Woman Charged In White Plains Federal Court With Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

  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 Donald B. Smith, Putnam County Sheriff, announced today that JENNIFER COVIELLO was arrested for the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.  COVIELLO was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith in White Plains federal court this afternoon. 

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “Jennifer Coviello coerced a child to engage in commercial sex acts for Coviello’s profit, introducing the minor to illegal drugs, and fostering a drug dependency in the process.  Today’s arrest takes an allegedly dangerous woman off the street and is a testament to the continued cooperation between our federal and local law enforcement partners to combat the exploitation of children in our communities.”

           

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “There are simply no words to express how despicable human behavior can be at times, and in law enforcement we see a lot of lows in human behavior.  But for a woman to allegedly sell an underage girl for sex is too much to understand.  The FBI agents and law enforcement officers who investigate these cases each day should be truly commended for their work, and their dedication to save these children from adults who put them in harm’s way just to make a dollar.”

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith said:  “My office is grateful to the U.S.  Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their diligent work in helping to put an end to this deplorable case, stopping the victimization of a young woman and bringing the perpetrator to justice.  This case is yet another example of how effective law enforcement can be when local agencies, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office all work together to fight crime and to help keep Putnam County and the Hudson Valley safe.”   

According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] filed in White Plains federal court:

In December 2017, COVIELLO posted online advertisements soliciting prostitution customers for herself and the victim (“Victim-1”).  When COVIELLO received inquiries in response to the advertisements, she emailed and sent by text message photographs of Victim-1, including nude and partially nude photographs.  For approximately a week, COVIELLO operated her commercial sex business out of a motel in Putnam County, where she arranged for customers to meet her and Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for cash.  During that week, COVIELLO provided Victim-1 with illegal drugs, including heroin, and arranged for Victim-1 to misrepresent to customers that she was over 18 years old.  COVIELLO kept the bulk of the profits from the commercial sex acts.

COVIELLO, 43, is charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor, 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 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.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force with the assistance of the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department.  Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department.  

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

 

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

A.G. Schneiderman To U.S. Transportation Secretary: Don't Withdraw Rule Requiring Airlines To Disclose Baggage Fees Upfront

16 AGs Call on Trump Administration to Implement Rule that Would Require Airlines to Disclose Fees to Consumers Throughout the Booking Process

  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman joined a coalition of 16 Attorneys General urging the Trump administration not to withdraw a rule requiring airlines and third-party booking companies to disclose baggage fees and other charges upfront, making it easier for passengers to know the true cost of buying their airline tickets.

The Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees rule, proposed in January 2017, would have made it far easier for consumers to understand the full cost of their plane tickets. When a customer books a ticket, the baseline price is typically all that is shown. Carry-on baggage fees, checked baggage fees, seat fees, and more are not disclosed until booking is nearly complete – or even after tickets have been purchased. The rule would have required airlines to post all the fees up front at the beginning of the booking process – instead of surprising consumers at the end.

The coalition asked U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in a letter today to not withdraw the rule. U.S. airlines are expected to earn $57 billion from these fees this year – and $7 billion from baggage fees alone.

“Travel is stressful enough without having to worry about hidden fees,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Fees should be disclosed upfront – so customers know what they're paying for.”

The coalition was led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and includes the Attorneys General of New York, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

The Transportation Department announced earlier this month that it was withdrawing the rule, which was proposed during the final days of the Obama administration. The department said in a notice posted online that the rule would have been “of limited public benefit.”

According to a 2016 study cited by the Attorneys General in their letter to Secretary Chao, travelers paid an average of $100 in fees per round-trip on Spirit airlines, $97 on Frontier, and $86.92 on United. “We regularly hear reports from consumers in our states who are confused and frustrated by these fees, which significantly alter the total cost of travel,” the Attorneys General wrote.

The letter details the many different fees that airlines are increasingly charging consumers for basic services, which were previously considered standard services covered by the basic ticket price. In addition to baggage fees, some airlines charge for printing boarding passes at the airport, allowing passengers to select seats, and even to provide assistance to children traveling by themselves.

“It is critical that consumers are able to quickly and easily determine and understand the full costs of their travel to make informed choices,” the letter states. The Attorneys General wrote that while they are committed to working collaboratively with the Transportation Department to protect consumers and ensure the country’s aviation industry is able to grow, “this decision by your Department works against those goals, making it harder for Americans to be informed consumers when they travel.”

AT WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE, DOT HAILS UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES CITYWIDE THIS YEAR

Twenty five lane miles in 2017 exceeds last year’s record; Dramatic improvements around Williamsburg Bridge will aid in the expected doubling in cycling volume during the L Train closure in 2019

  New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg today announced that DOT would finish 2017 with a record 25 miles of new protected bike lanes. Riding a Citi Bike, the Commissioner was joined near the Williamsburg Bridge by elected officials and advocates, who hailed the additional mileage within New York City’s growing 1,190-mile bicycle network.  The changes this year include new protected lanes that will help in the movement of L train riders, displaced when the L Train’s Canarsie Tunnel closes in April 2019 – when DOT anticipates daily bike volume over the Williamsburg Bridge will double.

 “My helmet is off to the DOT planning and construction crews that have this year shattered records with 25 miles of new protected bike lanes, part of the largest bicycle network in North America,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Twenty years ago, the city took a big step forward with its first plan to build a bike lane network, and cycling is now growing by orders of magnitude, faster than any other mode of transportation in the city. As we noted last week when we joined the MTA to unveil our plans for the L train closure, these terrific improvements around the Williamsburg Bridge will do a lot to address the even greater surge of cycling we expect to see then.”

  The Commissioner noted that the de Blasio Administration had committed to double cycling Citywide by 2020, and cited other highlights around bike lanes this year:

·  The 25 miles constructed this year exceeded the previous one-year record of 18 miles set in 2016 by 38%.

·  DOT also added more dedicated mileage (65 miles of conventional lanes and protected) than ever before, with two-thirds of that mileage outside Manhattan, providing safe routes to schools, parks, shops, restaurants and other neighborhood destinations.

· In Midtown Manhattan -- the center of commerce in New York City – cycling has increased 40% since 2013.  In 2017, DOT continued to build out a strong protected bike network in the central business district, with almost three miles of new lanes along Second, Fifth and Seventh Avenues.

·  Outside Manhattan, DOT listened closely to community groups, and worked alongside sister agencies such as Parks, and DOT built new protected bicycle lanes in new parts of the City, including along 111^th Street in Queens and Gerritsen Avenue in Brooklyn.  DOT also completed the third phase of the transformation of Queens Boulevard, which has now gone more than three years without a pedestrian or cyclist fatality.

· Other new lanes completed this year around the City include those along Classon Avenue and Loring Ave in Brooklyn, Monsignor Del Valle Square in the Bronx, Van Duzer Street, Targee Street and St Paul's Avenue on Staten Island, and 150th Street and Parsons Boulevard in Queens.

  Even prior to the Canarsie Tunnel shutdown, the Williamsburg Bridge currently has the highest cyclist volumes of any East River crossing: 7,580 cyclists (along with close to 4,000 pedestrians on a walkway that is mostly separate from the bikeway). The project improving Williamsburg Bridge bike access from S. 4^th Street and Borinquen Place repurposed underutilized space underneath the BQE on-ramp to create a new crossing for cyclists and pedestrians. Concrete barriers, used along La Guarina Playground, create dedicated bike lanes while slowing traffic along an area frequented by children.

  DOT also adjusted traffic signals to create a new more inviting public space along Havemeyer Street linking neighborhoods on each side of the elevated highway, and where heavy vehicular traffic had previously dominated.  These changes complement the improvements that DOT made last year at the nearby Williamburg Plaza B44 bus terminus that benefit thousands of daily pedestrians and bus riders.

  As part of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, DOT is implementing its most aggressive street redesign safety program, increased investment in street redesign and traffic-calming measures citywide. DOT has also improved the safety at a record number of dangerous intersections and thoroughfares and is installing a record number of Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) to give pedestrians a head start while crossing the street.

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

ENGEL STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

  Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“For nearly a year, the Trump Administration has pursued a haphazard, fly-by-the-seat of-your pants ‘foreign policy’ that has severely eroded our country’s leadership on the global stage and made us less safe. Nothing in the President’s speech today or in the National Security Strategy gives me any confidence that the Administration is going to change its dangerous course. Prioritizing ‘America First’ over longstanding alliances, reversing President Obama’s landmark accomplishments on climate change, and mindlessly slashing American diplomacy and development efforts harms our standing in the world, undermines our national security, and cedes much greater influence to our adversaries.

“I’m also deeply troubled by what the President left out of his speech and the strategy—Russia’s 2016 election interference. More than a year after Russia attacked our democracy to promote his candidacy, the President still won’t fully acknowledge what took place, let alone dole out the tough response necessary to prevent it from happening again. And on too many issues—from North Korea to Syria to Iran—we continue to hear only contradictions and half-baked schemes from this Administration.

“I urge my colleagues in Congress to continue putting the national security of our country before party politics, especially at a time when our President fails to do so. This is the only way for us to ensure the safety and security of our country and our leadership in the world.”

Statements by Congressmen Eliot Engel, and Adriano Espaillat on the GOP Tax Reform Plan

Engel: New York is "Getting Screwed" by the GOP Tax Scam

  Congressman Eliot Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on House Republicans voting to pass the GOP tax reform plan:

“There’s no other way to say it: New York is getting screwed by the tax scam Congressional Republicans passed today. This bill will be painful for middle-class taxpayers, who will see their taxes increase, while permanent tax cuts go to the very wealthy and big corporations. It explodes the deficit by adding $2.3 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years, which in turn will lead to massive cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education, transportation, Homeland Security and environmental protection. And it will eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate, raising costs on middle-class families and increasing health insurance premiums by 10% per year, all while possibly leaving 13 million more Americans uninsured.

“Then there are the state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which are capped at $10,000 for individuals and families. This is where donor states like New York will be hit disproportionately hard, as many middle-income New Yorkers would in effect be taxed twice on some of their income. The result would hit middle class families hard and while simultaneously putting be tremendous pressure on states and localities to use few resources to continue providing essential public services like education, local law enforcement, fire fighters, road construction and maintenance.

“Everything about this bill, from the process that froze out Democrats to the actual text of the legislation, is disgraceful. The American people should not forget this Republican betrayal come the 2018 mid-term elections.”

CONGRESSMAN ADRIANO ESPAILLAT STATEMENT ON THE REPUBLICAN TAX BILL

  “I voted no on the Republicans’ tax bill that will raise taxes on tens of millions of middle class families in my district and in communities around the nation. The GOP tax scam hands deficit-exploding giveaways to the wealthiest and corporations shipping jobs overseas,” said Rep. Espaillat.“The final assessment from the non-partisan Tax Policy Center shows the GOP tax scam will raise taxes on a staggering 86 million middle class households, giving 83 percent of its tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent. This disastrous tax plan hurts middle class families and the future of our economy. My constituents want and deserve real, bipartisan tax reform that puts them first by creating better jobs, better wages, and securing a stronger future. Today’s vote to advance the Republican tax bill is not the solution.” 

Comptroller Stringer Releases Annual Report on the State of the City’s Economy and Finances

Despite solid growth for City economy, Comptroller’s analysis warns of slowing revenue growth and shrinking annual surpluses in the face of hostile Federal policy

  Despite continued growth by the City and U.S. economies in 2017, a new report by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released today finds that budget gaps are likely to be larger than projected by the City over the next four years, rendering current spending growth potentially unsustainable.

According to the Comptroller’s annual analysis of the City’s economic and financial position, which is required by the City Charter, the overall economic outlook for New York City remains reasonably positive. Unemployment is low and labor-force participation sits at record highs. Job growth remains solid, if slowing, and earnings are rising. The Comptroller expects economic growth to continue at a reasonable pace until 2020, when a slow-down could occur as the Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy. The Comptroller’s forecast does not incorporate the possible impacts of federal tax bills that had yet to be finalized at the time of this analysis.

However, despite generally positive economic conditions, tax revenue growth has decelerated from 7.4 percent in FY2015, to 3.2 percent in FY2016, and 1.9 percent in FY2017.  The report notes that:

Personal income tax revenues have been essentially flat the last two years. While wage withholding has grown robustly, tax payments on capital gains and other non-wage income has fallen, likely in anticipation of federal tax rate cuts on non-wage income.

Business income taxes and property transaction taxes were both lower in FY 2017 than in FY 2015.

Declining cash balances in the City’s central treasury account signal potential headwinds confronting the City’s fiscal condition. After reaching historically high levels in Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017, cash balances have fallen precipitously, reaching a low point of $1.02 billion in the beginning of December – or $4.4 billion below last year’s low. That is the lowest balance since FY 2010.

These indicators, coupled with shrinking contributions to the City’s accumulated surplus, highlights the need for a more significant effort to identify agency spending efficiencies to avoid tapping into budgetary reserves.

Comptroller Stringer’s analysis of the November Financial Plan – which includes the current year (FY 2018) through FY 2021 – has identified net risks to the November Plan projections ranging from $15 million in FY 2018 to as high as $1.3 billion in FY 2020, resulting in outyear gaps of as much as $3.6 billion

“There are reasons to be concerned. Revenues are slowing, operating surpluses are shrinking, and federal policies are only going to make things worse.  We believe the time to start preparing for tougher fiscal conditions is here. We must plan strategically in the short-term to be ready for whatever long-run challenges come our way,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Though the outlook for the city’s economy may be positive, it’s impossible to predict what exactly might come from Washington at this point. As the GOP attempts to pass a tax plan for the wealthiest, our safety net could get gutted to pay for it. The last thing we want to do is start drawing funds from our budgetary reserves. That’s an alarming prospect when our economy is still growing. The time to get our house in order is now.”

Tax Collections

The City’s FY 2018 tax revenue forecast decreased by a net $207 million, driven by a projected decline of $240 million in anticipated revenues from business taxes, as well as a decrease of $60 million in anticipated sales tax revenue.

Growth in the City’s personal income tax (PIT) declined last year by 1.0 percent, the first slowdown since the great recession. Sales taxes grew by just 0.2%.

City Spending and Saving

FY 2018 budgeted spending hit $85.99 billion, an increase of approximately 3 percent from actual FY 2017 spending.

After netting out the impact of prepayments in order to get a more accurate comparison, FY 2018 expenditures excluding reserves total $88.7 billion, an increase of 5.2 percent over FY 2017 actual spending.

In FY 2015, the City added $1.52 billion to the accumulated surplus of $2.01 billion that was rolled in. The following fiscal year the City added just $514 million to the accumulated surplus, and last fiscal year the City added $142 million.

This is the first time the City has not set aside funds in November to begin accumulating a surplus for the year since November 2014.

The November Plan Citywide Savings Program totals $1.15 billion over the four years of the Financial Plan period, but just 1.3 percent of the savings are from agency program efficiency initiatives.

Higher Budget Gaps in Future Years

The Comptroller’s analysis of the November Plan shows that the outyear gaps could be larger than projected by the City.

The analysis of the November Plan has identified net risks to the City’s revenue and expenditure projections of $15 million in FY 2018, $386 million in FY 2019, $1.29 billion in FY 2020, and $1.05 billion in FY 2021.

The Comptroller’s Office projects a slight gap of $15 million in FY 2018 and larger gaps of $3.56 billion in FY 2019, $3.57 billion in FY 2020, and $2.66 billion in FY 2021.

Headcount

Full-time headcount has grown rapidly over the last three fiscal years, rising by 23,688 or 8.7 percent between fiscal year-end 2014 and fiscal year-end 2017.

The November 2017 Financial Plan continues this trend with a planned increase of 7,612 or 2.6 percent in total-funded full-time headcount to 303,067 for fiscal year-end 2018.

Several agencies are significantly short of their headcount targets while others are well above. Among those with significant shortfalls are:

  The Administration for Children’s Services, which has added only 10 of the planned increase of 812 positions.

  The Department of Correction, which has added only 16 of the planned increase of 443 civilian headcount.

Compounding the budgetary risks to the City is Federal policy, which imposes a high degree of uncertainty on both the City’s economic forecast and budget projections. While the Comptroller’s economic and revenue forecasts do not incorporate the impact of federal tax and budget changes, which have yet to be finalized, the trillion-dollar increase in the federal deficit likely to result from the tax bills could lead to substantial cuts to the social safety net and a range of federal aid programs that support New York’s most vulnerable residents.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s full analysis of the November Plan, click here.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND SPEAKER MARK-VIVERITO ANNOUNCES MAJOR INVESTMENTS TO FILL EAST HARLEM GREENWAY GAP

$101 million investment is major step towards a contiguous 32-mile waterfront pedestrian promenade and bikeway around Manhattan

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito today announced a major investment to advance construction of a brand new section of the Greenway, between East 125th and East 132nd streets. This investment would close one of the last remaining gaps in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a major step towards completing a contiguous 32-mile waterfront pedestrian promenade and bicycle path around Manhattan.

As part of the recent rezoning of East Harlem, the City committed $83 million in capital towards the development of a new seven-block-long, seven-acre park, featuring bicycle and pedestrian paths. This commitment will provide new access for East Harlem residents that are currently disconnected from the Manhattan Greenway. The new investment comes on top of $18 million already committed to the project waterfront repair work between E125th and 132nd Streets. When this segment and the recently announced $100 million expansion in East Midtown are complete, there will be a contiguous waterfront esplanade and bikeway extending from East 51st Street to West 145th Street—nearly 100 blocks.

“This investment in the East Harlem Greenway gap means a brand new waterfront park for neighborhood kids and residents, and gets us closer to a decades-long goal of completing the amazing Manhattan Greenway. New York is a city of parks and communities, and our focus is improving both,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“The East River Esplanade is a major public open space asset that offers wonderful views and a chance to relax for New Yorkers up and down the east side of Manhattan,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “As El Barrio/East Harlem neighborhoods have witnessed, however, part of this greenway has been neglected for far too long. That’s why the Council prioritized investing in this important open space as part of the recent East Harlem Rezoning. We are proud to welcome this $101 million capital investment for the construction of a brand new waterfront promenade, in addition to $15 million allocated to repair the existing portion of the East River Esplanade. I especially want to thank the Mayor and Parks Commissioner Silver for always supporting our city's parks and green spaces."

New York City Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the New York City Parks Department, will begin design, environmental review and permitting for the new Greenway segment in 2018. The Parks Department has already conducted a community engagement process to inform the project’s conceptual design.

Construction is expected to begin in 2020 when work is completed on the Harlem River Drive.  Construction will take approximately three years, and is expected to be complete in 2023.

In addition to the new segment of waterfront parkland, the City has committed another $15 million for long needed repairs to the existing portion of the East River Esplanade between 96th Street and 125th Streets. In recent years, Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito have contributed funding for repair work that is currently underway along this stretch. NYCEDC will re-inspect this portion of the Esplanade next year, which will inform the phasing of future repair work. The additional $15 million investment helps to ensure that the structural integrity and landscape of the existing Esplanade will provide a continuous path to the future waterfront park.

“Every step toward ‘closing the loop’ with the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a reason to celebrate – and the East Harlem Greenway link is cause for some major cheering. This crucial seven-acre stretch of all-new parkland will give East Harlem residents a new place to exercise, play, and relax, and will bring all New Yorkers closer to their waterfront,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver.

Since its inception in 1993 under Mayor David Dinkins, each administration has contributed to the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. The last major section of the Greenway to open was a 10-block pile-supported Riverwalk built in Riverside Park on the West Side between West 81st and West 91st streets, completing a contiguous 11-mile Hudson River Greenway from the Battery to the George Washington Bridge. With more than 7,000 daily cyclists, it is the busiest bike path in the United States.

In April, the Mayor dedicated $100 million in City capital to significantly narrow the Greenway’s largest gap as part of an administration-wide push to complete a contiguous 32-mile waterfront pedestrian promenade and bicycling path around the whole of Manhattan.

The Mayor’s executive budget also included $5 million for a multi-agency study of the remaining gaps in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. The study will identify solutions necessary to upgrade existing pinch points and complete gaps, as the basis for additional funding in the next update of the City’s capital plan.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  How nice it is for Manhattan to have a full Greenway, now how about doing the same for the Bronx?

White Plains Road Business 

Improvement District

Senator Jeff Klein & Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj

Invites you to

Celebrate the Festival of Lights

And Christmas Tree Lighting

This Tuesday, December 19^th 5:15 pm

Pelham Parkway at White Plains Road