THE CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION ANNOUNCES NEW ISSUE FORUMS

  The City’s Charter Revision Commission is holding two Issue Forums next week. The issue forums will feature expert testimony on subject matter being considered by the Commission. These meetings are open to the public. Because these are public meetings and not public hearings, the public will have the opportunity to observe the Commission’s discussions, but not testify before it. The meeting information is below:

1.      Community Boards and Land Use

• WHEN: Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 1PM
• WHERE: Pratt Institute 144 West 14th Street Room 213, New York, NY 10011

 2.      Civic Engagement and Independent Redistricting

• WHEN: Thursday, June 21, 2018 at 1PM
• WHERE: NYU’s D’Agostino Hall, 108 West Third St, New York, NY 10012

LIVE STREAM: NYC.gov/charter

FOLLOW US: https://twitter.com/nyccharter and facebook.com/nyccharter

This location is accessible to individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Induction loop systems, ASL interpreters, and Spanish interpreters will be available. In addition, with advance notice, members of the public may request other language interpreters. Please make language interpretation requests or additional accessibility requests by 5PM no later than 4 calendar days before a meeting date by emailing the Commission atrequests@charter.nyc.gov or calling 212-386-5350.

Statement from Assemblyman Dinowitz and Senator Kavanagh on Passage of Bill Requiring Contracts be Written in Plain Language

  Today the New York State Assembly passed A1085A, a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz that requires consumer contracts up to $100,000 be written in plain language that everyday New Yorkers can understand. The Senate version of the bill, S7074A sponsored by Senator Brian Kavanagh, passed the Senate earlier this month. The bill now goes to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his signature.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz  said: “For too long, unsuspecting consumers have been taken advantage of by complicated legalese in contracts which requires an advanced diploma to understand. Over the past several decades, the costs of goods and services have increased in New York but the law has failed to keep pace. I am proud that the Assembly, which has passed this bill five different times since 2014, and the State Senate were finally able to reach an agreement on this issue. This legislation is an important step forward to ensure that everyone can understand language in the contracts they are signing, and I urge Governor Cuomo to join us in supporting this important consumer protection initiative.”

“New York might be the financial capital of the world — but just because we’re home to Wall Street doesn’t mean New Yorkers should need a degree in business or law to understand a contract they’re signing,” State Senator Brian Kavanagh said. “When New York enacted the plain language contract law in 1977, we were ahead of the curve. Back then, the law covered nearly every consumer contract — but it hasn’t been updated in more than three decades, and no longer covers many common types of contracts for services consumers need. Whether you’re hiring a contractor for repairs or remodeling in your home or buying an SUV, this legislation will ensure that the terms of the deal are clear. I look forward to working with Assemblymember Dinowitz, who has been a longstanding leader on consumer protection, and Governor Cuomo to ensure that this bill is signed into law.”

New York State law defines consumer contracts as those where both: (a) a consumer is a party to the contract and, (b) the money, property or services in the contract are primarily used for a personal, family, or household purpose. Examples includes when someone purchases a car, signs up for cell phone service, or has work done on their home.

In 1977, New York passed one of the first “plain language” laws in the country, requiring consumer contracts valued at $50,000 or less include language that any consumer could understand. At the time, the limit covered nearly every consumer contract. Assemblyman Dinowitz and Senator Kavanagh’s bill doubles the threshold to $100,000.

Assemblyman Dinowitz and the New York State Assembly have passed a similar version of this bill in each year since 2014. Senator Kavanagh worked closely with Assemblyman Dinowitz to amend the bill language to match what was passed by the New York State Senate for the first time on June 11, 2018.

Democrat Amanda Septimo Challenges Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo to a Series of Debates Across the South Bronx

Amanda Septimo, a Democrat running for Assembly in the 84th District, has challenged her opponent, Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, to a series of three debates across the South Bronx.

 

"Debates are important opportunities for voters to hear directly from their candidates on the issues that matter most to them. It's time for change in Albany, and we need more effective leadership to deliver on issues like affordable housing, better schools, and safer communities. I am proud of my record in our community, and I look forward to sharing my experience with voters," said Septimo.

 

Septimo is pledging to work with Assemblywoman Arroyo's campaign to organize the debates at agreed upon locations and dates. She is advocating for each debate to take place in a different neighborhood in the district and to cover a variety of topics.

 

"Voters need to know that their voices are being heard and that leaders are truly listening to their concerns. I have dedicated my career to bettering the lives of people in my community, and I am ready to bring my experience and drive to the Assembly," said Septimo.

 

Born and raised in the South Bronx, Septimo has been involved in community activism since she was teenager as a member of A.C.T.I.O.N., THE POINT Community Development Corporation's teen activism platform. She has worked with the Legal Aid Society, with a specific focus on cases involving domestic violence and Spanish-speaking immigrants. She also worked as the District Director for Congressman José E. Serrano, making her one of the youngest-serving senior staffers in Congress. Most recently, Amanda worked to help working and middle-class families by fighting for stronger worker protections with the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators.

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW TASK FORCE TO PREVENT AND END YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN NEW YORK CITY

Group of experts will coordinate a six-month community process resulting in a strategic plan that will inform the City’s next steps for preventing and ending youth homelessness

  Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio today launched the Youth Homelessness Taskforce, a group comprised of 15 City agencies and initiatives, 26 nonprofits and 10 youth leaders from the Youth Action Board, in partnership with the NYC Coalition on the Continuum of Care. The taskforce will coordinate a six-month community process resulting in a strategic plan that will inform the City’s next steps for preventing and ending youth homelessness.  The Youth Homelessness Taskforce will also coordinate with the Interagency Homelessness Accountability Council – an ongoing effort to strengthen our citywide system to support homelessness prevention – to ensure the objectives of the two groups align.

“The Youth Homelessness Taskforce is another sign of the Administration’s unwavering commitment to addressing youth homelessness. Building on existing initiatives, this work group will put forth new ideas to prevent youth homelessness, while ensuring that those who are in our care have the ability to leave with the appropriate resources to live healthy and productive lives,” said Dr. Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “I’m thrilled to bring together this excellent group of experts who will help us imagine new solutions to making New York City a place where no youth experiences homelessness.”

"I applaud the City’s latest effort to end homelessness among our young people," said New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray. "This task force brings together a powerful group of agencies and experts in this administration who have already shown their commitment to making life better for our most vulnerable New Yorkers. Having a place to live is a basic human right. If we are to truly help New York youth reach their full potential and contribute their talents and energies to our city then we need to find some new solutions to the homeless problem."

“Addressing the needs of young people facing hard times is crucial. Through this taskforce, experts from City agencies, nonprofits and youth advocacy will come together to improve the delivery of services to help more and more young people transition back into permanent housing,” said Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong. “Homeless youth need a safe place to stay, supportive services and opportunities to succeed. The taskforce will deepen the City’s progress in improving and finding effective, innovative practices to work toward ending youth homelessness.”

“Giving all young people an opportunity to succeed is our top priority in New York City—and for youth facing homelessness, that means providing dedicated spaces, resources, and programming that will help them stabilize their lives in a safe and supportive environment,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “This announcement demonstrates our City’s commitment to connecting young New Yorkers’ experiencing homelessness with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive and lead healthy, inclusive, successful lives. We look forward to continued collaboration with our Agency partners as we continue to turn the tide on homelessness citywide.”

“Every New York City child deserves a home, and that’s why the city’s first-ever Youth Homelessness Taskforce is so important: it is a groundbreaking step forward to help address youth homelessness here in New York City. The Administration for Children’s Services is proud to participate in this important initiative because it will ultimately provide our most vulnerable youth with the support they need to thrive,” saidDavid A. Hansell, Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services.

To spearhead this effort, through a Deutsche Bank Americas grant secured by New Yorkers for Children, the City has hired Cole Giannone (they/them pronouns) as a Senior Consultant for Youth Homelessness. Giannone, working with the City’s Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI), will lead the process of coordinating the taskforce, as well as collecting, organizing and analyzing information and data from relevant stakeholders.

Prior to this role, Giannone spent seven years at the Ali Forney Center, a runaway homeless youth provider in New York City serving LGBTQ youth. In their time at AFC, Giannone created a Youth Advocate program to elevate the voices of and pay young people to help lead the efforts in the amendment of the NYS Runaway Homeless Youth Act. Giannone has a B.S. in Communications from NYU and a M.S. in Nonprofit Management from the New School.

“As someone who has worked with young people experiencing homelessness, an experience that no individual should ever have to endure, it is an honor and a privilege to help coordinate our city’s efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness. Our city leaders have been willing to listen, to make changes in our delivery of care and to add significant resources to our system in order to address this issue. To acknowledge that there are areas where we can make improvements is commendable and shows tremendous humility. In collaboration with service providers, city agencies and most importantly, young people with lived experience, we aim to ameliorate our system of care even more. Preventing and ending youth homelessness in possible,  and through this project, we will be closer than ever,” said Cole Giannone, Senior Consultant for Youth Homelessness to Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio.

“New Yorkers For Children is thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking effort to address youth homelessness and inter-generational poverty.  We applaud the City and Deputy Mayor Palacio for developing a solution-oriented approach to this epidemic and we are immensely grateful to Deutsche Bank for partnering with us to support this work,” said Saroya Friedman-Gonzalez, Executive Director, New Yorkers For Children. “Aligning inter-agency policies, developing a shared vision and plan,  and establishing a consistent measurement system that evaluates the challenges will move us closer to the shared goal of eliminating youth homelessness altogether.”

“Homelessness in New York City - for youth and for all people - is a humanitarian crisis that merits the same urgency, resources, and coordination we give to similar crises like natural disasters. It is also a challenge that we’ve proven we can solve if we partner strategically across sectors and levels of government and bring dedicated resources to the effort. Deutsche Bank is committed to ending youth homelessness in New York City and is proud to be a founding member of the Task Force. We invite all private sector and philanthropic institutions committed to making New York an equitable, sustainable, community of opportunity to join us in this work,” said John Kimble, Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives with the Community Development Finance Group of Deutsche Bank.

The Youth Homelessness Taskforce includes participation from the Administration for Children’s Services, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Social Services/Department of Homeless Services, Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration, Department of Youth and Community Development, Housing Preservation Department, Department of Education, and City University of New York. Other city initiatives participating in these efforts include the Unity Project, Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, NYC Economic Opportunity, Center for Youth Employment, Office of Food Policy, Young Men’s Initiative and Center for Youth Employment.

Nonprofit providers include The Coalition for Homeless Youth, Ali Forney Center, The Legal Aid Society, The Door, Sheltering Arms, Good Shepherd Services, Covenant House, Supportive Housing Network of New York, Jericho Project, Safe Horizon, Bailey House, GEMS, CSH, Children’s Village, West End Residences, Point Source Youth, Urban Justice Center, Princess Janae Place, Destination Tomorrow, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Advocates for Children, Youth Invincibles, Homeless Services United, Coalition for the Homeless, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, and Volunteers of America Greater New York.

“This task force is a major step forward in addressing the city’s youth homelessness crisis and I am proud to have contributed to the creation of the city’s first ever youth shelter as well as expanded hours at drop-in centers. Youth homelessness is a heartbreaking problem that requires bold ideas and innovative solutions as we work to address this issue,” said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “I look forward to working with this task force to ensure we are doing everything we can to prevent and eventually end youth homelessness in our city.”

“I’m proud that my administration was at the forefront of moving the needle in the State Legislature and City Council to raise the age at which homeless youth can stay in shelters to 24. Tackling the youth homelessness crisis requires a coordinated effort from various stakeholders across community-based organizations and government agencies that have a committed understanding of the demand for housing and how to address it,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “This comprehensive task force is a further step in the right direction to ensuring all of Brooklyn’s young people, particularly LGBTQ+ and vulnerable youth, have a loving and warm place to call home, regardless of their circumstances.”

The Youth Homelessness Taskforce builds upon a number of significant initiatives taken by the de Blasio Administration to prevent and reduce youth homelessness, including:

·         The recent NYC Unity Project announcement, a new $9.5 million investment to prevent and address homelessness for LGBTQ youth across the City. This investment includes funding for the City’s first ever youth shelter for young people up to age 24 and an expansion of hours at the City’s youth drop-in centers.

·         The Adopted budget increased the commitment to 60 new beds for Runaway and Homeless Youth up to age 24.

·         In 2017, the City's Department of Homeless Services also opened Marsha's House in the Bronx, the first-ever shelter for LGBTQ young people in the New York City adult shelter system. Named after famed LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson, this facility gives more than 80 homeless individuals aged 21 to 30 years the opportunity to be sheltered in a welcoming and supportive space providing targeted resources and demonstrates this Administration's leadership ensuring LGBTQ homeless youth have the tools, resources and opportunities to lead healthy, inclusive and successful lives. As we transform a DHS shelter system that has built up in a haphazard way over many decades, DHS continues to improve and increase collaboration with partner agencies across the City to ensure we effectively address the unique needs of young LGBTQ New Yorkers with dignity and the services they deserve.

·         The addition of 500 beds for 16-20 year olds who are homeless and deployment of additional staff to coordinate services for youth entering City shelters, bringing the total beds to 753 by July 2019, up from 253.

·         The commitment to allocate of 1,700 supportive housing units for youth through the Supportive Housing NYC 15/15.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It's about time.

Former Brooklyn Assemblywoman Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Schemes and Witness Tampering

Pamela Harris Admits to Defrauding Government Agencies Out of Tens of Thousands of Dollars and Tampering with Witnesses

  In a federal court in Brooklyn, former New York State Assemblywoman Pamela Harris pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), and one count of witness tampering.  The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.  Harris was arrested on January 9, 2018 and resigned from her position in the New York State Assembly on April 2, 2018.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the guilty plea. 

“Elected by the people of her district to serve with honesty and integrity, Pamela Harris defrauded government programs out of tens of thousands of dollars, using the money for her personal benefit,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “Harris stole grant money allocated for underprivileged children and young adults and lied to obtain funds set aside for those displaced by Hurricane Sandy, committing these crimes both before and after she was elected to serve in the New York State Assembly.  She then compounded her criminal conduct by pressuring witnesses to lie to the FBI.  The defendant’s guilty plea today clearly demonstrates that elected officials are not above the law and will be held responsible for their crimes.”  U.S. Attorney Donoghue thanked the FBI and DOI for their partnership and work on the case.

 “Amid the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, former New York State Assemblywoman Pamela Harris sought to devise a destructive scheme of her own,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “As FEMA dedicated themselves to aid those affected by the storm, Harris saw this as the perfect opportunity to defraud this agency of tens of thousands of dollars. By defrauding an agency solely dedicated to the assistance of those in need, Harris showed no remorse for the many victims of this storm. Instead, she falsely victimized herself for mere personal gain. In an attempt to obstruct justice, Harris caused greater destruction by coercing individuals to lie to federal agents on her behalf. Despite her unjust acts against the community, Harris’s plea shows that justice will prevail in the end.” 

“This former state assemblywoman, now convicted criminal, defrauded city and federal programs out of tens of thousands of dollars, including pocketing funds designated for victims of Hurricane Sandy’s wrath, many of whom were from her district and hit hard during the storm,” stated DOI Commissioner Peters.  “She continued her corrupt schemes even as she sat in the state capitol, stealing public funds while she feigned to be in the service of her constituents.  Elected officials who deceive the public, break the law and steal taxpayer funds will be brought to justice.  DOI thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their partnership in working together to expose and prosecute these crimes.”

Between 2012 and 2014, Harris defrauded FEMA out of nearly $25,000 by falsely claiming that she had been forced out of her storm-damaged residence and into a temporary residence in Staten Island after Hurricane Sandy.  To support her claim for Hurricane Sandy funds, she submitted to FEMA fake lease agreements that she had purportedly entered into with the landlord of the Staten Island residence, as well as bogus rent payment receipts.  In reality, Harris continued to live at her Coney Island residence and pocketed the FEMA payments.

Between August 2014 and July 2015, Harris, who was at the time the Executive Director of a not-for-profit organization located in Brooklyn, defrauded the New York City Council of $22,800 in discretionary funding by falsely claiming that the not-for-profit would use the funds to rent a studio space.  As part of her scheme, Harris submitted to the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, the government entity responsible for administering and disbursing the City Council’s discretionary funds, a forged lease agreement.  After the not-for-profit received the funding, Harris diverted the funds to her personal checking account and used the money to pay for personal expenses.

The following year, between approximately July 2015 and January 2017, when Harris was a sitting member of the New York State Assembly, she defrauded the NYC Council by claiming that funds for the not-for-profit would be spent on rental space.  After the funds were disbursed to the not-for-profit, Harris diverted an additional $22,800 for her personal use. 

During her guilty plea, Harris admitted that she pressured witnesses to lie to FBI agents conducting the Grand Jury investigation into her fraudulent schemes. 

When sentenced, Harris faces a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on the charge relating to making false statements to FEMA and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the wire fraud and witness tampering counts.    

Former NYPD Deputy Chief Sentenced For Illegally Diverting Police Resources

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL HARRINGTON was sentenced to two years of probation and 180 hours of community service for misapplying police resources while serving in the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) as, among other things, a Deputy Chief and Executive Officer for the Chief of Department’s Office.  He was sentenced by the U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.

HARRINGTON diverted those police resources – including dispatching police officers and diverting land, sea, and air vehicles intended for the NYPD’s public service usage – for the personal benefit of Jeremy Reichberg, a private citizen, as well as Reichberg’s friends and associates. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “After years of service to the NYPD, Michael Harrington abused the sacred trust placed in him by the NYPD and the people of New York by applying the people’s resources, including its officers, to the interests and whims of a connected few.  That Harrington’s behavior has resulted in a felony conviction is a sad but necessary reminder that, along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to fight this type of corruption.”

In sentencing HARRINGTON, Judge Woods said: “This is a very serious offense.   [T]his does matter.  As a senior official of the NYPD, Mr. Harrington was entrusted to protect the public without fear or favor.  He misused that trust.   . . . .[H]e applied the public’s resources to provide special favors to a select few.  And Mr. Harrington misdirected NYPD resources at the request of [Jeremy] Reichberg while receiving personal benefits from him.”

Reichberg and an additional co-defendant, former NYPD Deputy Inspector James Grant, continue to face honest services fraud, bribery, and conspiracy charges related to an alleged scheme in which Reichberg and another individual provided luxurious benefits to high-ranking members of the NYPD, including Grant and HARRINGTON, so as to be able to call upon those members for police-related assistance for themselves and their associates as opportunities arose.  Reichberg and Grant are to face trial before Judge Woods on October 4, 2018.

According to the Superseding Information, Indictment, and Complaint filed in this case, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:         

HARRINGTON was previously an Inspector in Brooklyn North and, beginning around November 2013, the Executive Officer in the NYPD’s Chief of Department’s Office, which is responsible for overseeing all of the Department’s uniformed operations.  After November 2014, HARRINGTON was a Deputy Chief assigned to the NYPD’s Housing Bureau.  Between 2011 and June 2016, HARRINGTON diverted police resources for the benefit of Reichberg and his associates, including another individual, Jona Rechnitz, who has pled guilty and is now cooperating with the Government. 

During the relevant period, Reichberg and Rechnitz provided HARRINGTON with personal benefits and gifts, including tens of thousands of dollars in business to a security company run by HARRINGTON’s family members and friends, thousands of dollars’ worth of meals in high-end restaurants, hundreds of dollars’ worth of premium tickets to sporting events, and a video game system and other gifts for his children.  During the same period, HARRINGTON helped Reichberg and his associates get rides in police cars for non-police purposes, used a helicopter for a flyover at a private event, and secured the use of a police boat for private boat rides at another private event.  He further sent officers to resolve private, civil disputes, pressured other NYPD personnel to respond to requests from Reichberg and Rechnitz, and took steps to assist in the promotion and transfer of NYPD officers handpicked by Reichberg and Rechnitz at their request.

In addition to the probation term, HARRINGTON, 52, of Staten Island, New York, was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the NYPD.  

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department, Internal Affairs Bureau.  

Attorney General Underwood Announces Win For New Yorkers In Smog Lawsuit Against Trump EPA

Court Rules that EPA Must Act On Interstate Smog Pollution Blowing into NY and CT from Upwind States

  New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a major win in a lawsuit against the Trump EPA. The decision in State of New York and State of Connecticut v. Pruitt and the U.S. EPA orders the EPA to comply with the Clean Air Act’s requirement to address smog pollution from upwind states. In January, New York and Connecticut jointly sued the EPA.

Attorney General Underwood released the following statement:

“As many as two in three New Yorkers are breathing unhealthy levels of smog.

The court’s decision is a major win for New Yorkers and our public health, forcing the Trump EPA to follow the law and act to address smog pollution blowing into New York from upwind states.

The Trump administration has repeatedly flouted the law – and over and over again, we’ve taken them to court and won. We will continue to do what it takes to protect New Yorkers’ health and environment.

News From Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark

BRONX MAN INDICTED ON RAPE AND RELATED CHARGES FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMAN IN HER HOME

Defendant Used Fire Escape and Broke into Victim’s Bedroom 

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on first-degree Rape and other charges for the sexual assault of a woman after breaking into her home in September, 2017. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “This alleged crime is even more unsettling because the defendant entered the victim’s bedroom, where she was asleep, and attacked her. We will make sure we bring justice for the victim.” 

 District Attorney Clark said Rudolph Moore, 48, of Manning Avenue, has been indicted on first-degree Rape, first-degree Robbery, first-degree Burglary and other related charges for the sexual assault of the victim. He was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Shari Michels and bail was set at $250,000. He is due back in court on September 13, 2018. The defendant was previously indicted on second-degree Burglary for an incident that occurred on July 31, 2017 inside the same building where the alleged rape occurred.

 According to the investigation, on the night of September 9, 2017 and into the next morning, when the 28-year-old victim was asleep, the defendant climbed into the woman’s bedroom window through the fire escape. The defendant then allegedly pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the victim and demanded and took money from her. The defendant then sexually assaulted the woman, took personal property and left through the same window using the fire escape.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Wonjin Noh of the Bronx Special Victims Squad for assistance in the investigation. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

THREE MEN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN MURDER OF 33-YEAR-OLD ARMY VETERAN 

Victim, the Father of A Young Son, Was Fighting Leukemia; Gunman Sentenced to 40 Years to Life 

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that three men have been sentenced to prison in the planned killing of a U.S. Army veteran who was shot dead after being wrongly identified as an assailant in a bar fight. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants plotted and set out to kill an innocent man who had come to the Bronx from Florida to visit his young son. The victim was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army so he could battle leukemia and then was senselessly murdered. The sentences hopefully will bring a measure of justice to the victim’s loved ones.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Carlos Velez, 35, of 370 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, and Luis Charbonier, 47, of 4161 Grace Avenue, the Bronx, were sentenced on June 11, 2018, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Lester Adler. Velez was sentenced to 25 years to life for Murder and 15 years for Attempted Murder, to be served consecutively, and seven and a half to 15 years for Conspiracy, to be served concurrently. Charbonier was sentenced to 15 years to life for Murder, 12 years for Attempted Murder and six to 12 years for Conspiracy with all sentences to run concurrently. The defendants were found guilty by a jury on April 5, 2018. The third defendant, William Andrades, 36, of 50 South High Street, Mount Vernon, N.Y., pleaded guilty on April 19, 2018 to second-degree Conspiracy and was sentenced on May 17, 2018 to seven and a half to 15 years in prison.

 According to the investigation, on March 12, 2015, the victim, Jason Allwood, and a friend were at Cullen’s Tavern on White Plains Road in the Bronx. A man named Alexis Valentin, was beaten by another bar patron in a fight over a woman. Allwood came to Valentin’s aid and pulled his assailant off him. On the next night, March 13, 2015, Velez, who is Valentin’s brother, and Charbonier, Valentin’s brother-in-law, hatched a plot to get revenge against the person who beat him. Velez and Charbonier went to the bar with Andrades, a cousin of Valentin’s, where Velez threatened a patron to tell him who beat up his brother the night before. The patron falsely pointed out Allwood, who again was in the bar that night.

 Andrades followed Allwood and his friend when they left the bar, and when Allwood arrived at his friend’s house on Murdock Avenue, Velez and Charbonier pulled up, Velez approached and shot Allwood twice and his friend once. Velez then pistol-whipped Allwood, who died enroute to the hospital. His friend survived.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Patrick Sullivan and Detective Peter Cullen for their assistance in the case.