Mosholu Parkland 1st Annual Fall Festival Saturday, Oct 8th, 12PM-4PM @ Mosholu Playground

   The Mosholu Parkland 1st Annual Fall Festival is being held on Saturday, October 8th 12PM-4PM at the Kossuth Playground, East Mosholu Parkway North between Jerome Avenue and Van Cortlandt Ave.

   Join your neighbors and friends for a fall fun day of activities that include - a giant spider web obstacle, games, crafts and prizes, daffodil planting project, and guitar by Steve Oates.

   This is being hosted by the Friends of Mosholu Parkway.

  

CORRECTION OFFICERS SENTENCED IN ASSAULT OF INMATE AND ATTEMPT TO COVER IT UP

Former Department of Correction Security Chief Receives 6 ½ Years in Prison, Captain Gets 5 ½ Years in Beating of Inmate Who Glared at Chief

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that eight New York City Department of Correction Officers—including a former DOC security chief—have been sentenced for their roles in assaulting an inmate and attempting to cover up the beating in a Rikers Island jail. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “I hope these sentences will deter those who think a uniform and a badge gives them license to brutalize inmates or cover for officers who do. A security chief and a captain received 6 ½ and 5 ½ years respectively, proving that neither rank nor position will protect you from prosecution. These Correction Officers must now pay the price, as will anyone who commits a crime of violence or corruption on Rikers Island.” 

  District Attorney Clark said Eliseo Perez Jr., former Assistant Chief for Security who ordered the beating of Jahmal Lightfoot, was sentenced to 6½ years in prison and three years post-release supervision, and Captain Gerald Vaughn was sentenced to 5½ years in prison and three years post-release supervision. Correction Officers Alfred Rivera, Tobias Parker, David Rodriguez and Jose Parra were sentenced to 4½ years in prison and 2 ½ years post-release supervision. 

  District Attorney Clark said that the defendants were convicted in June after a 12- week trial before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett of first-degree Attempted Gang Assault, first-degree Attempted Assault, second-degree Assault, first-degree Falsifying Business Records, and Official Misconduct. Rivera, Parker, Rodriguez, and Parra, were also found guilty of first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing, and Vaughn was also convicted of first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Official Misconduct.

  Correction Officers Harmon Frierson and Dwayne Maynard, convicted of Official Misconduct, a Class A Misdemeanor, were sentenced to one-year Conditional Discharge and 500 hours of community service.

  According to trial testimony, on July 11, 2012, Perez, while overseeing an institutional search of the jail, ordered members of the Emergency Services Unit to assault inmate Jahmal Lightfoot in the intake area at the George R. Vierno Center. 

  According to testimony, after Lightfoot locked eyes with him, Perez said, “This guy thinks he’s tough; when you get him to the intake area, take him to the Intake Search Pen and knock his ------ teeth out.” 

  Minutes later, Rivera, Parker, Parra, and Rodriguez carried out the order in the Intake Search Pen, which was covered with a sheet and had no video surveillance cameras. An officer held down Lightfoot’s arms, another held down his legs and the other three kicked Lightfoot in the face with their boots about a dozen times, causing fractures to both of his eye sockets and other facial bones. While the beating was taking place, Perez, Vaughn, Frierson, and Maynard stood guard directly outside the search pen. 

  The defendants were convicted of falsifying their DOC Use of Force Reports. They had claimed that Lightfoot had attacked Rivera with a sharpened piece of metal and they used force to restrain Lightfoot. Frierson and Maynard, who did not participate in the beating, were found guilty of Official Misconduct for making false entries in their reports to conceal the commission of the crime. 

   The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Lawrence Piergrossi, now Deputy Chief of Trial Bureau 50; Pishoy Yacoub, now Deputy Director of the Litigation Training Unit; and Raymond Valerio, Director of DNA prosecutions. They had tried the case as assistants in the Public Integrity Bureau.  

News From - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman

Protecting Children From Online Tracking Technology

This week, Attorney General Schneiderman announced settlements with Viacom, Mattel, Hasbro and JumpStart Games for their violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In a two-year investigation called “Operation Child Tracker,” the Attorney General’s office found that websites operated by these companies had tracking technology that illegally enabled third-party venders to track children’s online activity, which is in violation of COPPA. The office will continue its investigation to hold accountable those who violate the law by tracking children online. 

Speaking On Civil And Religious Rights

On Thursday evening, Attorney General Schneiderman co-hosted a community forum on civil and religious rights in Westchester. At the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Attorney General addressed religious freedom and the Religious Rights Initiative, a project of the Civil Rights Bureau that addresses religious rights issues and enforces anti-discrimination laws. 

Remembering the 1971 Attica Prison Uprising

On the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising, Attorney General Schneiderman, Director of the New York State Archives Thomas Rullers and State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, announced the creation of a new public website that hosts a digital collection of documents relating to investigations and litigations arising from the 1971 prison uprising and its aftermath. The Attica uprising began when inmates took several prison guards hostage and took control of parts of the prison. After a four-day siege, the prison was retaken by state police and prison officers. This accessible database will allow all to pay homage to the lives lost and those forever changed as a result of the uprising. 

Have a question, comment, or complaint? Click here. You can also learn more about the various initiatives of the Attorney General's office by visiting our website at ag.ny.gov. You can also call our General Hotline: 800-771-7755. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO, COMMISSIONER O’NEILL, AND COMMISSIONER NIGRO RE: EXPLOSION IN CHELSEA

   We are going to provide an update. I want to go over a couple of key points, and you are going to hear from NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro. We will be joined momentarily by FBI Assistant Director Bill Sweeney who will be available for questions.

Tonight New York City experienced a very serious incident. All elements of our first responders have been a part of the operation here: NYPD, FDNY, Office of Emergency Management, obviously our federal partners, FBI and others working with us. So all hands are on deck. Injuries are significant. You will hear from Commissioner Nigro on the details of the injuries. But at this point we can confirm that none of those injured are likely to die.

We also want to be upfront saying that there is no evidence at this point of a terror connection to this incident. This is preliminary information. It’s something we will be investigating very carefully but there is no evidence at this point of a terror connection. I also want to affirm that based on what we know at this hour, there is no specific connection to the incident in New Jersey. It is again too early to say anything definitive on those questions, but there is no specific evidence of a connection at this point. I want to say more broadly, there is no specific and credible threat against New York City at this point in time from any terror organization. So as we are analyzing what happened here, we are doing against the backdrop but we have no credible and specific threat at this moment. But we do want to be very clear, the early indications – the initial indications is this was an intentional act. We are going to have a lot more to say in the coming hours as we have more – a detailed analysis – but we believe at this point in time this was an intentional act.

I want to assure all New Yorkers that the NYPD and all other agencies are at full alert and that our anti-terror capacity in particular is at full alert, our Critical Response Command and our other key units, our Strategic Response Group, our Emergency Services Unit – all are on alert and all are dealing with this situation and being vigilant all over the city at this point in time. And we have in this city the most advanced anti-terror capacity of any city in this country and obviously the largest police force of any city in the country – all ready to ensure our safety.

Now, I want to be clear whatever the cause, whatever the intention here, New Yorkers will not be intimidated. We are not going to let anyone change who we are or how we go about our lives. We have the best police force in the country and a number of other key agencies, FDNY, OEM, etcetera making sure we will be safe. We are at this point of course tracing every lead and every potential – it’s too early to give you any details of the investigation because it has just begun over the last few hours. I want to say up front we are not going into a lot of details about what we are finding so far. It is an investigation that will take certainly a few more hours before we can give you more. But, we do want to urge all New Yorkers, anyone who may have information related to this incident, anyone who is an eyewitness, anyone who may have video, the NYPD needs that. Please reach out immediately if you have any information that we can use, call 1-800-5-7-7-TIPS, 1-800-5-7-7-T-I-P-S, if you have any pertinent information.

Finally, a second site as we speak, is being treated by NYPD. It is 27th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. There is an investigation underway and a substantial NYPD presence on that street and that street has been cleared as this investigation continues. With that I want to turn it over to Commissioner James O’Neill.

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill: Thank you Mr. Mayor. At approximately 8:30 this evening, officers from the 10th Precinct ground patrol, driving westbound on West 23rd Street when they witnessed a large explosion – in front of 1-3-1 West 23rd Street. The officers immediately called for additional units and ambulances. The NYPD Bomb Squad and the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force were requested to respond.

As of this time, the exact cause of the explosion has not been determined. The investigation into this incident is active and at this time an extensive search is being conducted. As the Mayor spoke, there is an ongoing situation on 27th Street right now. The area around the explosion site is being treated as a crime scene. As of this time there is no evidence to indicate that this explosion is the result of any natural gas cause. Again, the exact nature and cause of this explosion has not yet been determined. As of the most recent information, there have been 29 injuries reported. One of these injuries may be considered serious. Commissioner Nigro will talk about that in a couple of minutes.

The Fire Department is currently assessing the extent of any possible structural damage resulting from this explosion. And as further information is developed, we will provide it and give you updates. Commissioner Nigro.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro: Well our units heard this actually from their locations and joined the NYPD members on the scene, searched the buildings that were affected and as Commissioner O’Neill said there were 29 injuries here, one considered serious. Twenty–four of these people have been transported to area hospitals with various degrees of scrapes, abrasions from glass, from metal. Thankfully, none of these are life-threatening injuries and the 24 patients that have been removed are not in serious condition, other than the one patient with a puncture.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

A second suspected explosive devise was found, and was dismantled before it could explode.

Sudanese Man Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 7 Years In Prison For Bank Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, And Identity Theft Schemes Exceeding $3 Million

  Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ASHRAF LAKOU was sentenced to seven years in prison for bank fraud, credit card fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges in connection with orchestrating a scheme to use stolen victim identification information to make fraudulent credit card purchases and to defraud financial institutions by depositing counterfeit checks into accounts controlled by LAKOU and his co-conspirators.  Through these schemes, LAKOU and his co-conspirators attempted to defraud individuals, businesses, and financial institutions out of more than $3 million.  On April 12, 2016, LAKOU pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.  United States District Judge Victor Marrero imposed today’s sentence.  

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Ashraf Lakou engaged in all means of fraud, from bank and credit card fraud to identity theft and passport fraud.  Today, Lakou received a significant sentence matching the seriousness of his crimes.”

According to the criminal complaint, indictment, and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court, as well as statements made at related court proceedings:

From September 2013 through July 2015, LAKOU and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud businesses and financial institutions by obtaining checks made out to legitimate businesses, opening fraudulent bank accounts in the names of the victim businesses, depositing the checks into the fraudulent accounts, and withdrawing funds from the fraudulent accounts.  LAKOU and his co-conspirators carried out this scheme by, among other means, stealing checks from the mail, submitting false documentation in connection with bank account applications, and forging the signatures of other actual persons.

From May 2014 through July 2015, LAKOU and his co-conspirators also engaged in a scheme to commit credit card fraud by using stolen credit card information to make fraudulent purchases of jewelry and other merchandise.  LAKOU and his co-conspirators carried out this credit card fraud scheme by, among other means, adding their own names as authorized users of pre-existing victim credit cards without the knowledge or consent of the victims and by submitting fraudulent applications for new credit card accounts in the names and identities of their victims.     

In addition to the prison term, LAKOU, 27, of Manhattan, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $557,894.50 in restitution, $557,894.50 in forfeiture, and a $600 special assessment. 

Zoheb Qamran, 29, of Manhattan, and Jessica Hattar, 26, of Manhattan, have been separately charged in connection with the bank fraud and credit card fraud schemes.  On May 19, 2016, Qamran pled guilty to credit card fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses.  On May 6, 2016, Hattar pled guilty to credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft charges before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding efforts of Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, in the investigation.

Senator Jeff Klein Hosts Sixth Annual First Responder Appreciation Barbeque at Orchard Beach

State Senator Jeff Klein hosted his Sixth Annual First Responder Appreciation Barbeque event in honor of the courageous men and women who risk  their lives each and every day to protect our residents.  Over 300 people from the police Department, Fire Department EMS, from the cities of New York and Mount Vernon were in attendance.

First responders gathered with their families to enjoy the festivities, which included face-painting, carnival games, arts and crafts, music, and lunch. The New York Rangers conducted their “Road Tour Experience,” providing attendees with hockey lessons, games, and giveaways.

Honorees included:

• Police Service Area #8 - Police Officer Derrick Kreckman-
• Police Service Area #8 - Police Officer Wilson Rodriguez
• 41st Precinct -  Clarivel Socola
• 43rd Precinct – Police Officer Ricardo Jimenez
• 43rd Precinct – Police Officer Denisse Caceres
• 45th Precinct - Police Officer Hannah Rahn
• 49th Precinct - Police Officer David Lepore
• 49th Precinct - Police Officer Melvin Rodriguez
• Mount Vernon Fire Department - James Lang
• Engine Company 43
• Ladder  Company 59
• Medic Unit 15 Z – Paramedic Dave Reeve
• Medic Unit 15 Z - Paramedic Matthew Barbella
• Basic Life Support UNIT 20 I – EMT Adam Harrow

Above - A group photo of the Honorees with Senator Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj.

Below - A few individual photos.

Above - Some of the over 300 people in attendance.

Below - The New York Ranger Hockey Play area and giveaway tent.

Above - Just known as Robert, he skates, holds an American flag, and twirls a basketball on top of the flagpole at the same time. 

Below - Former Marines were in the house or on the beach with Senator Klein and Assemblyman Gjonaj.

Motorcycle Accident On Hutch Parkway

Above - You can see the remnants of what happens to a motorcycle after it is involved in an accident with a car. This happened just after 2:30 PM Saturday on the southbound Hutch Parkway by the Pelham Parkway exit. That is Coop-City in the background. 

Below - Firemen on scene have lifted the motorcycle up and are removing it to the side of the road. In the foreground the motorcycle rider is being attended to. The unidentified bike rider had his right arm being attended to, and did not seem to be badly injured at the time. The police officer on the scene would not disclose any details of the accident.

Six Bronx Defendants Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Sex Trafficking Offenses

  Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and William J. Bratton, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the arrests of MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, a/k/a “Soly Almonte,” a/k/a “Soly La Fuerte,” a/k/a “SoSo,” a/k/a “SoSo Wavy,” a/k/a “Soly Montana,” DAWITT DYKES, a/k/a “Daweezy,” a/k/a “Dawezzy,” MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, DARLENE DELEON, and GABRIELY M. JOSE, a/k/a “Gabriela Vuitton,” a/k/a “Gabby,” on charges of sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking conspiracy, use of interstate commerce to promote illegal activity, enticement of a minor, and receipt and possession of child pornography.  The sixth defendant, VETTHYA ALCIUS, a/k/a “Theiya Cole,” remains at large.

All of the defendants arrested today will be presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:  “The defendants allegedly engaged in the sexual exploitation of minors as young as 13 years old.  Protecting children from the predatory conduct of adults who would sexually exploit them for profit is a critically important law enforcement mission to which our office and our law enforcement partners at the FBI and NYPD are committed.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “Human trafficking of minors can at times be overlooked by our society because some may believe the children involved have a choice.  But these children aren’t given a vote while the pimps peddle their bodies for money.  It’s a grotesque violation of the law that the FBI and our law enforcement partners won’t stop pursuing until every child is rescued.” 

Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said:  “The defendants trafficked kids for sex as young as the age of 13.  Today, those who, as alleged, took advantage of some of our society's youngest find themselves under arrest.  I commend the work of the NYPD investigators, FBI agents and prosecutors involved in this case who continue to work to protect this city’s children and bring to justice those who profit from the abuse of the city’s youngest and most vulnerable victims.”

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

Since at least 2015, MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, DELEON, and JOSE have helped operate a brothel in New York City, which trafficked minors as young as 13 years old.  The brothel operated at various locations throughout New York, including apartments in the Bronx and Harlem.  Several of the defendants, including MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, and DELEON resided at apartments used for the brothel.  

MARIA SOLY ALMONTE served as the brothel’s proprietor.  ALCIUS, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, DELEON, and JOSE all were sex workers at the brothel, and DYKES provided security.  The brothel’s sex workers were required to pay MARIA SOLY ALMONTE a fee for prostitution services they rendered at the brothel.  The brothel advertised its services on the internet via Backpage.com and communicated with clients by telephone. 

The NYPD arrested DYKES and ALCIUS in 2015 at one of the brothel locations at which minor sex trafficking victims had worked.  The Complaint refers to five minor victims, all of whom provided prostitution services at one or more of the brothel’s locations.  ALCIUS and JOSE communicated with several of the minor victims about the brothel’s activities through social media, including setting up “dates.” 

The charges in the Complaint against MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, 32, ALCIUS, 22, DYKES, 24, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, 51, DELEON, 29, and JOSE, 20, are included in the chart below.  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.

Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to the investigation should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

Mr. Bharara thanked the FBI and NYPD for their outstanding investigative work in this matter.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Dina McLeod and Stephanie Lake are in charge of the prosecution.

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

Count	Defendants	Charge	Mandatory  Minimum  Prison Term	Maximum   Prison    Term
One	MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, DELEON, and JOSE	Sex Trafficking Conspiracy	15 years	Life
Two	MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, DELEON, and JOSE	Sex Trafficking of a Minor	15 years	Life
Three	MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, DELEON, and JOSE	Use of Interstate Commerce to Promote Unlawful Activity		5 Years
Four	ALCIUS	Enticement of a Minor	10 years	Life
Five	ALCIUS	Receipt of Child Pornography	5 years	Life
Six	ALCIUS	Possession of Child Pornography		10 years