Wednesday, October 18, 2017

BP DIAZ & THE BRONX TOURISM COUNCIL ENCOURAGE RIDERS TO TAKE PART IN TOUR DE BRONX 2017!


  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosted a press conference at Woodlawn Cemetery to encourage cyclists to participate in the upcoming Tour de Bronx, the largest free cycling event in New York State, which will take place on Sunday, October 22, 2017.

The Tour de Bronx was established in 1994 by the office of the Bronx Borough President and The Bronx Tourism Council as a means to promote a healthier lifestyle, encourage alternate modes of transportation and as a way to see the borough and its attractions.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who plans on participating in the event as he has done in the past. “The Tour De Bronx not only emphasizes maintaining a healthy lifestyle, complementing our ‘#Not62’ initiative to improve the overall health of our borough, but it also highlights our historical sites, beautiful waterfronts and vibrant neighborhoods, showcasing the best we have to offer to both our residents and visitors from around the world. We welcome riders from across the region and around the globe to see The Bronx as they have never seen it before.”

Participants come from all over the country and choose from two possible routes; a 25-mile ride or a 40-mile route; taking riders through different areas of The Bronx, including Clason Point along the East River, Castle Hill, Morrisania, Pelham Bay Park, historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula, the nautical community of City Island, and more. Both routes culminate at the iconic New York Botanical Garden, where riders receive a complimentary souvenir T-shirt and enjoy a live musical performance and refreshments as they relax from the day’s event.

The Tour De Bronx has grown exponentially since its inception. In 2016 the event saw a record-breaking 8,000+ registrants. This year, The Bronx Tourism Council has partnered with Ride with GPS, a route-mapping tool designed for cycling and walking. This app will, not only, alert riders where to turn using voice navigation, it will also indicate neighborhoods and give a brief history of various parts of the borough as riders make their way to the end point.  

“We’re thrilled to partner with The Bronx Tourism Council to help promote the longest-running free cycling event in New York. With easy-to-use maps and voice navigation, riders will stay on course to appreciate the rich culture and history of the Bronx,” said Kevin Prentice, director of support & business development at Ride with GPS.

“This is a highly-anticipated event for many cycling enthusiasts and casual riders alike. Utilizing the GPS technology Bronxites and visitors will experience the borough in a more fun and unique way,” said Olga Luz Tirado, executive director of The Bronx Tourism Council.

The Tour de Bronx is made possible by Montefiore Medical Center; Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center; St. Barnabas Health System; and Mercy College. Additional support is provided by The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation; The Business Initiatives Corporation of New York; The Coca Cola Company; Domino’s Pizza; The Nature’s Bounty Co.; the Castle Hill Y; Woodlawn Cemetery; the New York Botanical Garden; and Fordham University.

The event is also supported by the New York City Department of Transportation; the New York City Fire Department; the New York City Police Department; The New York Department of Sanitation and Transportation Alternatives.

Log onto www.tourdebronx.com to register or for more information.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Wrong On Red: A.G. Schneiderman Releases New Report Detailing Red Light Camera Violations By School Buses


A.G. Investigation Found Nearly 1,500 Red Light Camera Violations By Westchester And Suffolk County School Bus Companies – Yet Bus Companies Have No Legal Obligation To Report Them
During National School Bus Safety Week, A.G. Schneiderman Calls For State Action To Close Safety Loophole
  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today that an investigation by his office into school bus safety identified nearly 1,500 red light camera violations by school bus companies in Westchester and Suffolk Counties – highlighting a serious gap in State laws that are meant to ensure the safety of over 2.3 million New York children who ride school buses every day.
Today, during National School Bus Safety Week, Attorney General Schneiderman released a new report: “Wrong on Red: Report on School Bus Traffic Light Violations”. The report details the findings of his investigation and calls for changes to state law to close the safety loophole by requiring bus companies to report red light camera violations to the state and school districts, and use those violations in their assessments of drivers.
“Every morning, more than two million New York children are put on school buses by families that trust they’ll be safe. Unfortunately, New York law has a safety loophole big enough to drive a school bus through,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Bus companies can rack up red light camera violations – yet have no legal obligation to report them to the state, or even use them as part of their evaluation of drivers. It’s time for action to protect our kids by requiring bus companies to report red light violations to the state and the school districts they serve, and to use those violations in driver evaluations. We must crack down on the problem now, before it turns tragic.”
The Attorney General’s office collected and analyzed data from 15 randomly selected school bus companies operating in Westchester and Suffolk counties. The investigation found that in Westchester County, in 2016 alone, the sampling of school bus companies subpoenaed by the Attorney General received almost 300 red light camera ticket violations. In Suffolk County, the subpoenaed companies received nearly 1,200 red light camera ticket violations from 2014 through 2016. Under existing State Law, these violations are not required to be reported to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles as part of the State’s oversight of school bus company safety.
The State’s Vehicle and Traffic Law (Article 19-a) provides State oversight of school bus companies, yet it does not require school bus companies to report any information relating to tickets issued for red light camera violations.  The law states that upon request by the DMV, school bus companies are required to submit driving reports that include miles traveled, convictions and accidents, and the number of convictions and accidents per ten thousand miles traveled; however, that does not include red light camera tickets. School bus companies are also required to review employees' driving records at least once every 12 months, and consider any evidence that the bus driver violated applicable provisions of the vehicle and traffic law. Yet again, this language does not mandate that school bus companies report red light camera tickets to the DMV. Under existing law, a bus driver can receive an infinite number of red light camera tickets and remain as a school bus driver.
Red light cameras are intended to capture offenses not witnessed by a police officer. Since it’s often too hard to prove who was driving the vehicle, the owner of the vehicle is assessed the fine from a red light camera violation. If a school bus driver got three red light tickets from a police officer within an 18-month period, they would get nine points on their driver’s license and be disqualified from driving a school bus for a year. However, if that same driver got three red light camera tickets in the same timeframe, there would be no repercussions – since the tickets are sent directly to the bus company.
This loophole means it is unlikely that drivers or bus companies face any real repercussions for running red lights – as companies can shield themselves and their drivers from liability by not reporting red light violations to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
As part of this investigation, Attorney General Schneiderman subpoenaed nine school bus companies in Suffolk County and six bus companies in Westchester County.
  • Between 2014 to 2016, the nine Suffolk bus companies amassed 1,199 red light tickets, including 368 in 2014, 409 in 2015, and 422 in 2016. Within those nine companies, there were 154 bus drivers who were repeat offenders.
  • In 2016, the six Westchester County companies amassed 296 red light tickets, with 20 drivers who were repeat offenders.
There are, on average, 115 fatal crashes involving school buses every year across the country, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s 2017 Report on School Safety. Fortunately, school bus crashes make up a low percentage of all fatal motor vehicle crashes because of protections already in place, such as licensing, training, vehicle standards, and vehicle inspections. However, by failing to include red light camera tickets as part of a school bus company’s driving history, school children are unnecessarily put at risk. 
In calling for this safety loophole to be closed, Attorney General Schneiderman is proposing the following changes in state law:
  • School bus companies should be required by law to maintain copies of all red light camera violations received by the school bus companies and its school bus drivers.
  • School bus companies should be required by law to report the number of red light camera violations in the annual affidavit of compliance filed with the DMV.
  • School bus companies should be required by law to consider red light camera violations in its annual assessment of its drivers; and drivers who accumulate three red light camera violations should be disqualified from driving for a one-year period.
  • School bus companies should be required by law to provide an annual report to the school districts that they service of their driver’s records, including a record of the red light camera violations issued and who was driving.
The matter was handled by Suffolk Regional Office Head Assistant Attorney General Kim Kinirons, Westchester Regional Office Head Assistant Attorney General Gary Brown, and Assistant Attorneys General Rachael Anello and Jennifer Gashi, under the supervision of Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Offices Marty Mack.
 “As a father, I wanted to know when I sent my children off to school in the morning, they were safe and secure on the bus. We can never be too careful when it comes to our children’s safety, but the Attorney General’s investigation into school bus driving records indicates additional steps need to be taken at the state level to ensure that safety. I applaud his efforts to require the consideration of red light camera violations in assessing the safety record school bus drivers and school bus companies,” said Congressman Eliot Engel.

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS LEGISLATION TO BETTER PROMOTE CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY, CLEAN AIR AND GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY


  Mayor Bill de Blasio held public hearings for, and signed, twelve pieces of legislation into law. Intro. 139-C adds non-tobacco shisha to the City’s Smoke-Free Air Act;Intro. 1075-A requires hookah bars to post signage warning of the dangers of hookah smoking; Intro. 1076-A raises the minimum age for purchasing shisha; Intro.1031-A requires DOT to study specific traffic congestion; Intro. 1292-A requires all city agencies, to accept electronic invoices; Intro. 1375-A requires DOT to notify certain stakeholders when it issues a permit to open any street or intersection that has been reconstructed or resurfaced within the previous 5 years; Intro. 1539-A establishes additional rights and protections for customers who are purchasing second-hand automobiles; Intro. 1540-A requires second-hand automobile dealers to display and provide consumers with a bill of rights; Intro. 934-A, which creates a real-time enforcement unit within DOB; Intro. 1359-A requires HPD to audit buildings receiving tax-exemptions to ensure compliance with affordability requirements; and Intro. 1366-A requires HPD to audit certain buildings receiving tax-emptions to ensure compliance with rent-registration requirements. Intro. 1447-C, which increases safety training requirements for construction workers.

“New York City is built on the ideals that every single person deserves a City with clean air to breathe, a City whose government works efficiently on behalf of its residents, and of course, a City whose hard-working construction workers will get the safety training they need,” saidMayor Bill de Blasio. For the hard-hats in one of our city’s most dangerous jobs, this bill will help get them home to their families at night and keep the general public safe around construction sites. I want to thank Speaker Mark-Viverito and the Council for bringing this legislation into fruition and helping making our city even healthier, fairer and safer city for all.”

“New Yorkers deserve to have their safety looked after in any circumstance, and this legislation goes far in achieving that goal,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “From the air they breathe, to the cars they drive, to the buildings in which they dwell and the construction that made those facilities possible, residents can rest assured that their wellbeing is paramount to the work that we are doing. I thank my colleagues on the City Council for their dedicated efforts on these initiatives, and I thank Mayor de Blasio for signing them into law today.”

Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Richard Buery‎, Citywide M/WBE Director, said, “Access is a core principle driving the City’s new M/WBE program – whether its providing minority and women business owners access to capital to take on new and larger projects, or access to the resources and tools that will increase M/WBEs’ participation and performance in the market. Intro 1447-C is another means for access, ensuring M/WBEs and small businesses have resources that provide safety training for their workers. Today’s bill signing is a critical step to building a future New York City that is fair, just and safe for all.”

Jonnel Doris, Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs), said, “The City’s building boom is not only creating immense opportunities for M/WBEs, but it is also creating the skyline of the future, and we need to ensure the safety of all workers and the public during its rapid construction. Intro. 1447-C does just that - it prioritizes the safety by mandating the proper training required to successfully and safely complete City projects. The bill also provides some common-sense relief for small businesses, which include minority and women-owned businesses, to help deliver safety training for their employees.”

“Increased safety training is vitally necessary to protect the men and women who build our city, and all New Yorkers. We look forward to working with the task force envisioned in the legislation to implement this significant new program,” said Buildings Commissioner Rick D. Chandler, PE.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NYC SERVICE CENTER TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES RECOVERING FROM HURRICANE MARIA, IRMA, & HARVEY


NYC service center will provide information and assistance for individuals affected by recent hurricanes

  Mayor de Blasio announced that a service center will open next week to support displaced individuals and families from Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands following recent hurricanes. The center will be open starting on Thursday, October 19 at the Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center located at 1680 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.

“New York City will help those affected by recent hurricanes in any way we can. We’ve been sending donations and emergency responders to affected areas, and now we’re setting up a central location to help displaced people in our city receive essential services and assistance,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“This is a humanitarian crisis the likes our city has ever experienced and we must do everything we can to help our fellow Puerto Ricans who have given so much to our city and to our country,” said Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito. “Where the federal government has come up short, New York has always stepped up and it is no different in this case. This city is prepared to help Boricuas from the island with the resources and providing essential services during this dire time of need”

The City’s service center will offer in-person support and access to services to individuals affected by the hurricanes, and will be open from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, and 1 PM to 5 PM on Sunday. The City of New York is urging individuals planning to visit the service centers to make an appointment beginning October 18by visiting nyc.gov or call 311. (Note: the center will be closed Saturday, October 21.)

New York City government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations will be on-site to help connect families and individuals to critical services, including enrollment in public benefits and health insurance, food assistance, and mental health counseling.

Services provided at the center include but are not limited to:

·         Department of Social Services will assist with enrollment in SNAP benefits, cash assistance, and public health insurance, and help connect people with emergency food assistance. English and Spanish speakers will be available to assist with enrollment.
·         Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will provide mental health counseling, health insurance support, emergency pharmacy assistance and will refer individuals to medical care in collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals. They will also provide information on immunization assistance targeted toward school enrollment.
·         Department for the Aging will provide meals to seniors, assist in case management, and assist with senior employment.
·         Department of Education will provide information and assistance for displaced students.
·         Human Resource Administration’s Office of Civil Justice will convene several legal providers to provide legal consultation to individuals in need.
·         American Red Cross of Greater New York will assist in disaster relief management — including referrals, distribution of emergency supplies, and applying for assistance — and mental health counseling. 
·         Animal Care and Control and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will provide veterinary care and pet supplies.
·         The New York Disaster Interfaith Services will provide spiritual care to those in need.  

“Those individuals and families affected by these natural disasters need our help, and that includes being prepared to assist those who decided to leave their homes and come to New York City. This service center will provide those seeking refuge from these disasters with a one-stop shop for critical services, and I appreciate Mayor de Blasio’s efforts to make life a little bit easier for those who are being forced from their homes due to these natural disasters,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Senator Klein, Council Member Andrew Cohen, Rabbi Avi Weiss, and the Fieldston Property Homeowners Association host an Anti-Hate Forum


  Local school, religious and community leaders also join to discuss religious tolerance and acceptance in the wake of a recent hate-crime in Fieldston


Senator Jeff Klein, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and the Fieldston Property Homeowners Association hosted an Anti-Hate Forum Monday night at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School.

An eight-member panel comprised of the elected officials, educational, religious and community leaders led a discussion on religious tolerance and acceptance to our youth in light of a recent anti-Semitic hate crime in Fieldston where a teen was arrested for the incident.

“Any act of anti-Semitism is appalling and inexcusable, but when perpetrated by minors it is our duty to educate our youth on religious acceptance and tolerance. What happened in Fieldston last month is heartbreaking on many fronts. On Monday night we sent a message that hate will not be tolerated, and it’s my hope this educational forum will help deter any future hate crimes against this community,” said Senator Jeff Klein.

“We cannot tolerate any act of hatred in our community,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen. “It is important that we come together to take a strong stand against hatred, especially in light of the act of anti-Semitism that occurred last month in Fieldston. I thank all the community leaders who participated to educate our youth on kindness and tolerance.”

Rabbi Avi Weiss spoke of his past experiences with the subject, and he said that an Anti-Semite is also a Racist, while a Racist is also an also an Anti-Semite. Dr. Mehnaz Afridi who is a Muslim spoke of directing a Holocaust Museum at a Christian College Christian College. Father Tom Franks, also of Manhattan College said that while he was new to the area he was watching the events as they happen. Other members of the panel included the principals of RKA, and PS 24. Deputy Inspector Terrance O'Toole of the 50th Precinct also gave some information about the incident which happened in the Fieldston area, and what was happening now since the youngster who was arrested was getting counseling


Above - Rabbi Avi Weiss tells of his experience with incidents such as the one that happened in Fieldston.
Below - Deputy Inspector O'Toole of the 50th Precinct explains what happened, and how the youngster who was taken in is now getting counseling.


In addition to stressing the importance of religious acceptance, Senator Klein on Monday night highlighted legislation aimed at combatting hate crimes. Following the chilling rash of bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) last winter, Senator Klein and the Independent Democratic Conference introduced the Religious Freedom Package. One of the pieces of IDC legislation in the package addresses the Fieldston hate crime. The bill would create a specified offense for graffiti making as a hate crime. Currently graffiti vandalism is a misdemeanor, but the bill would elevate it to a felony if it’s made to target a person’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Scott Tucker And Timothy Muir Convicted At Trial For $3.5 Billion Unlawful Internet Payday Lending Enterprise


Defendants Exploited Over 4.5 Million Financially Struggling Americans Through Unlawful Scheme to Evade State Usury Laws

   Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SCOTT TUCKER and TIMOTHY MUIR were convicted after a five-week jury trial on all fourteen counts against them, for operating a nationwide internet payday lending enterprise that systematically evaded state laws in order to charge illegal interest rates as high as 1000% on loans.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim stated:  “As a unanimous jury found today, Scott Tucker and Timothy Muir targeted and exploited millions of struggling, everyday Americans by charging them illegally high interest rates on payday loans, as much as 700 percent.  Tucker and Muir sought to get away with their crimes by claiming that this $3.5 billion business was actually owned and operated by Native American tribes.  But that was a lie.  The jury saw through Tucker and Muir’s lies and saw their business for what it was – an illegal and predatory scheme to take callous advantage of vulnerable workers living from paycheck to paycheck.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, and evidence presented at trial:

The Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) Crimes

From at least 1997 until 2013, TUCKER engaged in the business of making small, short-term, high-interest, unsecured loans, commonly referred to as “payday loans,” through the Internet.  TUCKER’s lending enterprise, which had up to 1,500 employees based in Overland Park, Kansas, did business as Ameriloan, f/k/a Cash Advance; OneClickCash, f/k/a Preferred Cash Loans; United Cash Loans; US FastCash; 500 FastCash; Advantage Cash Services; and Star Cash Processing (the “Tucker Payday Lenders”).  TUCKER, working with MUIR, the general counsel for TUCKER’s payday lending businesses since 2006, routinely charged interest rates of 600% or 700%, and sometimes higher than 1,000%.  These loans were issued to more than 4.5 million working people in all fifty states, including more than 250,000 people in New York, many of whom were struggling to pay basic living expenses.  Many of these loans were issued in states, including New York, with laws that expressly forbid lending at the exorbitant interest rates TUCKER charged.  Evidence at trial established that TUCKER and MUIR were fully aware of the illegal nature of the loans charged and in fact prepared scripts to be used by call center employees to deal with complaints by customers that their loans were illegal. 

Fraudulent Loan Disclosures

The Truth-in-Lending Act (“TILA”) is a federal statute intended to ensure that credit terms are disclosed to consumers in a clear and meaningful way, both to protect customers against inaccurate and unfair credit practices, and to enable them to compare credit terms readily and knowledgeably.  Among other things, TILA and its implementing regulations require lenders, including payday lenders like the Tucker Payday Lenders, to accurately, clearly, and conspicuously disclose, before any credit is extended, the finance charge, the annual percentage rate, and the total of payments that reflect the legal obligation between the parties to the loan.

The Tucker Payday Lenders purported to inform prospective borrowers, in clear and simple terms, as required by TILA, of the cost of the loan (the “TILA Box”).  For example, for a loan of $500, the TILA Box provided that the “finance charge – meaning the “dollar amount the credit will cost you” – would be $150, and that the “total of payments” would be $650.  Thus, in substance, the TILA Box stated that a $500 loan to the customer would cost $650 to repay.  While the amounts set forth in the Tucker Payday Lenders’ TILA Box varied according to the terms of particular customers’ loans, they reflected, in substance, that the borrower would pay $30 in interest for every $100 borrowed.

In fact, through at least 2012, TUCKER and MUIR structured the repayment schedule of the loans such that, on the borrower’s payday, the Tucker Payday Lenders automatically withdrew the entire interest payment due on the loan, but left the principal balance untouched so that, on the borrower’s next payday, the Tucker Payday Lenders could again automatically withdraw an amount equaling the entire interest payment due (and already paid) on the loan.  With TUCKER and MUIR’s approval, the Tucker Payday Lenders proceeded automatically to withdraw such “finance charges” payday after payday (typically every two weeks), applying none of the money toward repayment of principal, until at least the fifth payday, when they began to withdraw an additional $50 per payday to apply to the principal balance of the loan.  Even then, the Tucker Payday Lenders continued to assess and automatically withdraw the entire interest payment calculated on the remaining principal balance until the entire principal amount was repaid.  Accordingly, as TUCKER and MUIR well knew, the Tucker Payday Lenders’ TILA box materially understated the amount the loan would cost, including the total of payments that would be taken from the borrower’s bank account.  Specifically, for a customer who borrowed $500, contrary to the TILA Box disclosure stating that the total payment by the borrower would be $650, in fact, and as TUCKER and MUIR well knew, the finance charge was $1,425, for a total payment of $1,925 by the borrower. 

The Sham Tribal Ownership of the Business

In response to complaints that the Tucker Payday Lenders were extending abusive loans in violation of their usury laws, several states began to investigate the Tucker Payday Lenders.  To thwart these state actions, TUCKER devised a scheme to claim that his lending businesses were protected by sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that, among other things, generally prevents states from enforcing their laws against Native American tribes.  Beginning in 2003, TUCKER entered into agreements with several Native American tribes (the “Tribes”), including the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma.  The purpose of these agreements was to cause the Tribes to claim they owned and operated parts of TUCKER’s payday lending enterprise, so that when states sought to enforce laws prohibiting TUCKER’s loans, TUCKER’s lending businesses would claim to be protected by sovereign immunity.  In return, the Tribes received payments from TUCKER, typically one percent of the revenues from the portion of TUCKER’s payday lending business that the Tribes purported to own.  

  • In order to create the illusion that the Tribes owned and controlled TUCKER’s payday lending business, TUCKER and MUIR engaged in a series of lies and deceptions.  Among other things:MUIR and other counsel for TUCKER prepared false factual declarations from tribal representatives that were submitted to state courts, falsely claiming, among other things, that tribal corporations substantively owned, controlled, and managed the portions of TUCKER’s business targeted by state enforcement actions.

  • TUCKER opened bank accounts to operate and receive the profits of the payday lending enterprise, which were nominally held by tribally owned corporations, but which were, in fact, owned and controlled by TUCKER.  TUCKER received over $380 million from these accounts on lavish personal expenses, some of which was spent on a fleet of Ferraris and Porsches, the expenses of a professional auto racing team, a private jet, a luxury home in Aspen, Colorado, and his personal taxes.

  • Employees of TUCKER making payday loans over the phone told borrowers, using scripts directed and approved by TUCKER and MUIR, that they were operating in Oklahoma and Nebraska, where the Tribes were located, when in fact they were operating at TUCKER’s corporate headquarters in Kansas in order to deceive borrowers into believing that they were dealing with Native American tribes.

These deceptions succeeded for a time, and several state courts dismissed enforcement actions against TUCKER’s payday lending businesses based on claims that they were protected by sovereign immunity.  In reality, the Tribes neither owned nor operated any part of TUCKER’s payday lending business.  The Tribes made no payment to TUCKER to acquire the portions of the business they purported to own.  TUCKER continued to operate his lending business from a corporate headquarters in Kansas, and TUCKER continued to reap the profits of the payday lending businesses, which generated over $3.5 billion in revenue from just 2008 to June 2013 – in substantial part by charging struggling borrowers high interest rates expressly forbidden by state laws.

TUCKER, 55, and MUIR, 46, were convicted in all 14 counts in the Indictment, including one count of conspiring to commit racketeering through the collection of unlawful debt, three counts of participating in a racketeering enterprise through the collection of unlawful debt, one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and five counts of violating TILA. 

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the St. Louis Field Office of the IRS-CI.  Mr. Kim also thanked the Criminal Investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Trade Commission for their assistance with the case.

If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact the Victim/Witness Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900.  For additional information, go to:


Statement Of Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim On The Convictions Of Scott Tucker And Timothy Muir For Unlawful Payday Lending Enterprise

  Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim stated:  “As a unanimous jury found today, Scott Tucker and Timothy Muir targeted and exploited millions of struggling, everyday Americans by charging them illegally high interest rates on payday loans, as much as 700 percent.  Tucker and Muir sought to get away with their crimes by claiming that this $3.5 billion business was actually owned and operated by Native American tribes.  But that was a lie.  The jury saw through Tucker and Muir’s lies and saw their business for what it was – an illegal and predatory scheme to take callous advantage of vulnerable workers living from paycheck to paycheck.”

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Multistate Lawsuit To Defend Health Care Subsidies


Cutting Off Payments Will Jeopardize Health Care For New York’s Most Vulnerable, Destabilize Healthcare Market, And Lead To Rising Insurance Rates For New Yorkers
19 Attorneys General File Suit To Protect Affordable Health Care
  New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced a new multistate lawsuit filed by 19 Attorneys General to defend the health care subsidies on which thousands of New Yorkers and millions of Americans rely.
Last night, President Trump announced that his administration will cut off the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reduction payments, which reduce co-payments, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income Americans. Under the Affordable Care Act, these payments are made monthly to insurance companies. Cutting off the subsidies would destabilize the healthcare market; New York insurance plans alone would take a hit of millions of dollars in money that had previously been budgeted, and insurance rates will rise for New Yorkers.
“These subsidies make critical health care affordable for our most vulnerable,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “President Trump’s move to cut these subsidies is a reckless assault on the health care of thousands of New Yorkers and millions of Americans. I will not allow President Trump to use New York families as political pawns in his dangerous and partisan campaign to sabotage our healthcare system.”
“Unable to move the repeal of the Affordable Care Act in Congress, President Trump is now attempting to administratively dismantle the ACA bit by bit. His actions will slash benefits and raise premiums, and it will single handedly destabilize insurance markets. ‎In New York, we will not stand silently by as the federal government tries to take away health care from New Yorkers. As President Trump executes on his mission to strip health care protection from those who need it most, we are proud to be joining states across the nation to sue the federal government and protect our health care. We will not go backwards,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Click here to read the multistate lawsuit, which was filed this afternoon in the Northern District of California by the Attorneys General of New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit argues that the federal government is required to make these payments under law, and failure to do so would be “contrary to the law” and “arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
In May, Attorney General Schneiderman and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, leading a coalition of Attorneys General, moved to intervene in House v. Price in order to protect millions of Americans’ access to affordable health care. The DC Circuit granted their intervention in August.

A.G. Schneiderman: We Will Sue To Defend Health Care Subsidies


A.G. Schneiderman Leads Coalition Of AGs That Intervened In Defense Of Cost-Sharing Subsidies

"Hundreds of thousands of New York families rely on the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies for their health care - and again and again, President Trump has threatened to cut off these subsidies to undermine our healthcare system and force Congress to the negotiating table. That's unacceptable. 
"I will not allow President Trump to once again use New York families as political pawns in his dangerous, partisan campaign to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act at any cost.
"This summer, the courts granted our intervention to defend these vital subsidies and the quality, affordable health care they ensure for millions of families across the country. Our coalition of states stands ready to sue if President Trump cuts them off."
In May, Attorney General Schneiderman and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, leading a coalition of 18 Attorneys General, moved to intervene in House v. Price in order to protect millions of Americans' access to affordable health care. The DC Circuit granted their intervention in August.