Leader Of Sunset Trinitarios Gang Pleads Guilty To Racketeering

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDIBERTO SANTANA, a/k/a “Flaco Veneno,” pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy involving murder, arising out of SANTANA’s long-time leadership of the Sunset Trinitarios gang.  SANTANA pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Today’s guilty plea should serve as a reminder that we are committed to seeking justice for victims no matter the passage of time and to holding gang leaders responsible for the violence that they instigate.”

According to the Indictment, SANTANA’s plea agreement, and statements made in Court:

SANTANA is the long-time leader of the Sunset Trinitarios (“Sunset”), a violent set of the national Trinitarios street gang that controlled territory in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, among other places.  Under SANTANA’s leadership and at SANTANA’s direction, Sunset perpetrated a near-constant string of violent crime for nearly a decade, including murders, shootings, assaults, and robberies.  Among other acts of violence, SANTANA ordered the March 13, 2011, murder of Dennis Marquez, age 16, who was stabbed to death in the Bronx; the October 23, 2013, murder of Michael Beltre, age 17, who was shot and killed in the Bronx; and the November 17, 2013, murder of Rafael Alam, age 23, who was shot and killed in the Bronx. 

SANTANA, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy with murder as a special sentencing factor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by a judge.  SANTANA is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Crotty on February 8, 2023.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, and the New York City Department of Investigation.

Attorney General James' Statement on Decision Regarding New York’s Concealed Carry Gun Laws

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement after a federal judge in the U.S. Northern District Court of New York granted a temporary restraining order in the case Antonyuk v. Hochul, temporarily blocking or modifying some provisions of New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA):

“Today's decision comes in the wake of mass shootings and rampant gun violence hurting communities here in New York and across the country. While the decision preserves portions of the law, we believe the entire law must be preserved as enacted. We will appeal this decision. 

"Common-sense gun control regulations help save lives. I will not back down from the fight to protect New Yorkers from repeated and baseless attacks on our state’s gun safety measures. I will continue to defend our responsible gun laws and fight for the safety of everyday New Yorkers.”

All provisions of the CCIA are still in effect until next week because the trial judge stayed his order to permit the state to consider and pursue appellate options. 

VCJC News & Notes 10/7/22

 

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 10/7/22 @ 6:10 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:45 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 10/8/22 @ 6:13  pm   Succot  Yom Tov Candles, Sunday, October 9 @ 6:07 pm Aft./Eve. Services October 9 @ 6:15 pm Morning Services, Monday, October 10 @ 8:45 am As is our custom, there will be a Kiddush following services.  Aft./Eve. Services October 10 @ 6:15 pm Yom Tov Candles October 10 @  after 7:08 pm Morning Services, Tuesday, October 11 @ 8:45 am As is our custom, there will be a Kiddush following services.  Aft./Eve. Services October 11 @ 6:15 pm Yom Tov Ends October 11 @ 7:06 pm Chag Sameach!    Yizkor Reminders Having observed Yizkor on Yom Kippur, this is a reminder that it is customary to donate to charity as part of the observance.  Whether you attended services at VCJC or not; whether you vocally made a pledge or not; it is expected that you will make a donation in honor of those you remembered during Yizkor.  If you pledged to VCJC, thank you, and please redeem your pledge as soon as you are able.  If you attended, but did not announce a pledge, please consider donating to VCJC as part of your Yizkor observance.  If you observed Yizkor elsewhere, please honor the custom of charity as part of Yizkor, and if you are willing, include VCJC in your largesse.   There is an additional Yizkor observance on Shemini Atzeret.  Donations may be made in person in the office, by check by postal mail, or through one of the options on our Donation page.  Van Cortlandt Jewish Center 3880 Sedgwick Ave Bronx, NY 10463

2022 Bronx Dems Annual Dinner Gala - Wednesday October 12th 6 PM

 

SAVE THE DATE: Join us for our #BronxDems Annual Dinner Gala on Wednesday, October 12 at Marina Del Rey!

To RSVP and make a contribution, go to actblue.com/donate/bxdemsdinneroct12

For more information, contact darren@dynamicsrg.com or 845-405-6412.

THE NEW YORK HISPANIC CLERGY ORGANIZATION ANNUAL BANQUET

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Former NYC Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz 

You should know that during the month of October when we celebrate The Hispanic Heritage Month, The New York Hispanic Clergy Organization will be honoring six (6) Distinguished Hispanic Ministers during the celebration of this year’s Annual Banquet.

 

You should also know that The New York Hispanic Clergy Organization is composed of 150 Clergy Members within the Tri-State Area of New York.  We have proudly served The Hispanic/Latino Community for 35 years.  Our mission is not limited to only humanitarian efforts but is extended to educating the Christian Hispanic Community in the social/political process that affects our families, and society.

 

Every year since the inception of The NYHC Organization we have proudly held an Annual Banquet to honor and recognize Men and Women who have distinguished themselves serving in their respective ministries. This year’s honorees are Apostol Gladys Paulino, Rev. Abner Rivera, Rev. Angel G. Santiago, Rev. Percido Garces, Rev. Marcos Fuchu, and Bishop Dr. Roberto B. Amoros.

 

More than six hundred (600) will be attending this year’s event which is scheduled to take place on Saturday October 22, 2022, from 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. at Maestros Catering Hall 1703 Bronxdale Avenue in the Bronx New York.

 

For more information, please call Rev. Samaris Gross at (347) 613-1491.  I am Rev. Ruben Diaz, and this is what you should know.

Attorney General James, Comptroller Lander, and 32BJ SEIU Recover $3 Million from Real Estate Developer for Underpaying Workers

 

Heatherwood Underpaid Workers at Buildings in Brooklyn and Queens Despite Receiving 421-a Tax Credits

Workers Will Receive More Than $723,000 in Unpaid Wages and Benefits

New York Attorney General Letitia James, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and 32BJ SEIU recovered $3 million from a luxury residential property developer for denying workers prevailing wages and benefits. Heatherwood Communities LLC (Heatherwood) received tax exemptions on two of its New York City rental properties located in Queens and Brooklyn under the city’s 421-a program, but failed to pay prevailing wages and benefits to building service employees, as required under the tax credit program. As a result of today’s agreement, Heatherwood will return $723,324, the full amount owed plus interest, to 24 workers and pay a penalty to New York City and New York state for violating the conditions of the tax credit program.

“Workers are the backbone of New York, and they deserve fair pay and benefits for their hard work,” said Attorney General James. “These individuals worked day and night to make ends meet but were denied their hard-earned money. Paying workers fair wages and benefits is not a luxury, it’s the law and Heatherwood cheated these workers and taxpayers. Today, two dozen workers will get back wages they earned but were unjustly denied. I thank Comptroller Lander and 32BJ SEIU for their collaboration on this effort to hold bad actors accountable and protect everyday New Yorkers.”

“Together with Attorney General James and 32BJ SEIU, we are sending a strong message today: New Yorkers have zero tolerance for developers who cheat New York and its workers out of their hard-earned wages,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Not only did Heatherwood reap tax benefits under false pretenses, they denied hardworking New Yorkers the compensation they were due for their labor. I’m grateful to the staff of our Bureau of Labor Law for their diligent work to ensure that these workers will get the money they are owed, to 32BJ SEIU for sounding the alarm on Heatherwood’s violation of our prevailing wage standards, and to the partnership of the Attorney General to ensure this wrong was righted.” 

“This $3 million settlement’s importance goes beyond the dollar amount,” said Kyle Bragg, President, 32BJ SEIU. “We are sending a clear message to owners and developers like Heatherwood that they cannot enjoy the benefits of our city’s tax exemptions if they can’t meet their basic responsibilities to their workers. 32BJ SEIU thanks Attorney General James and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander for their partnership in this crucial fight. Together, we have won a crucial victory for not only our members but working people across the state.”

“This settlement means so much to me and my fellow workers,” said Elizabeth Hernandez, a worker at a Heatherwood building. “All we were demanding was the pay Heatherwood owed. As important as this money is to me and others, it’s about more than that. We stood up against Heatherwood because what they were doing was wrong. All workers deserve dignity and respect. I want to thank God, 32BJ SEIU, Attorney General James, and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander for standing with us in this fight!”

“I am a working person, and I expect my employer to pay me what was promised,” said Francisco Giuliano, a worker at a Heatherwood building. “Underpaying workers is not just wrong. It throws lives into chaos. The money I am receiving will provide me with financial stability and justice. I want to thank Attorney General James, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and 32BJ SEIU for ensuring that companies like Heatherwood can’t act like they are above the law.”

“I have two children and am single,” said Katherine Bustamante, a worker at a Heatherwood building. “By underpaying workers and denying us benefits, Heatherwood made it harder for us to provide for our families. I want to thank God, Attorney General James, New York City Comptroller Lander, and 32BJ SEIU for fighting for working parents like me. Thanks to this money, I will be able to support my kids.”

An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that over the course of two years, Heatherwood failed to pay building service workers prevailing wages and benefits at one building in Queens and one in Brooklyn. The buildings — 27 on 27^th in Long Island City and 568 Union in Williamsburg — boast yoga areas, furnished rooftop terraces, fitness centers, children’s playrooms, and even a movie theater in one building.

Heatherwood applied for partial tax exemptions under New York’s 421-a tax incentive program administered by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Under the 421-a tax credit program, developers are granted tax breaks, with certain conditions, on new multi-unit residential buildings. To qualify, any project receiving the tax exemption must be subject to local rent stabilization laws, and for buildings with at least 30 units, developers are required to either set aside a number of affordable housing units or pay prevailing wages to building service workers. Developers are required to comply with prevailing wage rules, which determine the wage and benefits payable to building service workers according to schedules issued by the New York City Comptroller.

As part of its applications for the tax exemptions, Heatherwood told HPD that it would pay its building service employees prevailing wages. At the time, the prevailing wages plus benefits amounted to a range, depending on seniority and title, of roughly $22 to $26. Heatherwood paid janitorial and concierge workers at 568 Union Avenue only between $9 and $14 per hour without benefits, and paid workers at 27-03 42nd Road only between $8.50 and $15, also without benefits. These amounts were roughly 41 percent of what workers should have received.

As a result of today’s agreement, Heatherwood will return $723,324.33, which includes 16 percent interest, to 24 workers, and pay the city $1,146,196 and the state $686,527 in penalties. Heatherwood is also required to continue paying building service employees the prevailing wage.

The Comptroller’s Office will notify workers of this agreement and issue their checks.

This case was brought pursuant to the New York False Claims Act (NYFCA), by a whistleblower suing on behalf of New York state. As the whistleblower who alerted OAG to this situation, 32JB SEIU will receive a percentage of the proceeds paid as part of the settlement.

The City of New York Announces Successful Sale of $1.35 Billion of General Obligation Bonds, Including its First Social Bonds

 Rendering of a project being financed by the City’s first-ever social bonds (107 affordable units at 1510 Broadway in Brooklyn).

Social bond proceeds will finance over 3,000 units of affordable housing in New York City.

The City of New York (“the City”) announced the sale of $1.35 billion of General Obligation Bonds, comprised of $950 million of tax-exempt fixed rate bonds and $400 million of taxable fixed rate bonds designated as Social Bonds. Proceeds of the tax-exempt bond sale will be used to fund capital projects. The taxable fixed rate Social Bonds will fund affordable housing. The Social Bonds received a second party opinion from S&P Global Ratings affirming alignment of the bonds with the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Social Bond Principles.

During the retail order period for the tax-exempt bonds, the City received just under $690 million of orders from retail investors, of which over $490 million was usable. During the institutional order period, the City received approximately $6.0 billion of priority orders, representing just over 13.1x the bonds offered for sale to institutional investors.

“This announcement shows that we are able to tap into the growing investor demand for socially sustainable investments. Increasing the supply of genuinely affordable housing is both a critical priority for the City of New York and the results of yesterday’s sale show that it is an attractive investment for socially conscious investors,” said Comptroller Lander.

Strong investor demand for the tax-exempt bonds resulted in yields being reduced by 2-7 basis points from 2024 through 2039, and by 11-15 basis points in 2040 through 2047. Final yields ranged from 3.12% in 2024 to 4.39% in 2047.

During the order period for the taxable Social Bonds, the City received indications of interest totaling $1.88 billion, representing 4.7x the bonds offered. Of those orders, more than $380 million from 10 investors were identified as being entered for Social Bond-specific accounts.

Given investor demand for the taxable bonds, the yield was reduced by 10 basis points to a final yield of 5.263% for the term bond maturing in 2052.

The proceeds of the sale of the taxable social bonds will be dedicated solely to reimburse City spending on affordable housing projects, supporting the creation of over 3,000 homes under the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) program, Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP), and Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA). Read the announcement for additional details.

The tax-exempt fixed rate bonds were underwritten through a syndicate led by book-running lead manager Citigroup, with BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan Securities, Jefferies, Loop Capital Markets, Ramirez & Co., RBC Capital Markets, Siebert Williams Shank, and Wells Fargo Securities serving as co-senior managers. The taxable fixed rate social bonds were underwritten through a syndicate led by joint lead managers Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.

Bank CEO Sentenced To 14 Months In Prison For Taking Bribes In Connection With Loans Guaranteed By The Small Business Administration

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that defendant EDWARD SHIN, a/k/a “Eungsoo Shin,” was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in defrauding a Pennsylvania-based bank (the “Bank”) while serving as its CEO.  SHIN was convicted after a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan on all counts, which charged SHIN with taking bribes in connection with the Bank’s issuance of loans that were guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and with causing the Bank to issue SBA-guaranteed and commercial loans to companies in which SHIN had a secret financial interest.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As CEO, Edward Shin was entrusted with stewardship of a Pennyslvania-based bank.  Instead of promoting and protecting the bank’s interests, Shin used the bank as his own piggy bank, stealing from it to line his pockets and the pockets of his corrupt friends.  For violating the trust placed in him, Shin will rightly serve prison time.”

According to the allegations contained in the Criminal Complaint, Indictment, and evidence adduced during trial:

The SBA helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses by guaranteeing certain loans made by banks to help those businesses succeed.  Between 2009 and 2013, the Bank offered a range of financial products, including SBA-guaranteed loans to small businesses in the New York-New Jersey area, which the Bank could extend only on the condition that all aspects of those loans complied with SBA regulations and SBA’s standard operating procedures.  In particular, SBA regulations and procedures prohibited bank officers, including SHIN, from receiving any payments in connection with SBA-backed loans and prohibited banks from extending such loans to any institution in which a bank officer held an interest.

Notwithstanding these regulations, SHIN, then the CEO of the Bank, secretly solicited and received bribe payments in connection with SBA-guaranteed loans issued by the Bank and caused the Bank to extend SBA-guaranteed and commercial loans to companies in which SHIN had secret ownership interests.  Specifically, when the Bank issued business loans that did not involve the use of any actual broker, SHIN nonetheless arranged to have his longtime friend, a real estate and loan broker (the “Broker”), inserted unnecessarily into the transaction solely to generate a broker fee that could be shared with SHIN; in fact, the Broker did no actual work to earn a commission on those transactions but split the “broker’s fee” with SHIN as an illegal kickback.

SHIN also arranged for the Bank to issue SBA-guaranteed loans to several businesses in which he secretly retained an ownership interest, in violation of SBA regulations and procedures.  For example, in or about June 2010, the Bank issued an SBA-guaranteed loan for approximately $950,000 to a business in New York, New York.  Although documents submitted to the Bank for purposes of securing the loan did not mention SHIN’s financial interest, the business was secretly operated as a partnership between SHIN, the Broker, and another individual.  The loan ultimately went into default status, resulting in a loss to the Bank of approximately $591,278.60.  On another occasion, in or about 2013, the Bank issued an SBA-guaranteed loan for approximately $1,050,000 to a business in New York, New York.  Again, even though the business was secretly operated as a partnership between SHIN and another family member of SHIN’s, the documents submitted to the Bank for purposes of securing the loan did not mention SHIN’s financial interest nor the family member’s relationship to SHIN.

SHIN, 59, of Ambler, Pennsylvania, was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to commit bank bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit loan fraud, another count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count each of bank bribery and embezzlement of funds by a bank officer.  In addition to the prison terms, Judge Cronan sentenced SHIN to three years of supervised release and ordered SHIN to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,506,050 and a $600 special assessment fee.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.