Ramapo Town Supervisor, Christopher St. Lawrence, Found Guilty After Trial Of Conspiracy, Securities Fraud, And Wirefraud In Municipal Bond Securities Fraud Case

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a federal jury today found former Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence guilty of 20 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud in connection with municipal bonds issued by the Town of Ramapo (the “Town”) and the Ramapo Local Development Corporation (“RLDC”).  St. Lawrence was acquitted of one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.  Today's verdict, which came after a four-week trial in federal court in White Plains, marks the first conviction for securities fraud in connection with municipal bonds.

Acting U.S. Attorney Kim said:  “As the jury found today after trial, Christopher St. Lawrence lied repeatedly to the investing public about the state of Ramapo’s finances. The integrity of the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market is of critical importance to both investors and municipalities that rely on this market. The verdict today in a case of public corruption meets securities fraud, stands as a victory for both honest government and fair financial markets.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and the evidence presented in court during the trial:

As of August 2015, the Town had more than $128 million in outstanding bonds that had been issued for various municipal purposes, while the RLDC, a corporation created and owned by the Town under state law, had issued $25 million in bonds to pay for the construction of Provident Bank Park, a minor league baseball stadium in Ramapo.

While the fraud predated the construction of the stadium, the Town's financial problems were caused largely by the $58 million total cost of the stadium.  The Town paid more than half of that cost, despite the rejection of the Town's guarantee of bonds to pay for construction of the stadium in a Town-wide referendum in 2010 and St. Lawrence’s public statements that no public money would be used to pay for the stadium.

The Indictment charged that St. Lawrence lied to investors in the Town’s and RLDC’s bonds in order to conceal the deteriorating state of the Town’s finances and the inability of the RLDC to make scheduled payments of principal and interest to holders of its bonds from its own money.  St. Lawrence lied to investors primarily by making up false assets in the Town’s General Fund. 

The General Fund is the Town’s primary operating fund.  The accumulated difference over time between how much money the Town receives in taxes and fees and how much it spends in a year is the fund’s balance.  The fund balance is a cushion that can be spent during difficult financial times.  The size of the fund balance relative to the amount of the fund’s revenue and trends in a town’s General Fund balance over time are the primary indicators of the town’s financial health. 

According to the Indictment and the evidence, St. Lawrence lied to the RLDC’s bond rating service in January 2013 when he told them in a telephone call that the 2012 fund balance would remain unchanged from the 2011 balance.  Immediately after that call ended, St. Lawrence told Town employees “to do [an upcoming] refinancing of the short term debt as fast as possible because . . . we’re going to have to all be magicians to get to some of those numbers.”

When the RLDC issued $25 million in bonds to build the stadium building itself in 2011, St. Lawrence inflated the size of the Town’s General Fund by including a false $3.6 million receivable in the General Fund.  The Town’s financial condition was important to investors in the RLDC’s bonds because the Town guaranteed the payments of principal and interest on the bonds.  Without that fake asset, the General Fund’s balance would have negative in that year.

In addition, St. Lawrence inflated the General Fund with another fake receivable for $3.08 million from 2010 through 2015.  It first went on the Town’s books when the RLDC agreed to buy property known as The Hamlets from the Town for $3.08 million.  That sale never closed because the land turned out to be a habitat for rattlesnakes.  Rather than take the receivable off the Town’s books - and reduce the size of the General Fund balance by $3.08 million, thereby pushing it into negative territory - St. Lawrence claimed the receivable had to do with the RLDC’s purchase of another property from the Town, which had already taken place.  To keep it on the books, St. Lawrence then caused the Town Attorney to tell the Town’s auditors over a period of years that the receivable would be paid back within a year, which was required if the receivable was going to stay in the General Fund.  Without this fake receivable alone, the Town’s General Fund balance would have been negative for years. 

In May 2013, the FBI searched Town Hall in connection with this investigation.  Less than 10 days later, St. Lawrence inflated another receivable in the General Fund - this one for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) to reimburse the Town for expenses from Hurricanes Irene and Sandy.  St. Lawrence claimed that the Town was going to receive $3.145 million from FEMA when the Town hadn’t even submitted those claims to FEMA yet.  Without St. Lawrence’s inflation of this receivable alone, the projected General Fund balance for 2012 would have been negative when the Town sold bonds in May 2013.

Finally, the Indictment alleged and the evidence showed that St. Lawrence told investors in the Town’s and RLDC’s bonds that the RLDC was making the payments on its bonds from its operating revenue meaning money it was making from its ordinary business of running the baseball stadium and selling condominiums at a development it had built.  That was important to investors because it led them to believe that the Town would not have to pay off the RLDC’s $25 million bonds.  It also made the RLDC’s bonds look less risky.  The RLDC actually made those payments from money it borrowed from the bank or money it got from the Town. 

ST. LAWRENCE, 65, of Wesley Hills, New York, was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; eight counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five 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 a defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI and the Rockland County District Attorney's Office.  Mr. Kim also thanked the Securities & Exchange Commission for its substantial assistance in the investigation and trial.

Virginia Man Arrested And Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With $100 Million Market Manipulation Scheme Involving Fitbit Stock

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting 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 unsealing of a complaint charging ROBERT WALTER MURRAY with securities and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to manipulate the public market for the stock of Fitbit, Inc. (“Fitbit”) by filing a sham tender offer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The sham tender offer reported a fictitious bid to purchase all outstanding Fitbit stock at a significant premium to the then-existing market price, resulting in a temporary but significant increase in the price of Fitbit stock on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Given the number of shares outstanding, the sham tender offer resulted in a manipulation of the market by over $100 million. MURRAY was arrested in Virginia and will be presented in the federal court in Manhattan today.

In a separate action, the SEC filed civil charges against MURRAY.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Robert Walter Murray created a fake tender offer for Fitbit to drive up its share price and then illegally profit from his manipulation of the market. After profiting at the expense of the public, Murray allegedly took elaborate steps to hide that he was behind the fraud. Our Office remains committed to ensuring that the securities markets are fair and free from manipulation. And we thank our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as well as the SEC, who as committed to this mission as we are.”

USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “Mr. Murray was clever, but not as much as the Fitbit brand he allegedly used when he set out to devise his stock manipulation scheme. In an effort to ‘get rich’ quick fraudsters believe they can game the system, but this arrest proves that no matter how much thought goes into a devious scheme, you can never outsmart law enforcement.”

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

On or about November 8, 2016, MURRAY, purporting to be an officer at a China-based entity called ABM Capital, filed forms with the SEC requesting access to the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (or “EDGAR”) system. The following day, on or about November 9, 2016, MURRAY submitted a filing on EDGAR that reported that ABM Capital had offered to purchase Fitbit for approximately $12.50 a share, a significant premium to the price of Fitbit stock at the time. Fitbit’s stock jumped when this filing was made public on EDGAR the following day: while Fitbit’s stock closed at approximately $8.55 a share on November 9, 2016, it reached a high of approximately $9.27 per share, with significantly increased trading volume, after the tender offer filing was made public. Fitbit, however, had not actually received a tender offer from ABM Capital, and MURRAY’s filing was entirely fictitious.

Moreover, MURRAY took significant steps to hide his connection to the tender offer filing. MURRAY used a different name, purporting to be an officer at ABM Capital. And he created a separate email account to register with the SEC and file the sham tender offer, taking care to disguise his actual IP address when accessing it. While logged into that email account, MURRAY visited websites explaining how to use the SEC’s EDGAR system and conducted internet searches for similar market-manipulation schemes. Indeed, just days before filing his own sham tender offer with the SEC, MURRAY accessed a Bloomberg article that detailed a similar fraudulent tender offer for stock in Avon Products, Inc. – conduct that led to charges being filed in this District in United States v. Nedko Nedev, 16 Cr. 093.

In order to profit from his scheme, MURRAY bought call options for Fitbit stock on or about November 9, 2016. When the sham tender offer become public the following day, MURRAY sold his options for a profit. The options that MURRAY purchased had strike prices near or above the market price of Fitbit stock when they were purchased, and had expiration dates of November 11, 2016, meaning that they were set to expire the day after MURRAY filed his sham tender offer.

MURRAY is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud. Each of these charges carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. The charges also carry a maximum fine of $5 million, 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 sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Kim praised the exceptional work of the Office’s criminal investigators, and thanked the USPIS, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the SEC office of Inspector General for its assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Allen is in charge of the prosecution.

The 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.

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Guilty Plea And Sentencing Of Two Individuals For Stealing From Medicaid

Two  Individuals Stole From Medicaid By Submitting False Timesheets For Services Not Provided 

  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the pleas and sentences of two individuals in unrelated investigations for causing claims to be filed with Medicaid that falsely represented that home health care services were provided to relatives. Both Tina Gabel of Poughkeepsie and Enny Portillo of Highland Mills admitted to stealing from the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a home care program funded by Medicaid. CDPAP allows a physically disabled individual or their representative to assume full responsibility for their home care and recruit, hire, train, supervise and fire the personal assistants providing the care.

“We will hold accountable those who steal from the Medicaid program,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “I am pleased that we are able to return stolen funds back to Medicaid, which will be put directly back towards helping those in need.”

Enny Portillo, 59, admitted that she knowingly verified false timesheets submitted to Priority Home Care Services, Inc. (Priority), a fiscal intermediary for CDPAP, claiming that CDPAP services were provided in her Orange County home to her relative between February 2010 and November 2011 by the personal assistant, another relative, while the recipient was out of the country. 

Tina Gabel, 59, admitted that she knowingly submitted false timesheets to AccentCare of New York, Inc., (AccentCare), a fiscal intermediary for CDPAP, which claimed that home-care services were provided to two of her relatives in Dutchess County between October 2011 and February 2015 when in fact the personal assistant, another relative, was not in Dutchess County.  As the relatives’ representative, Tina Gabel was responsible to oversee CDPAP care for both relatives and to submit and verify the accuracy of their assistants’ timesheets submitted to AccentCare. 

Tina Gabel pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, in Dutchess County Court on February 17, 2017, before the Honorable Edward McLoughlin.  On April 21, 2017, Gabel paid $113,584 in restitution and was sentenced to five years of probation.

Enny Portillo pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, in Orange County Court on March 9, 2017, before the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown. Portillo, who has already paid $75,812 in restitution, was sentenced to five years of probation with 300 hours of community service.

The Attorney General would like to thank the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General and Orange County Department of Social Services for the referral of these matters and AccentCare of NY, Inc. for its cooperation in the case against Tina Gabel.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR FATAL STABBING OF EX-GIRLFRIEND AFTER HE CAUSED VEHICLE CRASH

Defendant Rammed SUV on Pelham Parkway, Killed Victim Who Lay Trapped in Overturned Vehicle

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison with five years post-release supervision for stabbing his former girlfriend to death as she lay trapped in an overturned vehicle that he had caused to crash on Pelham Parkway in 2013. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “This was a ferocious case of domestic violence. The victim, who had broken up with the defendant after he assaulted her and had obtained an order of protection, was stalked by him while she was on a date. The defendant caused their vehicle to crash and flip on its side, and he then stabbed the victim. He will now serve 25 years for a horrendous crime that devastated the victim’s loved ones and left a young child motherless.” 

  District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Dionis Espinal, 35, of 950 Woodycrest Avenue, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Denis Boyle. Espinal had pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter on February 21, 2017. 

  According to the investigation, on August 28, 2013, at about 4 a.m., Espinal chased Katherine German, with whom he had a daughter, and a man as they drove in an SUV in the vicinity of Pelham Parkway and the New England Thruway. Espinal sped ahead of them in his car, made a U-turn and rammed their SUV, causing it to overturn. He then reached in the passenger window and stabbed German multiple times in the neck. 

Former New York Bank Manager And Two Others Charged In Manhattan Federal Court In Multimillion-Dollar Fraud And Money Laundering Scheme

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the filing of a criminal complaint charging CHITAKRA RAMUDIT, a/k/a “Lilian Ramudit,” LOUIS LITVIN, and MELISSA CHAN with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in a multimillion-dollar scheme to steal from a real estate company (“Company-1”), which was a client of a major retail bank in Manhattan at which RAMUDIT was a branch manager. LITVIN was Company-1’s chief financial officer, and CHAN was a bookkeeper for Company-1. RAMUDIT abused her position as a bank manager to help LITVIN and CHAN steal from Company-1, and RAMUDIT also separately stole more than $100,000 from two elderly account holders at the bank. RAMUDIT and CHAN were arrested and will be presented later today before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein. LITVIN was arrested in Florida this morning and was presented before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Florida.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Chitrakra Ramudit, a former bank manager, allegedly abused her position to steal more than a million dollars from the bank’s customers, including elderly account holders. Together with Louis Litvin and Melissa Chan, who worked at a victim real estate company, Ramudit also worked to launder their fraud proceeds through various back office dealings. These defendants allegedly took advantage of their positions at the bank and the victim company to steal money and launder it through a series of opaque transactions.”

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

RAMUDIT is a former branch manager at a major retail bank in Manhattan (“Bank-1”), with significant management authority and control over large financial transactions. RAMUDIT abused her position and authority to steal more than $1 million from client accounts, including accounts held by Company-1 and elderly individual account holders. RAMUDIT conspired with LITVIN, Company-1’s former CFO, and CHAN, a former Company-1 bookkeeper, to steal from Company-1. The defendants carried out their scheme through various means, including fraudulent wire transfers, unauthorized writing and cashing of cashier’s checks, and unauthorized withdrawals from Company-1’s accounts. The defendants laundered the illicit proceeds from these schemes through multiple bank accounts, and used the illicit proceeds to purchase various assets.

RAMUDIT appears to have received substantial kickbacks from LITVIN and CHAN for facilitating their theft from Company-1. For example, in 2010 and 2011, RAMUDIT conducted several transactions to help LITVIN and CHAN steal approximately $400,000 from Company-1, for which RAMUDIT received approximately $175,000 in payments to a bank account she controlled that was in the name of a family member. RAMUDIT also helped CHAN and LITVIN steal money by permitting them to cash or deposit Company-1’s checks. RAMUDIT would often personally cash Company-1’s checks for CHAN and CHAN would meet at RAMUDIT’s office to receive the cash from RAMUDIT. Some of the money CHAN stole was invested into a Brooklyn-based restaurant, in which RAMUDIT was also an investor.

LITVIN, who solely controlled Company-1’s payroll system, separately also stole more than $7 million from Company-1 through its payroll account with Bank-1. After LITVIN’s theft through the payroll system was discovered, he was fired by Company-1, and CHAN discussed unleashing a virus on Company-1’s computer systems to corrupt their files and cover up the crimes.

RAMUDIT, 56, of Queens, LITVIN, 63, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and CHAN, 38, of Queens, are each charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. RAMUDIT and LITVIN are each also separately charged with an additional count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 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 defendants will be determined by the judge.

Acting U.S. Attorney Kim praised the work of the Criminal Investigators of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Eli J. Mark and Jacob Warren 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.

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

MAYOR DE BLASIO DELIVERS REMARKS AT NEWLY REBUILT ROCKAWAY BOARDWALK

Welcome, everyone. It is a beautiful day here in the Rockaways.

  it’s a wonderful day for the community because this boardwalk is about to open to everyone. There’s been a lot of concern out here in the Rockaways about whether this would be done and whether it would be done on time. And I got to tell you – we’re going to talk about this in a moment – but this is really to the credit of everyone here who’s been a part of this effort. This project has really been done very, very well and in a timely basis. But before I go into that, we are still reflecting on the tragedy yesterday in Times Square.

And a lot of you were there in the aftermath – aftermath when Commissioner O’Neill and I spoke about the situation. It’s very, very painful and I went and visited with the family that lost their daughter, a family from Michigan that came here to be a part of everything great about this city and then were met with tragedy.

My heart goes out to them and to all the families who had members injured yesterday. I went to Bellevue and, again, saw a number of the family members and also met with some of those who injured. And their spirit was amazing. The – it’s amazing when you go to a hospital and you meet with people who’ve just been through something absolutely horrific, and almost every one of them was just, you know, they kept saying, “I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m alive. I’m going to make it. I’m going to be okay.”

And it’s just amazing, resilient spirits. But we also know that nothing will bring back this good, young woman. And I’d just like to ask everyone, on behalf of the family of Alyssa Elsman, the 18-year-old girl – just like to have moment of silence in her memory.

And I want to, again, before I go into today’s issue, I want to also commend the first responders yesterday. You know this entire horrible episode unfolded in a matter of seconds, and our first responders immediately addressed the situation, apprehending the perpetrator and immediately tending to the wounded.

And I know that some of the people who were seriously, seriously wounded – the reason they’re still alive right now is because our first responders got there so quickly and did so much to help them.

I also want to note, we’re waiting for more facts. The NYPD is continuing to investigate. I spoke to Commissioner O’Neill this morning and one thing that’s abundantly clear now is that this very troubled individual, who committed this heinous act, had a long history of mental health problems. Those problems clearly did not get addressed over the years.

And I have to tell you this is something we have to come to grips with as a society. Obviously, my wife, Chirlane, has been working with so many people in this city to create a mental health system that will actually reach people consistently.

But we also have to note this very troubled young man ended up in our armed forces in the U.S. Navy. Somehow his issues were not addressed before, they weren’t addressed in his time in the Navy, and they weren’t addressed in the time after – and the results were tragic.

We’re never ever going to forgive such a heinous act but at the same time we have to recognize we have a problem underlying so much of what happens in this city, this country, and we still have to do a lot more to get at it. And we’re not going to rest until we find a way to get mental health support to those in need particularly those who are so trouble that it could lead to something like this.

Well, let me bring us back to now to this good news – gives us a little perspective on a day we’re still grappling with some troubling news, there’s also a lot of good things happening in the world.

And here in the Rockaways there’s a lot to be proud of. And I want to start with this amazing effort. This – look, everyone knows the Rockaways have had a very tough history. The Rockaways have been ignored in so many ways for decades by the City government and the powers that be. That was tough enough and then along came Sandy and made it some much worse.

I was here in the days after Sandy and it was just very hard to take in how bad the damage was. I was here when there were still buildings on fire, and you could see just the devastation and the boardwalk pushed in on the streets and so many homes that were destroyed. A place that already had gone through so much, you know, this to many I’m sure was a very devastating moment where they felt that things could only get worse.

I believed then that we all had an obligation to the Rockaways to take the painful moment and turn it into a motivation to get things right for once on behalf of the people of the Rockaways.

So, we’re standing here as part of boardwalk that’s very impressive. Just looking at it, you can see what an amazing effort it’s been. You can see how much it’s going to improve the quality of life for people in the Rockaways.

But at the same time, what’s amazing – first of all this is resiliency in action. This boardwalk is going to help protect everything you see around it. The school over there – thank you, principal – and all these homes. This boardwalk is not just a boardwalk, it’s now a barrier wall to protect the communities of the Rockaways. It was built to be resilient.

The last boardwalk was literally thrown by the waves into the streets of the Rockaways. This boardwalk’s not going anywhere. This boardwalk is planted firmly and it will withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at it.

That’s amazing on itself.

But also we made a commitment to get this boardwalk up and ready on time. We said it would be for Memorial Day weekend of 2017, and a week from tomorrow this boardwalk will be open for the people of the Rockaways. The whole distance.

Five-and-a-half miles. But here’s the amazing part – and everyone here I’m going to acknowledge them but let me just make this statement – everyone up here, they did something you don’t see often enough in government. They achieved this project on time and under budget.

Commissioner, how much did you end up saving?

Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Department of Parks and Recreation: $120 million.

$120 million that’s now going to be used for other important resilience projects, here, in the Rockaways. That’s an amazing contribution to continuing to make these communities safe.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  Having grown up in Far Rockaway I have fond memories of what was one of the finest beaches and a boardwalk with commercial establishments that were compared to the Jersey Shore. One could enjoy a Famous Jerry's Cherry Cheese Knish, play in the many arcades including Playland at 98th Street, go into clean beach water, or just take a stroll on the magnificent boardwalk. 

Not only did I grow up in the Rockaways, but several prominent Bronxites also grew up in the Rockaways including current Councilman Andrew Cohen and former Judge Mark Friedlander to name only two. 

I serious doubt that you have brought back the old Rockaway boardwalk and beach, but thank you for doing what you have done in the Rockaways. 

Now can you please do the same for Orchard Beach.

Mayor de Blasio on City Hall in Your Borough-Bronx edition

  This week my administration is moving City Hall to the Bronx for a week. It’s something we like to call “City Hall in Your Borough.”    

Monday through Friday I’ll be working from the Bronx County Courthouse with many of the key people in city government. On Tuesday, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., we’ll be hosting the City Resource Fair at The Bronx County Building. You can sign up at nyc.gov/Bronx or call (212) 748-0281. You can meet with us and share your concerns, questions and suggestions.

On Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m., we’ll be at the Adlai E. Stevenson High School at 1980 Lafayette Avenue, for a town hall. Residents of the 18^th Council District should RSVP by Friday, May 19 at noon via email at townhallrsvp@cityhall.nyc.gov or by calling (212) 788-1412.

After three years in office, we’ve had a lot of success creating a fairer and better borough for all.

We’re bringing Equity and Excellence to schools and the Bronx now has the highest graduation rate increase of any borough, up almost six percent to 64.8 percent graduation. Major crime is down five percent in the Bronx, helping to make New York the safest big city in America. The Bronx has seen the largest decrease in unemployment of any borough, almost 4.5 percent since 2014. 

We’re doing all we can to lift up the Bronx, filling almost a quarter million potholes and repaving 500 miles of road; investing $36 million to replace roofs at the Parkside Houses and installing LED lighting at Castle Hill and Patterson Houses; and investing $285 million to renovate community parks.

But there is more to do. The people of the Bronx are the reason why this borough is so strong.  I can’t wait to spend this week talking with you and your neighbors about how we can do a better job making this city work for you. Come by and visit with us!

VISION ZERO: MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES MORE THAN TWO YEARS WITHOUT A FATALITY ON QUEENS BOULEVARD, AS NEXT PHASE OF REDESIGN MOVES FORWARD

Coming in June: New protected bike lanes, crosswalks, and expanded medians will come to Rego Park and Forest Hills

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that Queens Boulevard has seen zero fatalities since 2014, and New York City will further extend the redesign of Queens Boulevard beginning in June. After overwhelming approval by Queens Community Board 6 last week, DOT will add major safety improvements to the street - including new protected bike lanes, more crosswalks, and expanded medians -- through Rego Park and Forest Hills. Queens Boulevard, which had 22 traffic fatalities as recently as 1997, has not had a single traffic fatality in two and a half years, the same time DOT began the street’s conversion into a Vision Zero Priority Corridor.

“Queens Boulevard offers the best and most dramatic proof that our efforts at Vision Zero are working,” said Mayor de Blasio.  “What was once a ‘Boulevard of Death’ is no longer -- as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists all have become accustomed to enjoying a more vital, welcoming and safe street.  As changes come this year to Forest Hills and Rego Park, we thank Councilmember Karen Koslowitz for her leadership and Community Board Six for its recognition that a new Queens Boulevard is a win-win for all of the community’s businesses, children and seniors.” 

Last week, Community Board Six in Forest Hills voted overwhelmingly, by a 34-3 margin, to support DOT’s plan for a third phase of Queens Boulevard redesign, for the 1.3-mile portion of the street between Eliot Avenue and Yellowstone Boulevard.  In the first two phases, DOT transformed 2.5 miles of Queens Boulevard through Woodside and Elmhurst.  In addition to the absence of fatalities, DOT statistics show that since work began, crashes in the Phase 1 corridor have declined by 14 percent, with pedestrian injuries down by 49 percent and cyclist injuries down by 42 percent, yet cycling increased by 120%.

All of DOT’s changes to Queens Boulevard will cost approximately $4 million.  Starting next year, the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) will begin major capital work -- for which the de Blasio Administration has committed $255 million – to transform the boulevard, making all three phases permanent, including by widening medians and adding new amenities like trees, landscaping and benches.

The Mayor also cited the latest Vision Zero fatality statistics for 2017. Year-to-date, New York City has seen 69 traffic fatalities in 2017, compared to 78 by this date in 2016 – a 12 percent decline.  The number of pedestrians struck and killed has gone from 46 in 2016 to 38 in 2017, a 17 percent decline. 

“The transformation of Queens Boulevard is among the greatest achievements of the Vision Zero era,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  “In just a few years, what was once a forbidding highway-like street bisecting communities has started to become a grand and welcoming boulevard worthy of Queens.  But we have much more to do -- and so we gratefully acknowledge Council member Koslowitz and Community Board Six for embracing the next phase of these exciting changes.”

“DDC is working in every borough to improve safety for pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists alike,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “Vision Zero is a great success and DDC is proud to be a significant part of it through our work on Queens Boulevard, and other Great Streets projects such as Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. We will continue to create projects that realize Mayor de Blasio’s vision for a healthier, more resilient, and more equitable New York.”

About Vision Zero

In January 2017, after three successive years of declines in traffic fatalities, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced New York City would make an additional $400 million investment in Vision Zero – for a total of $1.6 billion over the next five years. DOT is implementing its most aggressive street redesign safety program, an increased investment in street redesign and traffic-calming measures citywide. Other Vision Zero changes announced by the Mayor include ensuring NYPD crossing guards at every post, faster replacement of street markings, intersection upgrades in the bike-lane network, more left-turn calming efforts, brighter lighting and more equipment at each police precinct to catch speeding.

For more information about the de Blasio Administration’s Vision Zero initiative, please see www.nyc.gov/visionzero