Events, Communications & Grants Director
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
"The Network for Business Success"
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
718-828-3900
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
718-828-3900
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Friends of Van Cortlandt Park - Hike-toberfest is Almost Here
Hike, Eat, Drink & Celebrate with Friends
and come see why
VCP is Where NYC Hikes.
VCP is Where NYC Hikes.
Hikes start at 2pm: Hikers will have the option of going on a 4-5 mile hike throughout the park OR a 2 mile leisurely nature or history hikes. All hikes will be led by guides and take about 2 hours. All registered participants will receive a VCP Where NYC Hikes giveaway.
Oktoberfest is from 4-7pm: Attendees will receive a Souvenir Mug, eat German food from Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten and enjoy local beers served bythe Bronx Beer Hall. Special thank you toYonkers Brewing, KelSo Beer Co., Captain Lawrence Brewing and Alewife Brewing for donating! Yard games courtesy of Loving the Bronx and Van Cortlandt House Museum will be setup on the lawn.
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Saturday, September 22, 2018
Two Men Plead Guilty to Violent Armed Robbery of Jewelry Store in Downtown Brooklyn
Defendants Were Members of Robbery Team Posing as Construction Workers
Yesterday, in federal court in Brooklyn, Darryl Odom and Lashawn Williams pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with the May 25, 2017 gunpoint robbery of a jewelry store located at 60 Court Street in Brooklyn. Odom also pleaded guilty to the February 10, 2017 Hobbs Act Robbery of Eleven, another jewelry store located in Brooklyn. The plea proceeding took place before Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom. Previously, co-defendant Kenneth Davis pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and Shaka Davis pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, for their roles in the 60 Court Street robbery.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), New York Field Division, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty pleas.
At approximately 5:15 p.m. on May 25, 2017, Williams and Odom entered the 60 Court Street store disguised as construction workers. Kenneth Davis, also disguised as a construction worker, stood watch outside, and Shaka Davis waited in a getaway car. Inside the store, one of the robbers pistol-whipped the store owner, and the robbers stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry.
When sentenced, Odom and Williams each face a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and up to life in prison. Kenneth Davis faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to life in prison. Shaka Davis faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Josh Hafetz is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
DARRYL ODOM
Age: 54
Residence: Bronx, New York
LASHAWN WILLIAMS (also known as “Ron Johnson”)
Age: 50
Residence: Bronx, New York
KENNETH DAVIS
Age: 53
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
SHAKA DAVIS
Age: 30
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
Ocasio-Cortez Kicks off November Campaign
While she was waiting to be called up to speak at her November General Election Campaign Kick-Off Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was all smiles. After all she defeated ten-term incumbent Joe Crowley in the June Federal primary to become the candidate of the Democratic Party for the 14th Congressional District.
However the ten-term incumbent she defeated will still be on the ballot once again for the November general election. Joe Crowley had secured the Working Families Party line, a tactic used by many candidates to gather more than one party line to ward off competitors. It can also be used as Joe Crowley is doing, that being to say to voters that they have another chance in November to re-elect him. That was why today's November Kick-Off campaign event was important to 'The Movement' as said by the Democratic Party candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
When Alex spoke, she mentioned that after her win in June she helped to get two Muslim women elected in Michigan, and a black woman elected in Massachusetts. She went on to say 'The Movement has rocked the Democratic world, where people like her are winning elections by knocking on doors and talking to people. She added that 'The Movement' has arisen millennials like her to run for office, and win. Another comment by the Democratic candidate for the 14th Congressional District was that 'one year ago at this time I (Alex) was a bartender'.
Above - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stood on top of a chair to talk to her supporters who came to Lorraine's located on Unionport Road for her November general election Campaign Kick-Off.
Below - Alex answers questions from reporters. One reporter asked if the place she chose to kick-off her November campaign was because she was a bartender?
Alex answered yes that it did play a role in the selection of the location.
Joseph Percoco, Former Executive Aide And Campaign Manager To N.Y. Governor, Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison For Accepting Bribes
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH PERCOCO, the former executive deputy secretary to the Governor of the State of New York, was sentenced to six years in prison for soliciting and accepting more than $315,000 in bribes in return for taking official state action to benefit energy company Competitive Power Ventures (“CPV”) and Syracuse-based real estate developer COR Development (“COR”). On March 13, 2018, PERCOCO was convicted of two counts of honest services fraud conspiracy and one count of bribery following an eight-week trial before United States District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Joseph Percoco, the former executive deputy secretary to the Governor, was a powerful New York State official who sold his influence and his office in exchange for more than $300,000 in bribes. For those crimes, he will now serve time in federal prison. Today’s sentence sends a strong message that public officials who violate their duties to faithfully serve the citizens of New York will be held accountable for their corrupt actions.”
Judge Caproni stated during the sentencing: “I hope this sentence will be heard in Albany.”
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
PERCOCO, who served as the executive deputy secretary to the Governor between January 2012 and mid-2014, and again in 2015, abused his official position and extensive influence within the executive branch of New York State (the “State”) by seeking and accepting bribe payments from executives at companies that were seeking benefits and business from the State, in exchange for PERCOCO’s use of his official authority and influence to benefit those companies.
PERCOCO solicited the bribe payments from executives at two clients of Todd Howe – CPV and COR – both of which had retained Howe as a consultant to help them obtain official State action. In email correspondence between PERCOCO and Howe, PERCOCO and Howe referred to the bribe payments as “ziti,” a reference to a term for money used by the characters in the television show “The Sopranos.”
Bribes from CPV
PERCOCO, Howe, and others conspired for PERCOCO to receive more than $287,000 in bribe payments in exchange for PERCOCO’s official assistance for CPV on an as-needed basis.
State action was critical to CPV’s business. Starting as early as 2010, CPV provided personal benefits to PERCOCO, including expensive meals and a Hamptons fishing trip, in an effort to cultivate access to PERCOCO. In response to CPV’s requests for official State assistance, PERCOCO, who was experiencing financial difficulties at the time, requested that CPV hire his then-unemployed wife. In or around the end of 2012, CPV executive Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr. created a position for PERCOCO’s wife that paid approximately $90,000 per year while requiring PERCOCO’s wife to do little work. In exchange for these payments, PERCOCO agreed to use his official position and influence, and did in fact use his official position and influence, to help CPV with specific State matters as the opportunities arose.
Among other things, PERCOCO agreed to use his official position and influence to assist the CPV’s efforts to obtain (i) a valuable agreement from the State allowing CPV to buy lower-cost emissions credits in New York for a power plant proposed to be built in New Jersey and (ii) a long-term power purchase agreement with the State guaranteeing a buyer for the power to be produced at a power plant proposed to be built in New York, which was expected to save CPV approximately $100 million in development costs.
CPV’s payments to PERCOCO’s wife were concealed in various ways to hide their true source. For example, monthly payments to PERCOCO and his wife were made through a consultant who worked for CPV in order to disguise the source of the payments. For his part, PERCOCO concealed the criminal scheme by failing to include CPV as the source of payments on his State-mandated financial disclosure forms.
Bribes from Aiello and the Syracuse Developer
Beginning in early 2014, PERCOCO was also paid bribes totaling approximately $35,000 from COR. These bribe payments were orchestrated by Steven Aiello, the COR president. Aiello arranged for the payment of these bribes in exchange for PERCOCO’s official assistance for COR on an as-needed basis.
Specifically, PERCOCO agreed to, and did, take official action for the benefit of COR to (a) reverse an adverse decision by the Empire State Development Corporation, which is the State’s main economic development agency, that would have required COR to enter into a costly labor peace agreement for a development project in Syracuse, (b) free up a backlog of more than $14 million in State funds that had already been awarded to COR but were delayed in payment, and (c) secure a substantial pay raise for Aiello’s son, who worked in the executive chamber.
To disguise the nature and source of the bribe payments, COR’s bribes to PERCOCO were funneled through bank accounts and a shell company set up by Howe.
In addition to the prison term, PERCOCO, 49, of South Salem, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Restitution and forfeiture amounts will be determined at a later date.
PERCOCO is the first defendant who has been sentenced after being convicted in this case. Steven Aiello, who was found guilty at the same trial of one count of honest services fraud conspiracy, will be sentenced on November 29, 2018. Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr., who pled guilty on May 11, 2018, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, will be sentenced on October 16, 2018.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the Buffalo Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, as well as the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who jointly conducted the investigation.
Former NYPD Anti-Terrorism Officer Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Narcotics, Fraud, Identity Theft, And Counterfeit Currency Offenses
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that REYNALDO LOPEZ, a former New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officer, was sentenced to four years in prison in connection with narcotics, credit card fraud, identity theft, and counterfeiting offenses. LOPEZ previously pled guilty to the charges on February 16, 2018, in Manhattan federal court before United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who also imposed LOPEZ’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Reynaldo Lopez betrayed and abused the trust placed in him by the NYPD and the people of New York. He swore to protect the public from criminal activity, only to turn around and participate in significant crimes of his own, including not only credit card and identity fraud, but also agreeing to distribute multiple kilograms of heroin. His sentence today is a reminder that this Office and its law enforcement partners will continue to fight this kind of corruption, and that no one is above the law.”
In sentencing LOPEZ, Judge Ramos said: “[LOPEZ] is an individual that we as a society trusted to enforce our laws, trusted him enough to give him a weapon, trusted him enough to go out into the streets and protect our communities, our children, our businesses, etc. He is an individual with excellent resources who absolutely did not have to do what he did, absolutely did not have to engage in these crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Information to which LOPEZ pled guilty, a criminal complaint filed against LOPEZ, and other filings made in the case, and statements made during the plea and other proceedings in the case:
During the time periods charged, LOPEZ was an NYPD police officer assigned to the Anti-Terrorism Unit of the Transit Bureau.
On November 29, 2017, LOPEZ attempted to traffic approximately three kilograms of heroin from a location in New Jersey to the Bronx, New York. LOPEZ agreed to transport and protect what he believed were three kilograms of heroin to a drug dealer located in the Bronx under LOPEZ’s protection as an NYPD police officer. During the attempted transaction, LOPEZ described having previously engaged in narcotics trafficking and stated that “with me it’s guaranteed, they know for sure, they just send me out, do your thing, get an address, meet the person, do your thing, and I’m gone.” LOPEZ was arrested when he attempted to make the delivery.
In addition, from May 2017 through November 2017, LOPEZ engaged in a scheme to create and utilize fraudulent credit cards, including by using stolen identity information. He was part of a counterfeit credit card operation whose participants used stolen or otherwise illicitly obtained personal identifying information to create fraudulent credit cards, and then used those cards to purchase merchandise for themselves. As part of his role in these crimes, LOPEZ also possessed and used a device that applies electronic data to blank physical credit cards.
Also from May 2017 through November 2017, LOPEZ possessed and used counterfeit United States currency. In multiple recorded conversations, LOPEZ discussed his possession of counterfeit money and provided a sample to an undercover NYPD officer, stating that he previously had successfully used the counterfeit currency.
In addition to the prison term, LOPEZ, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.
A.G. Underwood Files Suit Against Nine Student Loan Debt Relief Companies For Costly Student Loan Scam
Companies Contacted Borrowers through Direct Mail, Facebook Ads, and Telemarketing – Falsely Claiming to be Affiliated with Federal Government; Making Multiple Misrepresentations to Get Consumers to Enroll; and Charging Illegal Fees and Usurious Interest Rates
Defendants Typically Charged Consumers Over $1,000 Each for Services Borrowers Can Get for Free
Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a lawsuit against nine student loan debt relief companies, their financing company, and two individuals with leadership roles in several of the companies. The lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court, alleges that the defendants fraudulently, deceptively, and illegally advertise, market, offer for sale, sell, and finance student debt relief services to thousands of consumers nationwide, including thousands of New Yorkers.
The complaint alleges multiple law violations, including that defendants falsely claim to be affiliated with the federal government, make multiple misrepresentations to induce consumers to enroll in their services, and charge consumers illegal upfront fees and/or usurious interest rates. Defendants typically charge a consumer more than $1,000 for their services, which are available for free through the federal government or the consumer’s student loan servicer.
“New Yorkers are already struggling under a mountain of student loan debt,” said Attorney General Underwood. “These companies sought to line their own pockets by taking advantage of students who were simply trying to pay for their education. My office will continue to do everything in our power to protect students – and all New Yorkers – from predatory scammers.”
New Yorkers’ student loan debt is estimated at $86.54 billion, according to a 2017 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 92% of all outstanding student loans are federal student loans.
The student loan debt relief companies named in the lawsuit are Debt Resolve, Inc.; Hutton Ventures, LLC; Progress Advocates, LLC; Progress Advocates Group, LLC; Student Advocates, LLC; Student Advocates Group, LLC; Student Advocates Team, LLC; Student Loan Care, LLC; and Student Loan Support LLC (collectively, “student loan relief defendants”). Debt Resolve, Inc., a New York company, is the majority owner of two of the other student loan debt relief entities. The two named individuals are Bruce Bellmare and Stanley E. Freimuth, the current and past CEOs of Debt Resolve, Inc. The financing company named in the lawsuit is Equitable Acceptance Corporation.
The lawsuit alleges that the student loan debt relief defendants contact borrowers in a number of ways, including through deceptive personalized direct mail solicitations that appear to come from the federal government and deceptive Facebook ads that claim as “breaking news” that certain United States Department of Education (“DOE”) programs were recently approved by the federal government, when in fact they were passed years ago.
The lawsuit further alleges that these defendants then rely on “Student Loan Advisors” to sell student loan debt-relief agreements to consumers by phone. Despite holding themselves out as being knowledgeable about student loans, these so-called Student Loan Advisors are in reality telemarketers with no specialized experience or expertise, who sell virtually identical student loan debt-relief agreements to borrowers using the same sales scripts and pitches. Student Loan Advisors repeatedly make false and deceptive misrepresentations to consumers such as:
- telling borrowers that they are from the federal government, are a part of the federal student loan program, are working with the federal student loan program, or are working with a federal student loan servicer – when in fact, they are not affiliated with the federal government or student loan servicers;
- telling borrowers that they cannot enroll in the debt-relief services offered on their own – when in fact, borrowers can work directly with their servicers or use the DOE website to obtain student loan debt-relief services at no additional cost; and
- telling borrowers that they can eliminate their student loan debt by making a number of payments to one of the defendants – when in fact, making these payments will not reduce, let alone eliminate, their student loan debt.
As detailed in the suit, some consumers stop making payments on their loans because they are led to believe that their payments to defendants are paying their student loans. These consumers ultimately owe more on their student loans due to the missed payments.
Defendants typically charge consumers more than $1,000 each for their services. In recent years, defendants have required that consumers enter into financing agreements with defendant Equitable Acceptance Corporation. The lawsuit alleges that these financing agreements typically charge New York consumers 20.99% interest, above the New York civil usury rate cap of 16%. The lawsuit also alleges that defendants violate federal and New York State laws designed to protect consumers from fraudulent credit repair organizations, telemarketers, and consumer credit agreements.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, a declaration that defendants’ contracts with borrowers are null and void, restitution, damages, disgorgement, penalties, and costs.
The New York Legal Assistance Group (“NYLAG”), along with the law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLC, also recently filed a class action against Equitable Acceptance Corporation and several other companies, alleging that they sell scam debt relief services to tens of thousands of federal student loan borrowers.
“The victims of Equitable Acceptance Corporation and its business partners are among the millions of vulnerable student loan borrowers already struggling to make ends meet,” said Danielle Tarantolo, Co-Director of NYLAG’s Special Litigation Unit. “We commend the New York Attorney General for seeking to stop these companies’ fraud and return their ill-gotten gains to borrowers.”
DOE offers a number of programs to help borrowers who are having difficulty paying back their federal student loans. DOE offers these programs to borrowers free of charge, including loan deferment and forbearance, income-based repayment programs, and loan forgiveness programs. Borrowers can learn about and, where necessary, fill out an application to enroll in these options, at no cost, by contacting their federal loan servicer or by going to DOE’s student loan website. Helpful information about student loans is also available on the New York Attorney General’s website.
Student loan borrowers who believe they have been defrauded are urged to file a complaint with the Attorney General online, or call (800) 771-7755 to have a complaint form sent via mail.
TWO MEN INDICTED FOR 1997 STRANGULATION MURDER IN THE BRONX
Cold Case Solved This Year After DNA Hit
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two men have been indicted
in a strangulation that occurred in the Bronx in 1997. The defendants were apprehended after
their DNA was matched to the murder scene.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants acted together to allegedly kill the 20-year old
victim, and her body was left in a vacant lot. The murder happened 21 years ago, but today’s
indictment sends a clear message that we will pursue justice no matter how much time has
passed.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Christopher Dickerson, 42, of 45 Berkman
Drive, Middletown, N.Y., and Glenn Broadnax, 40, of 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Place,
Brooklyn, were arraigned on second-degree Murder before Bronx Supreme Court Justice
George Villegas. Remand was continued for both defendants and they are due back in court on
January 11, 2019.
According to the investigation, on March 17, 1997, the defendants allegedly caused the
death of Warren White, who identified as a woman named Amanda. The defendants allegedly
strangled White with an electrical cord. Her body was found in a lot at 1670 Boston Road,
wrapped in a blanket and with the cord still around the neck.
District Attorney Clark thanked retired NYPD Detective Hector Gonzalez, and Detective
Malcolm Reiman and Detective Mitchell Geist of the Bronx Homicide Squad for their assistance
in the investigation.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.