Sunday, June 11, 2023

Early Voting Period is June 17, 2023 - June 25, 2023.

 

Early Voting Days and Hours

Saturday 

 June 17, 2023 

 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 

 Sunday 

 June 18, 2023 

 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 

 Monday 

 June 19, 2023 

 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 

 Tuesday 

 June 20, 2023 

 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM 

 Wednesday 

 June 21, 2023 

 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM 

 Thursday 

 June 22, 2023 

 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM 

 Friday 

 June 23, 2023 

 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM 

 Saturday 

 June 24, 2023 

 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 

 Sunday 

 June 25, 2023 

 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 


Voters must vote at their assigned Early Voting Site. Visit Poll Site locator to find your Early Voting or Election Day poll site.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Polls are open from 6am to 9pm.

Russian Nationals Charged With Hacking One Cryptocurrency Exchange And Illicitly Operating Another

 

Charges Brought by the Southern District of New York, the Northern District of California, and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Ismail J. Ramsey, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, James C. Lee, the Chief of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), William Mancino, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division (“USSS”), and Katrina W. Berger, the Acting Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced the unsealing of charges against Alexey Bilyuchenko and Aleksandr Verner, both Russian nationals.  Bilyuchenko and Verner are charged in the Southern District of New York with conspiring to launder approximately 647,000 bitcoins from the 2011 hack of Mt. Gox (the “SDNY Case”).  Bilyuchenko is separately charged in the Northern District of California with conspiring with Alexander Vinnik to operate the illicit cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e from 2011 to 2017 (the “NDCA Case”).  The SDNY Case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.  The NDCA Case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Chhabria. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As cyber criminals have become more sophisticated in their methods of thievery, our career prosecutors and law enforcement partners, too, have become experts in the latest technologies being abused for malicious purposes.  As alleged, Alexey Bilyuchenko and Aleksandr Verner thought they could outsmart the law by using sophisticated hacks to steal and launder massive amounts of cryptocurrency, a novel technology at the time, but the charges unsealed demonstrate our ability to tenaciously pursue these alleged criminals, no matter how complex their schemes, until they are brought to justice.”

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. said: “This announcement marks an important milestone in two major cryptocurrency investigations.  As alleged in the indictments, starting in 2011, Bilyuchenko and Verner stole a massive amount of cryptocurrency from Mt. Gox, contributing to the exchange’s ultimate insolvency.  Armed with the ill-gotten gains from Mt. Gox, Bilyuchenko allegedly went on to help set up the notorious BTC-e virtual currency exchange, which laundered funds for cyber criminals worldwide.  These indictments highlight the department’s unwavering commitment to bring to justice bad actors in the cryptocurrency ecosystem and prevent the abuse of the financial system.”

NDCA U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said: “For years, Bilyuchenko and his coconspirators operated a digital currency exchange that enabled criminals around the world – including computer hackers, ransomware actors, narcotics rings, and corrupt public officials – to launder billions of dollars.  The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to identify cyber criminals, no matter where they are.  And Bilyuchenko and his coconspirators will learn that the Department of Justice has long arms and an even longer memory for crimes that harm our communities.”

IRS-CI Chief James C. Lee said: “Cryptocurrency offers a new way for criminals to steal and launder money, but greed and deceit are nothing new.  IRS-CI is specially equipped to follow the complex financial trail left by criminals, and we are dedicated to holding those accountable for crimes committed.  IRS-CI is proud to stand with our law enforcement partners to announce these indictments.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants gained unauthorized access to a server used by Mt. Gox to house cryptocurrency wallets.  Mt. Gox was the world’s largest bitcoin exchange at the time, and the defendants used their unauthorized access to steal the bulk of the bitcoins held by Mt. Gox customers.  The FBI and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to protect the integrity of all of our financial markets.”

USSS Special Agent in Charge William Mancino said: “The Secret Service has a long tradition of pursuing and bringing to justice those who aim to exploit our financial systems and target innocent victims.  Working together with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate criminal organizations that operate in the ever-evolving cyber domain.”

HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger said: “Homeland Security Investigations continues to investigate cyber criminals illicitly operating in virtual spaces, and we are proud to have worked collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to bring these two individuals to justice.  Our special agents continue to investigate transnational criminal organizations operating in emerging technologies, leveraging our broad authorities to identify and dismantle those behind sophisticated crypto scams.”

The SDNY Case

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York:[1] 

In or about September 2011, Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to the server holding the cryptocurrency wallets for Mt. Gox.  At the time, Mt. Gox was the largest bitcoin exchange in existence, servicing thousands of users worldwide, including users in the Southern District of New York.  Mt. Gox stored the cryptocurrency wallets containing its customers’ bitcoin and the corresponding private keys used to authorize bitcoin transfers from those wallets on a computer server in Japan.

Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators used their unauthorized access to Mt. Gox’s server to fraudulently cause bitcoins to be transferred from Mt. Gox’s wallets to bitcoin addresses controlled by Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators.  From September 2011 through at least May 2014, Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators caused the theft of at least approximately 647,000 bitcoins from Mt. Gox, representing the vast majority of the bitcoins belonging to Mt. Gox’s customers.  Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators laundered the bulk of the bitcoins stolen from Mt. Gox principally through bitcoin addresses associated with accounts Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators controlled at two other online bitcoin exchanges (“Exchange-1” and “Exchange-2”), as well as a particular user account on Mt. Gox itself.

In furtherance of the money laundering scheme, in or about April 2012, Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators negotiated and entered into a fraudulent contract (the “Advertising Contract”) to provide purported advertising services to a bitcoin brokerage service based in the Southern District of New York (the “New York Bitcoin Broker”).  Under the guise of the Advertising Contract, in order to conceal and liquidate the bitcoins stolen from Mt. Gox, Bilyuchenko and Verner made regular requests to the owner and operator of the New York Bitcoin Broker to make large wire transfers into various offshore bank accounts, including in the names of shell corporations, controlled by Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators.  In accordance with these requests, between in or about March 2012 and in or about April 2013, the New York Bitcoin Broker transferred more than approximately $6.6 million to overseas bank accounts controlled by Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators.  In exchange for the wire transfers, the New York Bitcoin Broker received “credit” on Exchange-1, through which Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators laundered more than 300,000 of the bitcoins stolen from Mt. Gox.  The fraudulent Advertising Contract with the New York Bitcoin Broker enabled Bilyuchenko, Verner, and their co-conspirators to conceal and liquidate bitcoins stolen through the Mt. Gox hack. 

Mt. Gox ceased operations in 2014 after the theft was revealed. 

The NDCA Case

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed in the Northern District of California:[2] 

Bilyuchenko worked with Alexander Vinnik and others to operate the BTC-e exchange from 2011 until it was shut down by law enforcement in July 2017.  During that time period, BTC-e was one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges and was one of the primary ways by which cyber criminals around the world transferred, laundered, and stored the criminal proceeds of their illegal activities.

BTC-e served over one million users worldwide, moving millions of bitcoin worth of deposits and withdrawals and processing billions of dollars’ worth of transactions.  BTC-e received criminal proceeds of numerous computer intrusions and hacking incidents, ransomware events, identity theft schemes, corrupt public officials, and narcotics distribution rings.

The SDNY Indictment charges Bilyuchenko, 43, and Verner, 29, both Russian nationals, with conspiracy to commit money laundering.  If convicted of the charge in the SDNY Indictment, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The NDCA Indictment charges Bilyuchenko with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money services business.  If convicted of the charges in the NDCA Indictment, Bilyuchenko faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences set forth above are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court.

Mr. Williams praised IRS-CI and the FBI for their work in investigating the SDNY Case.

The SDNY Case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich is in charge of the prosecution of the SDNY Case. 

The charges in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

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

Comptroller Lander Declines to Register Medicare Advantage Contract Pending Litigation

 

The Comptroller’s Office declined to register the City’s contract with Aetna to transfer City retirees to a Medicare Advantage program for their health care coverage. A pending lawsuit, brought on behalf of retirees, questions the City’s authority to enter into such an agreement.  

Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement: 

“The Comptroller’s Bureau of Contract Administration carefully reviewed the City’s contract with Aetna and returned the contract to the Office of Labor Relations without registering it. Pending litigation calls into question the legality of this procurement and constrains us from fulfilling our Charter mandated responsibility to confirm that procurement rules were followed, sufficient funds are available, and the City has the necessary authority to enter into the contract. 

“As a matter of public policy, beyond the scope of our office’s specific Charter responsibility for contract registration, I am seriously concerned about the privatization of Medicare plans, overbilling by insurance companies, and barriers to care under Medicare Advantage.  

“I appreciate the work of the Municipal Labor Council and the Office of Labor Relations to negotiate improvements to the Aetna contract to address some of the concerns raised by retirees. However, the broader Medicare Advantage trends are worrisome. Recent investigations identified extensive allegations of fraud, abuse, overbilling, and denials of medically necessary care at 9 of the top 10 Medicare Advantage plans, including CVS Health, which owns Aetna.  

As health care activist Ady Barkan wrote last month, noting that half of Medicare enrollees nationwide have been transferred from traditional Medicare to private Medicare Advantage plans: ‘Once corporations privatize every inch of the public provision of health care, we may never get Medicare back.’” 


Governor Hochul Announces $20 Million Investment for CENTRO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at City University of New York

Governor Hochul marches in the 66th National Puerto Rican Day parade in Manhattan. 

Investment Will Help CENTRO Recruit and Retain Talent in El Barrio

Governor Announces Major Investment Following Participation in 66th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State will make a $20 million investment for CENTRO, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at the City University of New York. The investment will be used to expand the library and archives at CENTRO in El Barrio, the cradle of the Puerto Rican community in New York City. Governor Hochul announced this major investment following her participation in the 66th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

"For generations, New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage have been a vital part of our state's cultural tapestry," Governor Hochul said. "We are proud to be making bold investments that will allow the Center for Puerto Rican Studies to expand and thrive - making El Barrio an even more exciting place to work, learn and live."

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, CENTRO is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. The new $20 million investment will bring CENTRO under one roof in a newly expanded space of approximately 17,000 square feet. This investment will be utilized to consolidate CENTRO from two locations: Hunter College Main Campus and the Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work building at 2180 3rd Avenue in East Harlem to an expanded footprint at the Silberman Building. The newly renovated site will ensure CENTRO remains in El Barrio, a neighborhood where more than 20,000 New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage have built their lives.

The newly expanded footprint will provide CENTRO a significantly expanded archive and library space, aimed at strengthening CENTRO's archives of Puerto Rican history and culture and allowing CENTRO, the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the U.S., to be a leader in digitization. Having a larger, modernized space will also allow CENTRO to recruit and bring in even more talent. The new space will also include a state-of-the-art exhibition space where CENTRO can continue to provide cultural and community activities.

This investment comes in addition to Governor Hochul's recent investment in the New York State Institute for Immigration Integration Research and Policy, announced in 2022. This Institute, housed within the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the State University of New York's public policy think tank, is aimed at providing much-needed research and attention to immigration issues in New York and across the globe.

This is Governor Hochul's latest effort to support the people of Puerto Rico and the thriving Puerto Rican community in New York. Governor Hochul led a robust response to Hurricane Fiona, including deploying 65 members of the New York State Police to assist in relief efforts and delivering tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce and bottled water to Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico. She forged partnerships between New York and Puerto Rico on issues such as solar energy and mental health care. The Governor has also visited Puerto Rico frequently - including within her first 100 days in office - and has met with numerous local leaders including Governor Pedro Pierluisi and multiple State Legislators and municipal officials.

Cement Masons Recruit Apprentices

 

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Northeast District Council of the OPCMIA apprenticeship fund, will conduct a recruitment from July 10, 2023 through July 21, 2023 for one Cement Mason or Cement Finisher apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today.

Applications must be completed on site at the OPCMIA Apprenticeship Fund office, 1406 Blondell Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, during the recruitment period. All applications must be filled out on the premises. This is a limited-application recruitment. Only 100 applications will be distributed, on a first-come, first-serve basis. The recruitment will be offered for 10 business days or until 100 applications have been issued, whichever comes first.

The Committee requires that applicants:

  • Must be at least 18 years old. Proof will be required after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.
  • Must have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (such as TASC or GED).
  • Must pass a physical agility test by scoring at least 28 out of 35 possible points. The test includes:
    • Lifting two “legs” (4x4x8 Lumber, 52lbs), placing them on a shoulder, carrying them for approx. 75 feet and placing them neatly back on floor.
    • Lifting two ribs (3x4x14 Lumber, 70lbs), placing them on a shoulder, carrying them for approx. 75 feet and placing them neatly back on floor.
    • Lifting two #8 bars (One inch in diameter steel rods 85lbs) placing it on a shoulder, carrying it approx. 75 feet and placing it neatly back on floor.
    • Lifting one bag of Portland cement (94lbs), placing it on a shoulder, carrying it approx. 75 feet and placing it neatly back on floor.
    • Lifting one rubber concrete pump hose (60lbs), placing it on a shoulder, carrying it approx.75 feet and placing it neatly back on floor.
    • Lifting one steel concrete pipe (80lbs), placing it on a shoulder, carrying it approx. 75 feet and placing it neatly back on floor.
    • Filling a 16 cubic foot wheelbarrow with ¾’ gravel, walking with it approx. 50 feet and dumping it neatly back into the original pile.
  • Must have reliable transportation to and from job sites and required classes at the approved school.
  • Must pass a drug screening, at the expense of the sponsor, after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.
  • Must provide DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, if applicable, after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship program.

For further information, applicants should contact OPCMIA apprenticeship fund at (718) 357-3750. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: dol.ny.gov/career-centers).

Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.

MAYOR ADAMS, DCWP COMMISSIONER MAYUGA ANNOUNCE NATION’S FIRST MINIMUM PAY RATE FOR APP-BASED RESTAURANT DELIVERY WORKERS

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga today announced that the City of New York has set a first-of-its-kind minimum pay rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers. When fully implemented, the city’s more than 60,000 delivery workers — who currently earn $7.09/hour on average — will earn at least $19.96/hour. Restaurant delivery apps will also have flexibility in how they pay delivery workers the new minimum rate.

 

“‘Getting Stuff Done’ for working people is what this administration is all about, and that includes some of the hardest working New Yorkers: our delivery workers,” said Mayor Adams. “Our delivery workers have consistently delivered for us — now, we are delivering for them. This new minimum pay rate, up by almost $13.00/hour, will guarantee these workers and their families can earn a living, access greater economic stability, and help keep our city’s legendary restaurant industry thriving.”

 

“Delivery workers have kept New Yorkers nourished through the most perilous of conditions, delivering food right to our doors throughout the pandemic and unprecedented weather conditions in the past,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Thanks to the diligent work of the Adams administration and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, we are delivering on the mayor’s working people's agenda and improving the lives and economic potential of more than 60,000 New Yorkers.”

 

“Today is a historic win for New York City’s delivery workers, who have done so much for all of us through rain, snow, and throughout the pandemic,” said DCWP Commissioner Mayuga. “When the rate takes full effect, workers will make three times as much as they do now. I am proud that our city has fulfilled its promise to provide more stability and protections for 60,000 workers and get them a dignified pay rate.”

 

DCWP closely considered all comments submitted during the public comment period and established a final rate that will greatly increase workers’ incomes, while also being responsive to industry and worker feedback. The final rate also takes into account that, as independent contractors, delivery workers pay out-of-pocket for their expenses and do not have access to workers’ compensation insurance, or paid time off, and must pay more in Medicare and Social Security contributions.

 

The pay rate will be $17.96 when it takes effect on July 12, 2023, and will increase to $19.96 when it is fully phased-in on April 1, 2025. The rate will also be adjusted annually for inflation. Apps have the option to pay delivery workers per trip, per hour worked, or develop their own formulas, as long as their workers make the minimum pay rate of $19.96, on average. Apps that pay workers for all the time a worker is connected to the app (the time waiting for trip offers and trip time) must pay at least $17.96 per hour in 2023, which is approximately $0.30 per minute, not including tips. Apps that only pay for trip time (the time from accepting a delivery offer to dropping off the delivery) must pay at least approximately $0.50 per minute of trip time in 2023, not including tips.

 

DCWP found that workers spend approximately 60 percent of their working time engaged in trips and 40 percent on-call. For example, on a given day, a worker may be on-call awaiting trip offers for four hours and making deliveries for six hours. If that worker’s app only pays for trip time, the worker would make $179.60 based on the trip time rate when the rate takes effect in 2023. If, instead, the worker’s app pays for both trip time and on-call time, the worker will still make $179.60. These per-minute rates are approximate. Apps would have to calculate exact pay in accordance with the rule.

 

In September 2021, the New York City Council passed Local Law 115, requiring DCWP to study the pay and working conditions of app-based restaurant delivery workers and to establish a minimum pay rate for their work based on the study results. DCWP published its study last year, which drew from data obtained from restaurant delivery apps, including DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, and Relay; surveys distributed to delivery workers and restaurants; testimony; extensive discussions with stakeholders on all sides; and publicly available data. Members of the public, delivery workers, and restaurant delivery apps submitted thousands of comments on the proposed minimum pay rule, which DCWP carefully considered in developing the final rule.

 

DCWP will be conducting worker outreach and education about the new minimum pay rate and all rights under the city’s delivery worker laws. Delivery workers, apps, restaurants, and consumers can visit DCWP's website for information about the minimum pay rate, multilingual resources, and information about the city’s delivery worker laws. Workers can also call 311 and ask for “delivery worker” or visit DCWP’s worker page to request more information or to file a complaint.

 

This minimum pay rate is just one part of the city’s holistic approach to improving working conditions for delivery workers. Announced in 2022, the Adams administration is working with Los Deliveristas Unidos to convert vacant newsstands into hubs to provide a place for delivery workers to seek shelter from the elements, as well as charge electric bicycles and phones.

 

Saturday, June 10, 2023

NYPD -49Pct NCO-A, Build The Block Meeting 6-14-2023 - 7:30 P.M. Morris Park Community Association, 1824 Bronxdale Ave.

 

P.O. Stephen Brancatelli - Neighborhood Coordination Officer

New York City Police Department

49th Precinct

2121 Eastchester Road Bronx, New York  10461

(917) 826-9562

Stephen.Brancatelli@NYPD.org


This is the meeting we host for the community which is coming up soon and wanted you to be aware of it. We host the meeting in order to collaborate with the resident neighbors and business owners in addressing and solving issues and concerns in our coverage area (Morris Park/ Van Nest). Also, if you know anyone else that is interested you may distribute the flyer and spread the word for us. The details for the meeting are below, hope to see you there. 


  • NCO A – 49Pct – Build The Block Meeting 
  • Wednesday, June14th, 2023.  
  • Meeting starts at 7:30 P.M. 
  • Morris Park Community Association, 1824 Bronxdale Ave, Bronx NY 10462
  • Due to a scheduling conflict our Build the Block meeting will be during the Morris Park Community Association meeting.