STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO AND FIRST LADY CHIRLANE MCCRAY ON HURRICANE MATTHEW

  “The impact of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean, as well as Colombia and the U.S., is devastating. Many have lost their homes and their loved ones, and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.

As the extent of damage continues to be assessed, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit is working with members of the Caribbean community in New York City and beyond to coordinate resources and relief efforts. The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City is directing those who can make contributions to reputable humanitarian organizations already working on the ground.

At this time, we ask New Yorkers to do what we do best and show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in their time of need. To donate click here."

Twenty-Two Members Of Bronx Drug Trafficking Organization Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Narcotics Trafficking And Firearms 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 Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging 22 members of the “Flybridge” drug trafficking organization with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods.  The defendants will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis later this afternoon. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “With the indictment of 22 alleged members of a violent drug trafficking group, we seek to stem the flow of drugs and the cycle of violence in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.  As alleged, these defendants trafficked in all types of drugs – heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana – peddling it from restaurants, convenience stores, and apartment buildings and protecting their illegal trade with guns and violence.  I thank our partners at the FBI and NYPD for their work in this investigation and for their commitment to making our city safer and drug-free.”  

FBI Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As alleged, the ‘Flybridge’ crew conspired to sell narcotics including crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana in the Highbridge neighborhood out of the Bronx. Selling out of restaurants, convenience stores and apartment buildings, the Flybridge crew brought in violence too. The FBI New York Metro Safe Streets Task Force will continue to go after gangs to clear our communities of violence and drugs.”

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “These defendants treated a segment of the Highbridge section of the Bronx as their own supermarket for illegal drugs, including marijuana, pills, heroin and cocaine without any regard for the adverse impact on the residents and businesses in the area.  As is usually the case, this drug activity went hand-in-hand with illegal firearms and associated violence.  Exceptional investigative and case development work went into building the case against these defendants.  Once again, the combined efforts of our law enforcement and prosecution partners have paid off with the indictment of those responsible for infecting this Bronx community with the poison of drugs and violence.”

As alleged in the Indictment and in other court papers[1]:

The “Flybridge” drug trafficking organization (the “Flybridge DTO”) is a group of individuals who are engaged in narcotics trafficking and violence in the vicinity of 165th Street and Woodycrest Avenue, in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.  From at least in or about 2014, up to and including in or about September 2016, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, MARC BENVENUTTI, JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis,” a/k/a “V-12,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Peewee,” a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” CICERO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Tubes,” a/k/a “Boobie,” JOSEPH ENCARNACION, a/k/a “Cabeza,” KELVIN POLANCO, a/k/a “Psycho,” a/k/a “Fresh,” JABARI ADAMS, a/k/a “Flea,” a/k/a “Bari,” BRANDON SMITH, a/k/a “B Skillz,” JOSEPH RIVERA, a/k/a “Jojo,” LANCE WRIGHT, CYNTHIA WOODS, a/k/a “Brooklyn,” JUNIOR GRIFFIN, KEITH NESBITT, a/k/a “Baldy,” GREGORY HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Kane,” EDUARDO ROSA, a/k/a “Lil Bro Ed,” LUIS CABAN, a/k/a “Jay,” DANIEL RENVILL, a/k/a “D,” AMANDA LOPEZ, and MADELINE OLIVARES conspired to distribute significant amounts of narcotics, including crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana, in and around, among other places, the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, on a daily basis.  The Flybridge DTO controlled narcotics sales between 164th Street and 165th Street, between Ogden Avenue and Anderson Avenue, including by selling out of restaurants, convenience stores, and in and around apartment buildings in that area. 

In addition, members of the Flybridge DTO protected and maintained their drug business through firearms and acts of violence.  For example, in or about March 2016, KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” the defendant, bragged about an incident in which he had attempted to shoot at another individual because of a drug debt.  In or about March 2014, JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” the defendant, engaged in a dispute with rival drug dealers that culminated in a shootout on the Major Deegan Expressway, during the course of which PEREZ was himself shot.  Other members of the Flybridge DTO, such as VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis,” a/k/a “V-12,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” a/k/a “Peewee,” and AMANDA LOPEZ, stored firearms in the area in which the Flybridge DTO operated, in order to, among other things, protect their drug turf. 

Count One of the Indictment charges MARC BENVENUTTI, JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis,” a/k/a “V-12,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Peewee,” a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” CICERO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Tubes,” a/k/a “Boobie,” JOSEPH ENCARNACION, a/k/a “Cabeza,” KELVIN POLANCO, a/k/a “Psycho,” a/k/a “Fresh,” JABARI ADAMS, a/k/a “Flea,” a/k/a “Bari,” BRANDON SMITH, a/k/a “B Skillz,” JOSEPH RIVERA, a/k/a “Jojo,” LANCE WRIGHT, CYNTHIA WOODS, a/k/a “Brooklyn,” JUNIOR GRIFFIN, KEITH NESBITT, a/k/a “Baldy,” GREGORY HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Kane,” EDUARDO ROSA, a/k/a “Lil Bro Ed,” LUIS CABAN, a/k/a “Jay,” DANIEL RENVILL, a/k/a “D,” AMANDA LOPEZ, and MADELINE OLIVARES with participating in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, including crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana.

Count Two of the Indictment charges KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis” a/k/a “V-12,” and CICERO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Tubes,” a/k/a “Boobie,” with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy charged in Count One, which were discharged.

Count Three of the Indictment charges JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” a/k/a “Peewee,” and AMANDA LOPEZ with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy charged in Count One.

The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences imposed on the defendants will be determined by the Court.

A chart containing the names of the defendants, and the charges and maximum penalties they face, is attached.

Mr. Bharara thanked the FBI and the NYPD, in particular, the New York Metro Safe Streets Task Force, as well as the Criminal Investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office, for their work on the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Donaleski, Kimberly J. Ravener, and Jilan J. Kamal are in charge of the prosecution. 

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

Grace Belkin Street Re-Naming

    Grace Belkin was the District Manager of Bronx Community Board 8 from 1977 until 2006. 

  Please join Community Board No. 8 in the Grace Belkin Street Naming event being held on October 15, 2016 at 11am at West 246 Street and Henry Hudson Parkway West. 

BRONX MAN FOUND GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER FOR KILLING DAUGHTER’S BOYFRIEND

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been found guilty of first-degree Manslaughter for the fatal shooting of his daughter’s boyfriend during a fight inside a Wakefield apartment building. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant, who was an off-duty New York City Correction Officer at the time, responded to a young man’s punches with a gunshot. And after he shot the victim, he failed to provide any assistance whatsoever. He let him die.” 

  District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Darryl Brown, 58, of 739 East 242nd Street, was convicted by a jury on Sept. 30, 2016 of first-degree Manslaughter after a two-week trial before Acting Bronx Supreme Court Justice Robert Neary. Brown faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on October 19, 2016. 

  According to trial testimony, on March 20, 2014, Brown, a Department of Correction Officer who was off-duty, noticed Vonde Cabbagestalk, 21, who was in a relationship with his daughter, speaking to another man in his building’s lobby. Brown demanded to know why Cabbagestalk was there and an argument escalated, with Cabbagestalk throwing some punches at Brown. 

  Brown was seen brandishing a semiautomatic gun, at which Cabbagestalk tried to swipe. Brown fired one shot, striking Cabbagestalk in the chest and killing him.

  According to testimony, a neighbor, who did not witness the incident, heard Brown’s daughter yell “No, daddy, no!” and called police after Brown and his daughter left Cabbagestalk bleeding on the floor and ran back to their apartment.

 The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys L. Newton Mendys, Supervisor of the Criminal Enterprise Bureau, and Jennifer Petersen of the Public Integrity Bureau. 

  District Attorney Clark would like to thank the 47th Precinct Detective Squad for their assistance, as well as Bronx District Attorney’s Detective Investigators Brian O’Loughlin, John Reilly and Michael Bunyan.

Gas Leak at Wells Fargo Bank on Riverdale Avenue

 

  It is not a good sign when you see firemen outside a bank unless they are going in to make a deposit, withdrawal, or use the ATM machine. This Wells Fargo bank on Riverdale Avenue between West 236th and West 238th Streets however had the two local firehouses respond to a gas leak just after 10 AM. As you will see in other photos the fire department went to other stores and even on to the roof of the bank to try to find out where the odor of gas was coming from. It appeared to be coming from the AC/heating unit on the roof which s[read the odor of the gas throughout the bank and nearby. I was told that this had happened at the same time last year when the unit was converted from an air conditioner to a heating unit. The gas was never lit to heat the bank, and was flowing through the ventilation system. Con Edison arrived a short time after the company which installed the AC/heating unit. Holes were drilled into the sidewalk in front of the building to check for the odor of gas, which was not found, and the bank was reopened later in the afternoon after it was properly ventilated and the heating unit fixed.

Above - Firemen climb up the extended ladder to check the rooftop AC/heating unit which apparently misfired and sent the odor of gas into the bank ventilation system.

Below - Foremen are checking stores near and around the Wells Fargo bank to see if they have an odor of gas, or a gas leak also, but none did.

IDNYC, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Davidson Community Center, and Assembly Member Victor Pichardo Announce New Pop-Up Center in the Bronx

   On Thursday, October 6th at 11:00a.m., IDNYC, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and Assembly Member Victor Pichardo will announce a new IDNYC pop-up center at Davidson Community Center. Assembly Member Victor Pichardo will also enroll for IDNYC, immediately following the press event. Located at 2038 Davidson Avenue in the Bronx, the pop-up center will run from October 4th to October 13th with operating hours from Tuesday through Friday, 10:00AM to 6:00PM.

With application materials available in 30 languages and an expansion of documents that youth can now use to apply, the program has extended its outreach efforts to a broad range of New Yorkers. IDNYC benefits every city resident, including the most vulnerable communities – the homeless, youth, the elderly, undocumented immigrants, the formerly incarcerated, and others who may have difficulty obtaining other government-issued ID. One in ten New Yorkers use IDNYC and cardholders range from 14 to over 75 years of age. Benefits of IDNYC include access to libraries, fitness and health benefits, and individuals can use the card to open a bank or credit account at more than a dozen financial institutions.

“IDNYC now provides over 900,000 New York residents with tremendous access to the City,” said Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “Trusted and approachable locations like the Davidson Community Center are essential in connecting IDNYC to community members in their neighborhoods.”

“I am extremely thankful to Davidson Community Center for hosting the IDNYC program,” said Assemblymember Victor Pichardo. “I am encouraging all of my neighbors to apply. No matter your walk of life, New Yorkers will be able to apply for an IDNYC card. I am proud to announce this pop-up as it will allow more New Yorkers to gain access to City resources and services. I commend Mayor de Blasio and his administration for their continued work in implementing this program.”

“It is a privilege to have IDNYC at the Davidson Community Center, providing Bronx residents of this community an opportunity to join the ranks of IDNYC cardholders in 2016, absolutely free, so that members feel confident to interact with law enforcement, enter a government building, or pick up their kids from school and proudly identify themselves as New Yorkers. The Davidson Community Center is a work/voluntary self-help organization with the unique history of cooperative programming involving the NYPD, African-American, Hispanic and other ethnic group communities including youth, adults, seniors, community residents, businessmen, municipal service workers, and civic leaders,” said Angel Caballero, Executive Director, Davidson Community Center, Inc..

Today, all local residents can set up their appointment to apply for their IDNYC card by calling 311 in the language that they speak or online at nyc.gov/idnyc.

NYCC 2016: "The Legend of Korra" Returns with Graphic Novel "Turf Wars" from Dark Horse Comics

THE LEGEND OF KORRA RETURNS  WITH GRAPHIC NOVEL “TURF WARS”  FROM DARK HORSE COMICS

Dark Horse Comics will release the first volume in a brand-new The Legend of Korra graphic novel series, The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars in June 2017.  This three-part graphic novel series is written by Nickelodeon TV series co-creator and executive producer Michael Dante DiMartino, drawn by Irene Koh (Batgirl, 1602, TMNT), with covers by Heather Campbell (Free Comic Book Day 2016: The Legend of Korra), colors by Jane Bak, and consultation by TV series co-creator and executive producer Bryan Konietzko.

Turf Wars begins with Korra and Asami leaving the spirit world and returning to Republic City only to find political hijinks and human vs. spirit conflict, as a pompous developer plans to turn the new spirit portal into an amusement park, potentially severing an already tumultuous connection with the spirits. In addition, the triads have realigned and are in a brutal brawl at the city’s borders where hundreds of evacuees have relocated.  In order to get through it all, Korra and Asami vow to look out for each other—but first, they’ve got to get better at being a team.

Dark Horse’s award-winning Avatar: The Last Airbender program has seen multiple number-one New York Times bestsellers and continues to grow with the current North and South series written by Gene Luen Yang, an Eisner Award winner and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Turf Wars is the latest release in an ongoing partnership between Nickelodeon and Dark Horse to bring fans the very best in graphic novels.

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Parts 1–3 will serve as the official continuation of The Legend of Korra television series. 

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Arrest Of Bronx Man Masquerading As A Lawyer And Preying On Immigrants Seeking Legal Assistance

Rivera Has Collected Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars In Undeserved Fees For Immigration Work He Was Never Qualified To Perform

Schneiderman: Edwin Rivera Has Demonstrated A Blatant Disregard For The Law And We Are Sending Him To Jail

    Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today the arrest of Edwin Rivera, the operator of a Bronx accounting office formerly known as “Inmigracion Hoy News Today.” Rivera has represented himself as an attorney with over thirty years of experience and offered immigration services to undocumented consumers seeking assistance with the immigration status adjustment process. Immigrants who retained Rivera discovered that he had misrepresented the law, was not a licensed attorney, and in many cases, had not performed the services promised.  A warrant for Mr. Rivera’s arrest was issued by Bronx Supreme Court Judge Justice Betty Owen Stinson. The order provides that Rivera spend at least 30 days in jail and up to 6 months contingent on when he pays the restitution to the victims and provides the accounting.

“My office won’t tolerate fraudsters who line their pockets by defrauding some of our most vulnerable communities,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The arrest of Mr. Rivera underscores my office’s commitment to protecting all New Yorkers from unscrupulous immigration service providers, particularly against repeat offenders.”

On August 21, 2016, New York Supreme Court Justice Betty Owen Stinson found Rivera in civil and criminal contempt for failing to comply with the Court’s previous orders. The Court’s decision is based upon a complainant who paid Rivera $10,000 and relied on his services from 2008 through 2015, and evidence gathered by an undercover investigator. Rivera has been ordered to serve up to six months in prison and repay $34,331 in fines and restitution to his victims. He has also been ordered to provide an accounting of his customers as well as all fees paid by them to the Attorney General’s office.

The Attorney General’s office first commenced an investigation into Rivera in 2004 when the office received a tip that Rivera was advertising in a Spanish language newspaper that the Dream Act had been enacted in November 2003 and fabricated an application process. The Dream Act is still pending before Congress.  Rivera charged $1,500 per Dream Act application. On November 18, 2005, the Court issued an order prohibiting Rivera from engaging in false advertising and deceptive services. Rivera continued to do so, and on July 29, 2008, the Court issued an order explicitly prohibiting Mr. Rivera from providing immigration services of any kind in New York State. Rivera continued to brazenly defy the Court’s orders and duped unsuspecting immigrants out of at least $60,000 in alleged legal fees.

The Attorney General’s investigation found that applicants paid Mr. Rivera significant sums to prepare immigration applications in hopes that it would lead to lawful permanent residency in the United States. However, when applications were filed improperly, or not at all, Rivera consistently refused to issue refunds to consumers. In many cases, the applicants found themselves in worse positions than before they sought Rivera’s assistance.

Rivera’s recidivism dates back to the mid 1990’s when he was prosecuted by the United Sates Attorney’s Office in Manhattan for defrauding the then Immigration and Naturalization Service. 

Attorney General Schneiderman has issued the following recommendations for consumers seeking immigration assistance:

• Check with the NYS Office of Court Administration Attorney Registration Unit at (212)428-2800 to verify if someone claiming to be an attorney licensed in New York is in fact admitted to practice in NY and registered with NY's Unified Court System.
• Make sure any representation agreement is made in writing and that you understand all the terms before signing. The agreement must be in the language understood by the consumer and list all fees and the scope of the representation.
• Do not give the consultant any original documents. Make sure you are given a copy of any agreement and ask that it be translated if the negotiation was in another language.
• Keep detailed records of any payments which should be made by check or credit card if possible, and ask for a signed receipt.
• Be wary of individuals offering inside connections with immigration authorities, or who otherwise suggest that they are able to guarantee results.
• Beware of notario fraud. Notaries public may take advantage of the literal Spanish translation of their title, notario público, a title describing an attorney in many Latin American countries. By taking advantage of the confusion, immigration consultants fraudulently claim expertise or promise results that they simply cannot deliver.

Consumers who have been victims immigration consultant frauds are urged to contact the New York State Attorney General's Consumer Helpline at 1-800-771-7755 or through the OAG's Web site www.ag.NY.gov.

This case was investigated by Senior Investigators Luis Carter and Edward Ortiz. Investigators Ismael Hernandez, Andres Rodriguez, Steve Pratt, and David Negron, all assisted in the investigation. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Dominick Zarrella.