34th State Senate Debate Tonight on Bronx talk

 

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Former National Grid Employee Who Helped Facilitate Operation of Shadow Utility Company that Illegally Installed Gas Meters

Sentenced to Up to Three Years in State Prison 

Pleaded Guilty to Enterprise Corruption

  Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters, today announced that a former National Grid employee, who aided the leader of a shadow utility company that illegally installed gas meters in violation of safety protocols by infiltrating the public utility and corrupting some of its employees, has been sentenced to up to three years in prison. 

 District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant used her position of trust to enable this criminal enterprise to operate. She circumvented protocols specifically put in place to protect public safety and facilitated this criminal scheme. She has now been held accountable.” 

 Commissioner Peters said, “This defendant acted as the dispatcher for a shadow utility operation, directing a network of unlicensed plumbers and other associates to addresses where they would install illegal gas meters for thousands of dollars in payments, ignoring safety and potentially endangering New Yorkers. Today’s sentencing holds her accountable for the integral part she played in this crime and demonstrates the importance of DOI’s investigations where City processes and regulations are violated in the construction industry. DOI thanks the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for their assistance and prosecution of this case.”

 The District Attorney identified the defendant as Phoebe Bogan, 43, of Rosedale, Queens. She pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption on May 9, 2018, before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun, who, in a plea offered by the Court, promised her an indeterminate term of one to three years in state prison, to which he today sentenced the defendant.

 Bogan worked as a National Grid customer service representative in the Special Services Group, in the utility’s main office at One Metro Tech Center, during the course of the scheme. 

 The mastermind of the scheme, Weldon “Al” Findlay, 48, of Snyder Avenue, Brooklyn, Findlay, who worked for National Grid until 2010, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of enterprise corruption and one count of falsifying business records before Justice Chun, who sentenced him to a promised term of 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison.

 The District Attorney said that, according to the guilty pleas, the enterprise arranged for the illegal installation of gas meters in exchange for cash at 33 residential properties across Brooklyn, including Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Midwood, and Borough Park, in addition to homes in parts of Queens. Findlay formed the enterprise and directed its criminal activities throughout the period covered by the indictment, namely January 12, 2016 to June 30, 2016.

 The Department of Buildings and National Grid have inspected every property identified in connection with the investigation, and ensured that there is no risk to public safety.

 The District Attorney said that existing protocols required National Grid employees opening accounts (for new or renewed gas service) to check the public Building Information System (BIS) database to confirm that the property had been inspected as required by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). A licensed master plumber or a DOB inspector must visit the location and conduct appropriate testing to ensure that gas lines have been properly and safely installed; compliance is indicated by a control number created in the BIS database. A National Grid employee acting properly would check for the BIS number and then include it in the account record before dispatching a technician to install a meter and initiate gas service.

 According to the investigation, when a landlord with a new or renovated apartment wanted to avoid either the expense of the required tests, or possible delays associated with compliance, the landlord paid Findlay, who then contacted Bogan, who would arrange for illegal service. Landlords could be confident that National Grid employees setting up the account and providing gas service would violate or ignore any rules or regulations that would prevent or delay the supply of gas.

 The District Attorney thanked New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters and his staff for their hard work on this case. He also thanked the New York City Department of Buildings and National Grid for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.

Congressman Eliot L. Engel Statement - Anniversary of Charlottesville

  “One year ago today a heinous demonstration of racial hate turned violent, leaving one young woman dead and a nation reeling. In the year since that infamous day, we have seen no clear attempt by this President to denounce those responsible for the horror in Charlottesville, or bring our country together. Instead of healing, we've watched him blame both sides, and use his rhetoric to divide us, rather than unite us.

“More demonstrations from white nationalists are expected today in our nation’s capital. These people, once rightly ostracized on the fringes of our society, have been emboldened by the President's lack of admonishment. While I pray today is free of violence, I do hope these vile individuals come away from this with the understanding that their hateful beliefs and bigotry will never win the day." 

Former MLB All-Star Pitcher Esteban Loaiza Pleads Guilty to Possessing 20 Kilograms of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute

  Former Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza pleaded guilty in federal court today to an Information charging him with possession of 20 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute.

In a change of plea hearing before United States District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, Loaiza admitted that on February 9, 2018, he took possession of a silver Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle that he knew to contain cocaine. He further admitted that he drove the SUV to a townhouse he rented in Imperial Beach, California, where he transferred 20 kilograms of cocaine to another vehicle in the garage, and that he did so with the intent to distribute the cocaine to another person.

Loaiza will remain on bond and subject to electronic location monitoring pending his sentencing hearing.

Sentencing is scheduled to occur before Judge Sammartino on November 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.

This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

DEFENDANTS                                            Case 18CR1743-JLS                        

Esteban Antonio Loaiza                                  Age: 46                                   Imperial Beach, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment and $10,000,000 fine

AGENCIES

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

United States Border Patrol

San Diego Sheriff’s Department

Wave Hill Events August 23‒August 30

Thu, August 23   Stories in the Garden

Each week, Wave Hill educators share some of their favorite nature stories. These stories—classics and more—will come to life through interactive book readings, sing-alongs and movement. Programs are held outdoors. Rain cancels. Ideal for children ages three to six with an adult. Free with admission to the grounds.

ON THE GROUNDS, 11AM

Sat, August 25    Family Art Project: Delicate Dragonfly Wings

Study these ancient insects and see them fly upwards and downwards, backwards and forwards, or hover in mid-air. Collect transparent materials and create delicate, iridescent—even stained-glass-like—shimmering wings that mimic those of the dragonfly! Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sat, August 25    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Sat, August 25   Gallery Tour

Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. Ecological Consciousness: Artist as Instigator continues Wave Hill’s efforts to examine the ways that artists engage in ecological projects that present a call to action. The exhibition documents environmental art that explores persistent problems throughout New York City. In the Sunroom Project Space, Priyanka Dasgupta and Chad Marshall’s installation uses traditional landscape architecture, such as a conventional English garden maze, to expose the instability of identity in the United States. Working collaboratively since 2015, Dasgupta and Marshall’s work explores the dichotomy of the sanctuary—its ability to protect as well as restrict. In the Sun Porch, Katie Westmoreland’s presentation of kinetic tapestries responds to the space’s architecture, evoking the patterns cast by sunlight through trees and plants. Her immersive installation utilizes the passing light and shadow patterns of the day as active mediums in her work, calling attention to the sun’s enduring, inspirational qualities. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

Sun, August 26    Family Art Project: Delicate Dragonfly Wings

Study these ancient insects and see them fly upwards and downwards, backwards and forwards, or hover in mid-air. Collect transparent materials and create delicate, iridescent—even stained-glass-like—shimmering wings that mimic those of the dragonfly! Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, August 26    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Mon, August 27

Closed to the public

Tue, August 28    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM,  March 15–October 31. Closes 4:30PM, starting November 1.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

  

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

Cynthia for New York - New Study Reveals Only 3.2% of NY College Students Receive “Free College” Cuomo Promised

  Cuomo’s fake “Free College” program is all about the headlines, not fairness for students

   After putting out taxpayer-funded ads and campaign ads for months touting his “Free College” program, a new study by the Center for an Urban Future reveals that just 3.2 percent of 633,543 undergraduates in New York State benefit from the Excelsior Scholarship Program.

The analysis also found that a whopping 68 percent of New Yorkers who applied for the Excelsior Scholarship were denied -- a total of 43,513 out of 63,599 applications. The study also found that the Excelsior program’s heavy credit requirements -- at least 30 credits in every year of enrollment -- screened out the majority of Excelsior applicants who need it most.

“For Andrew Cuomo, it turns out that promising ‘free college’ for all is just another way to grab headlines. He attached so many barriers that his Excelsior Scholarship program only serves 3.2 percent of SUNY and CUNY students,” said Cynthia Nixon. “It’s false advertising for him to be running ads on the subway, on television, and online touting his fake free college program. When I am governor, we will have a real free College for All program.”

“This study reveals what students already know — college in New York State isn’t tuition-free,” said Corrinne Greene, a 21-year old rising senior at Brooklyn College. “I was overjoyed at the announcement of Excelsior, but because I took a semester off when I transferred from a private university I couldn’t afford, I don’t qualify. Like so many others, I’m left with a huge gap in financial aid, and panic around how to pay for school, books, and housing on top of my existing student loans. With rising tuition, crumbling campuses and poverty wages for adjuncts, SUNY and CUNY need real investment -- and a governor who believes in education as a right, and not a publicity stunt.”

Cynthia’s College for All program will pay full tuition for students eligible for state TAP grants -- in other words students whose families earn up to $80,000 -- and then allow students to use their Pell grants to cover additional expenses like room and board.

The Center for an Urban Future is an independent think tank focused on helping low-income New Yorkers climb into the middle class.

The study can be viewed HERE.

Cynthia’s Educate NY plan can be viewed HERE.

12 Defendants Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Nationwide Cellphone Fraud Scheme, Which Caused Losses Of Over $1 Million

This Fraud Ring Used the Dark Web to Purchase Customers’ Personal Identifying Information, Accessed More Than 3,300 Customers’ Accounts, and Fraudulently Obtained More Than 1,200 Cellphones

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced charges today against 12 individuals involved in a nationwide fraud conspiracy from 2014 to the present: ISAAC CONCEPCION AQUINO, a/k/a “Kaka,” MARIO DIAZ, a/k/a “Memin,” TOMAS GUILLEN, a/k/a “Diddy,” RONNIE DE LEON, JOSE ARGELIS DIAZ, JOEL PENA, JHONATAN DIAZ, a/k/a “Nino,” EDDY MORROBEL, RUDDY SANCHEZ, MICHAEL ROQUE, RAYNIEL ROBLES, and JOANDRA TEJADA GONZALEZ.  In connection with the fraud, the defendants and their associates improperly accessed more than 3,300 customers’ cellphone accounts, fraudulently obtained more than 1,200 cellphones, and caused losses exceeding $1 million.  Six defendants were arrested in the Southern District of New York and will be presented today before Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker: MARIO DIAZ, a/k/a “Memin,” TOMAS GUILLEN, a/k/a “Diddy,” JOSE ARGELIS DIAZ, JHONATAN DIAZ, a/k/a “Nino,” EDDY MORROBEL, and RAYNIEL ROBLES.  In addition, RONNIE DE LEON was arrested this morning in Ohio and will be presented this afternoon, in the Southern District of Ohio, before Chief Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Preston Deavers.

The following defendants remain un-apprehended at this time: ISAAC CONCEPCION AQUINO, a/k/a “Kaka,” JOEL PENA, RUDDY SANCHEZ, MICHAEL ROQUE, and JOANDRA TEJADA GONZALEZ.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “The defendants allegedly engaged in a sophisticated nationwide conspiracy to hack into the accounts of ordinary people and exploit those accounts for their own gain, obtaining valuable electronic devices at others’ expense.  The defendants allegedly perpetrated their scheme through various means, including buying victims’ account information over the dark web.  Thanks to the dedicated work of our partners at HSI, this alleged ring of cellphone fraudsters will now face the call of justice.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Melendez said:  “Those arrested today were allegedly part of a fraud network operating in New York, the Dominican Republic and the Darknet.  Their activities left a trail of unsuspecting victims across the United States and cost businesses significant losses.  They traveled to 30 states to obtain cellphones that were later sold through fencing operations in the Bronx. Telecommunications fraud is a huge business and where there is a profit to be made by criminals, HSI’s longstanding El Dorado Task Force will follow the money to bring those perpetrators to justice.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today[1]:

From at least 2014 to the present, a group of individuals (the “Fraud Ring”) perpetrated a wide-ranging scheme to obtain valuable, new electronic devices – primarily iPhones, but also iPads, tablets, and watches – at others’ expense.  During the course of the conspiracy, the Fraud Ring fraudulently obtained more than $1 million worth of devices.  To facilitate the scheme, the Fraud Ring traveled to at least 30 different states, but often brought or shipped the fraudulently obtained cellphones back to the Bronx, where they regularly sold them.

The Fraud Ring regularly engaged in intrusions into existing customers’ accounts with cellular service companies and obtained new phones or “upgrade” phones by paying only a small fee in the store, while charging the vast majority of the purchase price to existing customers’ accounts, without the consent or knowledge of these existing customers.  The scheme’s victims therefore included both customers, whose identities were stolen and/or whose accounts were accessed without authorization, and cellphone service providers, which typically bore financial losses for fraudulently obtained devices.

The Fraud Ring used various mechanisms to perpetrate their scheme, including buying cellphone customers’ personal identifying information (“PII”) over the dark web; phishing, in which the Fraud Ring sent a link to cellphone customers that, if pressed, allowed the Fraud Ring to hack into the customers’ accounts; using fraudulent identifications to persuade retail store employees that conspirators were someone else; and opening accounts using social security numbers that appeared to match conspirators’ names but in fact belonged to victims.

During the course of the investigation, HSI executed a search warrant on a suspected hub of the Fraud Ring in Mt. Vernon, New York (the “Residence”).  Law enforcement encountered six of the 12 charged defendants in the Residence and seized (among other things) approximately 47 electronic devices, including 12 computers.  Two IP addresses associated with the Residence were used to access at least approximately 3,300 cellphone company customer accounts, and to fraudulently purchase at least approximately 1,294 cellphones.  The seized computers contained various indicators of involvement in the fraud, including:

• A 15-minute-long “How-to” video, which detailed the steps necessary to commit cellphone fraud, including how to use victim PII to fraudulently purchase devices;
• Many indicators that the computers had accessed the darkweb, several websites where victim PII is sold (sometimes for as little as $3), and cryptocurrency exchanges, including for Bitcoin; and
• Numerous Google searches in furtherance of the fraud (e.g., “best buy upgrade checker phone,” “att activate phone,” “verizon.com check order status,” “check my order status sprint,” “add authorized user last name,” “California driver license number format,” “Utah driver license photo,” and “most common last names for Spanish rich people”).

Each of the 12 defendants is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.  The maximum and mandatory minimum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are 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 Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Brooklyn Man Charged In Connection With String Of Arsons In Midtown Manhattan

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Daniel A. Nigro, the Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”), announced today the arrest of JAMAL DEESE in connection with a string of arsons in New York, which occurred from August 5, 2018, through August 7, 2018.  DEESE was arrested yesterday evening, and was presented today in Manhattan federal court before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Jamal Deese set more than a dozen fires in midtown Manhattan locations during a three-day span.  His alleged serial arsons threatened public safety and necessitated the deployment of valuable firefighting and law enforcement resources.  Thanks to the work of the ATF, NYPD, and FDNY, Deese is in custody and will be prosecuted.” 

ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan M. Benedict said:  “The defendant’s alleged conduct placed New Yorkers, commuters, and visitors at extreme and indiscriminate risk of injury or worse, and had the potential to cause extensive damage to businesses and property.  While we are fortunate that there were no known injuries, the defendant will nonetheless face the consequences for his alleged arson spree.  I’d like to thank the members of ATF’s SEAR Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts thus far in this investigation.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “The potential for serious injury or death was very real as Jamal Deese allegedly went on a spree across a swath of Midtown Manhattan.  Fortunately, the collaborative efforts of our city and federal partners stopped him before further mayhem could occur.  Today’s arrest is the result of the type of quick and effective investigative work performed each day in New York City.”

FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said:  “I’m proud of the outstanding collaborative investigation by the Arson Response Task Force to apprehend an individual whose alleged crimes needlessly put many lives in danger.  Arson is a dangerous, potentially deadly crime; and thanks to our Fire Marshals, NYPD Detectives and ATF agents, an alleged serial arsonist has been stopped before anyone could be injured.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint sworn out in Manhattan federal court:[1]

From August 5, 2018, through August 7, 2018, DEESE set trashcan fires in the bathrooms of at least four midtown restaurants.  He also set trashcan fires outside and inside the Amtrak terminal at Penn Station.  During the course of his arson spree, DEESE ignited at least 14 fires at Penn Station and in the restaurants.  DEESE was apprehended when he returned to one of the restaurants in which he had previously ignited a fire.

DEESE, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with four counts of arson, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum 20 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.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of ATF, NYPD, FDNY, and the Strategic Explosive and Arson Response Task Force. 

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 Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.