Comptroller Stringer Audit: School Construction Authority’s Shoddy Oversight of $100 Million “Miscellaneous” Checking Account Leads to Lost Dollars

SCA Failed to Follow State Law Investment Requirements

Comptroller Stringer Calls for Strict Measures to Improve Financial Transparency and Performance SCA Failed to Follow State Law Investment Requirements

Comptroller Stringer Calls for Strict Measures to Improve Financial Transparency and Performance

  According to a new audit released by Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, the City-funded School Construction Authority (SCA) has kept more than $100 million in an obscure– and inadequately managed – “miscellaneous” checking account. The audit examined a two-year period and discovered inadequate controls over the account – which could lead to waste or abuse – as well as a failure to follow a State law requiring investment of public dollars entrusted to the SCA in order to ensure maximum returns.

The SCA is funded largely through the City’s capital budget, but it also receives money from other sources, ranging from lease payments to insurance and litigation settlements. For those external dollars, the SCA created a special account called the “Other Funds Account” (formerly known as the “Miscellaneous Checking Account”). The Comptroller’s office found that the account’s balance grew dramatically—from $20 million to $104 million—between Fiscal Years 2007 and 2016.

When auditing the account for Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016, Comptroller Stringer found that the SCA’s internal controls over it were insufficient to ensure proper accountability and transparency. In addition, the audit found that rather than investing the funds as authorized by State law, the SCA kept them in a checking account that earned minimal interest from May 2015 through June 2016 – a missed opportunity to earn better returns. That failure to follow State law and invest those dollars as prescribed by law, means that hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be going to improving school facilities have been left on the table.

“When the bureaucracy can’t get its house in order, taxpayers lose and our kids miss out on the facilities they deserve. The SCA’s bungling of financial records potentially cost the City millions. When we could’ve earned a significant return by investing tens of millions of dollars, the SCA knowingly left money on the table. That incompetence comes at the expense of our children,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Hundreds of thousands of critical, additional dollars that could have been put toward supporting our schools, our kids, and facilities were ultimately lost. That’s unacceptable. The SCA must immediately implement controls that will allow for stronger oversight of public funds in the future.”

Comptroller Stringer issued a series of recommendations as part of the audit, including:

• Deposit the funds maintained in the Other Funds Account not needed for immediate use in an investment account in accordance with the General Municipal Law.
• Implement controls to ensure that it accurately and consistently records the funding source classifications and use designations (dedicated or discretionary) of Other Funds Account funds in all of the SCA’s financial records.

To see Comptroller Stringer’s audit, click here.

Comptroller Stringer Access-A-Ride Audit Reveals Widespread Rider Complaint Dysfunction

Shocking new audit finds that 43 percent of Access-A-Ride complaints – from safety concerns to egregious lateness – remained unresolved past MTA’s own deadlines

Thousands of riders’ complaints go unresolved for months, in violation of MTA requirements

Stringer calls for internal MTA Access-A-Ride Ombudsperson to defend public safety and fix bureaucratic breakdowns

  A new audit released by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer revealed alarming bureaucratic breakdowns surrounding the MTA’s Access-A-Ride service. In this new audit, the Comptroller’s Office found egregious problems underpinning the MTA’s systems to address tens of thousands of complaints made by riders annually. As a result, complaints have had little impact on persistent failures – delays, no-shows, safety issues, and more – that plague a critical service on which New Yorkers rely.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), public transportation authorities are required to provide a paratransit system for people with disabilities who are unable to use public bus or subway services. Access-A-Ride primarily delivers service through contracts with a network of private vendors, including 13 dedicated carriers and two broker car service providers.

After Comptroller Stringer’s audit two years ago uncovered how tens of thousands of New Yorkers had been left stranded by Access-A-Ride, the Comptroller’s Office began examining what happens when these riders – seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities who rely on the service – call the MTA to flag delays, safety violations, and other concerns. The audit examined more than 21,000 such complaints taken by the agency in 2016.

Rather than finding an organized, competent system to manage tens of thousands of complaints, the Comptroller’s Office discovered that the MTA – which contracts with outside vendors for Access-A-Ride service – doesn’t actually investigate the bulk of rider complaints itself. Instead, it sends those complaints to the private contractors who riders claim have provided shoddy service to begin with. The Comptroller’s Office uncovered massive delays in the contractors’ investigations, and in some cases, no investigations at all – in violation of the agency’s own regulations. Furthermore, the MTA had no evidence that its own employees ever actually assessed the adequacy of contractors’ responses to complaints referred by the MTA. As a result, the agency doesn’t know if the complaints were ever fixed, which heightens the risk to public safety.

Specifically, Comptroller Stringer found:

• Massive Delays Permeate the Complaint System – 9,125 (43 percent) of 21,274 Access-A-Ride complaints received in 2016 by the Paratransit Customer Relations Unit (CRU) were not evaluated within the MTA’s own mandated timeframes.
• Deadlines Are Ignored – 4,110 of these overdue complaints – or 45 percent – were not even evaluated within 8 weeks.
• Safety Issues Are Altogether Overlooked – 96 of these complaints involved potentially serious safety issues, including:
  • Reckless driving,
  • A driver threatening a rider,
  • Drivers using cell phones when vehicles were in motion,
  • Driver not properly securing a wheelchair and failing to assist wheelchair down the ramp, and
  • Discrimination/Racial Remarks.

As a result, Comptroller Stringer is calling for the MTA to create a new position of Access-A-Ride Ombudsperson – whose role is designed to defend the public’s interest – specifically tasked with overhauling the complaint system and fixing the extensive bureaucratic breakdowns within the service.

“When a New Yorker calls the MTA to raise safety concerns or relay complaints about poor service, they expect the agency itself will investigate. But what we’re showing today is that in most cases, that simply doesn’t happen. Instead, for the bulk of the complaints received, it’s passing the buck to the very providers who are accused of causing the problems to begin with. Clearly, if you’re not going to bother to understand or investigate the problems plaguing your service, they’re never going to get fixed,” Comptroller Stringer said. “Our seniors, New Yorkers with disabilities, and people from across the five boroughs depend on this service. But we know that it’s failing New Yorkers. Big changes must happen, because we find ourselves back here again astonished at the lack of accountability at the agency. New Yorkers are being let down by their own government, and ultimately, that puts people at risk. That’s why we’re calling for an internal Access-A-Ride ombudsperson who will fight for the public’s interest within the agency.”

Auditors took an in depth look at a sample of 145 complaints and found the following:

• In one case—unresolved 140 days after referral—a rider alleged that the Access-A-Ride driver was an hour late, drove 80 mph in a 40 mph zone, and swerved in and out of traffic. The MTA had no evidence of any investigative results recorded in its complaint-management system and no evidence of any follow-up by the Paratransit CRU.
• In another case a customer was reportedly injured when the speeding Access‑A‑Ride driver hit a bump, causing the vehicle to be lifted in the air and break one of its wheels. The MTA’s complaint-management system showed that the complaint went unanswered for 95 days, before the Paratransit CRU obtained a response. (The MTA’s contracted Access-A-Ride carrier pulled the driver off the road, pending a hearing.)
• 13 complaints (3 safety-related and 10 others) that appeared to warrant investigation were never investigated. The issues included a rider injury, a late pick-up, the wrong pick-up location, unreasonable trip time, the lack of driver’s assistance, a rude driver, and a malfunctioning vehicle air conditioner. MTA officials agreed that 11 of these complaints should have been investigated.
• 9 complaints that the Paratransit CRU referred out for investigation were either resolved late, from 19 to 95 days after referral, or remained unresolved and long-overdue, from 71 to 273 days after referral.
• 6 of the 9 overdue or unresolved complaints that were referred for investigation involved safety issues.

The audit revealed critical gaps and weaknesses in the MTA’s procedures, which contributed to the widespread deficiencies found.

• Although the MTA’s primary method of investigating Access-A-Ride complaints is to refer them, through the Paratransit Contract Management Unit, to the Access-A-Ride contractors – the companies that employ the drivers and operate and maintain the Access-A-Ride vehicles—the MTA has no written policies and procedures governing such investigations or defining the Contract Management Unit’s responsibility for verifying and assessing the results.
• The MTA had no evidence that Paratransit Contract Managers assessed the adequacy of contractors’ responses to complaints that the MTA referred to them for investigation.
• As a result, there was limited assurance that complaints were adequately addressed by the contractors, which increased the risk to public safety.
• The MTA’s complaint-management system still in use at the time of the audit did not capture critical data—such as referral dates and destinations—that would allow Paratransit agents to automatically flag aging and overdue referrals for follow-up.
• MTA staff used their own judgment in deciding how complaints should be disposed of, with no formal criteria or oversight.
• The MTA’s complaint-management system is supposed to automatically assign unique, 12-digit, sequential reference numbers to each complaint and incident reported by a rider or member of the public, but the audit found that 26,000 reference numbers were missing and unaccounted for. That gap could mean that complaints went unrecorded and unaddressed.  (The system tracks not only Access-A-Ride complaints but reported incidents involving all MTA divisions.)

To ensure timely investigations of rider complaints that improve safety, reduce no-shows, and strengthen reliability, Comptroller Stringer issued a series of recommendations to the MTA as part of this audit, including that it review all unresolved complaints identified in this audit, ensure they’re appropriately addressed, and that it establish formal written guidelines for evaluating, investigating, and tracking complaints that are brought to its attention.

Comptroller Stringer’s new audit today comes after a 2016 Access-A-Ride audit revealed that disabled and elderly Access-A-Ride passengers were left stranded over 31,000 times in 2015. In that audit, the MTA did not provide a response or make an effort to refute the report. In today’s new audit, the MTA agreed with the Comptroller’s findings and recommendations.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s full Access-A-Ride audit released today, click here.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s May 2016 audit of Access-A-Ride, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Comptroller Stringer, how about more than just a general statement. How about a breakdown borough by borough on how bad Access  Ride is in each borough? Can that be done?

CITY SUES LANDLORD FOR CONVERTING RENT STABILIZED UNITS INTO ILLEGAL HOTEL ROOMS

Chelsea landlord refused to comply with law despite years of administrative enforcement actions against listing of apartments on Airbnb and other platforms

  The Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement is bringing a lawsuit against a Manhattan landlord who turned his four-story walkup into an illegal hotel through www.Airbnb.com,which operated for years despite persistent complaints, enforcement actions and fines against the operation.

Christian Klossner, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, said, “If a landlord persists in illegal activity despite complaints from residents and violations from the City, then we will elevate our response to safeguard its rent-stabilized housing stock and protect New Yorkers and visitors from the dangers of illegal hotels.”

“There must be zero tolerance for illegal hotels” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “In addition to depleting our housing stock, illegal hotels put lives at risk by flouting the basic fire and safety regulations that apply to hotels. This lawsuit sends a strong message to landlords across the city that we will not tolerate such practices. I want to thank the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement for bringing this lawsuit forward and we look forward for justice to be served.”

Illegal transient use in the nine-unit Chelsea building at 156 West 15th Street (near 7th Avenue) appeared to increase over time. In August 2014, the Office of Special Enforcement uncovered two apartments being unlawfully rented while in September of 2017 OSE investigations found illegal hotel use in six out of nine units.

The building has been the subject of at least thirteen illegal hotel complaints since 2014, 23 building and fire violations, three criminal summonses, and one advertising summons. Currently, more than $11,000 worth of penalties for building and fire violations have been imposed or paid.

The case represents the eleventh lawsuit the City has brought against landlords or operators for illegal hotels.

Last month, a landlord paid a $1.2 million lump sum in what was the largest ever settlement with the City in an illegal hotel nuisance abatement case.

In November 2017, another building owner who illegally converted dozens of housing units in two buildings into hotel rooms agreed to forfeit $1 million, which included a $201,500 payment to the City plus a $798,500 credit amount for approximately three years of rent forgone.

The neighborhood of Chelsea has been particularly hard-hit by illegal short-term rentals and the depletion of rent stabilized apartments.

The defendants in the suit include 156 West 15^th Street Chelsea LLC, its head officer and managing agent Dr. Philip Baldeo and operator Miguel Guzman.  

TRUTH IN BROADBAND: MAYOR’S OFFICE ISSUES RFI TO PROMOTE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT INTERNET

Chief Technology Officer calls on experts to develop system to monitor internet service providers and disclose when they are engaging in discriminatory practices

  The Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer today released a "Truth in Broadband” Request for Information (RFI) to establish transparency and accountability in how carriers provide internet service to consumers. The goal of the RFI is to gather input from industry and subject matter experts to help implement a system for monitoring the quality and performance of internet service providers.

The move comes as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved regulations that would repeal net neutrality protections and give internet service providers control over what content reaches customers and what customers can send to the internet.

“Making New York the fairest city in America means protecting the fundamental right to access an open internet,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are the first city to take this step as part of our plan to hold internet service providers accountable for discriminatory practices.”

“We applaud the Mayor’s initiative to collect and monitor data that will bring into focus what internet service providers are providing – and not providing -- to consumers,” said New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.  “My office is committed to holding these providers accountable for their promises.”

“An open internet for all – with no restrictions on quality or speed – is a fundamental component of a free and equal society,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “We remain committed to ensuring net neutrality. The ‘Truth in Broadband’ request will facilitate our work towards creating a more equitable city for all New Yorkers.” 

The Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer is charged with implementing the Mayor's goal for universal broadband for all New Yorkers by 2025. The Truth in Broadband RFI builds on the NYC Connected RFI for Citywide Broadband and the Governors Island Connectivity Challenge, both of which are aimed at delivering new infrastructure and service. In July 2017, Mayor de Blasio led a bipartisan coalition of 65 mayors in opposition to the reclassification of broadband as an information service.

The FCC has retreated from ensuring accountability and transparency of broadband providers. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has proposed a lower speed standard for broadband and changes to how the FCC collects and reports data on broadband performance and availability. On December 14th, 2017 the FCC re-classified broadband as an information service and significantly reduced regulatory oversight of Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”). The move also repealed regulations requiring open internet practices. ISPs may now make discriminatory and self-serving decisions to slow or block some content for financial or political gain. In the new rules, ISPs are only required to self-disclose limited information about their network management practices, performance, and commercial terms.

Though reclassification will allow large internet service providers to block or throttle content at will, they say they do not plan to do so. Without monitored transparency, people cannot know if ISPs are honoring that claim.

Anyone can respond to the RFI. Responses to the Truth in Broadband RFI are due February 28, 2018 and can be submitted at http://on.nyc.gov/truthinbroadbandrfi.

"Our commitment to universal, affordable, high-speed internet is a commitment to an open internet,” said Miguel Gamiño, Jr., New York City Chief Technology Officer. “We’re engaging the experts so that we can appropriately and boldly act to protect fair and equal access to the Internet for everyone, where the federal government will not."

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS VITO MUSTACIUOLO AS GENERAL MANAGER OF NYCHA

AnnMarie Santiago appointed new Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services at HPD

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Vito Mustaciuolo as acting General Manager of the New York City Public Housing Authority. Mustaciuolo brings decades of experience securing repairs for tenants and holding landlords accountable at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Division of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services, including as its Deputy Commissioner since 2009. At HPD, Mustaciuolo launched and managed the City’s Alternative Enforcement and Emergency Repair programs, initiatives that have rehabilitated hundreds of apartment buildings and protected affordable homes for tens of thousands of New Yorkers.

As NYCHA’s principal administrator, the General Manager oversees the maintenance of all developments. Mustaciuolo will succeed NYCHA’s current General Manager, Michael Kelly. Since Kelly's appointment is 2015, NYCHA has reduced average repair wait times by 8 days, begun a massive resiliency program to modernize buildings, and launched NextGen Operations to improve customer service and resident engagement.

"This Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to strengthening public housing, and we are bringing in one of the City's best to further our progress. Vito Mustaciuolo has a proven track record of fighting for tenants across the five boroughs, and I know he will hit the ground running at NYCHA,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I also know we are in good hands with AnnMarie Santiago as HPD’s enforcement boss. A tireless and talented public servant, she’s been a behind-the-scenes driver of some of the City’s most creative and efficient tools for getting property owners to live up to their obligations.”

“Vito Mustaciuolo has a long and successful history of advocating for tenants,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “His more than 30 years of experience at HPD will be invaluable as we implement broader reforms to strengthen public housing. I’m excited about the operational expertise he brings to the role. I would also like to thank Michael Kelly for his years of public service, especially his two stints at NYCHA.  I and the executive team are grateful for Michael’s deep industry knowledge and connections and his commitment to improving the lives of the 1 in 14 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home."

"I am humbled by Mayor de Blasio's appointment. I want to thank Chair Shola Olatoye for her confidence and support and I look forward to working with the entire NYCHA team," said Vito Mustaciuolo, acting NYCHA General Manager. "My top priorities are advancing the level of service to NYCHA tenants, increased portfolio wide capital improvements, and timely restoration of essential services. There is nothing more important than improving the quality of life of the thousands of families and individuals that call NYCHA 'home'."

AnnMarie Santiago will be promoted to acting Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services at HPD, a division for which she has worked for 20 years. She is the first Hispanic-American woman to hold the leadership post. Currently Assistant Deputy Commissioner, she has served as Vito Mustaciuolo’s second in command for two years.

“Serving more than 400,000 residents, NYCHA is one of the most critical sources of affordable housing in New York City.   Protecting the quality and safety of that housing stock is paramount, which is why I’m so grateful to HPD Deputy Commissioner Vito Mustaciuolo for stepping in and lending his decades of expertise and experience in housing enforcement.  During this transition, AnnMarie Santiago, Vito’s second in command, will serve as Acting Deputy Commissioner at HPD.  I am confident that HPD’s enforcement work will carry on seamlessly under AnnMarie’s capable and experienced leadership.   The City of New York is fortunate to have tireless, talented public servants like Vito and AnnMarie who are so deeply committed to the safety and well-being of their fellow New Yorkers,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

“At HPD’s Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services, we work day in and day out to safeguard the city’s housing stock so that New Yorkers have a safe, decent place to call home.  I am absolutely honored to be called on to fill the shoes of my long-time mentor, Vito Mustaciuolo. As we move forward, my team and I won’t miss a beat and we will continue to push the envelope, build on our experience with new enforcement tools, and hold landlords accountable to their tenants and the law,” said AnnMarie Santiago, acting HPD Deputy Commissioner of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services.

About Vito Mustaciulo:

Vito Mustaciuolo has served as Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services (ENS) since 2011. Mustaciuolo oversaw a staff of approximately 1,000 employees responsible for assuring owner compliance with the New York City Housing Maintenance Code and the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law throughout the city to promote quality housing for New Yorkers. Mustaciuolo joined HPD in 1984 and held a variety of operational positions in the Divisions of Maintenance, Relocation Services, and Demolition until being appointed as the Assistant Commissioner for Code Enforcement in 1990. In 2001, he was promoted to Associate Commissioner for Enforcement Services. Mustaciuolo played a critical role in drafting and implementing the 2004 Local Law 1, the City’s chief ordinance for lead testing and remediation. In 2008, he received the prestigious Sloan Public Service award for service to the City of New York.

Mustaciuolo, 57, was born and raised on Staten Island, and still lives there with his wife. He has two daughters and three grandchildren. 

About AnnMarie Santiago:

AnnMarie Santiago has served as Assistant Deputy Commissioner for ENS since 2015. She started her career in City government in 1994 as an Urban Fellow working for the Mayor’s office of SRO Housing, the unit charged with monitoring and inspecting Single Room Occupancy dwellings that was later absorbed into HPD.  She joined HPD in 1996 and has served in a variety of capacities.  She was promoted to Associate Commissioner in 2012 and to Assistant Deputy Commissioner in 2015, and received the Sloan Public Service Award in 2017.  She helped create HPD’s Alternative Enforcement Program and Proactive Preservation Initiative to comprehensively address problems in distressed buildings. Her broad portfolio includes managing and analyzing agency data to further the agency’s mission of ensuring the quality and safety of the housing stock and protecting the rights of tenants; monitoring internal performance indicators, staffing, budget, technology; and overseeing EEO, Disciplinary and Labor Management issues. Over the past two years, ENS’ workload expanded significantly as the agency was called upon to assist the Department of Homeless Services’ efforts to monitor and improve conditions of DHS shelters and cluster shelter units. AnnMarie was instrumental in meeting these challenges, developing and implementing internal systems to support HPD’s inspections program and Shelter Repair Squad 2.0.

Born in Manhattan, Santiago, 45, was raised in Long Island City and currently lives in Jamaica, with her husband and two children. 

Congressman Eliot L. Engel Votes NO on Latest Short Term Funding Bill

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made the following statement:

“Throughout the past year, the GOP put their tax scam first and put children and families last. They spent all their time, energy and votes on tax breaks for corporations and the wealthiest, and put the needs of working families on the backburner.

“For months, Democrats implored the Republicans in the majority to tackle the issues both sides agree must be addressed – but Republicans refused. They refused to deliver an on-time budget. They refused to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) before it expired on September 30th, then tried to use it as a negotiating tool at the last minute. They refused to fund community health centers that so many kids rely on. They refused to protect DREAMers – young, hardworking people who know no other country but America. They refused to provide disaster aid still needed in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida and California. And the list goes on.

“The GOP’s failed leadership is only compounded by their empty promises. Tonight, I voted NO on another empty Republican promise.”

Inaugural Ceremony of Councilman Mark Gjonaj

Recently elected 13th City Councilman Mark Gjonaj had his public swearing in today at the Herbert Lehman Educational Campus. It was a packed auditorium with many Bronx Elected officials, and others from outside the Bronx to see the new Albanian American Councilman, as well as friends and constituents. The members of Bronx Congressional delegation however were stuck in Washington with the government shutdown.  

Mistress of Ceremony Lisa Sorin opened the event, with the Salute to the colors by NYPD Post 1824 and Post 2436. The pledge of Allegiance and American National Anthem was done by Renaissance High School Students, with the Albanian National Anthem by Ms. Jessica Raja. The invocation was then given by Imam Edin Ajar.

State Senator Jeff Klein was first to speak of the day he and Mark were fishing off City Island when Mark first said that he wanted to run for the State Assembly. Senator Klein added that this council race was one of the hardest races for him outside of his own. Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo was next followed by Public Advocate Leticia James. Assemblyman Michael Benedetto up next thanked the three speakers before him for saying almost exactly what he wanted to say about Councilman Mark Gjonaj who Benedetto had served with for five years in the state assembly. 

The Ambassadors from Albania (Flavetta Faber) and Kosova (Vlora Citaku) each read letters from their respective Prime Ministers who praised Mark Gjonaj for becoming the first Albanian American to be elected to the New York City Council.

Judge Llinet Rosado then swore Mark Gjonaj (with his wife Roberta and two sons) in as the new Councilman from the 13^th City Council District. Councilman Gjonaj said “God has been good to me and my family”. He spoke of helping struggling business corridors in his role as chair of the Small Business committee. He added that he wants to bring more mass transit to areas in the Bronx who are undeserved, a two-percent tax cap, stop the out of control water rate increases, and do more for senior citizens and veteran's. Photos are below.

Above - The Pledge of Allegiance and American National Anthem by Renaissance High School Students.

Below - The Albanian National Anthem by Ms. Jessica Raja.

Above - The Invocation by Imam Edin Ajar.

Below - Flocetta Faver Ambassador from Albania presents Councilman Gjonaj with the letter she       read from the Prime Minister of Albania.

   

Above - Kosova Ambassador Vlora Citaku also read a letter from the Prime Minister of Kosova    congratulating on becoming the first Albanian American in the NYC Council.

Below -  Mark Gjonaj with his wife Roberta and two sons beside him is sworn in by Judge Llinet      Rosado as the Councilman from the 13th City Council District

Above - Councilman Mark Gjonaj speaks of his agenda for the first four years in City  Hall as the City Councilman from the 13th district.

Below - Could Councilman Gjonaj be speaking to his replacement in the state assembly?

18 Arrested at Brooklyn NYCHA Housing Complex on Charges Including Narcotics and Conspiracy

Joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York City Police Department, Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, and DOI leads to arrests of 18 individuals on charges including narcotics and conspiracy at NYCHA’s Sheepshead/Nostrand Houses

  Mark G. Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), today announced the arrest of 18 individuals, including three New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) employees, and released a Report that revealed NYCHA’s continued failure to effectively enforce its Permanent Exclusion policy for dangerous criminal offenders. The investigation also uncovered employees purchasing drugs from tenants and targets of the criminal investigation and other misconduct at NYCHA’s Sheepshead/Nostrand Houses. The Report was issued at the conclusion of a 16-month criminal investigation with federal and state law enforcement partners into the Towaz Boyz gang, which resulted in 15 arrests on drug and conspiracy charges, the arrest of one NYCHA employee for illegally facilitating access to a NYCHA apartment allegedly used in narcotics sales, and arrests of two additional NYCHA employees for purchasing marijuana from a Sheepshead apartment while on duty and in uniform. During the course of the investigation, DOI investigators discovered NYCHA was fully aware that two of the defendants charged today had allegedly sold narcotics in NYCHA apartments, lobbies, and stairwells, and had been Permanently Excluded from NYCHA property. Furthermore, when NYCHA became aware that these defendants were still living in the NYCHA apartments in violation of the Permanent Exclusion policy, the Authority failed to take further enforcement action to protect other Sheepshead/Nostrand residents

DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters said, “Today’s arrests highlight the inherent dangers of allowing serious, recidivist criminals to continue to reside on NYCHA property. DOI’s Report demonstrates NYCHA’s continued failure to exclude these offenders - disregarding its own policies and DOI’s repeated findings in this critical area of safety. By defying its own policy of Permanent Exclusion, NYCHA is placing its residents at risk.” 

“People deserve to leave their homes without fearing the drug dealers and violent gang members loitering around their front doors. The FBI NY Metro Safe Streets Task Force and our partners the NYPD and the City of New York Department of Investigation worked closely on this investigation to stop illegal criminals from disrupting people’s lives. We want this case and these arrests to serve as a warning that we will leverage these partnerships to stop future gang members hoping to fill the void,” said William F. Sweeney, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Division.

DOI’s investigation exposed significant vulnerabilities in NYCHA’s internal controls concerning Permanent Exclusion, as well as misconduct by NYCHA employees, and alleged criminal activity by numerous unauthorized NYCHA occupants, specifically:

 Two of the defendants charged today, MATTHEW GERARD and JAMEEK BAKER, had previously been arrested for selling crack cocaine at Sheepshead/Nostrand Houses, and BAKER had also been charged with armed robbery. NYCHA Permanently Excluded them from public housing so that their leaseholder relatives could remain living at NYCHA. NYCHA subsequently found both of these defendants still living in the NYCHA apartments in violation of the Permanent Exclusion agreement, but failed to take effective action to protect other Sheepshead/Nostrand residents from the ongoing narcotics activity. 

  Eight additional defendants were residing in public housing or Section 8 apartments without legal authorization and in violation of the lease terms. 

 DOI also arrested a NYCHA caretaker, SHAKINA ROWE, for illegally unlocking a NYCHA apartment, after a court-ordered eviction, in order to enable individuals charged in this investigation to access an apartment known to be used for narcotics sales, according to the charges. Two additional NYCHA employees were arrested for purchasing marijuana while on duty and in uniform.

As a result of this investigation, DOI is re-issuing recommendations it has made in its two prior reports concerning removing recidivist serious criminal offenders from NYCHA properties, including more aggressively prosecuting tenancy cases against NYCHA leaseholders who participated in, knew or should have known, of serious criminal activity being committed by criminal offenders, especially where the offender has already been Permanently Excluded from NYCHA housing. The report also includes new recommendations, including that NYCHA should conduct a comprehensive audit of all arrests referred by NYPD to evaluate NYCHA’s response.

Commissioner Peters thanked New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O’Neill and the Brooklyn South Gang Squad, NYPD Captain Anthony Guadagno and Detectives Matthew Jagoda and Robert Chan; Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation William F. Sweeney, Jr.; FBI Special Agent Neil Maxson; Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan; Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Senior Executive for Law Enforcement Operations Gregory A. Thomas; and City Department of Correction Acting Deputy Commissioner Antonio Cruz, for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation. 

Indictments and criminal complaints are accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty

DOI is one of the oldest law-enforcement agencies in the country and New York City’s corruption watchdog. Investigations may involve any agency, officer, elected official or employee of the City, as well as those who do business with or receive benefits from the City. DOI’s strategy attacks corruption comprehensively through systemic investigations that lead to high-impact arrests, preventive internal controls and operational reforms that improve the way the City runs. 

Bribery and Corruption are a Trap. Don’t Get Caught Up. Report It at 212-3-NYC-DOI