“Southside” Gang Member Pleads Guilty To Newburgh Club Murder In Connection With Racketeering Conspiracy

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TROY YOUNG, a/k/a “Hollywood,” pled guilty today to involvement in a racketeering conspiracy in connection with his membership in “Southside,” a violent street gang that operated in the City of Newburgh, New York.  YOUNG also pled guilty to murdering Gevontay Owens-Grant, a gang rival, after an altercation broke out at a Valentine’s Day-themed party at a Newburgh club.  YOUNG and others were also injured during the shooting.  YOUNG faces a maximum term of life in prison and will be sentenced before United States District Judge Cathy Seibel later this year.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Troy Young has admitted to shooting at gang rivals during a crowded Valentine’s Day party and to killing 21-year-old Gevontay Owens-Grant.  This murder demonstrated a disregard for the value of human life that epitomizes these senseless gang rivalries.  Young now faces a significant term in prison for this shooting, the type of tragic event that happens too often on our city streets.”

According to the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings:

From at least 2014 through June 2017, the Southside gang was a criminal enterprise centered in and around the intersection of South Street and Chambers Street in an area of Newburgh also known as the “Southside.”  In order to gain funds for the gang, protect the gang’s territory, and promote the gang’s standing, members of Southside engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking, robbery, and acts involving murder.  To that end, Southside members sold heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the gang’s territory, promoted their gang affiliation on social media sites such as Facebook, possessed firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership. 

YOUNG was a member of Southside.  On February 12, 2017, YOUNG, aided and abetted by others, murdered Owens-Grant, who was from another part of Newburgh, after a fight broke out during a party at a club.  Multiple other people fired guns inside and outside the club that night, and several others were injured, including YOUNG, who was partially paralyzed after being shot the same night he killed Owens-Grant.

YOUNG, 24, of Newburgh, was arrested in January 2018 as a result of a multi-year investigation by the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and the City of Newburgh Police Department into gang violence in Newburgh.  On June 14, 2017, Indictment 17 Cr. 364 (CS) was unsealed, charging 20 members and associates of Southside with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms charges.  Superseding Indictment S1 17 Cr. 364 (CS), unsealed in January of 2018, charged YOUNG, added additional firearms charges against certain defendants, and charged four defendants with committing two separate murders as part of their involvement in Southside, including the murder of Owens-Grant.  To date, 18 defendants have pled guilty.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and the City of Newburgh Police Department.  Mr. Berman thanked the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for its invaluable ongoing assistance in the case.  Mr. Berman also thanked the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the New York State Police, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for their assistance in the case. 

Ali Kourani Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Covert Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization

Ali Kourani Was Trained by Hizballah’s External Terrorist Operations Component and Gathered Intelligence in New York City in Support of Attack-Planning Efforts

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict today against Ali Kourani, a/k/a “Ali Mohamad Kourani,” a/k/a “Jacob Lewis,” a/k/a “Daniel,” on all eight counts in the Indictment, which charged him with terrorism, sanctions, and immigration offenses for his illicit work as an undercover terrorist operative for Hizballah’s external attack-planning component.  KOURANI is scheduled to be sentenced on September 27, 2019, by the Honorable Alvin K. Hellerstein, who presided over the eight-day trial.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Ali Kourani was recruited, trained, and deployed by Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization to plan and execute acts of terrorism in the United States.  Kourani’s chilling mission was to help procure weapons and gather intelligence about potential targets in the U.S. for future Hizballah terrorist attacks.  Some of the targets Kourani surveilled included JFK Airport and law enforcement facilities in New York City, including the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.  Today, Kourani has fittingly been convicted for his crimes in a courthouse that stands in the shadow of one of his potential targets.”

As reflected in the criminal Complaint, Indictment, and the evidence presented at trial:

Hizballah is a Lebanon-based Shia Islamic organization with political, social, and terrorist components that was founded in the 1980s with support from Iran.  Since Hizballah’s formation, the organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including United States citizens and military personnel.  In 1997, the U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah a Foreign Terrorist Organization, pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and it remains so designated today.  In 2010, State Department officials described Hizballah as the most technically capable terrorist group in the world, and a continued security threat to the United States.

The Islamic Jihad Organization (“IJO”), which is also known as the External Security Organization and “910,” is a highly compartmentalized component of Hizballah responsible for the planning, preparation, and execution of intelligence, counterintelligence, and terrorist activities on behalf of Hizballah outside of Lebanon.  In July 2012, an IJO operative detonated explosives on a bus transporting Israeli tourists in the vicinity of an airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing six people and injuring 32 others.  Law enforcement authorities have disrupted several other IJO attack-planning operations around the world, including the arrest of an IJO operative surveilling Israeli targets in Cyprus in 2012, the seizure of bomb-making precursor chemicals in Thailand in 2012, including chemicals manufactured by a medical devices company based in Guangzhou, China (“Guangzhou Company-1”), and a similar seizure of chemicals manufactured by Guangzhou Company-1 in Cyprus in May 2015 in connection with the arrest of another IJO operative. 

KOURANI, who was born in Lebanon, attended Hizballah-sponsored weapons training in Lebanon in 2000 when he was approximately 16 years old.  After lawfully entering the United States in 2003, KOURANI obtained a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering in 2009, and a Masters of Business Administration in 2013.

KOURANI and certain of his relatives were in Lebanon during the summer 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, when a residence belonging to his family was destroyed.  At some point before 2008, IJO recruited KOURANI to its ranks.  In August 2008, KOURANI submitted an application for naturalization in the United States in which he falsely claimed, among other things, that he was not affiliated with a terrorist organization.  In April 2009, KOURANI became a naturalized citizen and was issued a United States passport.  Despite claiming in his passport application that he had no travel plans, KOURANI traveled to Guangzhou, China – the location of Guangzhou Company-1 – on May 3, 2009.  He later claimed to the FBI that the purpose of the trip was to meet with medical device manufacturers and other businessmen. 

IJO assigned KOURANI an IJO handler, or mentor, responsible for providing him with taskings, debriefings, and arranging training.  KOURANI sometimes communicated with his handler using coded email communications, including messages sent by the handler that informed KOURANI of the need to return to Lebanon.  In order to establish contact with his handler when KOURANI returned to Lebanon, KOURANI called a telephone number associated with a pager (the “IJO Pager”) and provided a code that he understood was specific to him.  After contacting the IJO Pager, the handler would contact KOURANI to set up an in-person meeting by calling a phone belonging to one of KOURANI’s relatives.  The IJO also provided KOURANI with additional training in tradecraft, weapons, and tactics.  In 2011, for example, KOURANI attended a weapons training camp in the vicinity of Birkat Jabrur, Lebanon, where he used a rocket propelled grenade launcher, an AK-47 assault rifle, an MP5 submachine gun, a PKS machine gun (a Russian-made belt-fed weapon), and a Glock pistol.

Based on other taskings from IJO personnel, which IJO personnel conveyed during periodic in-person meetings when KOURANI returned to Lebanon, KOURANI conducted operations, which he understood to be aimed at preparing for potential future Hizballah attacks.   These covert activities included searching for weapons suppliers in the United States who could provide firearms to support IJO operations; identifying individuals affiliated with the Israeli Defense Force whom the IJO could either recruit or target for violence; gathering information regarding operations and security at airports in the United States and elsewhere, including JFK International Airport in New York; and surveilling U.S. military and law enforcement facilities in New York City, including the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.  KOURANI transmitted some of the products of his surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts back to IJO personnel in Lebanon using digital storage media. 

KOURANI, 34, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a sentence of 10 years in prison or a fine; conspiracy to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; conspiracy to possess, carry, and use firearms and destructive devices during and in relation to crimes of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; making and receiving a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hizballah, in violation of IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to make and receive a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hizballah, in violation of IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and naturalization fraud in connection with an act of international terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by Judge Hellerstein.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Berman also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Queens Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court Of Sex Trafficking Offenses

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LUIDJI BENJAMIN, a/k/a “Zoe,” was found guilty of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a minor following a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said:  “As proven in court today, Luidji Benjamin callously preyed on vulnerable girls to prostitute for his own financial gain.  This sexual predator ruined the lives of at least two young women, advertising their bodies for commercial sex.  Today a jury convicted Benjamin of his horrific crimes and he now faces at least 10 years in prison for his depravity.”       

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and evidence presented during the trial in Manhattan federal court:

From late 2015 to December 2015, BENJAMIN engaged in sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of two minor victims.  BENJAMIN recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, and maintained women for the purpose of commercial sex, including one minor victim (“Victim-1”) who resided at a residential treatment facility located in Westchester County, which provided housing for at-risk troubled children and adolescents on behalf of department of social services for certain counties in New York State.

BENJAMIN recruited Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex through a social media website, and he used Backpage.com and Craiglist.com, online classifieds websites, to post advertisements for commercial sex.  Certain of these advertisements included graphic images, including of Victim-1 performing oral sex on the defendant.  BENJAMIN directed Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex acts in cars and residences throughout Queens, New York. 

The defendant and a co-conspirator also recruited a second minor victim (“Victim-2”) to engage in commercial sex acts.  BENJAMIN and his co-conspirator spent the proceeds of this scheme on marijuana, liquor, and other goods for themselves. 

BENJAMIN, 23, of Queens, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.  The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by the Court.

This prosecution is part of an ongoing investigation that, including BENJAMIN, has charged 19 defendants, set forth in eight indictments, for the sex trafficking of at least 13 minor girls and young adults in New York State’s social services system. 

Any individuals who believe that they have information that may be relevant to this investigation should contact the FBI at (212) 384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

Mr. Berman thanked the FBI and the NYPD for their outstanding work in this matter and, in particular, the New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Attorney General James Launches Mission-Based Affordable Housing Program

Up to $1.4 Million in Grants to be Awarded to Affordable Housing Nonprofit Organizations to assist Mission-Based Institutions Considering Affordable Housing Development  

  Attorney General Letitia James announced a new program to support mission-based institutions to plan and develop affordable housing throughout New York State. The Mission-Based Affordable Housing Partnership will offer up to $1.4 million to assist mission-based institutions, including faith-based religious institutions and nonprofit civic and charitable organizations, that are considering repurposing property for affordable housing development. This partnership will connect these institutions – particularly those with limited resources – with development experts to help inform and guide them through the affordable housing development process.

“New York is experiencing a true crisis in affordable housing and we must use every tool at our disposal to protect and expand our housing stock,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “Mission-based organizations have a long history of providing affordable housing in their communities, but navigating the complex legal and regulatory development process can be challenging and cost-prohibitive. These grants will go a long way in supporting these organizations and making good on our commitment to provide all New Yorkers with a safe and decent home.” 

Mission-based institutions have a history of leadership in developing affordable housing in New York State. Many mission-based institutions are located on or own valuable, underutilized land. With the increasing demand for affordable housing, mission-based institutions without prior development experience are seeking education and guidance about how affordable housing development would benefit their organizations and communities.  

However, the development process can be deeply complex and multi-faceted, especially for nonprofit organizations. From the mandatory feasibility studies required for all housing projects, to structuring deals that meet both the needs of the organization and community, and ensuring legal compliance with respect to housing development and charities governance, hiring experts to advise on these areas is truly cost-prohibitive.  

This program will match affordable housing development organizations with mission-based institutions interested in exploring affordable housing development to assist and support in this process. The nonprofit affordable housing partners will offer three categories of services to the mission-based institutions:  

• Outreach support both one-on-one engagement, as well as regional educational events to inform mission-based institutions about the program and provide basic information about the development process. 
• Consultation services to inform mission-based institutions about the steps involved in developing affordable housing projects, such as site specific advice and market studies. Additionally, understanding regulatory requirements, such as the Office of Attorney General’s petition and review process that evaluates the sale or transfer of assets owned by mission-based institutions.  
• Predevelopment technical assistance to help mission-based institutions in obtaining site specific advice and guidance through the planning process, such as financial analysis, advice on available sources of funding, and hiring experts such as appraisers, architects and engineers to assist in site evaluation. Additionally, legal assistance to help in hiring of attorneys to review deeds, select development partners, and understand regulatory requirements of affordable housing development and the Office of Attorney General’s financial requirements for nonprofits.  

Selected organizations will support mission-based institutions in three regions across New York State: 

• Western New York (Erie and Monroe Counties) 
• Central New York (Onondaga, Oneida and Broome Counties); and  
• Capital Region and Hudson Valley (Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Rockland, Orange and Westchester Counties) 

The OAG will release a Request for Applications today to nonprofit affordable housing organizations on Monday, May 20. The OAG expects to award up to $1.4 million to organizations over a 2-year period. Applications are due June 28th and awards are expected to be announced mid-July. To obtain more information about eligibility for the RFA and learn how to apply, please visit  the NYS Contract Reporter and search 19-002 or the fiscal procurement page on the OAG website after 9 AM on Monday. 

The funds for these grants are a result of the 2013 Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group’s $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase for their role in the mortgage crisis. New York received more than $1 billion as part of that settlement.  

This announcement is part of an ongoing initiative by the Attorney General’s Office to support mission-based institutions and affordable housing throughout New York State. The Attorney General’s Office in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners is developing programs to support mission-based institutions interested in affordable housing development in New York City and on Long Island. 

Comptroller Stringer Proposes Landmark “NYC Under 3” Plan to Expand Affordable Child Care Access to New York City Working Families

“NYC Under 3” would be the single largest local investment in child care in the United States with sweeping initiatives to improve affordability, accessibility and quality

As price of infant care soars over $21,000 a year, Comptroller’s proposal would slash child care costs for up to 70,000 working families

Comptroller’s plan more than triples the number of infants and toddlers in City-backed care

   As child care costs continue to soar for working families, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer introduced a sweeping new plan – “NYC Under 3” – which would slash child care expenses for up to 70,000 New York City families, extend child care assistance to families making up to $100,000 a year, and more than triple the number of children in City-backed care, benefiting an estimated 84,000 children, including 34,000 children who are not currently in paid care.

This first-in-the-nation proposal would transform access to affordable child care for New York City families with young children, revolutionizing an unequal system that disproportionately bars low-income families from the long-term economic benefits of care. It is estimated that when fully implemented, NYC Under 3 would help more than 70,000 families afford child care, more than triple the number of infants and toddlers in City-backed care and enable approximately 20,000 parents – largely mothers – to enter the workforce, boosting earnings for struggling families by some $540 million a year. Comptroller Stringer’s plan expands the number of NYC families eligible for publicly supported child care through a modest payroll tax which would exempt small businesses in legislation to be introduced by New York State Senators Jessica Ramos and Brad Hoylman, and Assemblymember Latrice Walker.

“Quality, affordable child care must be a fundamental right for every family, not just a privileged few, so every child in this city has a bright future,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Government has ignored the crisis in child care for too long and we must act now. New York City should drive a child care revolution, put working families first and establish a model for the nation to follow. NYC Under 3 is a down payment on future generations and would benefit children, parents, and the local economy by increasing job stability and economic security. Expanding affordable child care to thousands of young children in New York City is both a critically necessary investment in our future and an economic justice imperative.”

Comptroller Stringer’s analysis found child care is out of reach for many NYC families in terms of both cost and access.

• A spot in a child care center for an infant costs roughly $21,000, over three times as much as in-state tuition at The City University of New York, or 125 percent of median rent citywide. Yet, only one in seven children in families who are income-eligible for financial assistance now is currently in subsidized care.
• There is currently only capacity for 6 percent of NYC infants in licensed child care centers across the five boroughs. Even counting home-based care, another popular option for families, only 22 percent of infants can currently be accommodated in a licensed facility.
• Many communities have become “child care deserts” with room for only a small percentage of neighborhood children. Child care centers are concentrated in more affluent sections of the city.
• In the 10 communities with the most limited capacity, there are more than ten times as many infants as licensed child care spaces. Capacity is most limited in Tottenville/Great Kills, Bushwick, and in Sunnyside/Woodside, where providers can accommodate fewer than 5 percent of children under two:

• Child care providers are an overwhelmingly women-led, low-wage workforce. In New York City, 93 percent of child care workers are women, and one in four (25 percent) live in poverty.
• At 28, a new mother making $30,000 a year—about half the median income of NYC families—will lose an estimated $275,000 over the course of her lifetime in wages, retirement assets, and benefits if she leaves the workforce to provide care just until her child turns three, according to a tool developed by the Center for American Progress.
• The U.S. ranks 34th out of 36 major countries in public spending on child care and early education, ahead of only Ireland and Turkey.

The lack of affordable child care has far-reaching impacts.

The ages of 0 – 3 are a critical time for children when 80 percent of brain development occurs and, too often, opportunity gaps set in for life. Indeed, researchers have estimated that society can reap an economic return of over $8 for every $1 spent on high-quality early childhood education. When families are unable to access affordable child care, parents, guardians, children, and whole communities suffer, as do businesses. Lack of quality child care breeds job instability for parents, harms child development, and likely drives families out of the city. Moreover, as children in low-income families are most affected by exorbitant costs and dismal capacity in child care centers citywide, the social costs accrue to their families and communities overtime, perpetuating a cycle of inequality.

A broad expansion of child care access to working NYC families will benefit children, parents, and the local economy by increasing workforce participation and economic security.

The economic benefits of expanding access to child care are substantial, for families as well as the city’s economy. Families will not only be able to use the dollars saved through the program to meet other basic needs and build savings, NYC Under 3 would, when fully phased in, also enable an estimated 20,000 parents, largely mothers, to join or reenter the workforce, potentially fostering the highest female labor force participation New York City has ever seen and helping businesses retain workers. The economic and social impact of this workforce shift would be seismic, injecting an estimated $540 million in new annual earnings into the local economy, according to a new analysis by the Comptroller’s Office.

Comptroller Stringer is proposing a comprehensive plan to create a robust and equitable child care system, with recommendations to address the related goals of affordability, accessibility, and quality:

1. Affordability: Lower families’ contributions toward child care and extend child care assistance to working families with income up to 400 percent of poverty, or about $100,000 a year for a family of four.Under the Comptroller’s proposal, families’ contributions toward the cost of care would be based on a sliding scale, ranging from zero percent for lower income families to 8 percent of family income for families up to 200 percent of poverty, and topping out at 12 percent for families up to 400 percent of poverty. When fully phased in, NYC Under 3 would double income eligibility for child care assistance from 200 percent of poverty to 400 percent of poverty ($103,000 for a family of four). This is expected to more than triple the number of children in City-backed care, benefiting an estimated 84,000 children, including 34,000 children who are not currently in paid care.With NYC Under 3, NYC families would see their out-of-pocket expenses for child care dramatically decrease. A family of four with one child under three and income at about 200 percent of poverty, or just over $50,000 annually, would pay a maximum of around $4,000 a year for child care, less than half of what that same family would pay today – if they had access to assistance:
2. Accessibility: Dedicate funding for child care start-up and expansion grants and make a capital commitment of $500 million over five years to construct and renovate child care facilities.To address child care capacity, Comptroller Stringer recommends providing start-up and expansion grants to child care providers poised to add seats for infants and toddlers. Grants would be competitive, with priority given to providers in neighborhoods with a significant income-eligible population and limited supply of child care. Additionally, the Comptroller proposes a $500 million capital commitment over five years. City-owned sites would be targeted first for development of new child care facilities.
3. Quality: Increase payments to providers and create a fund to expand access to early childhood education training, professional development, and scholarships.In year one of the proposal, the Comptroller calls for at least $50 million to raise reimbursement rates for providers currently serving infants and toddlers and for a cost estimation study, which would determine what reimbursement rates should be to support quality child care and pay living wages to child care workers. Funding would be dedicated each year to subsidize the cost of meeting training requirements, expand child care providers’ access to professional development and coaching, and support education scholarships.

A modest payroll tax will help fund NYC Under 3.

The Comptroller’s Office envisions the program will be phased in over a period of six years, with more funding going toward efforts to build the supply of quality care and set the conditions for expansion in the early years, with additional families receiving assistance as space becomes available. In year one, total spending would be about $180 million, with about 70 percent of funds dedicated to grants for child care providers, capital debt service, and the fund for training and quality improvement. When fully implemented, the total annual cost is estimated to be roughly $660 million.

To help pay for NYC Under 3, Senators Ramos and Hoylman and Assemblymember Walker plan to introduce legislation calling for a modest child care payroll tax on private employers in New York City with payrolls totaling $2.5 million or more, which would exempt roughly 95% of all businesses. The proposed payroll tax would be applied quarterly on a graduating scale. In contrast to a tax on the incomes of workers, businesses will be able to fully deduct state and local taxes on their federal tax returns.

Salary Parity for the Early Childhood Education Workforce.

Child care services should not be expanded until the City addresses the existing disparities in pay between teachers and support staff in community-based child care programs and their counterparts in DOE schools. Comptroller Stringer proposes that funding to increase compensation for community-based child care workers be included in the DOE Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2020, as recommended by the City Council. However, if salary parity remains unfunded, revenue from the child care payroll tax must go first to addressing these disparities.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s full report, click here.

“Broadway Bandit” Arrested 15 Days After Release From Federal Prison For Prior Bank Robberies

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that JAMIE FRIERSON was arrested for robbing a bank in the Bronx on May 8, 2019, 15 days after he was released from federal prison in connection with convictions for five previous bank robberies in Manhattan.  FRIERSON was arrested this morning.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, nine days after being released from a stint in prison for bank robbery, ‘Broadway Bandit’ Jamie Frierson was back for a repeat performance, this time brazenly robbing a bank in the Bronx.  His alleged threats of violence have again endangered the safety of New Yorkers.  Thankfully, due to the hard work and rapid response of the FBI/NYPD Violent Crime Task Force, Frierson is now in custody.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “After being released from federal prison for robbing banks, Jamie Frierson allegedly went right back to the very crime that put him in jail in the first place.  He clearly did not learn a lesson.  Our FBI/NYPD Violent Crimes Task Force worked hard to track Mr. Frierson down before he was able to hit yet another bank.”

Commissioner James P. O’Neill  said:  “The rapid apprehension of this individual wouldn’t be possible without the active cooperation between the banking community and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.  By precisely targeting the relatively small percentage of people responsible for committing much of the violence in New York, we are making the safest large city in America even safer.  We remain relentless in our efforts to identify, arrest, and prosecute anyone who involves themselves in such behavior whether it is on our streets or in our jails.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed today and public court records:

On May 8, 2019, at approximately 2:54 p.m., FRIERSON entered a bank (“Bank-1”) at 120 East Fordham Road between Creston Avenue and East 190th Street in the Bronx, New York.  Upon approaching a teller window at Bank-1, FRIERSON passed a note to a bank teller (“Teller-1”), which read:  “I AM ARMED GIVE ME ALL OF IT!  100’S, 50’S, 20, 10 IMMEDIATELY NO DIE PACKS.”  After providing Teller-1 with the note, FRIERSON told Teller-1, in substance and in part: “Give me all hundreds.  Give me all your money.  I’m armed.”  Teller-1 gave FRIERSON approximately $200 of Bank-1’s money and FRIERSON fled.

FRIERSON was previously charged and convicted in the Southern District of New York after a jury trial for committing five bank robberies in Manhattan between August 16, 2017, and August 29, 2017.  Evidence at trial established that the defendant committed these robberies by passing notes to tellers threatening that FRIERSON had a gun.  FRIERSON was released from prison on April 29, 2019.

FRIERSON, 49, of New York, New York, has been charged with one count of bank 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. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI/NYPD Violent Crime Task Force and the NYPD Warrants – BRONX/JAWS Team.  

[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.

Attorney General Letitia James Announces Settlement With Long Island Developer For Entering Into Sales Contracts At Prices Above Those Disclosed In Offering Plan

Developer Must Forfeit $60,000 and Pay a $15,000 Penalty For Violating the Martin Act 

  Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with Bayport Meadow Estates, LLC and Demetrius A. Tsunis requiring them to lower sales prices on 4 units a total of $60,000 and imposing a $15,000 penalty for violating the Martin Act by entering into sales contracts at prices above those disclosed in the offering plan. The developer and Mr. Tsunis have also agreed to implement appropriate policies and procedures to ensure that no other units in this condominium or units in any of their other projects are offered at inflated prices. 

“New Yorkers have a right to know the maximum price a developer can ask for a condominium so they can make an informed decision about one of the potentially largest purchases in their lives,” said Attorney General Letitia James. 

Under New York law, a condominium’s offering plan must, among other things, identify the maximum price a developer can ask for a condominium unit.  Disclosing such information is crucial for purchasers, as it allows purchasers to know the maximum legal asking price for a condominium unit and prevents price gouging.  Here, however, the developer entered into several contract in excess of these maximum prices.  

In the settlement, Bayport Meadows Estates and Mr. Tsunis admitted that they violated New York law by marketing and entering into sales contracts at sales prices higher than the maximum legal price for condominium units located in the Bayport Meadow Estates project. 

Under the terms of the settlement, Bayport Meadow Estates and Mr. Tsunis have amended the sales contracts to reduce the sales prices to the maximum legal prices and will pay a penalty of $15,000. 

Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr - My Statement on Sexual Harassment Legislation in the New York City Council

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Councilman, Rubén Díaz Sr.

District 18 Bronx County, New York

My Statement on Sexual Harassment Legislation in the New York City Council

You should know that I congratulate my colleagues, New York City Council Members Helen Rosenthal and Ritchie Torres for introducing the much needed legislation for elected officials and managers to report sexual harassment.

I am ready, willing and looking forward to co-sponsoring and supporting this wonderful piece of legislation.

I am Council Member Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.