Sunday, November 11, 2018

Special Natural Area District Scoping Meeting Thursday December 13th


  The Department of City Planning (DCP) would like to invite you all to the Special Natural Area District scoping hearing that is scheduled for Thursday, December 13th at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Student Commons Room.  The meeting will begin at 4pm.  Written comments will be accepted by DCP until January 14, 2019.

The scoping meeting will be an opportunity for the public to comment on the draft scope of work which defines the scope of review, purpose and need, and analysis framework which guides the preparation of the draft environmental impact statement.

The scoping material can be found here: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/applicants/scoping-documents.page#snad  (listed as “Public Scoping Meeting on Staten Island & Bronx Special Districts Update”)

With additional information located on our main page: www.nyc.gov/specialdistricts (select the Bronx tab and dropdown icons for more information).

See the attached flier on the scoping hearing and feel free to share this email with others who may want to attend.

Feel free to contact me with any questions on the event or proposal.


Juton Horstman
SENIOR CITY PLANNER  BOROUGH CERTIFICATION MANAGER • BRONX OFFICE

NYC DEPT. OF CITY PLANNING
1775 GRAND CONCOURSE, SUITE 503 • BRONX, NY 10453
(718) 220-8518 I jhorstman@planning.nyc.gov

News From Councilman Mark Gjonaj




Councilman Mark Gjonaj fought to secure $2,170,000 for Homeless Services in the Fiscal 2019 Budget!

Children and Families in NYC Homeless System: $1,350,000

Citywide Homeless Prevention Fund: $820,000

In 2019, the NYC Council continues to provide emergency grants to families in crisis at risk of eviction to keep them in their homes and avoid the shelter system through the Citywide Homeless Prevention Fund. This initiative builds upon existing efforts by the Administration to prevent families entering the homeless shelter system. Additionally, the Council funds an innovative program to address the mental health and emotional needs of families in shelter as well as providing wrap-around aftercare services to families through the Children and Families in NYC Homeless System initiative. This initiative fulfills a gap in trauma informed services not currently provided by the Administration and works towards the long-term outcome of keeping families out of shelter.

  1. Tree Planting/Pruning
  2. Tree Sidewalk Prog
  3. Building Maintenance
  4. Con Edison
  5. Eviction
Thank You for Participating!

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Cesar Altieri Sayoc Charged In 30-Count Indictment With Mailing Improvised Explosive Devices


Sayoc Allegedly Mailed 16 IEDs to 13 Victims Across the United States and Now Faces Charges Including Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Interstate Mailing of Explosives, and Use of Destructive Devices During Crimes of Violence

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today that Cesar Altieri Sayoc, a/k/a “Cesar Randazzo,” “Cesar Altieri,” and “Cesar Altieri Randazzo,” was charged today in Manhattan federal court in a 30-count Indictment for offenses relating to his alleged execution of a domestic terrorist attack in October 2018, which involved the mailing of 16 improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”) to 13 victims throughout the country.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Cesar Sayoc allegedly targeted former high-ranking officials such as President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others, as well as CNN, by sending explosive packages to them through the U.S. Postal Service.  Sayoc’s alleged conduct put numerous lives at risk.  It was also an assault on a nation that values the rule of law, a free press, and tolerance of differences without rancor or resort to violence.  Thanks to the diligent and determined work of our law enforcement partners here and across the country, it took just five days to identify and apprehend Sayoc and end his reign of terror.  He now faces justice from a nation of laws.”
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said:  “According to court filings, Cesar Sayoc mailed 16 IEDs to more than a dozen victims throughout the country, including current and former elected leaders.  Less than five days after the first IED was discovered, he was tracked down and arrested, thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other law enforcement partners.” 
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “As alleged, Cesar Sayoc deliberately targeted 13 individuals with 16 improvised explosive devices, attempting to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation from California to the eastern seaboard.   Thanks to the seamless integration of FBI JTTFs across the country, working side-by-side with many other law enforcement agencies and first responders, his campaign of terror was brought to a rapid conclusion just five days after the discovery of the first device.  The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to protect the American public, and we will move with speed to bring justice to anyone seeking to harm our communities.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “I commend everyone involved in investigating and prosecuting this case, particularly the agents and detectives on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, which includes 56 agencies and 300 individuals – 113 of them NYPD cops.  Standing shoulder to shoulder with the FBI, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, and others, we said from the outset that we would identify and bring to justice the person allegedly responsible for these acts.  We could make that promise because of our proven history of effective partnership.  The public’s vigilance also greatly assisted this investigation and helped lead to today’s 30-count indictment.  What is clear is that New Yorkers are always resilient in the face of threats – we refuse to back down, and we will never be deterred.”
According to the Indictment, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings[1]
Between October 22 and November 2, 2018, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service recovered 16 padded manila envelopes containing IEDs allegedly mailed by Sayoc from Florida to addresses in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Atlanta, and California.  Sayoc’s alleged victims, listed alphabetically, were former Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Cory Booker, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CNN, Robert De Niro, Senator Kamala Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, George Soros, Thomas Steyer, and Representative Maxine Waters.
Each of the 16 envelopes allegedly mailed by Sayoc had similar features, including the return addressee “Debbie Wasserman Shultz” at an address in “Florids,” six self-adhesive postage stamps bearing the American flag, and address labels printed on white paper with black ink in similar typeface and font size.  Each of the 16 envelopes also contained an IED.  The 16 IEDs also had similar features, including approximately six inches of PVC pipe packed with explosive material, a small clock, and wiring.  Some of the IEDs also contained shards of glass. 
Preliminary analysis by the FBI has revealed forensic evidence linking 11 of the 16 mailings to Sayoc.  Specifically, latent fingerprints on two of the envelopes have been identified to Sayoc, and there are possible DNA associations between a DNA sample collected from Sayoc prior to his arrest in this case and DNA found on components from 10 of the IEDs (including one of the IEDs that was mailed in an envelope from which a latent fingerprint identified to Sayoc was recovered).
The FBI arrested Sayoc in Plantation, Florida, on October 26, 2018 – less than five days after the October 22 recovery of the first IED, which Sayoc allegedly mailed to Soros in New York.  The FBI seized a laptop from Sayoc’s van in connection with the arrest that contained lists of physical addresses that match many of the labels on the envelopes that Sayoc allegedly mailed.  The lists were saved at a file path on the laptop that includes a variant of Sayoc’s first name:  “Users/Ceasar/Documents.”  A document from that path, titled “Debbie W.docx” and bearing a creation date of July 26, 2018, contained repeated copies of an address for “Debbie W. Schultz” in Sunrise, Florida, that is nearly identical, except for typographical errors, to the return address that Sayoc allegedly used on the packages.  Similar documents bearing file titles that include the name “Debbie,” and creation dates of September 22, 2018, contain exact matches of the return address allegedly used by Sayoc on the 16 envelopes. 
Sayoc possessed a cellphone at the time of his arrest, and the FBI’s ongoing forensic analysis of the device has revealed additional evidence.  For example, Sayoc allegedly used the phone to conduct the following Internet searches, among others, on the dates indicated:
July 15, 2018: “hilary Clinton hime address”
July 26, 2018: “address Debbie wauserman Shultz”
September 19, 2018: “address kamila harrias”
September 26, 2018: “address for barack Obama”
September 26, 2018: “michelle obama mailing address”
September 26, 2018: “joseph biden jr”
October 1, 2018: “address cory booker new jersey”
October 20, 2018: “tom steyers mailing address”
October 23, 2018: “address kamala harris”
Sayoc’s phone also contained photographs of some of the victims.
SAYOC, 56, of South Florida, is charged in the Indictment with 30 counts:  one count of six different offenses for each of the five IEDs that he allegedly mailed to Clinton, Brennan, Clapper, Soros, and De Niro in the Southern District of New York.  In aggregate, the 30 counts in the Indictment carry a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a mandatory minimum penalty of life imprisonment.  A chart providing more information regarding the charges and potential penalties is set forth below.  The statutory penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Westchester County Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for its assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Emil J. Bove III, Jane Kim, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Cora and Kiersten Korczynski of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Counts
Charge
Penalties Per Count
1 – 5
Using a weapon of mass destruction
Maximum per count: life
6 – 10
Interstate transportation of an explosive
Maximum per count: 20 years
11 – 15
Conveying a threat in interstate commerce
Maximum per count: 5 years
16 – 20
Unlawful use of mails
Maximum per count: 10 years
21 – 25
Carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony
Minimum for first conviction: 10 years

Minimum for additional convictions: 20 years
26 – 30
Using and carrying a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence
Maximum per count: life

Minimum for first conviction: 30 years

Minimum for additional convictions:
life


[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the Indictment, and the description of the Complaint and Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The spelling errors next to the dates are from the U.S. Attorney's office. They may have come from the defendant.

Deli Owner And Co-Conspirator Found Guilty Of Conspiring To Set Fire To Rival Deli


  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Daniel A. Nigro, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”), announced today that REDHWAN SALEH and ANTOINE BOSTICK were convicted by a jury in connection with their participation in an arson in the Bronx, New York.  The verdict followed a four-day trial before the Honorable William H. Pauley III.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “A unanimous Manhattan jury has found Redhwan Saleh guilty of planning and paying three men to execute the arson of a competing deli in his Riverdale neighborhood.  Saleh and his co-defendant, Antoine Bostick, have found out the hard way that playing with fire usually leads to getting burned, and possibly prison.”
ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan M. Benedict said:  “The callous actions of Redhwan Saleh and Antoine Bostick caused extensive damage to property and could have resulted in serious injury or harm to first responders and the general public.  Thanks to the efforts of the ATF/ NYPD/ FDNY Arson and Explosive Task Force, the individuals responsible were brought to justice.  I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s office for their work in prosecuting this case.”
According to allegations in the Superseding Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and the evidence presented at trial:
SALEH owns a deli near the intersection of 242nd Street and Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.  After SALEH learned that a competing deli was about to open a few stores down from his, SALEH paid three men, including BOSTICK, to set the new deli on fire.  On September 11, 2016, a few weeks before the new deli opened, BOSTICK climbed onto the new deli’s roof, poured gasoline down the vent pipe, and lit the gas on fire.  The new deli and a neighboring store both suffered extensive fire damage and the new deli’s opening was substantially delayed.
In addition to SALEH and BOSTICK, two other individuals have been convicted in connection with this case.  ARTHUR CHERRY pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and arson, among other crimes.  RICHARD SANCHEZ pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson.
SALEH, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to commit arson, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and arson, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  SALEH will be sentenced by Judge Pauley on March 15, 2019.
BOSTICK, 32, of New Rochelle, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to commit arson, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  BOSTICK was found not guilty of arson.  BOSTICK will be sentenced by Judge Pauley on March 15, 2019.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative efforts of the Strategic Explosive and Arson Response Task Force of the ATF, the NYPD, and the FDNY.

A.G. Underwood Announces Settlement With Company Over Misleading Infant-Feeding Surveys


Abbott Labs Mailed Marketing Surveys to New Parents from “National Institute of Infant Nutrition,” Creating False Impression that Info Would Be Used for Scientific Research
Settlement Requires Company to Accurately Disclose Purpose for Use of Private Info, Pay $50,000 in Costs
  Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a settlement resolving an investigation into Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, maker of Similac infant formula, over misleading marketing surveys the company sent to new parents about their infant-feeding habits. The surveys, sent under the logo of the “National Institute of Infant Nutrition,” sought information about the recipients’ demographics and habits for feeding their babies, including whether their baby had been breast-fed and, if formula-fed, the brand of formula used by the parents. However, there is no entity with the name “National Institute of Infant Nutrition” and Abbott used the survey information for its own marketing purposes.
The settlement requires Abbott to accurately disclose the purpose for which survey information is sought and prohibits Abbott from falsely representing that their surveys are being conducted for scientific study. The settlement also requires Abbott to pay $50,000 in costs.
‘This survey was a formula for deception,” said Attorney General Underwood. “My office will not allow any business to mislead New Yorkers into sharing private information under false pretenses.”
The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that between March 2015 and April 2017, Abbott sent more than 200,000 surveys to new parents in New York under the logo of the “National Institute of Infant Nutrition,” accompanied by a letter from an individual identified as the “Research Director,” advising that the National Institute of Infant Nutrition conducts the monthly surveys to understand infant nutrition. The letter urged consumers to complete the survey to help with “this important research.”
After the Attorney General’s Office commenced its investigation, Abbott agreed to stop using the “National Institute of Infant Nutrition” logo on its surveys. Under the settlement, Abbott is required to disclose at the top of any survey either its name or the name of any third party conducting the market research on its behalf.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBING GIRLFRIEND’S EX-BOYFRIEND MULTIPLE TIMES


Victim Survived Despite Losing 20 Percent of his Blood

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for stabbing his girlfriend’s former boyfriend. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, Joseph Urgitano, stabbed the victim repeatedly in the groin, abdomen and legs when he came to visit Urgitano’s girlfriend. Now he has been held accountable for this brutal assault.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Joseph Urgitano, 51, of 1611 Bay Shore Avenue, the Bronx, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty. A jury found the defendant guilty of first-degree Assault on July 27, 2018.

 According to the investigation, on June 15, 2014, the victim, Luis Quinones, was inside the vestibule of 2860 Buhre Avenue while he rang the doorbell. Video surveillance from the building showed Urgitano, also known as “Joey Cupcakes,” and his girlfriend walking downstairs to the vestibule and then Urgitano stabbing Quinones. The defendant then followed Quinones upstairs, stabbed him with a knife again and ran out of the building. The weapon used during the attack was recovered and the defendant’s DNA was found on the handle.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Darrell Julien of the NYPD for his assistance in the case.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Free Small Business Forum: How to Respond to Notices & Summonses


The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and OATH
invite you to join us on Friday, November 16th
for A Free Small Business Forum Breakfast:
"How to Respond to
Summonses & Notices of Violation"
 Hosted by Fidel F. Del Valle
Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge
NYC Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings

Friday |  November 16, 2018  |  8:00-10:00 AM
Residence Inn by Marriott
1776 Eastchester Road | Bronx, NY 10461

This event will bring together OATH representatives, as well as representatives from the City's enforcement agencies that issue alleged violations, to discuss some of the most commonly issued summonses and notices, how to avoid violating conditions and how to contest summonses at OATH hearings.

There will be a Q&A session.
A light breakfast will be served.
Admission is free, but RSVP is required. Please RSVP to Phil Cardone or Sashee Rivera By November 13, 2018.
 
  
 
   
Events, Communications & Grants Director
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
"The Network for Business Success"
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461 - 718-828-3900

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Defrauding Investors Out Of $58 Million In Years-Long Real Estate Investment Scheme


Michael D’Alessio Also Pled to Making False Claims and Concealing Assets in Connection with His Bankruptcy Case

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL D’ALESSIO pled guilty today to operating a years-long scheme to defraud investors in his luxury real estate development projects in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, and elsewhere, and to making false claims and concealing assets in connection with his bankruptcy case.  D’ALESSIO pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Real estate developer Michael D’Alessio admitted today to misappropriating investor funds intended for specific luxury development projects by funneling them into shell accounts he controlled.  In typical Ponzi-like fashion, D’Alessio comingled over $58 million of investor funds and used them to cash out early investors, cover debts, and pay his own personal gambling debts.  When D’Alessio eventually went into bankruptcy, he perpetrated yet another fraud by trying to conceal assets.  Today this fraudster has taken responsibility for his actions and faces time in a considerably less luxurious property – federal prison.”
According to the Indictment, Superseding Information, and statements made in court:           
MICHAEL D’ALESSIO, a real estate developer and general contractor, served as the president and chief executive officer of a real estate investment and development firm specializing in the design, construction, and management of both residential and commercial real estate properties (“Company-1”).  D’ALESSIO and Company-1 developed, and purported to develop, luxury residential real estate properties in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, and elsewhere.
D’ALESSIO typically followed the same pattern in each real estate investment project:  he sought investments by offering for sale shares in a newly formed limited liability company (“LLC”) named after the location of the parcel of real estate to be developed and sold (the “Target Property”).  In exchange for a purchase of shares in the LLC, D’ALESSIO promised a guaranteed monthly interest payment and a share in the profits from the sale of the Target Property.  In soliciting investors, D’ALESSIO made numerous representations to potential investors, including that investor funds would be used only to develop the relevant Target Property and to cover related business expenses of the relevant LLC.
However, in reality, from at least in or about 2015 through in or about April 2018, D’ALESSIO misappropriated investor funds for his own use and benefit, and made other material misrepresentations.  Upon receiving investor funds, D’ALESSIO typically channeled those funds through a series of bank accounts held in the name of shell companies owned and controlled by D’ALESSIO.  D’ALESSIO then used much of those investor funds for his own benefit, including to pay off debts and prior investors, and to fund significant gambling and other personal expenses.  D’ALESSIO took steps to conceal his fraud, including deceiving investors regarding the progress of various real estate projects and using money raised from investors to make monthly payments to investors in different projects in the manner of a Ponzi scheme.  D’ALESSIO defrauded investors out of approximately $58 million.
In 2018, D’ALESSIO went into involuntary bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code.  In connection with this bankruptcy proceeding, captioned In re Michael D’Alessio, No. 18-22552 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.), D’ALESSIO submitted forms that fraudulently omitted money and property belonging to his estate, and made a false declaration under penalty of perjury concerning his money and property.      
D’ALESSIO, 53, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of committing 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 one count of concealing assets from a bankruptcy court, 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.  Sentencing is scheduled for March 22, 2019, at 10:00a.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.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Kramer and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution.