Tuesday, February 7, 2017

You're Invited: March Fundraiser in support of Elvin Garcia for City Council




Dear Friends,

 Please join:

Kevin Jennings, Melissa Sklaz, Carmen Neely, Brendan Fay, Alan Reiff, Juan Rosa
Richard Allman, Michael Brady, Tom Kirdahy & James Felton Keith

for a reception in support of:


Elvin Garcia for
City Council - District 18


Monday, March 6th, 2017
6:30PM - 8:30PM 


The Home of
Kevin Jennings & Jeff Davis 
11 West 20th St #7, New York, NY 10011

__________________________________

Co-Host - $500 | Sponsor - $250
Supporter - $175 | Friend - $100

Please RSVP by email at: RSVP@elvingarcia.nyc 
Contribute online by clicking here

EDITOR'S NOTE:

I did not know that the 18th City Council district in the Bronx included 11 West 20th Street Manhattan.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST M/WBE CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES


The City and its partners will coach M/WBE firms on how to improve their directory profiles to stand out and be most competitive

    Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Office of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) today announced a new community partnership to boost City contracting opportunities for M/WBEs. The City is working with community partners to help M/WBEs get certified or re-certified as an M/WBE contractor, working with them to offer advice on how these firms may best compete for contracts.

All registered M/WBE contractors appear in the NYC Business Directory that City agencies use to select contractors for various services. The City and its partners will coach M/WBE firms on how to improve their directory profiles to stand out and be most competitive. This new program is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s historic commitment to M/WBEs that aims to award 30 percent of City contract dollars to M/WBEs by 2021. The partnership also will help keep the City on track to reach its OneNYC goal, which is to award $16 billion dollars to M/WBEs by 2025.

“This new partnership will ensure that all businesses and firms led by diverse individuals have the chance to compete for City contracts,” saidMayor Bill de Blasio. “We know that when all people – regardless of race, gender or ethnicity – have the proper resources to reach their full potential, communities across the five boroughs will reap the benefits of their success.”

“Certification is an important first step towards participating in the City’s procurement process. By drastically increasing the number of certified M/WBEs, ensuring they can access our capacity building services and making it easier for City agencies to identify M/WBEs they can and should be doing business with, we can expand opportunity and award more City contracts to M/WBEs than ever before. This partnership demonstrates that we can make New York a fairer place to do business – a place where everyone can succeed," said Richard Buery, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Citywide M/WBE Director.

“This new partnership will perform mission critical work in helping M/WBEs compete for and win contracts with the City. For some of these businesses, a simple profile reboot can mean the difference between securing a rewarding City contract and missing out on a business opportunity,” said Jonnel Doris, Senior Advisor and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. “By helping us tap into the existing pool of entrepreneurial talent – which we know runs very deep in New York City – these new partners will expand the work of M/WBEs citywide and remove barriers to entry, keeping us on pace to meet the 30 percent contracting goal.”

“City contractors should reflect the diverse talents and skills of all of our people, and that is why Mayor de Blasio has made a historic commitment to expanding contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. “Through this new partnership, we are working with partners in each borough to help M/WBEs highlight their services and best compete for City contracts.”

The City is working with 5 community partners, one per borough, to reach local minority- and women-owned businesses through events, workshops and counseling. The program will help these businesses get certified as a designated M/WBE contractor and help them better compete for City contracts. The initiative will help M/WBE firms improve their NYC Business Directory profiles by honing in on each firm’s strongest areas of expertise. City agencies often seek providers who specialize in specific services instead of those who list a large variety of general services. Through coaching and support, firms will be able to make clear how they can best serve as a City contractor. 

M/WBE businesses seeking assistance with certification, recertification, or building their business profile may contact the community partners listed below:

  • Bronx: SOBRO, 555 Bergen Avenue, Bronx, NY, (718)292-3113
  • Brooklyn: Brooklyn Alliance, 335 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY (718)856-4078
  • Manhattan: Jean Kristensen Associates, 275 Madison Avenue, New York, NY,(917)397-7242
  • Queens: Queens Economic Development Corporation, 120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY, (718)263-0546
  • Staten Island: West Brighton LDC, 705 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY,(718)816-4775
  • For more information on getting certified as a M/WBE contractor or to receive assistance, please visit www.nyc.gov/sbs.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ON STATE ASSEMBLY PASSAGE OF IMMIGRATION BILLS


    
    Our State Assembly voted today to protect the American Dream. I want to thank Speaker Carl Heastie, prime bill sponsors – Assembly Members Marcos Crespo and Francisco Moya – and all members of the Assembly Democratic Conference who voted to protect New York’s immigrants. New York City will defend our people wherever they come from, whatever their immigration status. Together, we will fight to uphold our values, our laws and our Constitution, and we will win.

Senate and Assembly Pass Resolution Memorializing the Life of Fallen Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy


   Today, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and Assembly member Victor M. Pichardo introduced a resolution in the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly paying tribute to the life and service of fallen firefighter Battalion Chief, Michael J. Fahy, who tragically perished in a building explosion in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx on September 27, 2016. 

This resolution sought to memorialize Battalion Chief Fahy's life of service and sacrifice with the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) while further recognizing the innumerable sacrifices made by men and women of the FDNY. This resolution is co-sponsored by State Senator George Latimer in the New York State Senate and Assembly member Shelley Mayer in the New York State Assembly as representatives of the districts that Chief Fahy called home.
"Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy's remarkable life of service perfectly embodied the values that characterize those who are truly committed to public service. For seventeen years, Chief Fahy, a second generation firefighter, worked tirelessly to provide fire protection and safety to the many communities throughout New York City. He proudly served and performed his responsibilities beyond his call of duty," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "I'm profoundly honored to introduce this resolution on the floor of the New York State Senate not only as a token, albeit small, of our State's appreciation and utmost respect to Battalion Chief Fahy, but also as a merited recognition to the courageous and often perilous work performed by our men and women of the FDNY. My thoughts and prayers are with Chief Fahy's widow, Fiona Fahy, and their three children Michael, Cormac and Ann Elisabeth."
"It is important to keep in mind our first responders who face danger every day and the bravery with which they do their job. After 17 years of dedicated service, it is an honor to recognize Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy, a husband, a father and a valiant member of Battalion 19, Engine Company 75, Ladder Company 33, of the Bronx," said Assembly member Victor Pichardo. "Not only would I like to pay tribute to this courageous man but I would like to honor his memory and thank him and his family for their commitment and faithful service to my neighbors in the West Bronx."
"My heart goes out to Battalion Chief Fahy, his wife and their children. To be a Battalion Chief is not just a commitment of your own, but also a commitment made by those who love you. I so appreciate my colleagues in the State Senate, as well as the Assembly, pausing to honor a great man who so selflessly gave of himself. I deeply admire the work and life of Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy and thank Senator Rivera and my other colleagues for honoring him," said State Senator George Latimer.
"I am honored to co-sponsor this resolution memorializing Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy. The resolution is but a small token of what we can do to commemorate his life and his work. We will always be grateful for his bravery and his service, and continue to have his widow, Fiona Fahy, and three children, Michael, Cormac and Ann Elisabeth, in our thoughts and prayers. Chief Fahy put his life on the line for his work, and his family should know just how much of a hero he is in our eyes, too. The men and women of our community who serve as firefighters know the risks their work involves, but they have a deep sense of public service and a love for their work. Chief Fahy embodied these values, and we will continue to remember him in this light," said Assembly member Shelley Mayer.

The resolution honoring Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy was unanimously adopted by the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat Statement on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day


18th annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD)

   Today, U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat issued the following statement in recognition of February 7th as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  First recognized in 1999, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to reflect on HIV’s impact within the African American community, encourage testing and support of individuals living with the virus, and build awareness of the impact HIV/ AIDS has on African American communities around the nation. 

The 2017 theme of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is “I Am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper. Fight HIV/AIDS!”

“HIV/ AIDS continues to have a disproportionate impact on African Americans throughout communities around the nation,” said Rep. Espaillat.  “While much progress has been made, there is still much work that remains in our efforts to increase education and build awareness of HIV and AIDS throughout all communities, but particularly throughout the African American community which according to the CDC represents more than one-third (or 40 percent) of all individuals living with HIV and nearly half (or 45 percent) of all newly diagnosed infections.

“Testing is critical in the prevention of the spread of HIV, and treatment is paramount for individuals living with the virus.  Join me in making today a day of service to encourage friends, family, and neighbors to get tested, get educated, get involved to prevent the continued spread of HIV/ AIDS throughout the African American community, and stop the stigma!”   

Monday, February 6, 2017

Clinic Manager Pleads Guilty In $70 Million Scheme To Defraud Medicare And Medicaid


Fraud Ring, With Three Clinics in Brooklyn and Queens, Paid Kickbacks to Individuals to Undergo Medically Unnecessary Tests

   Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDUARD ZAVALUNOV, a manager of two health care clinics in Queens, New York, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud, for his role in a massive health care fraud scheme through which three medical clinics in Brooklyn and Queens submitted over $70 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid and Medicare. 
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said:  “Eduard Zavalunov has admitted to his role in this $70 million health care fraud  conspiracy.  Zavalunov and his conspirators recruited people from soup kitchens and welfare offices and arranged for them to get medically unnecessary procedures, all so that they could falsely bill Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers.”
According to the Superseding Indictment to which ZAVALUNOV pled guilty, and other publicly filed information in this case:
The Heath Care Fraud Scheme
From 2005 to November 2014, ZAVALUNOV, Victor Lipkin, Vadim Zubkov, Nokoloz Chochiev, Anatoliy Fatkhov, Mariana Swaffar, Jacqueline Pinez, Jonathan Oliver, Jason Brissett, Gilbert Trotman, and Giorgi Buleishvili engaged in a scheme to operate three medical clinics in Brooklyn and Queens, through which they recruited financially disadvantaged and homeless people insured by Medicare and/or Medicaid (the “Phony Patients”) to undergo unnecessary medical tests, typically performed by unlicensed personnel, at the clinics in exchange for cash, and then billed the insurers for administering those unnecessary tests.  Beginning in or about 2005, Lipkin and Zubkov recruited and paid a particular licensed physician (the “Doctor”) to act as the nominal owner and/or physician under whose name three purported medical clinics would bill Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance providers (the “Insurance Providers”) for unnecessary services and tests – including sleep tests and stress tests – performed at the clinics. The clinics were located on Avenue V in Brooklyn, New York, and on Hillside Avenue and Elmhurst Avenue, respectively, in Queens, New York.  Lipkin and Zubkov were, in fact, the beneficial owners of the clinics, but they concealed their ownership through the Doctor’s nominal affiliation with the clinics, and by laundering the proceeds of the clinics’ operation through shell companies that they owned and controlled.  ZAVALUNOV, Lipkin, Zubkov, and Buleishvili operated and controlled the clinics, and ran the clinics’ day-to-day operations, despite the fact that they were not licensed physicians, as required by New York law.
At the direction of ZAVALUNOV, Lipkin, Zubkov, Buleishvili, and other members of the scheme, including Oliver, Brissett, and Trotman (the “Runners”), as well as Chochiev, recruited financially disadvantaged individuals with Medicaid and/or Medicare insurance to act as Phony Patients and undergo unnecessary medical tests at the clinics in exchange for cash payments.  The Runners often recruited such individuals from soup kitchens and local welfare offices, and coached them on what to say on various medical forms in order to make it falsely appear that the medical tests to which the defendants intended to subject them were medically necessary.  In furtherance of the scheme, Chochiev also made threats of physical violence to individuals who Chochiev believed owed money to the scheme members. 
Also in furtherance of the scheme, before the medically unnecessary tests were performed on the Phony Patients, Swaffar and Pinez obtained the Phony Patients’ Medicaid and/or Medicare insurance information, and then contacted the Insurance Providers to confirm that the Insurance Providers would reimburse for the tests.  Swaffar and Pinez engaged in such conduct knowing that the Phony Patients were being recruited and paid by the Runners to undergo the tests.  Once they determined that a particular Phony Patient’s insurance would pay out claims made by the clinic for the planned medical tests, Swaffar and Pinez notified the Runners that the individuals were eligible and could be brought to the clinic to undergo such tests.
After the Phony Patients had been recruited, confirmed to be Medicare and/or Medicaid eligible, and transported to one of the clinics by the Runners or Chochiev, in many instances certain individuals who were not physicians administered a host of unnecessary medical tests to them.  In particular, for example, Fatakhov administered unnecessary medical tests, including stress tests, to the Phony Patients of the Elmhurst Avenue Clinic.  Fatakhov administered these tests outside the presence and supervision of the Doctor or other licensed physician, despite knowing that the presence or supervision of a licensed physician was required.  After the unnecessary medical tests were administered, the Phony Patients were paid cash kickbacks.  The defendants, through the clinics, then submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid and Medicare seeking reimbursement for the unnecessary medical tests.  In total, in the course of the scheme, the defendants fraudulently billed over $70 million to Medicaid and Medicare, for which they received over $25 million in reimbursements. 

ZAVALUNOV, 36, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Victor Lipkin, 52, pled guilty on August 3, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Vadim Zubkov, 49, pled guilty on January 13, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Nikoloz Chochiev, 42, pled guilty on August 11, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Anatoliy Fatakhov, 60, pled guilty on July 28, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Mariana Swaffar, 52, pled guilty on August 15, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Jacqueline Pinez, 33, pled guilty on July 11, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Jonathan Oliver, 54, pled guilty on September 6, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Giorgi Buleishvili, 42, pled guilty on January 31, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and health care fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences for the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services. 

DYCD OPENS EARLY APPLICATION PROCESS FOR CITY’S SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (SYEP)


City residents ages 14-24 can apply for summer job lottery at www.nyc.gov/dycd through Friday, March 17
Employers interested in supporting NYC’s youth employment programs can apply at the NYC Center for Youth Employment website at www.nyc.gov/cye

    New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Bill Chong today announced that applications are open for the 2017 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) from Monday, February 6 through Friday, March 17, 2017. The application process was launched earlier this year to give New Yorkers additional time to plan for summer. Participants are selected by lottery for the program, which runs from July 5 through August 19.
“Every year we give more and more students the chance at an internship that could change the trajectory of their careers. Last year tens of thousands of young New Yorkers kick started their futures ‎at more than 10,000 job sites across the City, further cementing the Summer Youth Employment Program as the biggest and best summer youth workforce initiative in the nation. This year, we’ll connect even more youth from across the five boroughs to meaningful opportunity,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
In the summer of 1973, I worked with the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council cleaning up an empty lot. That summer I earned $320, but more importantly, the job exposed me to the world of public service and taught me work ethic. I look back now as the commissioner of the agency that oversees this program, and realize that SYEP positively affected the career choices I have made. Through SYEP,younger youths learn the importance of showing up on time and working with other people. For older teens and young adults, it’s about lining up the work experience and careers in which they are interested,” said DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong.
SYEP is the nation’s largest summer youth employment initiative, and since 1963 has provided New York City young people between the ages of 14 and 24 with up to six weeks of entry-level experience at worksites in all five boroughs. Last summer, a record 60,113 participants were employed at more than 10,000 worksites. With the support of the Center for Youth Employment, the City more than doubled the number of Ladders for Leaders internships (1,538) and opportunities for young people who are homeless, court-involved or in foster care (3,050).
SYEP participants are compensated for their work at diverse worksites that include government agencies, hospitals, summer camps, nonprofits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises and retail. Specialized programming for disabled, foster care, runaway/homeless and court-involved young people are also available. SYEP offers workshops on job readiness, career exploration and financial literacy, and opportunities to continue education and social growth. Ladders for Leaders is an employer-paid internship component of SYEP for youth aged 16-22.
Studies show that SYEP improves school attendance, offers new skills, reduces incarceration rates and keeps teens and young adults safe—including youth who wouldn’t otherwise have access to paying jobs.
As part of a national effort to encourage young people to save and make healthy financial choices,SYEP participants have the option to receive their wages via direct deposit to a bank account of their choiceYouth who signed up for direct deposit and/or opened savings accounts are eligible to receive over 2,000 rewards deposited to their accounts ranging from $25-$500. Last summer, more than 16,000 young people signed up for direct deposit accounts, a 200 percent increase since 2014. The multi-year initiative is funded by the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) and the Citi Foundation.

In 2015, Mayor de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City launched the NYC Center for Youth Employment, a public-private initiative charged with helping to expand the City’s employment services for young New Yorkers, including SYEP. The Center for Youth Employment’s specific goal is to support 100,000 unique work-related experiences each year, including high-quality summer jobs, career exposure, skills-building, and supportive mentorships, by 2020. In collaboration with City agencies, employers and other stakeholders, the Center for Youth Employment is focused on increasing private sector involvement in these programs as well as evaluating the City’s youth workforce system as a whole, with an eye toward expanding effective programs and filling in gaps.
Applications can be completed online or at a participating community-based organization during the application period. Online applications are available at the DYCD website (www.nyc.gov/dycd).Updates will also be posted to DYCD’s FacebookTwitter and Instagram sites. For more information, call 311 or DYCD Youth Connect (1-800-246-4646).
Employers and worksites looking to support New York City’s youth employment programs, including SYEP, should go to the Center for Youth Employment’s website (www.nyc.gov/cye). Interestedemployers can also email the Mayor’s Fund at fund@cityhall.nyc.gov for details.

African American Abrazo (Embrace) in New York


  State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz together with Assembly Members Marcos Crespo, Luis Sepúlveda, Michael Blake, Victor Pichardo and Councilmember Rafael Salamanca announce the celebration of the Annual “African-American Abrazo” (Embrace) in New York State. 


The six distinguished African-Americans who will be honored during this special occasion are: Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Concourse Village Board Member Ms. Chantel Jackson, Union Grove Baptist Church Rev. Frederick Crawford, Community Advocate Minister Kwame Thompson and 86th AD State Committee Woman Bernice Williams. 

This Annual African American Abrazo (Embrace) will take place on, February 24th  2017 from 7:00 pm to 12 midnight at Maestro’s Caterers located at 1703 Bronxdale Avenue, in Bronx County.