Sunday, September 25, 2016

A.G. Schneiderman, New York State Police, Massachusetts DEA Task Force Announce Takedown Of Nationwide Drug Ring In “Operation Dirty Dope”


25 People Indicted In Heroin Smuggling Ring That Stretched From Arizona Across Eastern Seaboard; Eight Facing Major Trafficking Charges
More Than 33 Kilos Of Heroin Seized; Total Street Value More Than $13 Million; Biggest Seizure In History Of State’s Organized Crime Task Force
Schneiderman: We Will Use Every Tool At Our Disposal To Curb This Crisis
   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, New York State Police (NYSP), and the Massachusetts DEA Task Force today announced the indictment of more than two dozen people for their roles in an alleged national heroin smuggling ring.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Dirty Dope,” seized more than 33 kilos of heroin and 2 kilos of Fentanyl, with a total street value of more than $13 million.
The operation -- which began with the New York State Police Troop L Narcotics Enforcement Unit in April 2015 and netted alleged dealers and traffickers in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and New Jersey -- is one of the largest heroin seizures ever in New York and is the single largest single seizure in the 46-year history of the state’s Organized Crime Task Force.  The bust also seized 300 grams of cocaine, two semi-automatic handguns (including one inscribed with a drug cartel’s insignia) and eight vehicles (four of which contained sophisticated concealed compartments, or “traps,” designed for the purpose of smuggling narcotics).
“Operation Dirty Dope is another step in our multi-faceted effort to curb the heroin crisis that is destroying our communities,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “Our message to dealers and traffickers is simple: we will not tolerate anyone smuggling death into our state. I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners across the country, especially the New York State Police and the Massachusetts DEA Task Force, who helped bring these defendants to justice.”
 “The valuable partnerships developed through the Organized Crime Task Force were the key in bringing down this illegal drug trafficking organization,” said New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II. “I want to thank State Police Troop L, the Attorney General’s Office, and all our partners for the hard work that has resulted in 25 dangerous criminals behind bars, and a significant amount of heroin and other drugs of our streets.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in Massachusetts and across the North East,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Heroin is causing deaths across the Commonwealth in record numbers and DEA is committed to aggressively pursuing Drug Trafficking Organizations who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison across Massachusetts in order to profit and destroy people's lives and wreak havoc in our communities. This investigation would not have been a success without the continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
The indictments, unsealed in Bronx County Court today, detailed a sophisticated distribution ring that allegedly moved most of the drugs from Mexico into Tucson, Arizona. From Arizona, the drugs were allegedly moved in hidden compartments in cars from Arizona to the Bronx, Washington Heights, and Pennsylvania. From there, traffickers moved the drugs to sell in Suffolk County and the central Massachusetts town of Leominster.
The investigation utilized confidential informants, wiretaps, and physical and video surveillance.
In the wiretaps, the defendants can allegedly be heard discussing plans to mix other chemicals -- including chicken anesthetic, Novocain, acetone (nail polish remover), roach killer (boric acid), fentanyl, and more – in with the heroin to add to the bulk and value.
During bail arguments, it was also alleged that traffickers used people addicted to heroin as human guinea pigs to test the quality of the cut heroin, flagrantly disregarding whether the laced heroin would kill them or not.
Those charged as major traffickers include:
  • Daniel Abascal Pena
  • Argenis Grullon, a/k/a “Alpha” or “Hanley”
  • Reymon Rivera Ortiz, a/k/a “Dioco”
  • Francisco Martinez Reyes, a/k/a “Viejo”
  • Edwin Nunez Sierra, a/k/a La Papa
  • Carlos Almonte, a/k/a Luis Rivera
  • Carlos Hierro-Mata
  • Luis Aude-Mora
Others indicted include:
  • Manuel Castillano a/k/a “Cuñado”
  • Manuel Amparo, a/k/a “Cacu”
  • Tomas Salinas
  • Hector Diaz, a/k/a “Shorty”
  • Gisette Hernandez
  • Jandhel Restituyo Vasquez
  • Yeimy Matias
  • Ryan Martinez
  • Fernando Suero
  • Oscarhyl Martinez Aude
  • Manuel Torres, a/k/a “Raul”
  • Amauris Sanchez
  • Domingo Pena
  • Juan Miguel Marte Javier
  • Carlos Alberto Borges Perez
  • Jose R. Rodriquez a/k/a “Rafa”
  • Luis Martinez, a/k/a “Majimbe”
Those charged as major traffickers could face life in prison if convicted. All others could face 8 1/3 to 25 years if convicted.
Several additional agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Tucson Arizona United States Marshal Service, Fitchburg Police Department, Army Air National Guard, South Florida Money Laundering Strike Force, North Miami Police Department, New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark, the New York Sheriff's Office of Criminal Investigation and the New York City Police Department. 
The investigation was conducted by OCTF Investigators Kerry Buttner and Naomi Jimenez together with The New York State Police Troop L Narcotics Enforcement Unit, and the New England Field Division Worcester HIDTA. OCTF investigators are supervised by Deputy Chief Christopher Vasta. The Attorney General’s Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Investigator Dominick Zarrella.
The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General James Cudden, together with OCTF Analyst Nicole Accurso. Deputy Attorney General Peri Alyse Kadanoff runs the Organized Crime Task Force and Kelly Donovan is the Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Division.
The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

“Ygz” Gang Member Pleads Guilty To Bronx Murder And Other Crimes In Connection With Racketeering Conspiracy


    Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY SCOTT, a/k/a “Tyson,” pled guilty today to involvement in a racketeering conspiracy in connection with his membership in the “Young Gunnaz” (“YGz”), a violent street gang that operated in and around several housing developments in the New York City Police Department’s 40th Precinct in the South Bronx.  As part of his guilty plea, SCOTT admitted to his participation in two acts of violence in the 40th Precinct: (a) the murder of Darrel Ledgister on or about June 27, 2009, in which SCOTT shot and killed Ledgister during the course of an attempted robbery, and (b) aiding and abetting the aggravated assault of a rival gang associate on or about June 22, 2014, by helping another YGz member shoot the rival gang associate in the foot.  SCOTT faces a maximum term of life in prison, and will be sentenced before United States District Judge Valerie E. Caproni later this year.  The Ledgister murder is one of several previously unsolved 40th Precinct murders charged in this case.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:  “Anthony Scott has admitted to his role in the murder of a 21-year-old man and a second gang-related shooting.  Gang violence threatens the safety and security of all New Yorkers, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent it and to bring those who commit it to justice.”
According to the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings:
SCOTT was a member of the Bronx-based street gang known as the YGz and committed acts of violence with other gang members to further the interests of the gang.  From at least 2005 to August 2016, members and associates of the YGz enriched themselves by selling drugs, such as “crack” cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and committed acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder, against various people, including rival gang members, rival drug traffickers, and innocent bystanders.  As part of this enterprise, members and associates of the YGz killed and attempted to kill other individuals. 
As part of his involvement in the YGz gang, SCOTT participated in two shootings.  First, on or about June 27, 2009, SCOTT attempted to commit a gunpoint robbery of the passenger of a vehicle parked on 140th Street near Willis Avenue in the South Bronx, in the vicinity of YGz-controlled territory in the Mott Haven Houses.  During the course of the attempted robbery, SCOTT shot and killed Darrel Ledgister, the 21-year-old driver of the vehicle.  Second, on or about June 22, 2014, SCOTT aided and abetted the commission of an aggravated assault of a rival gang associate in which one of SCOTT’s fellow gang members shot the rival gang associate in the foot in the vicinity of the Mott Haven Houses.
SCOTT was arrested in this case as a result of a multi-year investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) into gang violence in and around the 40th Precinct.  In July 2014, SCOTT was initially arrested in the vicinity of the Mott Haven Houses for possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, and was prosecuted by this Office for that firearm offense, convicted, and sentenced to 30 months in prison.  In December 2015, while SCOTT was in federal prison serving that sentence, SCOTT and more than 20 other members and associates of the YGz gang were charged with racketeering conspiracy, and some were charged with murders, attempted murders, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses.  The racketeering indictment in this case was subsequently superseded twice, in June 2016 and August 2016, to charge more than 10 additional defendants, two additional murders, and other offenses.  The controlling Indictment now charges various YGz members with four previously unsolved 40th Precinct murders:  the June 27, 2009, murder of Darrel Ledgister; the January 24, 2011, murder of Dykeem Etheridge; the December 22, 2011, murder of Taisheem Ferguson; and the April 16, 2012, murder of Moises Lora. 
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding work of the ATF, the DEA, and the NYPD in the investigation of this case.   He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their support in this case.

Former New York City Public School Teacher Pleads Guilty To Receiving Child Pornography


   Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JON CRUZ, a former teacher and debate coach at the Bronx High School for Science, pled guilty today to one count of receiving child pornography.  CRUZ, who was arrested on March 5, 2015, entered his plea before United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel. 
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:  “Crimes that sexually exploit and victimize children are some of the most disturbing and harmful.  It is particularly so when those entrusted to teach and guide our children in our schools, instead lure and then sexually exploit them.  Jon Cruz, a public school teacher and well-known debate coach, has admitted to doing just that, having now pled guilty to receiving child pornography.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings:
From July 2014 through December 2015, JON CRUZ, while employed as a teacher and debate coach at Bronx High School for Science, engaged in multiple chats over a mobile communication application and social media service with at least five minor victims from different states.  In those chats, CRUZ, who was aware of the ages of the victims, provided payments to the victims in exchange for sexually explicit photographs of themselves. 
CRUZ, 33, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of receiving child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and 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. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI in this matter.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Bioswale at Riverdale Avenue and West 236th Street.



Image result for bioswale

Above - Is a photo of a healthy clean Bio Swale.
Below - Is a photo of the current condition of the Bioswale the city installed on Riverdale Avenue at West 236th Street. Notice it is overrun by weeds, and when you see the other photos of the in feed to this Bioswale you will know why.






























Below are four different areas where water can enter this Bioswale, and so can other items as they have in the photos. 





































































Bronx Conservative County Committee Dinner


  It seemed just like the Bronx Democratic County Committee Dinner that was held at Marina Del Rey in July. The Host Committee, the people giving out the awards, and the honorees may have been different, but the results of a packed ballroom were the same. There were even some faces that I saw at the Democratic Dinner here at the Conservative Dinner, as some people give to all parties or all candidates in a race. The photos below should tell the rest of the story, but the lighting was very bad so please excuse the quality of the photos. 


Above - Bill Newmark The Bronx Conservative County Committee Chair welcomes everyone to the dinner.
Below - Tom Cronin of the Bronx Conservative County Committee introduces Tom Garrity who sang the national anthem.




Above - The singing of the National Anthem by Mr. Garrity.
Below - Honoree Pat Lynch of the PBA thanks the Bronx Conservative County Committee for honoring him, that is after a long introduction by BCCC Chair Bill Newmark.



Above - PBA President Lynch with BCCC Chair Newmark and Executive member Cronin with the plaque given to President Lynch.
Below - In between awards there was entertainment that came off stage to many of the attendees.



Bronx Republican Vice-Chair and Board of Elections Republican Commissioner from the Bronx Michael Rendino was honored. Rendino did not mention Donald Trump by name, but said that it was important to take back the White House from the Democrats. 












Michael Blake - Monday Debate Watch Party




It's about to go down!

Join us Monday night for a Presidential debate watch party at Viktoria Italian restaurant starting at 8 p.m. at 3114 Third Avenue in The Bronx.
Let's watch as Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shows the world that she is ready to be our 45th President of the United States.
The event is free. Join us and bring your family & friends.
Doors open at 8 p.m.  The debate starts at 9 p.m.
See you on Monday night

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It appears that current Assemblyman (future Congressman) Blake is very careful not to mention his current state assembly position, but we can. 
We also wonder just Hillary, Assemblyman Blake will be rooting for. 
Prediction - Assemblyman Blake will be rooting for Donald Trump. Assemblyman Blake is a member of TEAM DIAZ, and TEAM DIAZ leader State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. will be rooting for Donald Trump. Does that mean that other TEAM DIAZ members Assemblyman and Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo as well as Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda will also be rooting for Donald Trump? 
There is always two other candidates, and if each one has one of the four candidates for president - one TEAM DIAZ member will be right. 
It doesn't make sense you say, you must not be reading the script from the Bronx Democratic County Committee meeting. Stanley Schlein.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Nine Defendants, Including Joseph Percoco, Former Executive Deputy Secretary To The Governor, Charged With Federal Corruption And Fraud Offenses

 

Percoco Charged with Taking More than $315,000 in Bribes; Kaloyeros Charged with Fraud in Connection with the Buffalo Billion Program

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Adam Cohen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Shantelle P. Kitchen, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging eight defendants with federal public corruption offenses, including JOSEPH PERCOCO, the former Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor of the State of New York, and ALAIN KALOYEROS, the President of SUNY Polytechnic Institute (“SUNY Poly”).  The charges arise from two separate but overlapping schemes involving bribery, corruption, and fraud in the award of hundreds of millions of dollars in New York State contracts and other official state actions. 
In the first scheme, PERCOCO is charged with soliciting and accepting more than $315,000 in bribes in return for taking official state action to benefit an energy company (the “Energy Company”) and a Syracuse-based real estate developer (the “Syracuse Developer”).  As part of this scheme, PETER GALBRAITH KELLY JR., an executive at the Energy Company, and STEVEN AIELLO and JOSEPH GERARDI, executives at the Syracuse Developer, are charged with orchestrating the payment of bribes to PERCOCO. 
In the second scheme, AIELLO and GERARDI, along with LOUIS CIMINELLI, MICHAEL LAIPPLE, and KEVIN SCHULER, who are executives at a Buffalo-based development company (the “Buffalo Developer”), are charged with paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to TODD HOWE, a consultant hired by KALOYEROS to help administer the state’s “Buffalo Billion” initiative and related programs.  As the charges allege, in exchange for the bribe payments, HOWE and KALOYEROS secretly rigged the bids on lucrative state-funded contracts to ensure that the Syracuse Developer and the Buffalo Developer would win the contracts. 
All eight defendants charged in the Complaint were arrested this morning.  PERCOCO, KELLY, and KALOYEROS are scheduled to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court.  AIELLO and GERARDI are scheduled to appear later today in federal court in Syracuse.  CIMINELLI, LAIPPLE, and SCHULER are scheduled to appear later today in federal court in Buffalo. 
Also unsealed today is the guilty plea of TODD HOWE in connection with his participation in both corruption schemes described above.  HOWE pled guilty pursuant to an Information before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman on September 20, 2016, and is cooperating with the Government.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:  “Today’s charges shine a light on yet another sordid side of the show-me-the money culture that has so plagued Albany.  As alleged, Joseph Percoco, the former Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor, was on the take.  And pervasive corruption and fraud allegedly infected signature state development projects like the Buffalo Billion program.  The bids allegedly were rigged, the results preordained; companies got rich and the public got bamboozled.  As alleged in the Complaint, it turns out the state legislature does not have a monopoly on crass corruption in New York.”      
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Adam Cohen said:  “These arrests speak volumes to those who, as alleged in the complaint, arrogantly took what was not theirs and who acted without morals and ignored ethics.  Each of them allegedly broke the law because they chose greed, and, as a result, personally tarnished an historic opportunity.  Their alleged behavior compromised the integrity of government and impeded the promise of liberty.  We cannot say it often enough: It is the expectation of the public that government officials are not in their positions to self-deal or to serve their personal interests.”
IRS-CI SAC Shantelle P. Kitchen said:  “The honest taxpayer’s confidence in the tax system depends on everyone paying their fair share, regardless of their occupation, wealth or prominence – or their public office or public position.  IRS Criminal Investigation takes allegations of public corruption by public officials and public employees very seriously, and we are always ready to contribute to an investigation when the allegation has a financial component.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The PERCOCO Bribery Scheme
In the first scheme alleged in the Complaint, PERCOCO, who served as the Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor between January 2012 and mid-2014, and again in 2015, is charged with abusing his official position and extensive influence within the Executive Branch of New York State (the “State”) by seeking and accepting bribe payments from executives at companies that were seeking benefits and business from the State, in exchange for PERCOCO’s use of his official authority and influence to benefit those companies. 
PERCOCO solicited the bribe payments from two clients of HOWE –the Energy Company and the Syracuse Developer – both of which had retained HOWE as a consultant to help them obtain official State action.  In email correspondence between HOWE and PERCOCO obtained through judicially-authorized search warrants, PERCOCO and HOWE referred to the bribe payments as “ziti,” a reference to a term for money used by the characters in the television show “The Sopranos.”
Bribes from KELLY and the Energy Company
The bribes paid to PERCOCO from the Energy Company were orchestrated by KELLY, the head of external affairs and government relations for the Energy Company.  Kelly conspired with PERCOCO and HOWE to funnel more than $287,000 in bribe payments from the Energy Company to PERCOCO and PERCOCO’s wife in exchange for PERCOCO’s official assistance for the Energy Company on an as-needed basis. 
As alleged in the Complaint: (a) State action was critical to the Energy Company’s business; (b) starting as early as 2010, KELLY provided personal benefits to PERCOCO, including expensive meals and a Hamptons fishing trip, in an effort to cultivate access to PERCOCO; (c) in response to KELLY’s requests for official State assistance, PERCOCO, who was experiencing financial difficulties at the time, requested that the Energy Company hire his then-unemployed wife; (d) in or around the end of 2012, KELLY caused the Energy Company to create a position for PERCOCO’s wife that paid approximately $90,000 per year while requiring PERCOCO’s wife to do little work.  In exchange for these payments, PERCOCO agreed to use his official position and influence, and did in fact use his official position and influence, to help the Energy Company with specific State matters as the opportunities arose.  Among other things, PERCOCO agreed to use his official position and influence to assist the Energy Company’s efforts to obtain (i) a valuable agreement from the State allowing the Energy Company to buy lower-cost emissions credits in New York for a power plant proposed to be built in New Jersey and (ii) a lucrative long-term power purchase agreement (the “PPA”) with the State guaranteeing a buyer for the power to be produced at a power plant proposed to be built in New York, which was expected to save the Energy Company approximately $100 million in development costs.
The Energy Company’s payments to PERCOCO’s wife were concealed in various ways to hide their true source.  KELLY ran the monthly payments to PERCOCO and his wife through a consultant who worked for the Energy Company in order to disguise the source of the payments.  KELLY also made sure that PERCOCO’s wife’s photograph and full name were not included in promotional materials for the Energy Company, and he falsely told his superiors at the Energy Company – on two separate occasions – that PERCOCO had obtained an ethics opinion from the Governor’s Office approving of PERCOCO’s wife’s employment with the Energy Company, when in fact no such opinion existed.  For his part, PERCOCO concealed the criminal scheme by failing to include the Energy Company as the source of payments on his State-mandated financial disclosure forms. 
Bribes from AIELLO, GERARDI, and the Syracuse Developer
Beginning in early 2014, PERCOCO was also paid bribes totaling approximately $35,000 from the Syracuse Developer.  These bribe payments were orchestrated by AIELLO, the president of the Syracuse Developer, and GERARDI, its general counsel.  AIELLO and GERARDI arranged for the payment of these bribes in exchange for PERCOCO’s official assistance for the Syracuse Developer on an as-needed basis. 
Specifically, PERCOCO agreed to, and did, take official action for the benefit of the Syracuse Developer to (a) reverse an adverse decision by the Empire State Development Corporation (“ESD”), which is the State’s main economic development agency, that would have required the Syracuse Developer to enter into a costly labor peace agreement, (b) free up a backlog of more than $14 million in State funds that had already been awarded to the Syracuse Developer but were delayed in payment, and (c) secure a substantial pay raise for AIELLO’s son, who worked in the Executive Chamber.
To disguise the nature and source of the bribe payments, the Syracuse Developer’s bribes to PERCOCO were funneled through bank accounts and a shell company set up by HOWE.
The “Buffalo Billion” Fraud and Bribery Scheme
The second scheme alleged in the Complaint involves bribery, corruption, and fraud in the award of contracts under the “Buffalo Billion” initiative and similar programs.  In that scheme, executives at two companies, one of which was the Syracuse Developer, conspired with KALOYEROS and HOWE to deceive Fort Schuyler Management Corporation (“Fort Schuyler”), a State-funded entity charged with awarding State contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, by secretly rigging the bidding process so that the contracts would be awarded to those two companies.
KALOYEROS, who oversaw the application process for many of the State grants awarded under the Buffalo Billion and similar programs, retained HOWE to assist with developing the projects and identifying developers for those projects.  HOWE in turn solicited and received bribe and gratuity payments from (a) the Syracuse Developer, facilitated by AIELLO and GERARDI, when the Syracuse Developer was seeking State development grants for projects in Syracuse, New York, and (b) the Buffalo Developer, facilitated by LOUIS CIMINELLI, MICHAEL LAIPPLE, and KEVIN SCHULER, when the Buffalo Developer was seeking State development grants for projects in Buffalo, New York.  In exchange for the bribe payments, HOWE worked with KALOYEROS to deceive Fort Schuyler by secretly tailoring the required qualifications for those development deals so that the Syracuse Developer and the Buffalo Developer would be awarded the contracts, in Syracuse and Buffalo respectively, without any meaningful competition, while falsely representing to Fort Schuyler that the bidding process was fair, open, and competitive. 
More specifically, in or about October 2013, Fort Schuyler issued requests for proposals (“RFPs”) to solicit bids from interested and qualified developers for the Syracuse and Buffalo projects.  KALOYEROS, with HOWE’s assistance, oversaw the drafting of the RFPs and, unbeknownst to Fort Schuyler, KALOYEROS and HOWE secretly solicited from AIELLO, GERARDI, CIMINELLI, LAIPPLE, and SCHULER qualifications of the Syracuse Developer and Buffalo Developer to put in the RFPs so that the RFPs would request qualifications specifically held by those companies.  For example, the Syracuse RFP requested the use of specific project management software used by the Syracuse Developer.  After HOWE emailed GERARDI and AIELLO a draft of the Syracuse RFP approximately two weeks before its public issuance, GERARDI sent back to HOWE and AIELLO a handwritten mark-up of the draft RFP, on which GERARDI had, among other things, underlined the software names and wrote “too telegraphed??  I would leave out these specific programs.”  For its part, the Buffalo RFP, as initially issued, required 50 years of experience by a local developer – a qualification touted by the Buffalo Developer in promotion materials provided to KALOYEROS.  This requirement was later changed and claimed to be a “typographical error.”  The Buffalo Developer also was provided internal State documents to use in its submission.
False Statements by Aiello and Gerardi
On or about June 21, 2016, AIELLO and GERARDI were voluntarily interviewed by law enforcement agents conducting the investigation in this case.  As alleged in the Complaint, both AIELLO and GERARDI made false statements during their respective interviews.  Specifically, they both denied (i) hiring or making payments to PERCOCO and (ii) being asked by HOWE to make any campaign contributions to the Governor.  GERARDI further claimed that his handwritten edits and suggestions on the early nonpublic draft of the RFP were intended not to help the Syracuse Developer win the RFP, but to ensure that a broader, more open RFP was created so more companies could compete to be SUNY Poly’s preferred developer in Syracuse.  As alleged in the Complaint, those statements were false. 
A chart containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is attached.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. 
U.S. Attorney Bharara praised the work of the FBI and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, which jointly conducted this investigation with investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Mr. Bharara also recognized the New York State Attorney General’s Office, which This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janis Echenberg, Robert Boone, David Zhou, and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

United States v. Joseph Percoco, et al. 16 Mag, 60
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
CHARGE(S)
MAXIMUM SENTENCE(S)
JOSEPH
 PERCOCO
47
South Salem, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Extortion Under the Color of Official Right,
18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Count One)

Extortion Under the Color of Official Right,
18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Counts Two and Three)

Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Four)

Solicitation of Bribes and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Counts Five and Six)


20 years



20 years




20 years


10 years (on each count)
ALAIN KALOYEROS
60
Slingerlands, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Nine)


20 years
PETER GALBRAITH KELLY, JR.
53
Canterbury, CT
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Four)

Payment of Bribes and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Count Seven)


20 years


10 years

STEVEN 
 AIELLO
58
Fayetteville, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Four)

Payment of Bribes and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Counts Eight and Ten)

Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Nine)

False Statements to Federal Officers,
18 U.S.C. § 1001 (Count Twelve)


20 years


10 years (on each count)


20 years


5 years
JOSEPH 
 GERARDI
57
Fayetteville, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Four)

Payment of Bribes and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Counts Eight and Ten)

Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Nine)

False Statements to Federal Officers,
18 U.S.C. § 1001 (Count Twelve)


20 years


10 years (on each count)


20 years


5 years

LOUIS 
CIMINELLI
61
Buffalo, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Nine)

Payment of Bribes and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Count Eleven)


20 years


10 years
MICHAEL 
 LAIPPLE
51
Orchard Park, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Nine)

Payment of Bribes and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Count Eleven)


20 years


10 years
KEVIN 
SCHULER
45
North Tonawanda, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Nine)

Payment of Bribe and Gratuities,
18 U.S.C. § 666 (Count Eleven)


20 years


10 years
United States v. Todd Howe (Information)
TODD 
 HOWE
56
Washington, DC
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count One)

Conspiracy to Commit Extortion Under the Color of Official Right,
18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Count Two)

Extortion Under the Color of Official Right,
18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Count Three)

Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Count Four)

Wire Fraud,
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Counts Five and Seven)

Conspiracy to Commit Bribery,
18 U.S.C. § 371 (Count Six)

Tax Fraud
26 U.S.C. § 7201 (Count Eight)


20 years



20 years



20 years



20 years



20 years (on each count)


5 years


5 years

[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.


End of Men's Homeless Shelter - Beginning of New Family Homeless Shelter?



  The Van Cortlandt Motel, on Riverdale Avenue was found to be housing homeless men at a Community Board 8 Land Use meeting. An Assistant Commissioner from the NYC Department of Homeless Services said that the use of the motel for homeless men would stop in September. Community residents living near the motel are now worried that homeless families are going to be placed in this motel. In the photo above, Yes that is a school bus parked in front of the Motel office at the far left of the photo. I went into the office to talk to a person behind the locked glass door claiming to be in charge at the time. I had two questions for this person. 
1 - Are the homeless men out of the motel? His answer was, yes.
2 - Are there any homeless families living in the motel? His answer was, not yet.


I then saw this room at the motel being cleaned, and so clean as if it had to pass an inspection. One picture is worth a thousand words.