Friday, March 24, 2017

Bloods Gang Member Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 22 Years In Prison For 2006 Murder


   Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LARRY GREEN, a/k/a “Mafia,” a/k/a “Maf,” was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 22 years in prison, in connection with the 2006 drug-related murder of Shawn Williams, a/k/a “Showtime” (“Williams”) in Paterson, New Jersey. Sentenced was imposed by U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “This case is yet another example of the senseless violence that often accompanies drug dealing on our city streets. Today, Larry Green was sentenced to 22 years in prison for murdering a rival drug dealer over a turf dispute in Paterson, New Jersey. This case exemplifies the determination of this Office and our law enforcement partners to ensure that even after 11 years, the perpetrator would be held responsible for this ruthless murder.”

GREEN previously pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin.

According to the indictment previously filed in Manhattan federal court and public information:

GREEN, an enforcer of the Fruit Town Brims set of the Bloods street gang, was arrested on February 22, 2014, in Paterson, New Jersey. On March 17, 2016, GREEN pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, from 2006 through 2014. GREEN admitted that, as part of the charged narcotics distribution offense, he and his co-conspirators were engaged in an ongoing dispute concerning, alia, drug distribution territory in Paterson. In connection with that ongoing dispute, on or about July 2, 2006, GREEN encountered Williams, who was inside a vehicle that was driving in the vicinity of 145 North Main Street, in Paterson. GREEN pulled out a firearm, and fired one shot at the vehicle, striking and killing Williams.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Newark Division, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Clifton Police Department, and the New Jersey State Police.

A.G. Schneiderman Announces $20.9 Million In Grants To 19 Land Banks That Are Rebuilding Neighborhoods Across New York State


This Round Of Funding Brings OAG Support For Land Banks To $57 Million Since 2013, Boosting Neighborhood Revitalization Efforts Statewide
Funding Made Possible By Schneiderman’s 2016 Settlement Agreements With Morgan Stanley And Goldman Sachs
  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced $20.9 million in new grants to 19 land banks that are working to protect homeowners and neighborhoods across the state by acquiring abandoned properties and returning them to productive use.  This new funding brings Attorney General Schneiderman’s total investment in land banks to $57 million since 2013.
The grants were awarded under the Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative (CRI). The Office of the Attorney General established the initiative in 2013 with funding secured through settlements with the nation’s largest banks over misconduct that contributed to the housing crisis. As of November 2016, when the Office of the Attorney General published “Revitalizing New York State,” a report on the land bank initiative, the New York land banks had:
  • Reclaimed more than 1,995 abandoned properties
  • Returned over 700 properties to market
  • Demolished 409 unstable structures
  • Preserved $19 million in property value for surrounding homes
This round of funding, which was made possible by settlements the Attorney General secured last year with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, provides renewal grants to the state’s original ten land banks and start-up grants to nine more newly established land banks, many of which are in rural areas across the state.
“Communities throughout New York are still suffering the fallout from the housing crisis, and my office will continue to support innovative efforts to help them recover,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “With today’s round of grants, all 19 land banks will build on the significant accomplishments already achieved over the past three years, helping put abandoned properties back into use, revitalizing towns and cities, and creating a safer, more stable, and more vibrant environment for New York’s families.”
The grant program is being managed by two community development intermediary organizations, Enterprise Community Partners and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which oversaw the application process, selected the grantees, and will be providing technical assistance to the land banks as they implement their plans.
The following grants were announced today:
  • Albany County Land Bank Corporation $1,040,834
  • Broome County Land Bank Corporation $  650,870              
  • Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation $1,230,000
  • Capital Region Land Reutilization Corporation $1,700,000
  • Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation $1,110,000
  • Greater Syracuse Property Development Corporation $2,000,000
  • Newburgh Community Land Bank  $2,000,000
  • Rochester Land Bank Corporation  $1,500,000
  • Suffolk County Landbank Corporation $1,230,000
  • Troy Community Land Bank $  701,587
  • Allegany County Land Bank $  360,000
  • Cattaraugus County Land Bank $  764,625
  • Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank $  500,000
  • Greater Mohawk Valley Land Bank $1,642,800
  • Nassau County Land Bank  $1,210,541
  • Oswego County Land Bank $1,000,000
  • Sullivan County Land Bank $  920,000
  • Chemung County Land Bank $  893,100
  • Steuben County Land Bank  $  500,000
Examples of funded projects include the following:
  • The Albany County Land Bank will leverage creative partnerships with local housing organizations to revitalize Albany’s five most distressed neighborhoods, which are Sheridan Hollow, Arbor Hill, the South End and West Hill and West End, including turning vacant lots into vibrant spaces.
  • The Capital Region Land Bank will utilize funding to strategically target revitalization efforts in communities challenged by high poverty and vacancy rates, including Schenectady's Mount Pleasant neighborhood and Amsterdam's East End. Redevelopment projects facilitated by the Land Bank will include the transformation of a large blighted building near two college campuses into affordable rental apartments.
  • The Troy Community Land Bank will continue to focus revitalization efforts on one of the most distressed census tracts in the City, with the aim of acquiring up to 24 vacant and abandoned properties and stabilizing and/or rehabilitating up to 16 of them, and demolishing those which are beyond the point of repair.
  • The Newburgh land bank will create fifty affordable rental units, help ten families realize their dream of home ownership, and – so that nothing goes to waste – recycle materials from demolished properties for use in future renovations.
  • The new Greater Mohawk Valley Land Bank is piloting an innovative collaboration among four counties and two cities to significantly ramp up efforts to eradicate the blight of abandoned properties.
  • The Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (BENLIC) will use the new funding to stabilize the most distressed properties in the Land Bank’s 2017-2018 inventory, which are located in low- to moderate-income communities. BENLIC will also complete a modular construction demonstration project in the Lovejoy neighborhood of the City of Buffalo.
  • The Rochester Land Bank Corporation (RLBC) will use new funds to carry out three programs: 1) Strategic Blight Removal which will facilitate up to 10 demolitions of blighted structures; 2) The Homeownership Assistance Program for Vacant Houses, a new initiative to assist first-time homeowners to purchase vacant homes with subsidies for renovations; 3) To develop a scattered-site affordable rental housing project that will produce at least 20 units of affordable housing.
  • The Greater Syracuse Land Bank (GSLB) will use new funds to complete up to 70 demolitions of deteriorated structures and up to 10 substantial rehabilitations of single family homes to be sold to low-income residents.
  • The Broome County Land Bank Corporation (BCLBC) will use new funds to acquire, demolish, and rehabilitate up to 17 foreclosed or abandoned properties in Broome County. Investment will be focused on two low-income areas in the County—the urban core of the Village of Johnson City and the City of Binghamton’s West Side. 
  • The Suffolk County Landbank Corporation (SCLBC) will use new funds to: 1. Complete up to 10 environmental assessments and redevelop vacant, tax delinquent commercial properties; and 2. Rehabilitate up to 12 former zombie homes. 
During the decade of the housing boom and bust, from 2000 to 2010, the number of vacant properties in New York State increased 27%. Following the collapse of the housing market, the New York State Legislature passed a law in 2011 establishing land banks — nonprofit organizations that can acquire vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties and rebuild, demolish, or redesign them. By restoring vacant or abandoned properties, land banks lower costs for local governments, benefit public schools, reduce crime and boost local economies.
Building on the foundation laid by the legislation, Attorney General Schneiderman launched the Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative to provide funding and allow land banks to fulfill their purpose. With this round of funding, the A.G.’s office will have dedicated a total of $57 million to fund New York land banks. In 2014, the Attorney General’s bill to expand the number of land banks from 10 to 20 became law.
Land bank programs act as an economic and community development tool to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and business districts. Land banks can benefit urban schools, improve tax revenues, expand housing opportunities, remove public nuisances, assist in crime prevention and promote economic development.
By transferring vacant and abandoned properties to responsible land owners, local governments benefit because they avoid the significant cost burden of property maintenance, such as mowing and snow removal. In addition, local governments benefit from increased revenue because the new owners pay taxes on the properties. In turn, local schools benefit because they receive more funding when there is an increase in the number of property owners in their school districts. Land bank programs can also increase the variety of mixed-income housing offered and provide more opportunities for affordable housing.
Land bank properties that become owner-occupied discourage criminal activity, benefiting public safety and decreasing the cost burden on local police and fire departments. Finally, the more residents and businesses that occupy property in a neighborhood, the more services and amenities will be needed, which boosts local economic activity.
The land bank initiative is one component of the Attorney General’s comprehensive strategy for helping New York families and communities rebuild from the housing crisis.  He has led the fight to hold the banks accountable for their recklessness and responsible for mitigating the damage they caused.  He has obtained settlements that brought more than $95 billion to communities across the country.
More than $5.5 billion of that settlement money has come into New York State alone. With those funds, the Office of the Attorney General has also:
  • Established the Homeowners Protection Program, HOPP, in 2012, which has funded nearly 90 agencies across the state and has provided legal services and counseling to help nearly 70,000 families stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure; nearly a third of them have mortgage modifications pending or approved. 
  • Created a web-based app,agscamhelp.com, a tool to help at-risk homeowners avoid mortgage foreclosure scams, including Deed Theft. More than 175,000 consumers have used the app since launch in 2014. 
  • Established the New York State Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) in 2014.  Since it began, MAP has provided $18 million in small loans to homeowners to clear other debts and qualify for mortgage modifications; it has prevented more than 650 foreclosures and preserved $153 million in property value for nearby homeowners. The Attorney General recently announced a $100 million expansion of MAP.
  • Launched the Zombie and Vacant Property Remediation and Prevention Initiative, providing almost $13 million in grants to 76 villages, towns, and cities across the state to combat the blight of abandoned foreclosure properties.
  • Launched “Neighbors for Neighborhoods” in August 2016, a $4 million pilot program that enables land banks to provide subsidies for local community members to take over individual, abandoned properties and convert them into long-term affordable rental units. 

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACT AND PROMOTING PROSTITUTION


Defendant Forced Prostitutes To Get Tattooed With His “Brand;” Sex Workers Were Given Cocaine, Held Captive 

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a Criminal Sex Act and Promoting Prostitution stemming from a sex trafficking operation that held young women captive in a Bronx apartment. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant treated young women not only as sex slaves, but like animals, getting them tattooed with his initial and year of birth. He forced the victim in this case to perform a sex act on him, and threatened her when she wanted to leave the sex trade. He will serve 12 years, and we hope his victim will be able to reclaim her life.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Glen Bowman, 42, of 1850 Cross Bronx Expressway Extension, was sentenced yesterday, March 22, 2017, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Robert Neary to 12 years in prison with five years post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty on February 15, 2017 to first-degree Criminal Sexual Act, and third-degree Promoting Prostitution. The judge issued a full final order of protection against the defendant, valid until March 21, 2037. 

  According to the investigation, Bowman and a co-defendant, Jessica Copeland, forced the victim and other young women to engage in sex for money at Bronx motels and got the women hooked on cocaine. Copeland pleaded guilty to sex trafficking on January 13, 2017 and was sentenced to two to three years in prison. 

 In July 2012, the victim, then 19, was made to get a tattoo on her arm depicting a stack of money with “GDT” and “established 1975” written on it. The “GDT” stands for Glen, Diamond, Tamia, the name of the defendant and two of his children. The 1975 stands for the year the defendant was born.

  At the sentencing hearing, the victim read an impact statement that said in part, “You are a monster. The way you treated me and many others like me is inhumane. We are people not property! We are not dogs, ATMs, sex slaves or whatever else you think we are.….. You have ruined so many lives, so many, but not mine.”

News From Congressman Michael Blake




Statement on the House Republicans attempt to repeal Affordable Care Act

In celebration of the 7th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act on Thursday while we anticipate a potentially catastrophic vote on Friday, New York State Assembly Member and DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake released the following statement:

On Thursday, we celebrated the 7th Anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, a bill which provides health insurance for millions of Americans who could not afford it or were denied it because of a pre-existing condition. We celebrated the lives that were saved due to this bill and the families that are able to rest easier because they are not sacrificing healthcare for basic necessities while reaffirming the belief that the right to affordable health care must be a core value of our democracy.  However, we now face a challenge to our values.

Since its passage, Republicans have prioritized repealing the Affordable Care Act and taking away healthcare for 24 million Americans. This obsession with denying people their basic needs is inhumane and we must reject this unacceptable action when the House Republicans intend to vote on repealing health care later today.

President Trump and the Republicans in Congress have hitched their wagon to a bill that would be devastating to the American people, and as a result have found it nearly impossible to gain a consensus, resulting in endless revisions and delays on a bill that is simply unwanted. The House GOP didn't have the votes yesterday, and instead of trying to help people by expanding the law, they are going to to try again today to repeal it.

One of the greatest honors of my life was to serve President Obama in his administration to help with the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The A.C.A. is personal for me as I was born with a heart murmur, my mother beat Breast Cancer and to this day deals with asthma, and my father succumbed to skin cancer. Healthcare is not just a policy on paper; it is saving lives. Yes, the law can have improvements but repealing it as absolutely unacceptable and inhumane. I urge all Americans to denounce this bill and stand up to oppose the repeal. We must continue to #Resist by calling 202-225-5265 to demand answers from Congressman Chris Collins on his horrendous proposal that would severely impact the coverage of 2.1 million New Yorkers who enrolled under the medicaid expansion and call on all House Republicans to answer why they are absolutely adamant in trying to take away health coverage for 24 million Americans. Congress must work in the best interest of the American people.  Healthcare reform should benefit all people not just profit CEOs of Insurance and Pharmaceutical companies. As an Assembly Member from the diverse county in America and a DNC Vice Chair, I will continue to fight for those most at risk, because true public service requires it.  We should do everything we can do to provide health care not take it away."

EDITOR'S NOTE:
There was no vote on Friday as the House Republican leader withdrew the legislation for now.

STATEMENT FROM IDC LEADER JEFF KLEIN - NEW YORK IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES


   Our immigrant communities nationwide are living in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety under the Trump administration. That’s why it’s critical that we show leadership at the state level to let New York’s immigrant community know that we have their back.
Last year, the Independent Democratic Conference—working with immigration and legal advocates— announced funding for the Vera Institute of Justice’s New York Immigrant Family Unity Project to provide public defenders to those facing deportation—an initial down payment to ensure due process and prevent more families from being needlessly torn apart. Additionally, we created the Immigrant Defense Coalition to operate out of each of our member’s district office to provide legal services and resources to immigrants and their families.
We applaud Governor Cuomo’s leadership on this issue. It sends a strong message that New York will never turn its back on the immigrants who make our state great. We look forward to working with him further to advance this important cause.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT


   “When President Trump was elected, it was a foregone conclusion that the new president and his Republican Congress would immediately throw millions of people off their health insurance. But a grassroots movement made up of millions of Americans standing together stopped that from happening. While the fight is far from over, Obamacare repeal efforts are now on life support as the law continues to keep Americans alive. I commend New York City’s Congressional delegation for standing up against repeal efforts and a related amendment targeting New York City taxpayers.”

Congressman Engel on House GOP Failure to Pass Trumpcare


  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement on the failure by House Republicans to pass the American Health Care Act, also known as “Trumpcare”:

“Today represents a remarkable example of the power of the American public to bring about real change.

“The American people overwhelmingly opposed Trumpcare, and they made it known to those who represent them in Congress. I am proud to be one of those Representatives who stood up and spoke out against this bad piece of legislation, and I’m encouraged by the engagement and persistence I’ve seen in recent weeks.

“I hope that today will be a turning point for my Republican colleagues. The Affordable Care Act shepherded tremendous progress. Over 20 million more Americans are insured thanks to the ACA, and important new protections were put in place. We ought to work together to build on that progress, without turning back the clock on people for whom the ACA has been life-saving.

“Thank you to the people of New York’s 16th District for making your voices heard. I pledge to keep working to protect your care, and to keep listening.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF 15 MEMBERS TO THE ARCHIVES, REFERENCE AND RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD


    Mayor de Blasio announced the appointment of 15 members to the Archives, Reference and Research Advisory Board, which will consult with Commissioner Pauline Toole of the Department of Records and Information Services.

DORIS has begun an extensive effort to revitalize the Municipal Archives and Municipal Library, to have these institutions serve a larger public and to help frame ongoing public policy discussions within a historical context. The revitalization efforts include digitizing holdings, making resources available online, developing exhibits to augment debates, forming partnerships with non-traditional organizations, and engaging new audiences. The Archives, Reference and Research Advisory Board will help develop and shape this revitalization by offering guidance, setting strategic goals, identifying funding sources, and connecting communities. 
“It is vital that we remember the rich history of the city and that we bring available historical resources to the forefront in order to engage new audiences,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This group of appointees will work diligently to revitalize these resources and to display the relevance that our history has had in the formation of the city and government that we see today. We appreciate the board’s efforts and I look forward to working with all of the new members.”

“I am grateful to the Mayor and the new board members for their support as we work towards making the truly amazing holdings of the Archives and Library more broadly available. This is a diverse group who will help us develop and implement strategies for demonstrating the relevance and historical context of decisions made by government leaders that have affected communities throughout the City’s 400-year history,” said DORIS Commissioner Pauline Toole.

“I have long been a fan of the Municipal Archives and Library and I am so pleased  the Mayor has asked me to Chair the Advisory Board.  I look forward to collaborating with my distinguished colleagues in strategizing how to bring City government’s historical treasures to new audiences,” said Incoming Chair Joan Millman. 

The following board members are community leaders, historians, librarians, and archivists who will aid with this transition and provide insight on evolving practices in relevant fields.

The Honorable Joan Millman – Chair: Former NY State Assemblymember
Pamela Cruz: Archives Strategist and Advocate 
Dr. Johanna Fernandez: Assistant Professor, History Department, Baruch College of the City University of New York
Glenda Grace: General Counsel & Chief of Staff, Queens College 
Idilio Gracia Peña: Chief Archivist, CUNY Dominican Studies Institute 
Kayhan Irani: Writer/producer         
Lillian Jean-Baptiste: Community Engager, Family Advocate & Cultural Ambassador
Gregory Jost: Partner, Designing the WE
Richard Moylan: President, Green-Wood Cemetery and Historic Fund
Tom Shcherbenko: Community and political activist        
Dr. Robert Snyder: Professor of Journalism and American Studies, Rutgers University-Newark
Dr. Jack Tchen: Professor, New York University 
Peter Williams: Executive Vice President for Programs, NAACP
Mark Winston Griffith: Executive Director, Brooklyn Movement Center
Mary Yearwood: Director of Collections and Information Services, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture