DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW STEPS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL IN CITY HOSPITALS

First Lady Chirlane McCray calls on cities across the U.S. to follow NYC’s lead

  First Lady Chirlane McCray and NYC Health + Hospitals today announced a new initiative aimed at increasing access to birth control in the City’s public hospitals, doubling down on the City’s commitment to be a national leader in reproductive rights.

This fall, the City’s public health system — the largest in the nation — will increase its stock of long-acting reversible contraceptives at all 11 of the city’s hospitals and its six ambulatory care centers, making these contraceptive devices available to women who request them during their primary care visit. Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Long-acting reversible contraceptive methods, like intrauterine devices (IUD) that are implanted in women, are over 99 percent effective and can be removed at any time.

“With our constitutional rights at serious risk, it’s time for cities and states to step up to protect the health and well-being of women and their families,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray, co-chair of New York City’s Commission on Gender Equity. “These new steps will help prevent unintended pregnancy in New York City and allow women to care for themselves and their loved ones. Beyond that, we are sending a clear message: New York City will not stop fighting for the health and wellness of women and families. Cities across the country can and should follow our lead.”

“Having effective contraceptive methods readily available ensures that women and families in New York City face fewer barriers to the critical reproductive health care they want and need,” said Dr. Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “These new initiatives demonstrate our City’s continuing commitment to streamline and ultimately increase women’s access to birth control, at a time when the Trump administration is making clear attempts to roll back access.”

“While I made my choice to specialize in OB/GYN many years ago, my passion for the field — and its important role in helping women make life-altering decisions — is just as strong today, which is why I’m excited about our enhanced commitment to greater and easier access to all classes of contraception, including the most efficient and reliable,” said Dr. Machelle Allen, chief medical officer of NYC Health + Hospitals. “Each woman is different, having differing needs and lifestyles. We at Health + Hospitals are committed to providing choice, which implies access to all options. As women’s reproductive options are being challenged across the country, I’m proud that we in New York continue to expand, not contract, these options.”

Under its initiative, Health + Hospitals will purchase 13,000 contraceptive devices over the next three years – more than doubling the system’s current supply. Health + Hospitals currently serves approximately 113,000 female patients of reproductive age (13 –49 years) across the public health system’s ambulatory care centers and neighborhood clinics in the five boroughs. The increase in contraceptives will help protect nearly 5,000 more women against unwanted pregnancy. The initiative will also include:

·  “Pregnancy intention” screenings for women of reproductive age: This screening will become a routine part of primary care, with the aim of connecting women as early as possible to the appropriate pre-pregnancy care, prenatal care, or birth control of their choice.

· “Health readiness” assessments for women planning a pregnancy: The screenings will help identify and manage chronic medical conditions – such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension – that increase the risk of maternal complications and deaths. 

· Faster access to contraceptive devices for adolescents: Women ages 13 to 18 will be able to get same-day access to intrauterine devices in ambulatory clinics that offer women’s health services. The current process requires adolescents first visit a pediatrician then be referred to a gynecological specialist to get an IUD.

·  Additional Staff: A new women’s health Nurse Practitioner and support staff will be added to the family planning clinics at each of the 11 hospitals and six large community-based health centers.

“Every New Yorker has the right to access comprehensive, affordable, and culturally-competent reproductive rights services,” said Jacqueline Ebanks, Commissioner of NYC’s Commission on Gender Equity. “We applaud First Lady McCray and the de Blasio Administration for putting the reproductive rights of New Yorkers first, and helping ensure more people have control over their reproductive health care, regardless of their gender identity or expression.”

Gang Leader Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Offenses, Including Attempted Murder In Subway Station

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL WHITE, a leader of two violent street gangs, “MBG,” and the “Young Gunnaz,” was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense.  WHITE was convicted following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Michael White, a leader of two gangs, committed a spree of shootings in and around New York City Housing Authority’s Mill Brook Houses.  He shot rival gang members in front of a public school, in a community center, and in a subway station.  Now he stands convicted for his crimes.  We thank the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their tireless efforts to secure this important conviction.”

According to the evidence presented in court during the trial:

From 2007 through October 2017, WHITE was a member of MBG, also known as “Money Bitches Guns,” a local gang based in the Mill Brook Houses.  From 2010 through October 2017, WHITE was a member of the Young Gunnaz set of the YGz gang also based in the Mill Brook Houses.  As part of his membership in both gangs, WHITE shot seven people.  Specifically, on January 25, 2010, WHITE shot and injured a 16-year-old rival on a street corner in the Mill Brook Houses.  On January 31, 2010, WHITE shot and injured an 18-year-old rival at a baby shower.  Later on January 31, 2010, WHITE shot a rival gang member near a building in the Mill Brook Houses, causing the individual to suffer life threatening injuries.  On February 12, 2010, WHITE shot and injured an 18-year-old rival outside a public school.  On October 28, 2012, WHITE shot and injured three individuals in the Cypress Avenue Subway Station.

WHITE, 30, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted of two counts of racketeering conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of use of a firearm during a violent crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence for the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  

Senior FinCen Employee Arrested And Charged With Unlawfully Disclosing SARs

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards Illegally Photographed SARs and Other Sensitive Government Information and Transmitted Them To Reporter In Connection With Approximately 12 News Articles Over 1-Year Period

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Eric M. Thorson, Inspector General for the Department of Treasury, announced today the filing of a criminal complaint charging NATALIE MAYFLOWER SOURS EDWARDS, a/k/a “Natalie Sours,” a/k/a “Natalie May Edwards,” a/k/a “May Edwards,” who is a Senior Advisor at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), with unlawfully disclosing Suspicious Activity Reports (“SARs”) and conspiracy to do the same.  EDWARDS was arrested yesterday and will be presented this afternoon in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior-level FinCEN employee, allegedly betrayed her position of trust by repeatedly disclosing highly sensitive information contained in Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to an individual not authorized to receive them.  SARs, which are filed confidentially by banks and other financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions, are not public documents, and it is an independent federal crime to disclose them outside of one’s official duties.  We hope today’s charges remind those in positions of trust within government agencies that the unlawful sharing of sensitive documents will not be tolerated and will be met with swift justice by this Office.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “In her position, Edwards was entrusted with sensitive government information.  As we allege here today, Edwards violated that trust when she made several unauthorized disclosures to the media.  Today's action demonstrates that those who fail to protect the integrity of government information will be rightfully held accountable for their behavior.”

Treasury Department Inspector General Eric Thorson said:  “Our criminal investigators have been at the center of this investigation as a core part of our responsibility to detect and prevent threats to the integrity and efficiency of Treasury programs and operations.  We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and with FinCEN and other Treasury officials, and appreciate their cooperation and support.”

Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker said:  “Protecting sensitive information is one of our most critical responsibilities, and it is a role that we take very seriously.  We have fully and proactively supported Treasury’s Office of Inspector General’s investigation of leaks of protected information, and thank them for their hard work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable those responsible.”

According to the Complaint[1] filed today in Manhattan federal court:

The mission of FinCEN is to “safeguard the financial system from illicit use and combat money laundering and promote national security through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities.”[2]  Among other things, FinCEN manages the collection and maintenance of SARs regarding potentially suspicious financial transactions, which, under the Bank Secrecy Act, U.S. financial institutions and other parties are required by law to generate and deliver to FinCEN.  Under the BSA and its implementing regulations, willful disclosure of a SAR or its contents by government employees or agents except as necessary to fulfill official duties is a felony.

Beginning in approximately October 2017, and lasting until the present, EDWARDS unlawfully disclosed numerous SARs to a reporter (“Reporter-1”), the substance of which were published over the course of approximately 12 articles by a news organization for which Reporter-1 wrote (“News Organization-1”).  The illegally disclosed SARs pertained to, among other things, Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, the Russian Embassy, Mariia Butina, and Prevezon Alexander.  EDWARDS had access to each of the pertinent SARs and saved them – along with thousands of other files containing sensitive government information – to a flash drive provided to her by FinCEN.  She transmitted the SARs to Reporter-1 by means that included taking photographs of them and texting the photographs to Reporter-1 over an encrypted application.  In addition to disseminating SARs to Reporter-1, EDWARDS sent Reporter-1 internal FinCEN emails appearing to relate to SARs or other information protected by the BSA, and FinCEN non-public memoranda, including Investigative Memos and Intelligence Assessments published by the FinCEN Intelligence Division, which contained confidential personal, business, and/or security threat assessments. 

At the time of EDWARDS’s arrest, she was in possession of a flash drive appearing to be the flash drive on which she saved the unlawfully disclosed SARs, and a cellphone containing numerous communications over an encrypted application in which she transmitted SARs and other sensitive government information to Reporter-1.

EDWARDS, 40, of Quinton, Virginia, is charged with one count of unauthorized disclosures of suspicious activity reports and one count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of suspicious activity reports, both of which carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Treasury Department, and the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General.  He also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for its assistance with the investigation.

Former Energy Company Executive Sentenced In Connection With The Bribery Scheme Of Former Executive Deputy Secretary To The Governor Of New York

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that PETER GALBRAITH KELLY JR., a former executive at Competitive Power Ventures (“CPV”), was sentenced to 14 months in prison for defrauding CPV by misrepresenting that the former Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor, Joseph Percoco, had obtained state ethics approval for his wife to work at CPV.  Co-defendants Percoco and Steven Aiello were convicted of charges relating to bribery on March 13, 2018, after an eight-week jury trial.  The jury was deadlocked on the charges against KELLY.  Joseph Gerardi, who was acquitted of all charges at the trial with Percoco, was convicted of all charges in a related trial earlier this year.  KELLY pled guilty on May 11, 2018, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said:  “Braith Kelly admitted to giving the spouse of one of the most powerful men in Albany, Joseph Percoco, a low-show job at his company in order to ingratiate himself and his company with Percoco.  Many consider this type of behavior to be ‘the way things are done’ in government.  But our Office does not, and neither does the court.” 

In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Caproni stated:  “I hope the sentence will be heard in government affairs offices everywhere…you have to play by the rules.”

According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:

KELLY hired Percoco’s wife to a low-show job at CPV, and ran monthly payments to Percoco and his wife through a consultant who worked for CPV in order to disguise the source of the payments.  KELLY also made sure that Percoco’s wife’s photograph and full name were not included in promotional materials for CPV, and he falsely told his superiors at CPV – on two separate occasions – that Percoco had obtained an ethics opinion from the Governor’s Office approving of Percoco’s wife’s employment with CPV, when in fact no such opinion existed.  

In addition to the prison term, KELLY, 55, of Canterbury, Connecticut, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay $247,000 in restitution to CPV.

On September 20, 2018, Judge Caproni sentenced Percoco to six years in prison.  Aiello is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2018.  Gerardi is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2018.

U.S. Attorney Berman praised the work of the Buffalo Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, which jointly conducted this investigation with special agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Former PCAOB Inspections Leader And KPMG Executive Director Pleads Guilty To Scheme To Steal Confidential PCAOB Information In Order To Fraudulently Improve KPMG’s PCAOB Inspection Results

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CYNTHIA HOLDER, a former Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) Inspections Leader and KPMG Executive Director, pled guilty today to participating in a scheme to defraud the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the PCAOB by obtaining, disseminating, and using confidential lists of which KPMG audits the PCAOB would be reviewing so that KPMG could improve its performance in PCAOB inspections, the results of which were shared with, and utilized by, the SEC in carrying out its governmental functions.  HOLDER pled guilty before the U.S. District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “In the wake of the accounting fraud scandals of the early 2000s, Congress passed important laws to ensure the quality and accuracy of auditing work performed on publicly traded companies so that investors could have confidence in the reported financial results of those companies.  The SEC was vested with the responsibility and authority of executing these laws and the PCAOB was created to play a key role:  To audit the auditors.  HOLDER undermined the work of the SEC and the PCAOB by stealing confidential inspection information from her former employer, the PCAOB, and helping insiders at her new employer, KPMG, to cheat the regulatory system put in place to protect the investing public.  This was a revolving door tainted by fraud and today we hold the defendant accountable for her conduct.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment filed against HOLDER, along with her co-conspirators, David Middendorf, David Britt, Thomas Whittle, and Jeffrey Wada, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:[1]     

The PCAOB is a nonprofit corporation overseen by the SEC that inspects the audit work performed by registered accounting firms (“Auditors”) with respect to the financial statements of publicly traded companies (“Issuers”).  The PCAOB inspects the largest U.S. accounting firms on an annual basis.  As part of the inspection process, the PCAOB chooses a selection of audits performed by the accounting firm for a closer review.  Until shortly before an inspection occurs, the PCAOB does not disclose which audits are being inspected, or the focus areas for those inspections, because it wants to ensure that an Auditor does not perform additional work or modify its work papers in anticipation of an inspection.  Following the completion of an inspection, the PCAOB issues an Inspection Report containing any negative findings or “comments” with respect to both the specific audits reviewed and the accounting firm more generally.  The PCAOB transmits these Inspection Reports to the SEC, which utilizes them in carrying out its agency functions.     

KPMG is one of the largest accounting firms in the world.  In recent years, KPMG fared poorly in PCAOB inspections and in 2014 received approximately twice as many comments as its competitor firms.  By 2015, KPMG was engaged in efforts to improve its performance in PCAOB inspections, including but not limited to recruiting and hiring former PCAOB personnel such as HOLDER and HOLDER’s co-conspirator, Brian Sweet. 

KPMG’s efforts to improve inspection results, however, were not limited to legitimate means.  Instead, between 2015 and 2017, HOLDER, Middendorf, Whittle, Britt, Wada, and Sweet worked to illicitly acquire valuable confidential PCAOB information concerning which KPMG audits would be inspected, in an effort to game the system and improve inspection results.  For example, after Sweet began employment at KPMG, but while HOLDER was still employed by the PCAOB, HOLDER fed Sweet confidential PCAOB information about certain pending inspections.  HOLDER did so while simultaneously seeking employment at KPMG.  During the pendency of her efforts to obtain employment at KPMG, HOLDER – in violation of PCAOB rules – continued to work on KPMG inspections at the PCAOB.  Once she secured a job at KPMG, HOLDER stole valuable confidential information on her way out of the PCAOB and then passed it on to Sweet, her new boss at KPMG.     

In March 2016, HOLDER obtained the PCAOB’s confidential 2016 inspection selections for KPMG from Wada, who was still working at the PCAOB but who had recently been passed over for a promotion.  Wada – who was not responsible for KPMG inspections at the PCAOB – accessed and stole valuable confidential information from the PCAOB and passed it on to HOLDER.  HOLDER, in turn, provided the 2016 inspection selections to Sweet, who passed them to Middendorf, Whittle, and Britt.  Middendorf, Whittle, Britt, and Sweet then agreed to launch a stealth program to “re-review” the audits that had been selected.  In order to cover up their illicit conduct, Britt gave other KPMG engagement partners a false explanation for the re-reviews.  The stealth re-review program allowed KPMG to double-check its audit work, strengthen its work papers, and, in some cases, identify deficiencies or perform new audit work that had not been done during the live audit.

In January 2017, Wada, who had again been passed over for promotion at the PCAOB, again stole valuable confidential PCAOB information, misappropriating a preliminary list of confidential 2017 inspection selections for KPMG audits and passing it on to HOLDER.  At the same time, Wada provided Holder with his resume and sought her assistance in helping him to acquire employment at KPMG.  Sweet shared the preliminary inspection selections provided by Wada with Whittle and Britt, while noting that the information was only preliminary.  Whittle’s response was to ask Sweet to confirm that they would get the final list as well.

In February 2017, Wada texted HOLDER saying, “I have the grocery list. . . . All the things you’ll need for this year.”  Wada then spoke to HOLDER and provided her with the full confidential 2017 final inspection selections.  HOLDER again shared the stolen information with Sweet, who shared it with Middendorf, Whittle, and Britt.  Middendorf, Whittle, Britt and Sweet agreed to inform engagement partners on the list so that extra attention could be paid to these audits in light of the forthcoming PCAOB inspections. 

In 2017, a KPMG partner who received early notice that his/her engagement was on the confidential 2017 inspection list reported the matter, as a result of which KPMG’s Office of General Counsel launched an internal investigation.  Thereafter, HOLDER and Sweet took a number of steps to destroy or fabricate evidence relevant to the investigation.  For example, HOLDER deleted a number of relevant text messages, emails, and documents, and said she was going to purchase a “burner phone” so her conversations could not be monitored.  Similarly, Sweet burned evidence of the 2017 inspection list and provided a falsified version of the list to KPMG counsel.

HOLDER, 52, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and two counts of wire fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  Sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence for the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Trial against the remaining defendants is scheduled to begin on February 11, 2019, before the Honorable J. Paul Oetken.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has brought an administrative proceeding against the defendants. 

The charges contained in the Indictment 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 Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

A.G. Underwood Reminds Current & Former Croman Tenants Of Restitution Fund Deadline

Tenants Must File a Claim by November 4, 2018 to Participate  

As the Result of Unprecedented Settlement, Tenants Eligible for $8 Million in Restitution from Croman – Largest-Ever Monetary Settlement with an Individual Landlord 

Settlement Follows Jail Time and $5 Million Penalty in Separate Criminal Case Against Croman Brought by AG’s OfficeTenants Must File a Claim by November 4, 2018 to Participate  

As the Result of Unprecedented Settlement, Tenants Eligible for $8 Million in Restitution from Croman – Largest-Ever Monetary Settlement with an Individual Landlord 

Settlement Follows Jail Time and $5 Million Penalty in Separate Criminal Case Against Croman Brought by AG’s Office

  New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood reminded New Yorkers that tenants who live or formerly lived in buildings owned by New York City landlord Steven Croman may be eligible to apply for restitution, as part of the unprecedented settlement reached by the Attorney General’s office in December 2017. In order to participate, tenants must file a claim by November 4, 2018. Claim forms and eligibility requirements are available at www.cromanrestitutionfund.com.

“Again and again, Steve Croman acted as though he was above the law. My office secured an unprecedented $8 million settlement for Croman’s illegal tenant harassment, coercion, and fraud – the largest-ever settlement with an individual landlord,” said Attorney General Underwood. “I encourage eligible tenants to submit a claim by November 4th so they can receive the restitution they deserve. We will continue to aggressively pursue predatory landlords to the fullest extent of the law.”

The settlement arose out of an investigation and lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s office against Croman for engaging in illegal conduct — including harassment, coercion, and fraud — in order to force rent-regulated tenants out of their apartments and convert their apartments into highly profitable market-rate units. The consent decree requires Croman to pay $8 million into a Tenant Restitution Fund – the largest-ever monetary settlement with an individual landlord.

Tenants are eligible for restitution if they are or were a tenant in a rent-stabilized or rent-controlled apartment owned by Croman between July 1, 2011 and December 20, 2017; they received a buyout of less than $20,000, not including any amount that purported to cover rent or arrears; and no other tenant in their apartment received money from the restitution fund. Several hundred current and former tenants are potentially eligible to apply for these restitution funds.

In August 2018, the claims administrator JND Legal Administration mailed claim notices and forms to current and former rent-stabilized and rent-controlled tenants in Croman’s buildings. Those forms and additional information are also available at www.cromanrestitutionfund.com. The $8 million will be divided equally among eligible claimants and distributed to tenants in installments over a period of 38 to 42 months, with the first installment coming as soon as the claims administrator processes all of the first-round claim forms.

In addition to the $8 million Tenant Restitution Fund, the settlement also requires over 100 Croman residential properties to be run by a new, independent management company with no ties to Croman, for five years – the longest-ever term for independent management in OAG history. Moreover, the settlement requires seven years of independent monitorship to oversee compliance with the terms of the consent decree and provide regular reporting to the Attorney General – the longest-ever monitorship required in any tenant harassment case.

Earlier this year, OAG approved New York City Management as the independent management company; the management company took over operations of the buildings on July 1, 2018. Pursuant to the settlement, New York City Management is instituting new policies at the Croman properties to ensure full compliance with the law and correction of all past violations. It will also post a comprehensive set of Tenants Rights in every building it manages.

The settlement was the result of a May 2016 civil lawsuit brought by the Attorney General’s office against Croman and his agent Anthony Falconite for allegedly engaging in illegal, fraudulent, and deceptive conduct in connection with Croman’s real-estate business. The lawsuit alleged that Croman directed an illegal operation that wielded harassment, coercion, and fraud to force rent-regulated tenants out of their apartments and convert their apartments into highly profitable market-rate units. The lawsuit further alleged that Croman deployed Falconite, a former New York City police officer, to frighten and intimidate rent-regulated tenants into surrendering their apartments.

In October 2017, Croman was sentenced to a year in jail and paid a $5 million tax settlement following separate criminal charges brought by the Attorney General’s office for fraudulent refinancing of loans and tax fraud. Rarely, if ever, has a landlord been sentenced to serve time in jail for engaging in these practices.

Items From Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark

FORMER KARATE INSTRUCTOR SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING YOUNG GIRLS 

Defendant Assaulted Victims When They Attended Karate Lessons In The Bronx

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a former karate instructor has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing two young girls. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant took advantage of his position as an instructor and adult, and sexually assaulted two girls when they attended karate lessons at a center in the Bronx. These events have been very painful and traumatic to the victims and their families. Hopefully this sentence brings some justice to the innocent children and their loved ones who still struggle emotionally.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Anthony Gonzalez, 38, of 990 Leggett Avenue, was sentenced on October 15, 2018 by Administrative Judge Robert E. Torres to eight years in prison and 10 years post-release supervision. The defendant will also have to register as a sex offender. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to first-degree Sexual Abuse and second-degree Course of Sexual Conduct against a Child on September 25, 2018 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio. 

 According to the investigation, on January 17, 2018 at the USA Martial Arts Fitness Academy at 914 Prospect Avenue, the defendant, who was volunteering as an instructor at the time, sexually abused a six-year-old girl who was taking classes at the center. Gonzalez took the young girl to the bathroom, closed the door and touched her genitals. He then told the victim not to tell anyone. The young girl eventually told her mother what Gonzalez had done to her and the mother called the police.

 During the course of the investigation it was revealed that the defendant also sexually abused a five-year-old girl multiple times between November 15, 2016 and June 26, 2017 at the school. That child had not come forward because she was afraid to tell anyone.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Julia Watson and Police Officer Gabriel Baaith of the Bronx Child Abuse Squad as well as the Bronx Child Advocacy Center for their assistance with the case.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR FATALLY STABBING HIS WIFE

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his wife, which he initially blamed on intruders. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “This was a brutal attack in which the defendant stabbed his wife 13 times. He told police who responded that two men broke in and attacked his wife and himself, then admitted he stabbed his wife, in self-defense. The jury rejected his claim and convicted him of second degree Murder, and now he will spend many years in prison.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Roy Savage, 46, of 215 East 164th Street, was sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy to 25 years to life in prison. A jury found the defendant guilty of second-degree Murder on September 21, 2018.

 According to the investigation, on May 26, 2016, at 10 p.m. in 215 East 164th Street, the defendant stabbed his wife, Shellette Walace Savage, 37, 13 times, including four times in the back. Defendant told responding police officers that took men broke into his apartment and attacked him and his wife. Savage showed responding officers his injuries, including cuts on his hand and scratches to his neck. Defendant was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries to his hands. Shellette Savage was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital. Detectives immediately investigated his home invasion story; after reviewing surveillance video and examining the crime scene his story was proven false.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Police Officer James Fleming, formerly of the 44th Precinct and now assigned to the 104th Precinct in Queens, for his assistance.

Wave Hill events November 1‒8

Sat, November 3

Family Art Project: Dances with Leaves

Toss fall leaves in the wind, or walk through a giant leaf pile. Find an assortment of freshly fallen leaves to be the subject of fresh, bright prints. Roll up leaves with ink and layer leaf prints, or add punched-paper leaf shapes in artful arrangements. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE  HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sat, November 3

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, November 3

Fall Foliage Walk

Enjoy colorful foliage at its seasonal peak. Senior Horticultural Interpreter Charles Day shares some of his favorite trees and shrubs in their vibrant fall finery.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Sat, November 3

Gallery Tour

Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. In a new collaboration, Wave Hill is partnering with theAmerican Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) to produce and host ASBA’s 21st Annual International. ASBA’s mission is to provide a thriving, interactive community dedicated to perpetuating the tradition and contemporary practice of botanical art. This juried exhibition consists of two-dimensional original botanical art, including some specimens found at Wave Hill. In the Sunroom Project Space, Keren Anavy, creating a conservatory from man-made materials, responds to Wave Hill’s late-fall landscape. Suspended from the ceiling, abstract paintings on translucent Mylar dip into shallow pools of ink and correspond to the changing colors of Wave Hill’s seasonal plants. Anavy is also collaborating with Valerie Green/Dance Entropy on Utopia, a dance performance, which will be presented in the gallery. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

 

Sun, November 4

Family Art Project: Dances with Leaves

Toss fall leaves in the wind, or walk through a giant leaf pile. Find an assortment of freshly fallen leaves to be the subject of fresh, bright prints. Roll up leaves with ink and layer leaf prints, or add punched-paper leaf shapes in artful arrangements. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE  HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, November 4

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, November 5

Members Trip: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Experience the history and vivid fall scenery of the Hudson Valley on a special walking tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Set alongside the picturesque Pocantico River, this celebrated cemetery, more than 150 years old, contains the graves of many illustrious individuals, including Washington Irving, Elizabeth Arden and Andrew Carnegie, as well as a private mausoleum belonging to the Rockefeller family. Explore this historic landscape with tour guide and writer Sandee Harris and find yourself enraptured by her tales of mystery and legend. Lunch on your own in Tarrytown after the tour. Transportation included. Rain date: Monday, November 12. $70. Registration required, online or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.

MEET AT WAVE HILL FRONT GATE, 9:30AM‒3PM

Tue, November 6

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission is free all day for Election Day.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Tue, November 6

Gallery Tour

Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. In a new collaboration, Wave Hill is partnering with theAmerican Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) to produce and host ASBA’s 21^st Annual International. ASBA’s mission is to provide a thriving, interactive community dedicated to perpetuating the tradition and contemporary practice of botanical art. This juried exhibition consists of two-dimensional original botanical art, including some specimens found at Wave Hill. In the Sunroom Project Space, Keren Anavy, creating a conservatory from man-made materials, responds to Wave Hill’s late-fall landscape. Suspended from the ceiling, abstract paintings on translucent Mylar dip into shallow pools of ink and correspond to the changing colors of Wave Hill’s seasonal plants. Anavy is also collaborating with Valerie Green/Dance Entropy on Utopia, a dance performance, which will be presented in the gallery. Free, and admission is free all day for Election Day.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

Sat, November 7

Fall Foliage Walk

Enjoy colorful foliage at its seasonal peak. Senior Horticultural Interpreter Charles Day shares some of his favorite trees and shrubs in their vibrant fall finery.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

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–4:30PM,  November 1–March 14. Closes 5:30PM, starting March 15.

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.