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.

Individual Who Compromised Over 1,000 Email Accounts At A New York City University Pleads Guilty

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JONATHAN POWELL pled guilty today to one count of fraud in connection with his scheme to obtain unauthorized access to more than 1,000 email accounts maintained by a New York City area university in order to download sexually explicit photos and videos.  POWELL pled guilty earlier today in Manhattan federal court before United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “From a computer in Arizona, Jonathan Powell wreaked havoc on the email servers of a New York area university.  To feed his perverse desire for personal photos and videos, Powell hacked into hundreds of student and faculty email accounts by surreptitiously changing their passwords.  Cybercrime is a threat to organizations large and small, from big companies to local universities.  Luckily, the FBI was able to stop Powell before he victimized others.”

According to the allegations in the Information to which POWELL pled guilty, a criminal complaint filed against POWELL, as well as statements made during the plea and other proceedings in the case:

From October 2015 up to September 2016, POWELL obtained unauthorized access to email accounts hosted by a U.S.-based university which has its primary campus in New York, New York (“University-1”).  POWELL obtained unauthorized access to these accounts by accessing the password reset utility maintained by the email servers at Univeristy-1, which was designed to allow authorized users to reset forgotten passwords to accounts.  POWELL utilized the password reset utility to change the email account passwords of students and others affiliated with University-1.  Once POWELL gained access to the compromised email accounts (the “Compromised Accounts”), he obtained unauthorized access to other password-protected email, social media, and online accounts to which the Compromised Accounts were registered, including, but not limited to, Apple iCloud, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Yahoo! accounts.

Specifically, using the Compromised Accounts, POWELL requested password resets for linked accounts hosted by those websites (the “Linked Accounts”), resulting in password reset emails being sent to the Compromised Accounts, which allowed POWELL to change the passwords for the Linked Accounts.  POWELL then logged into the Linked Accounts and searched within the Linked Accounts, gaining access to private and confidential content stored in the Linked Accounts.  In one instance, POWELL searched a University-1 student’s linked Gmail account for digital photographs and for various lewd terms.  The Government’s investigation ultimately revealed that POWELL accessed the Compromised and Linked Accounts at least in part to download sexually explicit photographs and videos of college-aged women.

An analysis of University-1 password reset utility logs and other data revealed that POWELL accessed the University-1 password reset utility approximately 18,640 different times between October 2015 and September 2016.  During that timeframe, POWELL attempted approximately 18,600 password changes in connection with approximately 2,054 unique University-1 email accounts, and succeeded in making 1,378 password changes in connection with approximately 1,035 unique University-1 email accounts, in some cases compromising the same email accounts multiple times. 

POWELL, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, was arrested on November 2, 2016.  POWELL pled guilty today to one count of fraud in connection with computers, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the judge.

POWELL is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2017, at 12 p.m.

Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI.

Bronx Man Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Sex Trafficking Of Minors And Other Offenses

   Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that JAMEL GODDARD, a/k/a “Payroll,” was arrested for his alleged role as the leader of a sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise, which exploited vulnerable minor girls and adult women.  GODDARD was charged in an Indictment with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and sex trafficking of a minor.  GODDARD was also charged with the use of interstate facilities and interstate travel to promote a prostitution enterprise.  GODDARD will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis in Manhattan federal court this afternoon.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged, Jamel Goddard sexually exploited and trafficked vulnerable minor girls and adult women for profit.  He used physical violence, threats, and intimidation to control his victims and force them to engage in sex work.  Along with our partners at the FBI and the NYPD, we will continue to find, investigate, and prosecute those engaged in sex trafficking.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “For Goddard to allegedly take advantage of these helpless young girls and women—­ their lack of education, stability, and history of trauma, illustrates his lack of respect and regard for the victims as human beings. They did not deserve to be used, abused, and sold for the sake of Goddard greedily filling his pockets. The FBI will continue to investigate trafficking enterprises, and we will not allow disturbing crimes of this nature to plague our communities.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment[1] filed in Manhattan federal court:

 Since at least 2012, GODDARD directed and conducted a criminal sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise (the “Enterprise”) that recruited and exploited minor girls and adult women, and then prostituted them using an online classifieds website for his own profit.  GODDARD operated the Enterprise out of motels in the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York, upstate New York, and in or around other states, including New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Florida.

GODDARD typically recruited vulnerable minor and adult victims who lacked education, a stable home, and family support, and who had suffered past physical and emotional trauma.  He then exploited those victims’ need for shelter, stability, and affection as a means to prostitute them for his own financial gain.  Once GODDARD recruited his victims, he advertised them on classifieds websites, such as Backpage.com (“Backpage”). 

To evade detection by law enforcement, the Enterprise’s advertisements often purported to be offering individuals as escorts.  However, such advertisements often signaled that they were, in fact, offering individuals for sale for commercial sex acts through a variety of cues, including pictures of scantily-clad minor and adult women in sexually provocative poses, with coded language indicating that the people being offered would perform commercial sex acts.

GODDARD’s victims typically engaged in commercial sex with multiple customers in a single day.  Customers typically paid for commercial sex with GODDARD’s victims in cash, and the victims were able to earn thousands of dollars from commercial sex in a single day.  All or most of the victims’ earnings from commercial sex was taken by GODDARD.

GODDARD set rules for his victims, controlled their actions, and punished violations of his rules and disobedience by using physical violence.  GODDARD threatened violence and physically beat his victims for, among other things, being disrespectful, owing GODDARD money, and holding back commercial sex earnings from GODDARD. 

GODDARD, 31, of the Bronx, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of sex trafficking of a minor victim, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of use of interstate facilities and interstate travel to promote a prostitution enterprise, 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 the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Any individuals who believe they have information concerning JAMEL GODDARD, a/k/a “Payroll,” that may be relevant to the investigation, or information regarding other sex trafficking crimes, should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (212) 384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/, or the New York City Police Department at (646) 610-7272.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.  Mr. Kim also thanked the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - Youth Services Unit and the New York City Administration for Children’s Services for their assistance during the investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Hanft, Sagar K. Ravi, and Alexandra N. Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.

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

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

Members Of Bronx Drug Trafficking Organization Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Narcotics And Firearms Trafficking Offenses

  Joon H. Kim, 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”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging nine members of a Bronx drug trafficking organization with narcotics and firearms trafficking offenses. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “The defendants, members of a drug organization associated with the Crips street gang, allegedly sold large amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, and illegal firearms – including assault rifles – on the streets of the central Bronx. Together with our partners at the DEA and the NYPD, we are committed to protecting our city from drugs and illegal guns.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt said: “Gun and drug trafficking have been the financial fortress behind gangs, such as the Hughes Avenue Organization. Unfortunately, these gangs set up shop in communities, intimidating neighborhoods and putting them in danger. Law enforcement has pooled resources to target drug gangs in this city and to remove those responsible for fueling gun violence and drug trafficking.”

According to the Indictment[1] unsealed in Manhattan federal court and statements made in court:

The members of the Hughes Avenue drug trafficking organization (the “Hughes Avenue DTO”) controlled narcotics trafficking near East Tremont Avenue, Hughes Avenue, and Belmont Avenue in the Bronx, New York. From 2016 to August 2017, members of the Hughes Avenue DTO sold heroin and crack cocaine in that area. Certain members of the Hughes Avenue DTO also illegally sold firearms for profit. firearms included an AK-47 assault rifle, an SKS assault rifle, a shotgun, and handguns. Members of the DTO are also members and associates of the “Rolling 30s” neighborhood set of the nationwide Crips street gang.

Count One of the Indictment charges ARIEL ACOSTA, a/k/a “A-Loc,” a/k/a “Blue,” a/k/a “True Blue,” ZORA BENITEZ, a/k/a “Baby," DERRICK RICHARDSON, a/k/a “J-Rock,” KEVIN RIVERA, a/k/a “Montana,” SANTOS RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Lefty,” EDWIN ROMAN, a/k/a “Capo,” KENNETH SAMPSON, a/k/a “Remo,” JAYLEN SCOTT-KING, a/k/a “Boo,” a/k/a “Legend,” a/k/a “Flirm,” and ALEXIS VALDEZ, a/k/a “Lil Rico,” with participating in a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram and more of heroin and 280 grams and more of crack cocaine.

Count Two of the Indictment charges ACOSTA, SCOTT-KING, and VALDEZ with firearms trafficking.

Counts Three and Four of the Indictment charge ACOSTA and VALDEZ with being felons in possession of firearms.

In a coordinated operation, eight of the defendants were arrested in New York on Tuesday afternoon and earlier today. Defendants ACOSTA, RICHARDSON, RODRIGUEZ, and VALDEZ were in custody on state charges and have been transferred to federal custody. They will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court. BENITEZ remains at large. A chart identifying each defendant, the charges, and the maximum penalties is attached to this release.

Mr. Kim thanked the DEA and the NYPD for their work on the investigation.

The Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit is overseeing the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew Skinner and Anden Chow are in charge of the prosecution.

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

CHARGE(S)	DEFENDANTS	MAXIMUM PENALTIES
Count One Narcotics conspiracy, 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1 kilogram and more of heroin and 280 grams and more of crack cocaine.)	ARIEL ACOSTA, a/k/a “A-Loc,” a/k/a “Blue,” a/k/a “True Blue,”   ZORA BENITEZ, a/k/a “Baby,"   DERRICK RICHARDSON, a/k/a “J-Rock,”   KEVIN RIVERA, a/k/a “Montana,”   SANTOS RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Lefty,”   EDWIN ROMAN, a/k/a “Capo,”   KENNETH SAMPSON, a/k/a “Remo,”   JAYLEN SCOTT-KING, a/k/a “Boo,” a/k/a “Legend,” a/k/a “Flirm,”   ALEXIS VALDEZ, a/k/a “Lil Rico”	Lifetime imprisonment   Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison
Count Two Firearms trafficking, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A)	ARIEL ACOSTA, a/k/a “A-Loc,” a/k/a “Blue,” a/k/a “True Blue,”   JAYLEN SCOTT-KING, a/k/a “Boo,” a/k/a “Legend,” a/k/a “Flirm,”   ALEXIS VALDEZ, a/k/a “Lil Rico”	5 years in prison
Count Three Felon in possession of firearms, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)	ARIEL ACOSTA, a/k/a “A-Loc,” a/k/a “Blue,” a/k/a “True Blue,”   ALEXIS VALDEZ, a/k/a “Lil Rico”	10 years in prison
Count Four Felon in possession of firearms, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)	ARIEL ACOSTA, a/k/a “A-Loc,” a/k/a “Blue,” a/k/a “True Blue,”   ALEXIS VALDEZ, a/k/a “Lil Rico”	10 years in prison

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

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON DISTRICT ATTORNEYS' PETITION TO DISMISS OLD WARRANTS

  “The safest big city in America is taking yet another step toward being the fairest big city in America by clearing more than 644,000 warrants for low-level, non-violent offenses committed at least 10 years ago. These warrants can derail lives, disrupt families, and lead to job loss and missed opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society. We are all safer when our police officers are focused on preventing crime and arresting dangerous criminals instead of processing the arrests of those who pose no threat to public safety.

“I want to thank our partners in law enforcement, especially the NYPD and the District Attorneys, for keeping our city safe and making it fairer as we continue to drive crime to record lows and deepen trust between police and the communities they serve. I also want to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for her advocacy on this and other crucial criminal justice initiatives.”

13th City Council forum by Allerton Avenue Merchants Associatuin

The five candidates left Marjorie Velazquez, John Doyle, Mark Gjonaj, Egidio Sementilli,  and John Cerini took part in this forum held at the Sanz located at 815 Allerton Avenue by the merchants Association.

  Gene De Francis the Director of the Allerton Avenue Merchants  Association moderated this forum. He described how this forum would go. There would be opening statements, seven different questions on various topics, a lightning round, and then closing statements. He announced the four remaining Democratic candidates, one Republican candidate, and allowed Mr. Victor Ortiz one of the two Democratic candidates who were thrown off the ballot to speak. Mr. Ortiz was very cordial in his comments, saying that he and Mr. Alex Gomez will endorse the candidate they fell will best represent the district.

Mr. Ortiz delivering his comments.

Candidate Marjorie Velazquez spoke of her roots in the community, and her work with Direct Television in other countries.

Candidate John Doyle spoke of his community activism, and that he is an independent candidate not tied to any political

organization 

Candidate Mark Gjonaj spoke of his experience as a state legislator, and that his experience makes him the best candidate.

Candidate John Cerini informed the audience that he is running on the Republican line, is a small business owner, and grew up ad has lived in the district he whole life.

Candidate Egidio Sementelli said that he was the oldest candidate, he will not not beholding to anyone but the voters who elect him.

 As the forum went on answers to questions were very safe, and the questions had to be repeated again several times as Mr. Ortiz yelled out that the candidates were not answering the questions. There was o attack on any candidate by name until the closing statements when Assemblyman Gjonaj was attacked by candidate Sementilli for running with current Mayor Bill de Blasio who was part of the Gjonaj petition. Since he was attacked by name candidate Gjonaj was able to respond by saying that he will vote for whomever he wants. During the lightning round when the candidates were asked who will be voting for the current mayor no hands went up. 

  

Once again candidate Sementelli had the best line when he called Mayor Bill de Blasio a communist which drew cheers from the audience, and positive reactions from the other candidate. 

  As for just who won this forum. My answer would be all five candidates were very safe with their answers, did not attack any other candidate by name, and were very controlled in their remarks, that is except for candidate Sementelli. 

  Candidate Sementelli was the most flamboyant in his answers, but I would have to say that candidate John Cerini would be the winner with his sense of community life in the district the best. Candidate and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj came off as the machine candidate, candidates John Doyle and Marjorie Velazquez need to step up their answers as I was told both sounded weak in their answers. 

However this photo of a voter holding up literature from the five candidates and Mr. Ortiz could sum it up well. 

Senator Klein, BP Diaz Jr., Councilman Torres joins Bronx Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa to announce a joint funding project to reconstruct Waring Playground and Basketball Court

Elected officials and the city allocated $3.6 million for the renovations   

  Senator Jeff Klein, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Council Member Ritchie Torres joined NYC Parks Bronx Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa at Waring Playground on Tuesday afternoon to announce a joint allocation of $3.6 million to reconstruct portions of the park.

“I’m proud to partner with my colleagues in city government to fund the reconstruction of Waring Playground and Basketball Court,” said Senator Jeff Klein. “Our city parks are valuable assets to the community, and the residents we serve deserve a clean, safe and modernized recreational space to gather with friends and families.”

“We are thrilled to receive this much-needed funding,” said NYC Parks Bronx Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa “We can’t wait to start transforming this playground into a space the Allerton community deserves. We’ll be designing the playground with input from the community to make sure the neighborhood’s vision comes to life.”  

“I am proud to have provided so much of my capital funding to worthy park projects all over The Bronx during my tenure as borough president, including more than $1.1 million to help rehabilitate this wonderful playground. As we work to build a healthier Bronx through our “#Not62” campaign, we must make sure that our shared recreation spaces are in good condition and inviting to the public, so that more and more Bronxites of all ages will take advantage of them. I thank Senator Klein, Councilman Torres, the mayor’s office and the parks department for their partnership on this wonderful project,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“The residents have waited far too long for renovations to Waring Playground to get underway. We are proud to announce that through our joint collaboration financial resources have been allocated so that the Playground and basketball courts can get necessary upgrades. Finally, residents will be able to enjoy an improved and modern playground,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres.

While the project hasn’t been officially scoped, some of the possible improvements include: new playground equipment for children of all ages, new safety surfacing throughout the playground, new benches, improvements to the spray shower area and improved landscaping. A community scope meeting will be held to engage the community on what improvements they would prefer.

Above - State Senator Jeff Klein speaks about being able to help restore this as well as other parks in his district.

Below - Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr, holds up the reason for the park renovation, children like Richard.

Above - Bronx Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa explains what has happened to this park, and thanks the elected officials for their help to restore it.

Below - Bronx BP Diaz Jr., Senator Klein, Councilman Torres, and Community Board 11 Chair Anthony Vitalino hold up the two checks for the park renovations. In three years this park will look brand new again.

COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION CHAIR YDANIS RODRIGUEZ OPENING STATEMENT AT MTA HEARING

  On Tuesday, August 8th, 2017, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez delivered the following opening statement at the NYC Council Transportation Committee hearing on the MTA and its subways.

 

Last week, I joined my counterpart in the Assembly, Jeffrey Dinowitz on a tour across New York City's subway system to hear directly from riders. We made stops in each borough and were joined by many elected officials along the way. At one point in this trip, we were stuck for half an hour waiting to get to Coney Island on the N line. This disrupted our schedule and caused us to cut short stops later in the tour.

 

While less a concern for us, this is part of the reality subway riders face every day. Except for them the consequences are real: missed appointments, punishments at school or work, getting there late to pick up the kids and more. Riders rely on the subways to get where they need to go on time, and over the past few months, the subways have been failing them.

 

Even putting aside the most alarming moments over the past few months-the train derailments, track fires, power outages and subway tunnel escapes-service is deteriorating. Delays have jumped from 28,000 per month in 2012 to over 70,000 per month this year. On-time performance, measuring how often trains arrive within 5 minutes of their scheduled time, has fallen from 85.4% in 2011 to 66.8% in 2016.

 

In June, the Governor himself declared a State of Emergency for the subway system and the MTA has responded with a detailed action plan to stabilize the system, improve service, and modernize many aspects of the subway's operation in both the short and long term.

 

Our subway system is absolutely crucial to the economic vitality of our city. Without reliable subways, it is simply impossible for New York to remain the leading global city it has long been in an increasingly competitive world. The stakes for not only our city's economy, but for the state, region, and the entire country are enormous.

 

We know we did not get here overnight. Many of the subway's problems have roots in underinvestment and neglect going back decades. But we also know that we've come back before. The resurgence of the subway system following the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s is one of the great New York stories. It did not happen by accident. It took hard work, smart planning, and a real commitment to investing in the system, as well as leadership not only from the MTA and elected leaders, but from the business community and everyday New Yorkers as well. That is what we need again: collaboration and leadership to make the hard choices our subway system needs to thrive.

 

Of course, a large part of the story is money. Not just for short term fixes, but for the long-term needs for the future. It is essential that we find new, sustainable sources of revenue to allow us to invest in the system to the extent we need to, especially as we quickly approach the time for developing the next five-year capital program.

 

We have several options already on the table and I believe that all should be considered. From raising billions through state bonds, to finally moving a smart and productive tolling system into the central business district, to calling on the wealthiest among us to support the economic vitality of the city that has helped them so much, to setting aside a small percentage of state income taxes solely for transportation, these options can provide the funds we need for a major modernization plan.

 

But of course, it is not just about raising more revenue, it is also about making sure that the MTA spends the enormous amount of money it does have intelligently, quickly, and efficiently. We've seen capital projects go comically over budget, and decades past delivery time. Projects vital to modernizing the system fail to have widespread competition for procurement bids. Subway expansions cost billions more than in other cities comparable systems. We are here today to get to the bottom of these issues because if we can find a way to get these projects done faster and cheaper, we can free up resources to modernize the existing system and make the expansions necessary to keep up with our growing city.

 

At the same time, we must prioritize the projects most essential to the core functions of the system. This means new train cars and new signals...signals which, by the way, we simply cannot wait three decades for.

 

The other thing we need to hear more about is how we are going to start seeing things done differently at the MTA. The status quo is simply no longer acceptable. Changes such relying less on generic, automated announcements are a good first step toward rebuilding trust and confidence among riders. But we of course expect a lot more. The MTA needs to rethink established ways of doing things in every area, from track, signal, and car maintenance, to incident response and customer communication.

 

Through it all, we must not lose focus on the riders who the system is there to support. The conversations I had with these hard-working New Yorkers from all backgrounds was an important reminder of who this system serves-of who we, as public officials serve. They are demanding leadership, they are demanding accountability and they are demanding improvement. It is up to all of us to cut through the arguing and focus only on what must be done, not only to revitalize our system, but to take it to the 21st Century. Our riders deserve nothing less.