Thursday, November 3, 2016
SENATOR JEFF KLEIN BRINGS MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES AND SCRIE SPECIALISTS TO LOCAL SENIORS
State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) provided over 100 senior citizens with the opportunity to sign-up for a rent freeze program called the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE), while they were offered a variety of health services today at the Northeast Bronx Senior Center.
Attendees met with SCRIE benefit specialists to see if they were eligible for a rent freeze. Senator Klein has secured $150,000 in funding for LiveOn NY in an effort to guide senior citizens through the application process and receive assistance in filling out cumbersome paperwork.
Senior citizens also received blood pressure screenings, elder abuse screenings, and nutritional counseling. Senator Klein secured $200,000 in funding for the Hebrew Home to purchase mobile health vans in order to bring vital senior health services directly to the elderly population who need it most. The mobile vans will continue to travel throughout the district.
“I am proud to have secured state funding to ensure that our senior population has access to these valuable services. The traveling vans, operated by the Hebrew Home, will offer a variety of medical screenings and also disseminate important health-related information. It is also imperative that senior citizens are aware of the SCRIE program and have the opportunity to fully utilize it. My funds will provide seniors with one-on-one assistance from LiveOn NY SCRIE benefit specialists. As seniors enter their golden years, they must live comfortably and independently in their own homes. I encourage our senior citizens to take advantage of these free services,” said Senator Klein.
Residents of the 34th Senate District also can come to Senator Klein’s office to visit with a LiveOn NY benefits specialist to determine their eligibility anytime on November 7 and 21; or December 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Above - State Senator Jeff Klein chats with seniors asking them for any comments they may have.
Below - Senator Klein has his own blood pressure checked, which was excellent.
Seniors are glad to sit with Senator Klein while one has her blood pressure checked.
LiveOn NY SCRIE specialists will also travel throughout the district and offer services to senior citizens at the below locations:
- November 23 - Bronx House, 990 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461 at 11:30 a.m.
- December 7 - Mechler Hall Senior Center at Holy Family Church, 2158 Watson Ave, Bronx, NY 10472 at 11:30 a.m.
For more information and future dates, please contact Senator Klein’s office at (718) 822-2049.
BARNES & NOBLE COMMITS TO BRONX RETURN
Bronx elected officials are reacting to news that national retail bookseller Barnes & Noble has committed to return to The Bronx, following the announcement of the impending closure of their existing store in Bay Plaza.
“We are a borough of book lovers, and Barnes & Noble has been an institution in The Bronx for nearly two decades. I share the concerns of my constituents that they will depart Bay Plaza. However, I understand that the business of selling books is going through a transformation, and that Barnes & Noble is adjusting their business model to reflect a new reality,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Barnes & Noble has made a commitment to return to The Bronx, and the people of this borough look forward to welcoming them back in the near future. We are also grateful to Prestige Properties and their CEO, Sam Shalem, for their previous efforts extend Barnes & Noble’s lease and their commitment to hold space in their retail center for the bookseller should they choose to return to Bay Plaza.”
Borough President Diaz added, "My office will continue to work with Barnes & Noble in the coming months to help identify potential locations for new retail sites in our borough that will work with their updated business model, and we will continue to support our libraries, as well as independent bookstores and other businesses that connect Bronxites with books.”
“Though I am saddened that Barnes & Noble will no longer operate at their current location in Bay Plaza, I appreciate that the company today has reaffirmed its commitment to operating a brick and mortar store in the Bronx,” said Congressman Eliot Engel. “Our borough is thriving, and I believe the presence of stores like Barnes & Noble is vital to its continued success. Over the years, Barnes & Noble became part of the fabric of Co-op City, serving hundreds of people every day as the only active bookstore in the borough. It is my hope that as the company begins its search for a new location, it will strongly consider remaining a part of the community by keeping a store open in Co-op City.”
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz Kicks Off Annual Holiday Canned Food Drive
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz(D-Bronx) has kicked off his annual canned food and turkey drive with students from local schools and participating residential buildings.
The Assemblyman’s office will be accepting donations until December 16th with a pick-up for Thanksgiving scheduled for November 14th. Food will be donated to various non-profit organizations in the Northwest Bronx for families in need during the Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas holiday seasons. The following canned and non-perishable food items are accepted: canned fruits and vegetables, cereals, dried beans, pasta, rice, tuna, coffee, teas, canned juices, powdered milk, jell-o, and soups. No glass jars are acceptable except for baby food.
Some schools are also collecting one-dollar donations for the purchase of turkeys for needy families on Thanksgiving.
“Our annual food drive is always such a wonderful event, and I believe this year’s will be even better than the last,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “I am always encouraged to continue this event by the selfless actions of our community. We always see a huge swell of support for this, from buildings, to schools, to residents who drop off even a single can at my office. Every year this community donates an impressive amount of food for those in need, making me proud to represent such a generous community. I look forward to another great year of giving, and thank in advance everyone who participates through their donations.”
Residents are encouraged to set up their own collection bins in their buildings as well, and a time for pick-up can be coordinated by contacting Assemblyman Dinowitz’s office.
Residents may donate their canned goods to Assemblyman Dinowitz’s office located at 3107 Kingsbridge Avenue; one block west of Broadway, just off of West 231st Street. For more information, call (718) 796-5345.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Six Individuals For Their Role In International Money Laundering Scheme Involving Over $100 Million
Defendants Transferred Funds Through Dozens Of Shell Companies In The United States and Mexico As Part Of A Scheme To Fraudulently Obtain Tax Refunds From the Government of Mexico
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William J. Cotter, Special Agent-in-Charge of the San Antonio Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (“IRS-CI”), and Terence S. Opiola, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today a complaint charging CARLOS DJEMAL, ISIDORO HAIAT, BRAULIO LOPEZ, MAX FRAENKEL, DANIEL BLITZER, and ROBERT MORENO with international money laundering and wire fraud as well as conspiracies to commit these same offenses. DJEMAL was arrested in Chicago, Illinois; MORENO was arrested in Dallas, Texas; FRAENKEL was arrested in Austin, Texas. BLITZER will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew J. Peck. HAIAT and LOPEZ have not been apprehended.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, Carlos Djemal, Isidoro Haiat, and their co-defendants used the U.S. banking system to commit an international fraud scheme that deprived the Mexican government of substantial tax revenue and involved the laundering of over $100 million. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the IRS, these alleged criminals will now face charges in an American court.”
IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge William J. Cotter said: “This investigation took law enforcement above and beyond its traditional role in financial crimes. In effect, it put us squarely in the middle of the high-tech world of banking and the sophisticated electronic movement of money. This investigation serves to remind us that there is no such thing as free money and there are no awards or incentives for creativity when it comes to crime.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Beginning in or about June 2011 through in or about at least May 2016, CARLOS DJEMAL, ISIDORO HAIAT, BRAULIO LOPEZ, MAX FRAENKEL, DANIEL BLITZER, and ROBERT MORENO were engaged in a scheme to defraud the Mexican government of tax revenue relating to Mexico’s value added tax (“VAT”) and then launder the proceeds of the scheme throughout the United States and Mexico. The Mexican government imposes VAT on goods sold from one Mexican company to another; however, when certain goods (such as cellular phones) are exported from Mexico, the previously-paid VAT is refunded to the exporter. DJEMAL, HAIAT, LOPEZ, MORENO, FRAENKEL, and BLITZER created and controlled dozens of companies (the “Front Companies”) purportedly doing business as importers and exporters of cellular phones in order to fraudulently obtain VAT refunds from the Mexican government.
In order to carry out the scheme, DJEMAL and HAIAT caused Front Companies in Mexico to purchase outdated cellular phones from other companies seeking to sell outdated inventory. DJEMAL and HAIAT then caused these phones to be exported to Front Companies in the United States owned and operated by others involved in the scheme. During the export process, DJEMAL and HAIAT obtained fraudulent invoices and created export documents that each falsely inflated the value of the phones being exported, thereby enabling them to fraudulently seek inflated VAT refunds from the Mexican tax authority.
Once the phones were shipped to the United States, they were transferred to one or more Front Companies in the United States created by LOPEZ, MORENO, FRAENKEL, or BLITZER, and then shipped back to a different Front Company in Mexico. Through this process, the phones were shipped repeatedly in a circular fashion between Front Companies controlled by the defendants and their co-conspirators in Mexico and the United States, enabling DJEMAL and HAIAT, to obtain multiple fraudulent VAT refunds for the same phones.
In order to create the appearance of legitimate cell phone sales, each transfer of phones was generally accompanied by a transfer of funds to and from accounts held in the name of the relevant Front Companies and owned and controlled by the defendants or their co-conspirators. As part of the scheme, each defendant or co-conspirator who controlled a Front Company receiving funds as part of the scheme retained approximately 1% for his participation in the scheme.
Between approximately June 2011 to approximately May 2016, DJEMAL, HAIAT, LOPEZ, MORENO, FRAENKEL, and BLITZER moved more than $100 million dollars through dozens of accounts maintained by Front Companies in this fashion, including through accounts maintained at a financial institution in the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding work of HSI and IRS-CI for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaimie L. Nawaday is in charge of the case.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York City Police Officer Merlin Alston Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Participating In A Drug Distribution Conspiracy
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that New York City Police Officer MERLIN ALSTON, 33, was convicted today of narcotics and firearms charges for his role in a long-running conspiracy to distribute large amounts of cocaine and molly in the Bronx. The jury convicted ALSTON on both counts in the controlling indictment following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Rather than use his police badge and gun to serve and protect the citizens of New York City, Merlin Alston instead chose to protect and serve major Bronx drug dealers. Today’s unanimous jury verdict demonstrates that no one is above the law.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt said: “Merlin Alston’s crimes were an about-face to law enforcement. As members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force worked to rid our communities of drugs, he was pushing drugs into them. I applaud our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York for their efforts in this investigation.”
According to court papers and evidence admitted at trial:
From 2010 to 2014, MERLIN ALSTON, who at the time was an active NYPD police officer, conspired with others to distribute large quantities of narcotics. ALSTON personally delivered approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine during that time. In addition, ALSTON provided armed security to a cocaine trafficker, using a shotgun and his NYPD service weapon to do so. ALSTON also provided confidential information about law enforcement operations, including arrests and surveillance, to several Bronx drug dealers.
For these activities, ALSTON was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy. ALSTON faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. ALSTON is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2017, before Chief Judge McMahon. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
U.S. Attorney Bharara thanked the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York for its invaluable assistance, and praised the DEA, the FBI, and the NYPD for their outstanding work in this investigation. The DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprises agents and officers of the DEA, the NYPD, and the New York State Police.