GROUNDS OF JEROME PARK RESERVOIR TO BE OPENED FOR LIMITED ACCESS RECREATION IN NOVEMBER

   The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that it will open the grounds of Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx for special limited access recreation on the weekend of Nov. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Members of the public will have the opportunity to walk or jog around the 2-mile perimeter of the Reservoir.  Phones, bags and cameras will not be permitted on the Reservoir grounds.  There will be an opportunity to check phones, but visitors should not bring bags or cameras.  Entry to the Reservoir Grounds will be through a Gate House located on the west side of Goulden Avenue, just south of 205th Street.  There will be a similar recreation weekend in May 2017.

In addition to the public recreation, this fall DEP will continue its partnership with schools located in the vicinity of the Reservoir to provide a pilot education program on New York City’s drinking water system.  This will include teacher professional development, classroom visits and guided tours of the Reservoir grounds.  Since last winter, more than 1,200 students from Bronx H.S. of Science, DeWitt Clinton H.S., P.S. 8, P.S. 86 and P.S. 95 have taken part in the program.

Jerome Park Reservoir is roughly 93-acres in size, has the capacity to hold up to 773 million gallons of water, and is located in the northwest Bronx.  It receives water from the City’s Croton Watershed, located in Westchester and Putnam Counties, and is the last stop for the water before it enters the Croton Water Filtration Plant and goes into the City’s distribution system.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed.  In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $14 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.  For more information, visitnyc.gov/dep<http://www.nyc.gov/dep>

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - Winter Health and Wellness Fair Coming Soon

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj and Senator Jeffrey Klein 

in conjunction with 

Bronx House 

 present

WINTER HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR

BRONX HOUSE

990 Pelham Parkway South

Bronx , NY 10461

Monday - December 12, 2016

5:30 - 8:30pm

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman - Fighting the Opioid Epidemic and Protecting Vulnerable Citizens

An agreement with Cigna, a major global health insurer, will remove barriers to opioid treatment drugs for patients nationwide.

Ensuring Affidavit Ballot Opportunities

After a preliminary investigation discovered  inconsistencies in ballot access across NY, the Attorney General sent letters to local election boards statewide, instructing them to offer affidavit ballots to any voter who may be registered, but does not appear on local voter rolls.

Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

Six nurses were arrested for exploiting the financial vulnerability of elderly residents. Nursing home residents are among our state’s most vulnerable citizens, and they deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity by those in charge of their care. 

Prosecuting For-Profit Schools That Defraud Taxpayers

The Attorney General announced a $4.3 million settlement with the owners of a for-profit school network who used special education programs as a way to defraud the government and cheat on their taxes—sticking law abiding New Yorkers with the bill in the process. 

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. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces $5.31 Million Civil Settlement Against Hematology-Oncology Medical Practice For Submitting False Claims To Medicare And Medicaid

   Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Scott Lampert, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s (“HHS-OIG”) New York Region, announced a $5.31 million settlement of a civil fraud lawsuit against HUDSON VALLEY ASSOCIATES, R.L.L.P. (“HUDSON VALLEY”).  This settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act, alleging that HUDSON VALLEY routinely waived copayments without lawful basis and fraudulently billed Medicare for these copayments, and systematically submitted false claims for services that it did not provide and/or were not permitted under the Medicare and Medicaid program rules. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Hudson Valley Hematology Oncology Associates improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid for reimbursement, costing the taxpayers millions of dollars.  This settlement not only restores those funds, but involves detailed admissions by Hudson Valley and the imposition of safeguards to ensure against fraudulent billing in the future.”

HHS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Scott Lampert said: “Hudson Valley, like all Medicare and Medicaid providers, must be held to a high standard of ethical behavior.  Billing for services that are not medically necessary or not provided potentially threatens the health of both the patients and these programs and will not be tolerated.”

The Government simultaneously intervened in and settled this lawsuit, which was initially filed by a whistleblower.  As alleged in the Government’s complaint, from approximately 2010 through June 2015, HUDSON VALLEY engaged in two false and fraudulent schemes to defraud the Government.  In the first scheme, HUDSON VALLEY routinely waived Medicare beneficiaries’ required copayments and instead fraudulently billed Medicare for those copayments.  In the second scheme, HUDSON VALLEY submitted claims for payment by Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not actually performed, were not medically necessary, and/or were not properly documented. 

As part of the settlement, HUDSON VALLEY admitted, acknowledged, and accepted responsibility for engaging in the following conduct from 2010-2015:

• Routinely waiving Medicare beneficiaries’ copayments without an individualized documented determination of financial hardship or exhaustion of reasonable collection efforts;
• Billing Medicare for the waived copayments, resulting in higher reimbursement amounts from Medicare than HUDSON VALLEY was entitled to;
• Overbilling Medicare and Medicaid for evaluation and management services codes, in addition to billing for routine procedures (such as chemotherapy, injections or venipunctures) on the same date, even though Hudson Valley had not documented that it provided any significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management services to the beneficiaries; and
• Billing Medicare and Medicaid for evaluation and management services codes without documenting in the medical record that those services were medically necessary and/or that those services were actually performed.

United States District Judge Kenneth M. Karas approved the settlement stipulation on October 19, 2016, resolving the Government’s claims against HUDSON VALLEY.  Under that settlement, HUDSON VALLEY admits to and accepts responsibility for misconduct alleged in the complaint and agrees to pay $5.31 million to the United States.  In addition, Hudson Valley entered into a corporate integrity agreement with HHS-OIG, through which it commits to establishing a compliance program, submitting to monitoring by HHS-OIG for five years, and taking other specified steps to ensure future compliance with Medicare and Medicaid rules.

Mr. Bharara praised the extensive investigative work performed by HHS-OIG.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit.  Mr. Bharara established the Civil Frauds Unit in March 2010 to bring renewed focus and additional resources to combating healthcare and other types of frauds.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirti Vaidya Reddy is in charge of the case.

SENATOR JEFF KLEIN AND ASSEMBLYMAN MARK GJONAJ HOST FOURTH ANNUAL PELHAM PARKWAY HALLOWEEN PARTY

  It may have rained outside which cancelled the Fourth Annual Halloween parade down White Plains Road to PS 105 on Brady Avenue, but the rain could not damper the parents and children who came to the PS 105 for the Fourth Annual Halloween Party hosted by State Senator Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj. 

 Hundreds of Bronx children and families enjoyed the Halloween extravaganza, which  featured Halloween games and activities and a variety of treats. During the celebration, guests danced to music children had their faces painted with elaborate designs.  Every child received a special trick-or-treat bag filled with candy and coloring books.

“Our annual Halloween party has has become a long-standing tradition, and every year I look forward to hosting this fun-filled event for the community with Assemblyman Gjonaj. We enjoyed quality time with our families and friends and created lasting memories,” said Senator Klein.

“Halloween is a time for fun and games and I happy to once again join Senator Klein to provide a safe environment for our children and families,” said Assemblyman Gjonaj.

Above - Halloween music was provided by DJ MANNYFRESH.

Below - There was face painting for the children. 

Above - State Senator Jeff Klein says a few words, and then introduced Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj. 

Below - You can see some of the crowd which is gathered around Assemblyman Gjonaj. There were snacks, soft drinks, and even goodie bags for the children also. 

Above - There was a dance contest to see who could stop when the music stopped.

Below - Mr. Dennis Wales of Assemblyman Gjonaj's staff played the ghost of Halloween. He was the judge, as you can see him pointing to the child who kept dancing after the music stopped. 

Mr. Wales looked so natural in his costume that some of the children thought that he was the real ghost of Halloween at first, but not these two brave girls.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney And NYPD Commissioner Announce Charges Against Narcotics Dealer Responsible For Heroin And Fentanyl Overdose Death

  Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest and filing of charges against DASHAWN HAWKINS, a/k/a “Jhonny Cash,” for narcotics dealing that resulted in the overdose death of a 29-year-old man.

On October 19, 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office secured an indictment against HAWKINS, charging HAWKINS with distribution of heroin and fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute heroin.  The indictment alleges that heroin and fentanyl distributed by HAWKINS resulted in the death of Colin Cameron, age 29, of New York, New York, on September 2, 2016. 

HAWKINS will be presented in federal court in Manhattan before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman later today.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.  HAWKINS faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison. 

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Far too often now, we are seeing the devastating effects of opioid abuse on our communities.  We must work to stop these dangerous drugs from reaching our streets and killing our citizens.  Dashawn Hawkins allegedly dealt in heroin, including the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed Colin Cameron.  We thank the New York City Police Department for their outstanding investigative efforts and their collaboration that made the bringing of these federal charges possible.”  

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill stated: “The deadly effects of heroin are real. Look no further than the overdose of Colin Cameron last month in New York City. We will continue to investigate every single overdose and attempt to find and arrest those responsible, as alleged in today's charges against Dashawn Hawkins.”

As alleged in the Indictment against HAWKINS[1]:

From at least in or about August 2016 up to and including in or about October 2016, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, DASHAWN HAWKINS, a/k/a “Jhonny Cash,” and others conspired to sell heroin.  In addition, on or about September 1, 2016, HAWKINS distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.  The use of controlled substances distributed by HAWKINS resulted in the death of Colin Cameron, on or about September 2, 2016.

In a search of HAWKINS’s apartment pursuant to a search warrant executed at the time of his arrest, the NYPD recovered, among other things, quantities of heroin, cutting agent, packaging for fentanyl, a 9mm firearm with high-capacity magazines loaded with hollow-point bullets, and what appears to be a silencer.

DASHAWN HAWKINS, 26, faces a maximum of life in prison, and a mandatory term of 20 years in prison.

The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.

This matter is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Jason M. Swergold is in charge of the prosecution.

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

Queens Man Charged In New York City “Vermin Control” Fraud Scheme

  Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the arrest and charges against MYONG HWAN HAN, a/k/a “David Han,” for mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with a scheme that sought to defraud thousands of victims out of more than $1 million.  From April 2016 through September 2016, HAN and a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) allegedly created and mailed thousands of fraudulent notices of violation, which purported to be official communications from New York City related to vermin control violations.  The notices directed the recipients to make immediate payments to a sham entity created by HAN and CC-1.  In response, victims mailed checks to the sham entity based on their mistaken belief that the notices of violation were legitimate.  HAN was presented today before Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman.

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

In April 2016, CC-1 hired a print shop to print approximately 10,000 copies of a fraudulent notice (the “Fraudulent Notice”).  The Fraudulent Notice, which included a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“NYC Health”) logo and was purportedly signed by the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, directed immediate payment of $120 to be mailed to an entity called “Vermin Control of New York,” under threat of additional penalties, including fees and property liens.  In response to the Fraudulent Notice, approximately 101 victims mailed checks to Vermin Control of New York.           

In fact, NYC Health did not authorize the Fraudulent Notice or use of the NYC Health logo.  HAN and CC-1 created Vermin Control of New York as part of their scheme and used the location of CC-1’s post office box as the organization’s mailing address.  HAN created a bank account for Vermin Control of New York and agreed with CC-1 to share any proceeds from their scam.

HAN, 31, of Queens, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud.  Each of the charges carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

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.

Mr. Bharara praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, and thanked the New York City Department of Investigation for its assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy V. Capozzi is in charge of the prosecution.

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

---

[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.

Statement From A.G. Schneiderman - Regarding today’s Airbnb lawsuit:

  The law signed today will provide vital protections for New York tenants and help prevent the continued proliferation of illegal, unregulated hotels, and we will defend it. Airbnb can’t have it both ways: it must either police illegal activity on its own site -- or government will act to protect New Yorkers, as the State just did.