, and his knowledge in the fields of accounting, insurance, and small business. Mr. Cerini was also in favor of creating a Throggs Neck Business Improvement District which would be funded by the landlords and businesses of the proposed BID, with a director in charge of the BID. These directors of BIDS generally are politically connected, and backed by local elected officials.

Independent candidate Alex Gomez stressed his work in the non-profit area, saying that he would rather see school boards brought back over what is no real community representation in Mayoral Control of the public schools. 

In all this was a very quiet candidates forum compared to those that led up to the Democratic primary, where the candidates were more vocal about each other, especially since the leader in this race chose to be somewhere else.  

Mount Vernon Man Arrested For String Of Livery Cab Robberies

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging ALLANMON MAVUMKAL with a Hobbs Act robbery spree involving at least 10 livery cabs in the Bronx, Mt. Vernon, and Yonkers, during which MAVUMKAL robbed the cab drivers of cash, personal items, and their cabs at knife-point.  MAVUMKAL surrendered on October 1, 2017, and will be presented in a Manhattan federal court before the Honorable Gabriel W. Gorenstein.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged, Allanmon Mavumkal preyed on innocent livery cab drivers who had the misfortune of responding to Mavumkal’s call for a ride.  Protecting hardworking New Yorkers from acts of violence is always a priority of this Office.” 

ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan M. Benedict said:  “Mavumkal is alleged to have engaged in a pattern of armed robberies and carjackings of taxi drivers, extending from the Bronx to Mount Vernon and Yonkers.  Over the course of barely a month, he allegedly repeatedly preyed on hard working New Yorkers trying to do nothing more than to earn an honest living.  Today’s charges send a clear message that we and our law enforcement partners stand at the ready to bring violent offenders to justice.” 

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  "This series of violent robberies ended thanks to the hard work of investigators who worked diligently until this individual was identified and taken into custody. The NYPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect communities and ensure that this individual is held accountable for his actions."

According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]

On September 21, 2017, MAVUMKAL hailed a livery cab in the Bronx, and directed the driver to a particular destination.  After arriving at the drop-off location, MAVUMKAL threatened the driver with a large knife, which was captured on video from the cab, ordered the driver out of the cab, and then drove away in the cab. The investigation is continuing.

MAVUMKAL, 30, of Mount Vernon, New York, is charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  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. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF and the NYPD.

If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900, or Wendy.Olsen@usdoj.gov  

(link sends e-mail)

For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.

The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.                                                                                                                                                                       

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Jail Sentence For Major NYC Landlord Steven Croman

Steven Croman Taken Into Custody And Transferred To Rikers Island For One Year Jail Sentence; Croman Also Paying $5 Million Settlement

Rarely, If Ever, Has A Landlord Been Sentenced To Jail Time For These Practices

Attorney General Schneiderman’s Civil Suit Against Croman For Tenant Harassment Remains Ongoing

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the sentencing of Steven Croman, a major New York City landlord who owns more than 140 apartment buildings across Manhattan, for fraudulently refinancing loans and committing tax fraud. Croman was taken into custody today and will serve one year of jail time on Rikers Island. As part of his guilty plea, he is also paying a $5 million tax settlement to the State; Croman paid the first $3 million of that settlement last month.

A year-long investigation by the Attorney General’s office found that Croman purchased buildings with rent-stabilized units and, immediately after purchase, began the process of displacing rent-stabilized tenants while simultaneously attempting to refinance the initial mortgage.

Rarely, if ever, has a landlord been sentenced to serve time in jail for engaging in these practices. The jail time and multi-million settlement send a strong message to landlords that the Attorney General will pursue anyone who engages in these types of practices to the fullest extent of the law.                                     

“Steven Croman thought he was above the law. But today, he begins a sentence in Rikers Island for perpetrating an elaborate scheme that was intended to push out rent-stabilized tenants,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The measures Mr. Croman took to boost his own bottom line – while blatantly disregarding the wellbeing of his tenants – are shocking. A booming real estate market is no excuse for criminal activity aimed at displacing New Yorkers already struggling with high rents. My office will continue to ensure that all landlords play by the rules – and pursue anyone who doesn’t to the fullest extent of the law.”

In June, Croman pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class D felony), and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree and Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree (both class E felonies). Croman fraudulently obtained several multi-million-dollar refinancing loans between 2012 and 2014, and committed tax fraud in 2011 by failing to withhold appropriate NY State payroll tax from certain Croman Real Estate employee paychecks.

The criminal referral in the Croman investigation was provided to the Attorney General’s office by the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal’s Tenant Protection Unit (TPU).

Pursuant to the plea agreement and the defendant’s allocution, Croman submitted false documents to banks, including rent rolls that falsely reflected market rate rents for units that were actually occupied by rent-stabilized tenants. Croman also inflated the amount of rent charged for certain commercial spaces in his buildings in an effort to show greater rental income. Croman falsified these rent rolls in order to inflate the annual rental income of his buildings, upon which his refinancing terms are partially based. All told, over a three-year period, Croman received more than $45 million in loans under these false pretenses.

Croman also intentionally failed to withhold New York State payroll taxes from bonus payments made to a former Croman Real Estate property manager, who was paid bonuses to get rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants out of Croman apartment buildings.

The Attorney General also has a separate civil lawsuit against Croman for allegedly engaging in harassment of rent-regulated tenants and other illegal, fraudulent, and deceptive conduct in connection with his real-estate business. That case remains ongoing.

Earlier this year, the Attorney General Schneiderman formally introduced new legislation aimed at holding the city’s most unscrupulous landlords criminally accountable for Harassment of a Rent Regulated Tenant. Current state law demands prosecutors reach an inexplicably high bar in order to criminally charge landlords with that crime—which is why in the past twenty years, not a single landlord has ever been convicted of the crime of Harassment of a Rent Regulated Tenant.

The Attorney General’s legislation would set a more reasonable standard that removes the need to prove physical injury to a tenant, and opens the door to Harassment of a Rent Regulated Tenant prosecutions arising out of more commonplace and insidious tactics, such as turning off heat and hot water, exposing young children to lead dust, and making rent-stabilized buildings deliberately uninhabitable for current tenants and their families.

The Attorney General has taken a number of other steps to combat tenant harassment and illegal practices by landlords across New York City, including:

• Enhancing and streamlining the office’s resources to combat tenant harassment, deceptive lending practices, deed theft, bank fraud, and other housing issues facing constituents.
• Filing additional felony charges against a landlord for committing mortgage fraud.
• Formed the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force with city and state officials.

The Office of the Attorney General thanks our partners at the Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the Department of Taxation and Finance for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.