STATEMENT FROM BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY DARCEL D. CLARK RE: New York State Marijuana Laws

  "The time has come for the state legislature to seriously consider decriminalizing marijuana and providing a uniform approach to vacating marijuana convictions. Decriminalization would ensure fairness for residents of the Bronx and throughout New York State. The piecemeal approach to enforcing marijuana laws county by county creates disparity and will not change the underlying fact that marijuana is still illegal.”

AM KIM ENDORSES JUMAANE WILLIAMS FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

  Today, Assembly member Ron Kim met with Council member Jumaane Williams in Flushing and officially announced his support for Williams' campaign for Lieutenant Governor. The two elected officials held a roundtable with prominent members of the community at Mulan Restaurant and invited local media outlets to the event. Assemblyman Kim and Councilman Williams introduced themselves and spoke on the importance of the upcoming September 13 primary election, and then fielded questions from the community members and reporters.

Councilman Williams thanked the Assembly member for his official endorsement and talked about his candidacy and platform. One of the major topics that he emphasized included the need to help small businesses, nonprofits, and everyday tenants deal with rapidly rising rent and costs. The Councilmember made it clear that the problems of gentrification and increasingly exorbitant cost of living in New York were things he had long fought as a community activist, and they represented issues he has continued to speak on as an elected official.

Both he and Assemblyman Kim praised the economic resilience of areas like Flushing, one of the few places which, unlike many other neighborhoods, remained largely unaffected and even continued to develop during the 2008 financial crisis. They each acknowledged the importance of assisting mom-and-pop shops, a long-standing cause for the Assembly member.

When asked about the SHSAT issue, a contentious topic among many in the Asian American community, Williams pointed out that he himself was a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School, one of the Specialized High Schools. He stated that he was against getting rid of the test, and acknowledged that it played an important role in him being accepted into the first-rate school. Instead, he pointed to the systemic issues of segregation and uneven distribution of resources that plagued the city's entire education system.

He stated that in this, as in many other issues, instead of pitting communities against each other, it was far more important ensure all children had better access to a first-rate education. He and Assemblyman Kim noted that these and other recent issues seemed to wrongly place their two communities against each other. It was far more important, they noted, that their communities worked together to "expand the pie" of resources for all people.

Williams promised to embrace a more active, progressive and – if needed – independent role if elected as Lieutenant Governor. He noted that instead of just "ribbon-cutting", the role entailed many important executive duties, which he believed the current Lieutenant Governor did not always take seriously. These include serving as the President of the State Senate, sometimes as a tie-breaking vote, and even Acting Governor if the current one was incapacitated or for whatever reason left office. As the event came to a close, the Councilmember thanked the attendees for meeting with him and praised the unique and integral role of Queens' Asian American community. He noted that his own family were immigrants from the Caribbean, and that the two communities shared much in common.

Assemblyman Ron Kim said, "Early on in this race, I felt compelled to stand up for Jumaane Williams when Kathy Hochul’s campaign launched a vehemently negative attack against him over his past finances. Since then, the debt-shaming, dog whistling, and use of gendered language has only worsened. These are clear signs of an established political structure comfortable with using every ugly tactic imaginable to hold on to their power and maintain the status quo.

At a time when there is so much concentrated and centralized power in New York politics, which has led to shortsighted and corrupt behaviors, we need more checks and balances. I’m confident Jumaane Williams will help bring more transparency and counter balance to an executive office that has become too authoritarian and demagogic.

We need an independent statewide leader who can push back and dissent when the governor is acting out of line. For these reasons, I proudly support Jumaane for Lieutenant Governor." 

Team Jumaane - BERNIE ENDORSED JUMAANE!

YUGE news! Just now, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced his endorsement of our campaign!

This is a big deal, Friend. In 2016, Jumaane was one of the few New York City elected officials to endorse Bernie in the primary. He knew then what we know now— that a bold progressive vision from an outsider candidate is what we need to lift up communities in New York who need a voice.

Bernie ran his grassroots campaign $27 at a time-

Bernie’s support is a huge boost to our campaign, and we need to make sure that everyone hears about it in time for Thursday’s primary. Add your support so that we can get the word out!

The political revolution didn’t end in 2016. It’s just getting started. And on Thursday, a true blue wave is going to sweep out the establishment who are afraid our message of transformational change.

We’re so excited. Are you?

-Team Jumaane

EDITOR'S NOTE:

This is the way this announcement came to us, except the donation part to the Jumaane campaign was edited out.

Cynthia Nixon Slams Cuomo for Underperforming Metro-North Service

  Today, Cynthia greeted commuters at Grand Central Terminal before taking Metro-North to greet volunteers in Mount Vernon. The Governor oversees the MTA, which has jurisdiction over Metro-North railroad lines on the western and eastern portions of the Hudson River in New York. Much like the New York City subway and the LIRR, Metro-North has struggled under Cuomo’s leadership. Metro-North’s on-time performance declined again in June.

“Governor Cuomo literally can’t make the trains run on time,” said Cynthia in a statement. “His refusal to ask his wealthy donors to pay more has left commuters struggling with broken mass transit and higher and higher fares. Unlike the Governor, I know the MTA is the state’s responsibility, and I will do what is necessary to fund it.”

Nine Members of a Violent Drug Crew Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy and Four Murders

The “Bushwick Crew” Allegedly Committed Multiple Acts of Violence to Further Their Drug Distribution Operations in Brooklyn and Queens

  A 19-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging five new defendants, and four previously charged defendants, for their participation in a drug-trafficking enterprise based in Brooklyn and Queens, referred to in the indictment as the “Bushwick Crew.”  Eight defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy, including predicate acts of murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion conspiracy and heroin distribution conspiracy, and a ninth defendant is charged with murder in aid of racketeering. 

Maurice Brown, Jaquan Cooper and Tyquan Griem were arrested yesterday and today and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo at the Brooklyn federal courthouse.  Norman Marrero was arraigned earlier today before United States Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson at the federal courthouse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and ordered detained.  Lance Goodwin was arrested today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Dennis L. Howell at the federal courthouse in Asheville, North Carolina.  

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 James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.     

“As alleged, the defendants were part of a violent crew that beat, tortured and killed in furtherance of their heroin trafficking,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “These charges demonstrate the commitment by this Office and our law enforcement partners to rid our community of the extreme violence associated with drug dealing.”  Mr. Donoghue expressed his appreciation to the New York Metropolitan Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of FBI special agents and NYPD detectives, for their participation and assistance in the investigation.

“Not only are these gang members pushing deadly drugs in our most vulnerable communities, they’re allegedly killing rivals and bystanders in their attempts to maintain power and control,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “We’ve stated before the FBI Metro Safe Streets Task Force will continue our pursuit of the leadership in these gangs, and stop their violent and illegal trafficking enterprise before more and more people die from either addiction or at the hands of the gang members.”

“The behavior this crew engaged in will never be tolerated by New Yorkers, and I thank our federal partners at the FBI and the Eastern District for strengthening the NYPD’s efforts to rid our streets of these criminals,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill.  “We will remain relentless in our mission to dismantle groups like this by precisely focusing on the drivers of violence in our city, and we will see their cases through to appropriate and meaningful prison sentences – those who live and work in all of our neighborhoods deserve nothing less.”

As alleged in the superseding indictment and court filings by the government,

the Bushwick Crew was involved in a large-scale heroin trafficking organization with Mexican cartel connections.  Various members of the crew served as enforcers to protect its interests by arming themselves to escort drug traffickers, forcibly collecting drug debts and committing acts of violence against anyone who interfered with the crew’s operations or offended its members.  The crimes alleged include:

Murder of Donte Williams

On August 18, 2012, defendant Lance Goodwin and other members of the crew were involved in a street altercation in Bushwick.  During the fight, Goodwin fatally shot Donte Williams in the stomach to advance his own standing within the crew.  When arrested one week later, Goodwin was carrying the murder weapon.

Murders of Gary Lopez and Rudy Superville 

On March 5, 2013, Gary Lopez and Rudy Superville attempted to rob one of the Bushwick Crew’s main heroin distributors at the distributor’s apartment.  Lopez and Superville were shot and wounded by the distributor.  Defendants Maurice Brown, Peter Vasquez, Luis Lopez, Jason Pantojas and his brother Miguel Pantojas were summoned by the distributor to the apartment where they beat and tortured Gary Lopez and Superville.  Gary Lopez called 911 to plead for help and was shot dead by Brown.  Superville attempted to flee the apartment and was fatally stabbed by Jason Pantojas.  The bodies were doused with bleach and ammonia, wrapped in plastic and driven to a field in Queens by defendants Brown, Luis Lopez and Vasquez, as well as other crew members.  At the field, the bodies were soaked with gasoline and ignited.

Murder of Kelvin Johnson

On September 20, 2014, defendant Tyquan Griem and the above-mentioned heroin distributor went to a nightclub in Queens where a fight broke out.  Griem retrieved a handgun stashed in a secret trap in the distributor’s car and opened fire, killing Kelvin Johnson.

Other Violent Crimes

Defendant Norman Marrero is charged with participating in the shooting of a drug customer to extort him for a drug debt owed to the Bushwick Crew.  Defendant Jaquan Cooper is charged with committing a gunpoint robbery at a barbershop in Queens as customers were getting their hair cut. 

The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

If convicted of the murder charges, defendants Brown, Goodwin, Griem, Lopez, Jason Pantojas, Miguel Pantojas and Vasquez face mandatory life sentences.  If convicted of the drug and gun-related charges, defendants Cooper and Marrero face mandatory minimum sentences of 17 years’ and 20 years’ imprisonment, respectively, and a maximum of life imprisonment.

The superseding indictment is the product of an ongoing investigation into gang and narcotics-related violence in Brooklyn and Queens, among other locations, which has resulted in the filing of federal narcotics-and weapons-related charges in this district against more than 25 individuals in the past three years. 

This case is also the result of the 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.

The New Defendants:

MAURICE BROWN (also known as “Spaz”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New York

JAQUAN COOPER (also known as “J-Gunna”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New York

LANCE GOODWIN (also known as “Ty Mucka”)
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New York

TYQUAN GRIEM (also known as “Ty Goon”)
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New York

NORMAN MARRERO (also known as “Tito”)
Age: 35
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Previously Charged Defendants Facing New Charges:

LUIS LOPEZ (also known as “Lou”)
Age: 36
Brooklyn, New York

JASON PANTOJAS (also known as “Tuli”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New York

MIGUEL PANTOJAS (also known as “Miggs”)
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New York

PETER VASQUEZ (also known as “Pete”)
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New York

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition Of Alleged Russian Hacker

Responsible For Massive Network Intrusions At U.S. Financial Institutions, Brokerage Firms, A Major News Publication, And Other Companies

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and David E. Beach, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office (“USSS”) announced today that ANDREI TYURIN, a/k/a “Andrei Tiurin,” was extradited from the country of Georgia.  TYURIN was arrested by Georgian authorities at the request of the United States for charges arising from his participation in a massive computer hacking campaign targeting U.S. financial institutions, brokerage firms, financial news publishers, and other American companies.  These hacks included the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in history.  TYURIN is charged with committing these crimes with Gery Shalon, a/k/a “Garri Shalelashvili,” a/k/a “Gabriel,” a/k/a “Gabi,” a/k/a “Phillipe Mousset,” a/k/a “Christopher Engeham”; Joshua Samuel Aaron, a/k/a “Mike Shields”; and Ziv Orenstein, a/k/a “Aviv Stein,” a/k/a “John Avery,” in furtherance of securities market manipulation, illegal online gambling, and payment processing fraud schemes perpetrated by Shalon, Aaron, Orenstein, and their co-conspirators. 

TYURIN, a Russian citizen, arrived in the Southern District of New York earlier today, and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman.  TYURIN is expected to appear before United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain on September 25, 2018, at 2:00 PM. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Andrei Tyurin, a Russian national, is alleged to have participated in a global hacking campaign that targeted major financial institutions, brokerage firms, news agencies, and other companies.  Tyurin’s alleged hacking activities were so prolific, they lay claim to the largest theft of U.S. customer data from a single financial institution in history, accounting for a staggering 80 million-plus victims.  As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial wellbeing, sometimes taking years to recover.  Today’s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institutions.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “Andrei Tyurin allegedly engaged in a long-running effort to hack into the systems of U.S. based financial institutions, brokerage firms and financial news publishers, all from the perceived safety of operating outside our borders.  As alleged, his illegal acts included the historically largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution.  Today’s charges and extradition should serve as a lesson to all those who would conspire to engage in similar activity that the FBI and our partners will continue to bring these hackers to justice, regardless of where they may hide.  I’d like to specifically thank our partners with the United States Secret Service, whose collaboration was crucial to seeing this case to fruition.”

U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge David E. Beach said:  “This case represents the core of the U.S. Secret Service’s integrated mission to secure our nation’s cyber related financial infrastructure and protect our nation’s leadership.  The collaboration between the Secret Service New York Field Office Electronic Crimes Task Force, FBI New York Office Cyber Division and our global law enforcement partners demonstrates the commitment to combating cyber-enabled financial crimes and ensuring those responsible are held accountable.”

According to the allegations contained in the superseding indictments unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1], other filings in this case, and statements made during court proceedings:

From approximately 2012 to mid-2015, TYURIN engaged in an extensive computer hacking campaign targeting financial institutions, brokerage firms, and financial news publishers in the United States, including the theft of personal information of over 100 million customers of the victim companies.  TYURIN’s hack of one financial institution headquartered in Manhattan resulted in the theft of personal information of over 80 million customers, making it the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in history.  TYURIN engaged in these crimes at the direction of Shalon and in furtherance of other criminal schemes overseen and operated by Shalon and his co-conspirators, including securities fraud schemes in the United States.  For example, in an effort artificially to inflate the price of certain stocks publicly traded in the United States, Shalon and his co-conspirators marketed the stocks in a deceptive and misleading manner to customers of the victim companies whose contact information TYURIN stole in the intrusions.

In addition to the U.S. financial sector hacks, TYURIN also conducted cyberattacks against numerous U.S. and foreign companies in furtherance of various criminal enterprises operated by Shalon and his co-conspirators, including unlawful internet gambling businesses and international payment processors.  Nearly all of these illegal businesses, like the securities market manipulation schemes, exploited the fruits of TYURIN’s computer hacking campaigns.  Through these various criminal schemes, TYURIN, Shalon, and their co-conspirators obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds.

TYURIN, 35, of Moscow, Russia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, which carries a maximum prison term of five years; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years; four counts of computer hacking, each of which carries a maximum prison term of five years; one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of five years; one count of conspiracy to violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which carries a maximum prison term of five years; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of two years. 

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by Judge Swain.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service, and expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia and the Ministry of Justice of Georgia for their support and assistance with the extradition proceedings.  He also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Homeland Security Investigations, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Office of International Affairs of the U.S. Department of Justice for its assistance with the extradition, and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which significantly aided the investigation by facilitating information-sharing among the victim institutions.

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

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Superseding Indictments and the descriptions of the Superseding Indictments set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters Issued the Following Statement on a Matter at the New York City Housing Authority’s Throggs Neck Houses

  “DOI is opening an investigation into possible employee misconduct in the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Throggs Neck development after further reviewing the allegations, including two complaints it received this summer about improper behavior by staff at the Throggs Neck development. This investigation will build on the internal investigation conducted by NYCHA. As this is an ongoing investigation, DOI will not comment further at this time.”

RAIN OR SHINE: Join Bronx Dems Chairman Marcos Crespo for Our Annual BBQ

  The annual Bronx Democratic County Committee Softball game may have been rained out, but as you see in the photo above the rain did not stop the Annual BDCC Barbecue. There was more than just hot dogs and hamburgers this year as there were about a dozen different main dishes, and as many side dishes to be had. A huge fruit platter, and an almost endless variety of desert cookies and mini muffins were all on hand. An abundance of different refreshments were also in the house. 

Above - The early group photo of the elected officials that were on hand.

Below - Former 80th A.D. Male District Leader Marcos Sierra (L.) with future (?) Councilman Brian Meadows. Mr. Meadows boss Andy King will be term limited out of office in 2021.

Above - The latter group photo with the second wave of elected officials.

Below - We were glad to see our good friend Assemblyman Jose Rivera, and had a nice lively three way conversation with Assemblyman Rivera and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

The rain may have cancelled the annual BDCC Softball game,  but it could not damper the spirit of those who attended this years BDCC Barbecue.