Monday, August 7, 2017

BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, THE BRONX DEFENDERS AND OFFICE OF COURT ADMINiSTRATION HELD SUCCESSFUL “ANOTHER CHANCE” EVENT


Over 300 People Attended Event and Resource Fair; 226 Warrants Were Cleared

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, Honorable George Grasso, Supervising Judge of Bronx Criminal Court, and The Bronx Defenders Managing Director Justine Olderman announced today that over 300 people attended Saturday’s “Another Chance” event and 226 summons warrants were erased, helping people move on with their lives. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “It was a rewarding event for the community and for my Office. Those who came to the Eastchester Presbyterian Church made the decision to resolve these old warrants so they don’t risk arrest, jail or missed opportunities because they once made a mistake such as drinking alcohol in public or some other quality-of-life offense. Now they can enjoy the rest of the summer knowing their record is clear.”

  Judge Grasso said, “The Criminal Court is proud to have worked with our Criminal Justice partners in making the second annual ‘Another Chance’ event a success. It is efforts like these that serve to enhance the community’s respect for the Criminal Justice System. We look forward to continuing to engage the people of Bronx County in this type of positive interaction.”

  Ms. Olderman said, “The Bronx Defenders was a proud partner at Saturday's event, representing hundreds of community members and working to help mitigate the harm caused by these warrants. Warrants for low-level offenses can have a devastating impact on people's employment, benefits, housing and even their ability to stay in this country. We hope that events like these represent a shift in the way the city approaches 'quality of life' infractions and illustrate that these cases have no place in the criminal justice system."

  According to the Office of Court Administration, 226 warrants were vacated, the majority involving summonses for public consumption of alcohol. Participants attended a resource fair, where vendors provided information and resources on jobs, health care and social services.

  A mobile courtroom was created in the Eastchester Presbyterian Church on Fish Avenue in Baychester and presided over by the Honorable Bahaati Pitt, Bronx Criminal Court Judge. Volunteer Assistant District Attorneys and The Bronx Defenders handled the cases.

  District Attorney Clark thanked Judge Pitt of Bronx Criminal Court, the Court Officers and Office of Court Administration personnel – including clerks, stenographers and interpreters – for making the process run smoothly. 

 District Attorney Clark thanked her Assistant District Attorneys, Detective Investigators, Community Affairs staff and support staff from her Office, as well as The Bronx Defenders Attorneys and support staff and all the vendors who participated in the resource fair for helping to make “Another Chance” a success.

KRVC Works - Register to Participate in our Job Networking Event!



KRVC Works is our jobs initiative.  Through this program, KRVC has hired more than a dozen community members since 2016 to work locally. The program also includes a job and resume online bulletin board, skills workshops and networking events. This program also includes volunteer, internship and community service opportunities. krvcdc.org/work
505 West 236th Street * Bronx, NY 10463 * 

Save the Date and Register to Participate in Our Upcoming Job Networking Event
Click here for more upcoming KRVC events.
The "KRVC Works" project is made possible through generous funding allocations from State Senator Jeff Klein. 

Union Community Health Center 2017 OPEN HOUSE & COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR on Thursday, August 17th, 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM at UCHC, 2016 Bronxdale Avenue




Union Community
Health Center
OPEN HOUSE & COMMUNITY
HEALTH FAIR
Thursday, August 17th, 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
2016 Bronxdale Avenue Bronx, NY 10462
(Between Holland & Antin Place)
For more info contact Muniz Serena 718-960-3206

KRVC - Upcoming Community Events!






Five Individuals Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Conspiring To Possess Over 2,000 Kilograms Of Cocaine In Violation Of Federal Maritime Drug Enforcement Laws


  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division (“DEA”), Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), George Beach, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and George Beach, Superintendent, New York State Police, announced charges against five defendants for allegedly possessing and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine, in violation of the maritime drug enforcement laws of the United States.  IVAN CORTES MOLINERO, FRANCISCO JAVIER OCHOA JOAQUIN, MIGUEL CHAVEZ DELGADO, ENEDINO GATAN VARGAS, and FERNANDO MORENO HERNANDEZ were transported to and arrived in the Southern District of New York on August 4, 2017, and are expected to be presented later today, before Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis in Manhattan federal court.
Manhattan Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “These five defendants allegedly made a brazen attempt to ship nearly 5,000 pounds of cocaine to the U.S., packing the drugs in a speedboat and then trying to outrun authorities in the waters off of Mexico. I want to thank our law enforcement partners, who stopped this massive shipment of narcotics from arriving at our shores.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt said:  “From digging border tunnels to using go-fast boats, drug cartels will stop at nothing to get their illicit product into America. This seizure was a significant profit loss to the traffickers with a sobering effect to drug users in the U.S. I would like to thank our law enforcement partners in the U.S, Mexico and Colombia for their diligent work and collaboration on this investigation.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel Melendez said:  “This team of perpetrators allegedly attempted to bring more than two tons of cocaine though U.S. borders.  It is the collaborative effort with the DEA and other federal and local agencies that law enforcement was able to interdict this action and keep deadly drugs off American streets.”
 

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “As alleged, this criminal enterprise attempted to import a significant amount of cocaine to the United States by boat but law enforcement intercepted this shipment, five individual were taken into custody, and were subsequently charged. This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the NYPD to work alongside our federal partners to stop illegal drugs from entering our communities and hold responsible those who work to profit from illegal narcotics.”
State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said: “We simply will not tolerate this type of alleged illegal drug trafficking activity in New York State. The valuable partnerships developed through the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force were instrumental in these arrests and the seizure of these lethal narcotics. I want to thank our federal, state and local partners for their ongoing hard work and collaboration on this case, which has resulted in the arrests and removal of five alleged dangerous criminals who profit at the expense of our communities.”
As alleged in the criminal Complaint,[1] filed earlier this week in Manhattan federal court:
The DEA has been investigating a Colombian drug cartel (the “Cartel”) that sends shipments of cocaine to various points around the world by, among other methods, panga boats or “go-fasts.”  Go-fasts are small boats, typically similar in size to speed boats, with hulls of approximately 20 to 50 feet and a maximum capacity of approximately five passengers. 
On or about July 8, 2017, a United States Navy Aircraft (the “Aircraft”) was on routine patrol off the western coast of Mexico and approximately 590 nautical miles south of Mexico.  While there, an occupant of the Aircraft observed what appeared to be a go-fast boat (the “Go-Fast”).  The Aircraft communicated this information to the command of the United States Coast Guard (the “Coast Guard”), which dispatched a Coast Guard cutter (the “Cutter”) to intercept and board the Go-Fast.
The Cutter approached the Go-Fast and launched a helicopter and a patrol boat (the “Patrol Boat”), which proceeded to intercept the Go-Fast.  Occupants of the Patrol Boat (the “Boarding Team”) boarded and gained control of the Go-Fast, where they found CORTES MOLINERO, OCHOA JOAQUIN, CHAVEZ DELGADO, GATAN VARGAS, and MORENO HERNANDEZ. 
The Boarding Team observed numerous bales or large bundles wrapped in black plastic and brown tape on the deck of the Go-Fast.  The bales were in plain sight and occupied a substantial portion of the deck of the Go-Fast.
The Boarding Team recovered approximately 107 bales and one loose brick from the Go-Fast.  Two samples from the bales were field-tested, and tested positive for the presence of cocaine.  In total, the contents of the 107 bales and brick weighed approximately 2,141 kilograms or approximately 4,720 pounds.
CORTES MOLINERO, 30, OCHOA JOAQUIN, 40, CHAVEZ DELGADO, 46, GATAN VARGAS, 51, and MORENO HERNANDEZ 31, are citizens of Mexico.  Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to violate maritime drug enforcement laws and one count of violating maritime drug enforcement laws by possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine.  Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.  The statutory maximum penalties and mandatory minimum penalties 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.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which is comprised of officers of the DEA, the New York City Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Marshal Service, among other agencies.  Mr. Kim also praised the outstanding efforts and assistance provided by the Coast Guard, United States Customs and Border Protection, the United States Navy, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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 set forth below are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

MAYOR DE BLASIO PROPOSES “FAIR FIX” TAX ON WEALTHIEST NEW YORKERS TO MODERNIZE SUBWAYS AND BUSES, FUND HALF-PRICED METROCARDS FOR LOW-INCOME RIDERS


New, dependable revenue source will provide up to $800 million in annual funding for transit system & its riders

  Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled today a progressive City tax proposal aimed at raising as much as $800 million annually for New York City’s deteriorating subway and bus system. The proposed tax adjustment – levied on fewer than 1% of the city’s wealthiest tax filers – would also allow the City to cut in half subway and bus fares paid by 800,000 low-income New Yorkers.

“Rather than sending the bill to working families and subway and bus riders already feeling the pressure of rising fares and bad service, we are asking the wealthiest in our city to chip in a little extra to help move or transit system into the 21st  century,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Instead of searching for a quick-fix that doesn't exist, or simply forking over more and more of our tax dollars every year, we have come up with a fair way to finance immediate and long-term transit improvement and to better hold the State accountable for the system's performance. Our subways and buses are the veins that make life in the greatest city in the world possible. This fair funding source will provide immediate help to straphangers – and it will help New Yorkers get around our city reliably for the next generation and beyond.”

The new tax would increase the City’s highest income tax rate by 0.534%, from 3.876% to 4.41%, on taxable incomes above $500,000 for individuals and above $1 million for couples. 

This tax will be paid by an estimated 32,000 New York City tax filers – 0.8% of the city’s filers. The tax is projected to raise $700 million in 2018, before rising to $820 million a year by 2022. This new investment will add on to an annual $1.6 billion in City operational support for subways and buses, and a $2.5 billion commitment in 2015 to the long-term needs of the MTA.

The $500 million in revenue dedicated to modernizing our aging subways and buses could support borrowing up to $8 billion for capital upgrades. The Mayor believes this funding should be immediately directed toward core infrastructure improvements like signal improvements, new cars and track maintenance key to reducing delays and disruptions that have paralyzed the system in recent months.

Half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers will be financed by an expected $250 million of the revenue raised by this tax. As many as 800,000 New Yorkers are expected to qualify for half-priced MetroCards based on their income levels. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It is nice of Mayor de Blasio to say this when the city has no power to enforce this. The state legislature must approve the legislation and then it must be signed by the governor. 
State Senate Majority Leader Flanagan has called for the city to give its fair share into the system instead of counting on Albany to do what the city has to.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

FORMER PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR OF STATEN ISLAND DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLING GOVERNMENT FUNDS


Defendant Fraudulently Purchased Hundreds of Personal Items in Scheme to Defraud the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office of Over $440,000 

  A ten-count indictment was unsealed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging William Nelson, former Director of Procurement at the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office (RCDA), with one count of theft of funds and nine counts of mail fraud. The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge James Orenstein at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. 

  The charges were announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI).

  As alleged in the indictment, for approximately 10 years between 2006 and 2016, Nelson stole over $440,000 from the RCDA as part of a long-term scheme to defraud the RCDA of funds. Specifically, Nelson used two RCDA American Express credit cards to purchase items such as jewelry, apparel, toys, sporting goods and memorabilia, alcohol, video games and movies, electronics, household items, grocery items, books, sundries, knives, survival gear, handbags, collectibles, souvenirs, event tickets, meals, lodging, airfare, excursions, and online services that he then used for his own benefit and the benefit of others. Nelson also used the online payment system PayPal to directly transfer thousands of dollars from the RCDA credit cards to his own personal bank account. In furtherance of his scheme, Nelson took steps to conceal his embezzlement, which included concealing the itemized credit card statements, mischaracterizing the nature of the purchases, and using his authority as Director of Procurement to approve payments of his fraudulent personal expenditures.

  “As alleged, Nelson abused his position as Procurement Director for the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office by engaging in a decade-long scheme to defraud 2 the DA’s office of nearly half a million dollars,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “Together with our law enforcement partners at the FBI and DOI, our Office will hold to account those who engage in such fraud, particularly where it disadvantages agencies tasked with safeguarding our communities.” Ms. Rohde thanked the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance during the investigation.

  “This case is a textbook example of what can happen when power goes unchecked,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Not only did Nelson allegedly steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the RCDA, but he shamefully exploited his official position to authorize the very transactions that made this possible. Instead of using taxpayer funds for their intended purpose, he allegedly used them for his own personal intentions. Our communities place a high level of trust in those who hold these positions, and that trust should never waver. We won’t allow schemers of any kind to put the public’s trust at risk.”

  “This defendant stole law enforcement funds to finance jet-setting vacations and purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury items, according to the charges,” stated DOI Commissioner Peters. “DOI has issued a report documenting how this scam was perpetrated for over a decade and recommended changes to safeguard our city’s finances. DOI thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for its partnership on this criminal investigation and the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for its cooperation and swift action in implementing DOI’s recommendations.”

  The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the theft of funds count and 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the mail fraud counts.

The Defendant: 
WILLIAM NELSON 
Age: 44 
New York, New York 

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-394 (RJD

NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY HONOR DAY


  The most powerful two words in the English language are "THANK YOU" and none deserves our 'thank you' more-so than the men and women who leave their homes and loved ones 24/7 to protect our homes and loved ones 24/7. Therefore on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, and the first Tuesday of December thereafter, Peace December International is humbly encouraging the public to show love and appreciation to all of our brave angels for keeping us, our loved ones and possessions safe 24/7. We can say ‘THANK YOU’ in many ways, such as handing flowers/roses, appreciation letters, handshakes, gifts of flowers, pictures taking, messages of appreciation through media, phone calls, etc...

Let your local law enforcement community know how much you appreciate their sacrifices. This would go a long way in cementing a healthier collaboration and greater mutually beneficial working relations.  #nationalpublicsafetyhonorday #peacedecember

Thank you!
Peace December International

'Re: NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY HONOR DAY

The most powerful two words in the English language are "THANK YOU" and none deserves our 'thank you' more-so than the men and women who leave their homes and loved ones 24/7 to protect our homes and loved ones 24/7. Therefore on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, and the first Tuesday of December thereafter, Peace December International is humbly encouraging the public to show love and appreciation to all of our brave angels for keeping us, our loved ones and possessions safe 24/7. We can say ‘THANK YOU’ in many ways, such as handing flowers/roses, appreciation letters, handshakes, gifts of flowers, pictures taking, messages of appreciation through media, phone calls, etc...

Let your local law enforcement community know how much you appreciate their sacrifices. This would go a long way in cementing a healthier collaboration and greater mutually beneficial working relations.  #nationalpublicsafetyhonorday #peacedecember

Thank you!

Peace December International

www.peacedecember.org'