Senator Rivera on the Appointment of Barbara Underwood as the Attorney General of New York State

"I am proud to join my colleagues in the legislature in appointing Barbara Underwood as the first woman to serve as Attorney General of New York State. Underwood brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to an office tasked with fighting to protect the rights of New Yorkers. At such a critical moment for New York State and the Office of the Attorney General, Underwood's extensive credentials and leadership experience will ensure stability and purposeful direction while New Yorkers elect the next Attorney General. It is my honor to congratulate Underwood on her appointment and I look forward to working with her as she represents the interests of all New Yorkers." 

Bronx Week Parade 2018 PHOTOS

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his co-host for the Bronx Week Parade Bronxnet television personality Ms. Rhina Valentin arrived before the parade began, so they warmed up the people arriving as to just what they would see. BP Diaz said "You will see Bronx Pride on display by residents of the Bronx." 

  The three Bronx Walk of Fame inductees for 2018 were Ms. Tarana Burke the founder of the "Me Too Move moment", Mr. Richard Martin Lloyd Walters, better known as Bronx Rap artist 'Slick Rick', and Ms. Maggie Siff of star 'Billions' on Showtime Network. Ms. Siff had to catch a flight and missed the Bronx Week parade across Mosholu Parkway. 

Above- Honorees Tarana Burke and Slick Rick as they arrive to the reviewing stage.

Below - The honorees with BP Diaz, co-host Valentin, and Councilman Andy King.

The Bronx Week Parade continued for over an hour as schools, community organizations, elected officials, and others marched across the parkway, with some school or community organizations showing off their talents for the Honorees, Borough President, audience, and other watching the parade. Photos are below, in no special order. You can click on a photo to make it larger.

Op-Ed Submission From CMs King, Diaz, Cabrera and Deutsch

Legalize To Our Demise

By Council Members Andy King, Fernando Cabrera, Ruben Diaz Sr. & Chaim Deutsch

As we talk about legalizing Cannabis in New York, let’s look back on our nation’s history and see the good of endorsing harmful substances.  We recognize that alcohol is legal, but let's face it - it isn't good for you.  Alcohol impairs judgement and making it easily available for adults means easily available for young people.  For decades, our nation has seen alcoholism ruin marriages, families and lives.  We've seen countless alcohol-related vehicular deaths and alcohol-related activities destroy healthy academic careers. 

Are we ready to have the conversation about the costs of legalizing another harmful substance?  Cannabis, or marijuana, shouldn't be consumed by any young person, but our conversation recently on legalization has involved young black and brown men being policed unfairly, and all we hear in the media is: let's legalize marijuana to end this unfair policing. 

Can't we separate these issues? Of course we can, because they are two separate issues.  Poor policing has nothing to do with using drugs.  If we want to deal with different policing strategies in communities of color and white communities, then that should be the conversation.  Legalizing marijuana does not address those policing strategies.  What it does is send a poor message to kids that smoking weed is OK. 

Acting A.G. Underwood Announces Arrest And Indictment Of Licensed Nurse For Allegedly Stealing Over $550,000 From Brooklyn Hospital And Defrauding Medicaid

Keisha Demas Allegedly Used No-Show Job to Collect Over $550,000 from Interfaith Medical Center, Fraudulently Obtained Over $30,000 in Medicaid Benefits, Underpaid NY Taxes by $40,000  

If Convicted, Keisha Demas Faces a Maximum of 5 To 15 Years In Prison 

  Acting Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood today announced felony charges against Keisha Demas, 41, of Brooklyn, NY, for allegedly defrauding Medicaid and stealing over $550,000 from Interfaith Medical Center (“Interfaith”), a Brooklyn not-for-profit community-based hospital that recently came out of bankruptcy. The Attorney General's office alleges that Demas was paid for a “no-show” job at the hospital for at least four years. During this period, Demas also allegedly received Medicaid benefits she was not entitled to and failed to remit her income taxes to the State of New York. In total, Demas allegedly defrauded Medicaid of over $30,000 and underpaid the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance by nearly $40,000.

The defendant is charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a Class C felony), one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class D felony), one count of Forgery in the Second Degree (a Class D felony), one count of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (a Class E felony), three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, two counts of Criminal Tax Fraud in the Third Degree (a Class D felony), and two counts of  Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree (a Class E felony). If convicted, Demas faces a maximum count of 5 to 15 years in prison.  

“As we allege, this defendant stole from a community hospital, cheated Medicaid, and majorly underpaid taxes – leaving New Yorkers to foot the bill,” said Acting Attorney General Underwood. “Our office will continue to investigate fraud and do what it takes to protect taxpayers and our state resources.”

According to the Attorney General's office, Demas was contracted by Interfaith through an outside nursing agency. Beginning in 2013 and continuing through at least 2016, Demas allegedly conspired with a former Interfaith employee to falsify her timesheets as part of a scheme to make it appear as if she was working, when in fact she was not. Demas would then allegedly provide kickbacks to the Interfaith employee with cash payments. The “no-show” job, which lasted at least four years, allegedly netted Demas over $550,000 from Interfaith.

In 2014 and 2015, Demas applied for Medicaid, allegedly claiming she had no income during those years. As a result, Demas obtained Medicaid benefits, resulting in over $30,000 of paid false claims. In addition, while Demas' income exceeded $100,000 in each year of the scheme, she failed to file personal income taxes with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, resulting in a nearly $40,000 underpayment of taxes.

Demas was arraigned today on the indictment before Supreme Court Judge William Miller in Kings County. Bail was set at $5,000 and the case was adjourned to July 17, 2018.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Attorney General’s Office thanks the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for their assistance on this case. The tax case was investigated by Department of Taxation and Finance Auditors Nicholas Capkovic and Nataliya Sydorchuk.

The Attorney General’s office also thanks the New York State Department of Health (“DOH”) along with DOH Associate Attorney Kerry-Ann Lawrence of the Bureau of Litigation and Sara Oberst of the Division of Eligibility & Marketplace Integration, who investigated the Medicaid fraud. 

The Attorney General’s office also thanks Investigator Albert Flowers of the New York State Department of Financial Services for his assistance on this case.

Investigators Vincent Gisonti and Frank Tirri conducted the Attorney General’s investigation, with the assistance of Investigator Steven Pratt and William Fitzgerald, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator Michael Leahy and Deputy Chief John McManus. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Dominick Zarrella.

Acting A.G. Underwood Announces Settlement With Self-Dealing Trustee Of A Private Foundation

David Richenthal Used Nearly $500,000 in Richenthal Foundation Funds for Personal Travel, Entertainment, and Legal Fees

Richenthal Pays Foundation $550,000 in Total Restitution, Is Barred from Access to Foundation Funds and Fiduciary Responsibility for NY Not-for-Profits 

Foundation Agrees to Implement Internal Controls, Board Expansion, and Training Program for Trustees to Stop Future Misuse of Funds

  Acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood today announced a settlement resolving an investigation into the Richenthal Foundation, a grant-making organization that focuses on funding not-for-profit theater groups. As a result of the settlement, David Richenthal’s restitution will total $550,000 and he is barred from access to the Foundation’s funds and having any fiduciary role in New York not-for-profits. The Foundation has also agreed to implement internal controls, expand its board to ensure greater oversight, and implement a training program for trustees.

The Attorney General’s investigation found that David Richenthal, the son of founder Arthur Richenthal, improperly obtained close to $500,000 in personal benefits from the Foundation without oversight or intervention from the Foundation’s other trustees. According to the Attorney General’s investigation, Mr. Richenthal was reimbursed by the Foundation for approximately $240,000 in expenses, primarily for personal travel and entertainment costs, as well as other personal expenses. Mr. Richenthal also improperly had the Foundation make a $250,000 grant to settle a personal litigation matter with a former romantic partner. The investigation found that his misuse of the Foundation’s assets was made possible by the fact that the Foundation did not have adequate internal controls and its trustees failed to oversee Mr. Richenthal’s use of the Foundation’s charitable assets.

“When someone uses their trustee position to enrich themselves, it’s not just an abuse of trust – it's an abuse of the law,” said Acting Attorney General Underwood. “We will continue to pursue wrongdoing, protect charitable assets, and – as in this case – work with organizations that respond quickly and seriously to address misconduct.”  

As a result of the settlement, in which he admitted to the findings of the investigation, Mr. Richenthal agreed to pay an additional $150,000 in restitution to the Foundation above the approximately $400,000 that he had already paid back to the Foundation during the Attorney General’s investigation. In addition, Mr. Richenthal agreed to a permanent bar on his service as a director, officer, or other fiduciary of any not-for-profit organization operating in New York. 

Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Richenthal is barred from having direct access to the Foundation’s assets. The Foundation has agreed to a number of reforms, including nonprofit training for its trustees, the expansion of its board to five members (at least two of which must be independent trustees), and the adoption of new internal control policies (in addition to other policies that were adopted during the course of the Attorney General’s investigation).

More information about the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau and organizations regulated by the Bureau may be found at www.charitiesnys.com

Council Member Jumaane D. Williams - DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES CHANGE IN NYC MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT:

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS

 

"I want to commend the Mayor for today announcing that he will instruct the NYPD not to arrest New Yorkers for public marijuana usage, but rather to issue them a summons. This is one step in a larger process of correcting the many years of injustice that have led to hundreds of thousands of arrests in this city, disproportionately targeting communities and individuals of more color. Such significant, long overdue change will require a core, sustained commitment from the Mayor, the Council, the NYPD, District Attorneys, and many other agencies and offices. It will also require a state government that is willing to ultimately act for the public good by legalizing marijuana and expunging the records of those whose lives have been ruined by such arrests and charges."

"It is important to remember, as the politics and policy of marijuana undergo rapid, public change, that this is not simply the result of a progressive moment, but rather a movement. Bold advocates and elected officials have pushed for the decriminalizing and ultimately the legalization of marijuana for many years, and the progress being made in recent days and weeks comes as a result of their dedication and conviction. This movement will continue to push to ensure that political promises become active progressive policies regardless of shifting political winds. The hysteria and misinformation surrounding marijuana prohibition has clouded the issue of injustice for far too long, and it's time to clear the air and the records of those who have been targeted by illogical policies for years. 

"Should marijuana legalization becomes an eventual reality, it is essentially that the discriminatory actions surrounding its prohibition are not repeated. The industry should be open to all individuals and all communities, including those previously targeted for arrest under the illogical and inconsistent policies that we are working to correct."

License to discriminate could put the lives of millions of LGBT elders at risk

Religious discrimination has the potential of putting millions of LGBT elders at risk.

We’re building support to fight back, but we urgently need your help. Please sign our pledge and stand with LGBT elders in the face of religious discrimination.

Through arguments made in the Supreme Court's Masterpiece Cakecase, as well as the creation of the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division at the Department of Health & Human Services, the Trump administration is attempting to give businesses and medical providers a license to discriminate.

A license to discriminate based on religious preference could have especially devastating consequences for older LGBT people, as the vast majority of elder care providers available are religiously- affiliated organizations.

“If the Trump administration succeeds in its efforts to enshrine a religious right to discriminate – either by an anti-LGBT Supreme Court decision or with the slew of ‘religious conscience’ policies that are advancing through federal agencies, it would have a devastating impact on the LGBT community and LGBT elders,” said Michael Adams, CEO of SAGE. 

In response, SAGE launched Care Can’t Wait, a campaign to enlist supporters to stand with LGBT elders whose care and livelihoods would be threatened by a license to discriminate. 

TAKE THE PLEDGE:

I pledge to care for LGBT elders, and all LGBT people, without discrimination.

I stand with them because Care Can’t Wait.

SAGE is also looking for organizations to partner with us on this crucial campaign. Join SAGE and our early partners, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality, and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) in saying “Care Can’t Wait.” 

Organizations can take a partner pledge or email us in order to learn how to get involved.

Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto and City Councilman Mark Gjonaj in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Protection will host a "Reserve Your Free Rain Barrel!" event. (While supplies last)

For more information and to RSVP for this event, please call (718) 931 - 1721. 

To RSVP for this event, please call (718) 931 - 1721.