Bronx Progressives Holiday Mixer

   It was a good year for Bronx Progressives, helping on two key races and getting in County Committee members. That hard work will be built on in 2019 with trying to get people onto community boards. Ms. Samelys Lopez (r) gave a brief review of the Bronx Progressives accomplishments in 2018, then introduced Alama, Omar, and Michael Beltzer who also spoke of the accomplishments of 2018, and what to look forward to in 2019. 

  On hand was John Sanchez the District Manager of Community Board 6, and Ischia Bravo the District Manager of Community Board 7. Over fifty people from across the Bronx had a great time of networking, setting up for 2019, and celebrating the holidays. 

Morris Park Metro North Station Workshop

  

  Above is the map of the four scheduled new Metro North stations for the East Side of the Bronx. Stations are to be located at Coop-City, Morris Park, Parkchester, and Hunts Point to serve the under served East side of the Bronx, and to have train service to the midtown area in less than thirty minutes. 

Tuesday's workshop was at Einstein Hospital, and was well attended. There were many areas set up where peoples opinions of what the community was looking for in and around this new Morris Park Metro North Station could be noted. City agencies such as City Planning, Department of Transportation, Economic Development, and even the Department of Housing preservation were on hand to answer questions and write down suggestions from the people who live, work, or visit the area.

Above - A detailed map of the area as it currently stands was set up across several tables, where people could make notes on post its,and put them on the map for the city to see what the community wanted and where. 

Below - Al D'Angelo (Chair of CB 11, and President Of the Morris Park Community Association) is at one site to give his opinion of what should be done.

Former Commanding Officer of the 50th Precinct says Good-Bye to Community Board 8

  Former 50th Precinct commanding officer Deputy Inspector Terrence O'Toole (L) now Chief O'Toole, and new 50th Precinct commanding officer Captain Emilio Melendez were at Tuesday night's Community Board 8 monthly general board meeting. Chief O'Toole had been the commanding officer at the 50th precinct for three and a half years. Chief O'Toole said his good-byes, and introduced his replacement Captain Melendez. Captain Melendez then took over right where Chief O'Toole had left off.

  This was a very smooth and one of the quickest board meeting for CB8, but the chair of the board Ms. Rosemary Ginty took offence with the local newspaper the Riverdale Press for a very unkind article, and several requests of Freedom of Information Requests (FOIL), which she said were uncalled for. She added that CB 8 and her have nothing to hide, and the FOIL requests will be handled by the District Manager of CB 8 in a timely manner. 

Coop-City 50th Anniversary Gala

   Monday night was the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Coop-City. There were several special guests who showed up to help celebrate this half century mark of Coop-City, and Ms. Linda Berle the President of the Riverbay Board of Directors introduced Mayor Bill de Blasio. The mayor had only good things to say about Riverbay, and Coop-City, while saying that he likes coming to the Bronx especially for events such as this. 

Above - Mayor de Blasio has some words of advice for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Below - New State Attorney General Letitia James was in the audience with a proclamation for Coop-City on its 50th Anniversary.

Before he left, Mayor de Blasio posed for this picture with Councilman Andy King and his daughter. On his way out I asked the mayor about a Community Benefits Agreement for the Queens community where the new Amazon site is to be located. The mayor just went past, and one of his aides got mad that I asked the question about a CBA of the mayor.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO RENOVATE NYCHA APARTMENTS AND PRESERVE PUBLIC HOUSING

NYCHA 2.0 will resolve $24 billion in repairs, and improve health and safety conditions for all residents

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today unveiled NYCHA 2.0, a comprehensive plan to preserve public housing. This plan will resolve $24 billion in vital repairs to New York City’s aging public housing and ensure residents have the safe, decent and affordable homes they deserve. The ten-year plan will deliver top to bottom renovations for 175,000  residents, fund essential capital repairs across the rest of NYCHA’s portfolio, and launch aggressive new repair strategies to tackle lead paint, mold, elevators, heat and vermin.

Expanding on last month’s Section 8 Conversion plan of 62,000 units, the New York City Housing Authority will also launch three new programs, Build to Preserve, Transfer to Preserve, and Fix to Preserve. Build to Preserve will deliver roughly $2 billion in capital repairs through new development on NYCHA land, while Transfer to Preserve will deliver approximately $1 billion in capital repairs through the sale of unutilized development rights, also known as air rights. Fix to Preserve will improve services, infrastructure maintenance, and immediately address health and safety issues including heating, mold, pests, and lead.

BTP and TTP, along with the Section 8 Conversion plan announced in November, will address an estimated $16 billion in capital need at NYCHA developments. This funding, on top of the expected $8 billion in Federal, state and city capital funding, will enable the Authority to address nearly $24 billion in capital need over the next decade, or up to 75% of NYCHA’s massive $31.8 billion overall capital need. More information on these strategies can be foundhere and here.

“These are the kind of top-to-bottom renovations NYCHA residents have waited decades to see. They will make an enormous difference in the lives of the 400,000 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home and make up the backbone of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor de Blasio. “With new leadership, new resources and new programs, we are going to deliver the change NYCHA residents deserve.”

“NYCHA’s long-deferred capital and maintenance needs are among the greatest challenges we face as a city. NYCHA 2.0 addresses these challenges forcefully and at scale, leveraging public and private resources to make critical improvements both in individual units and in structures, as well as committing the agency to improve service to residents,” said Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development.

“NYCHA residents need fixes in their homes, and they need them as soon as possible," saidNYCHA Interim Chair and CEO Stanley Brezenoff. “With the release of NYCHA 2.0, we now have a comprehensive plan to deliver nearly $24 billion in major repair needs over the next decade. I thank Mayor de Blasio and his Administration for their staunch support of public housing and look forward to our continued work to make NYCHA a better and more responsive landlord.”

“NYCHA is facing an existential crisis and the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who live in public housing need innovative solutions to big problems. I am happy to see we are getting creative and exploring all possibilities to make things better for residents. They deserve better conditions and they deserve them now,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

PACT to Preserve: Announced in November, the City is addressing $12.8 billion in overdue repairs in 62,000 NYCHA apartments – a third of NYCHA units, housing approximately 140,000 people – through public-private partnerships, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration program. All 62,000 apartments will be converted to Section 8 funding with permanent affordability, and will be maintained and operated by quality private developers. Renovations under this program have already been completed at the 1,395 apartments of Ocean Bay, with 8,900 more units in the process of resident engagement, predevelopment, or development leading to full conversion. All 62,000 units will be completed on a rolling basis by 2028.

Build to Preserve: The City and NYCHA will use a new model to build on underused public-owned land and dedicate 100 percent of the proceeds to make repairs at the surrounding development. The new building program will fund $2 billion in capital repairs across approximately 10,000 NYCHA apartments. New buildings will be subject to Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (“MIH”) levels of affordability and increase the permanently affordable housing stock. NYCHA and the City remain committed to the 10,000 new affordable units, including new senior housing, that were announced in NextGen, in support of the Mayor’s Housing New York 2.0 Plan.

Transfer to Preserve: For the first time, NYCHA will tap into its extensive unused development rights, or “air rights.” By transferring only a portion of the Authority’s approximately 80 million square feet of air rights, NYCHA expects to generate $1 billion in capital repairs for adjacent developments. The first deal is expected to be completed by mid-2019 at Ingersoll Houses.

Fix to Preserve: Building on ongoing improvements to maintenance at NYCHA, Fix to Preserve rapidly addresses five categories of problems immediately affecting residents’ daily lives:

·         Elevators: By 2027, NYCHA will replace 405 elevators at 30 developments, providing reliable service to over 58,000 residents.

·         Heating: NYCHA will expand on previous heat upgrades with the addition of five mobile boilers by 2019 – and full replacement of the 297 lowest-performing boilers by 2026. Further, by next year outages will be restored within an average of twelve hours.

·         Pests: With the installation of door sweeps and rat slabs, and the onboarding of 20 new exterminators, NYCHA will cut the rat population by a quarter by the end of 2019, and by half by the end of 2020.

·         Lead: NYCHA will test over 135,000 apartments built before 1978 by 2020. 

·         Mold: NYCHA will bring all roofs into a state of good repair by 2026. Under the Baez Agreement, complex repair time will drop to 15 days.

The de Blasio Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to preserve and strengthen public housing. This investment is part of the Administration’s total commitment to $2.1 billion to support NYCHA’s capital infrastructure from Fiscal Year 2014 to Fiscal Year 2027 and $1.6 billion to support NYCHA’s operations from Fiscal Year 2014 to Fiscal Year 2022. This investment includes $1.3 billion to fix over 900 roofs, over $500 million to repair deteriorating exterior brickwork at nearly 400 buildings, and $140 million to improve security at 15 NYCHA developments.

The City has also waived NYCHA’s annual PILOT and NYPD payments to the City, relieving NYCHA of nearly $100 million in operating expenses a year. In January 2018, the Mayor announced $13 million to improve NYCHA’s response to heating emergencies this winter, followed by an additional $200 million for long-term heating improvements at 20 NYCHA developments. 

Crips Gang Member Charged with Attempted Murder of an On-Duty FBI Agent

Defendant’s Girlfriend Also Charged with Lying to the FBI about Witnessing the Shooting

  A criminal complaint was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Ronell Watson with attempting to murder a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent and with using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  A separate criminal complaint was also filed today charging Molissa Gangapersad with making false statements to the FBI.  At their initial appearances this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione, Watson was ordered detained and Gangapersad was released on a $500,000 bond.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.

“Watson showed an utter disregard for human life when he fired multiple shots without provocation at an on-duty FBI Special Agent,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “Despite sustaining a serious gunshot wound, the agent courageously returned fire, hitting Watson, which ultimately led to the defendant’s capture when he sought medical treatment.  Gangapersad will be prosecuted for lying to federal agents after she witnessed her boyfriend’s cold-blooded attack.  The shooting on Saturday should serve as a reminder to all about the danger members of law enforcement face in the course of performing their duties and the debt of gratitude they are owed for putting their lives on the line to protect the community from violent criminals.”  Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI and the New York City Police Department for its assistance during the investigation and thanked the skilled medical professionals who treated the agent.

“The unprovoked assault of a law enforcement officer is a grievous crime that threatens the safety and security of our communities.  As alleged, Watson demonstrated callous disregard for life when he targeted and then deliberately opened fire on a fellow citizen.  In this instance, that citizen was an FBI Special Agent who fought back.  Today’s charges demonstrate that the FBI and our partners will identify and apprehend anyone and everyone who participated in this violent attack – whether you are the person who pulled the trigger or helped cover up after the fact.  We will pursue every possible investigative lead and legal charge to ensure justice is served,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “I also wanted to personally thank our fellow citizens who called 911 in order to get aid dispatched for our agent, and we are very appreciative of the talented medical team who worked on him.  The FBI New York office is tremendously grateful for the superb NYPD response out in Brooklyn, where our agent was treated like one of their own, and for the swift and decisive action by EDNY to bring charges in this case.  Thank you for your professionalism and partnership.”    

As alleged in the complaints and other court documents, on December 8, 2018, an FBI Special Agent was on-duty and parked in an unmarked car on Canarsie Road, a one way street, in Brooklyn.  Watson, a member of the Crips street gang, drove his vehicle the wrong way on Canarsie Road and partially blocked the agent’s car.  Watson approached the driver side door of the agent’s car with one hand inside the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.  As the agent maneuvered his car around Watson’s vehicle, Watson pulled out a gun and began firing at the agent as he drove away.  The agent was hit in the torso by one bullet.  The agent then exited his car, drew his firearm and fired at Watson striking him in the hand.  Watson fled the scene in his car and drove to a nearby auto body shop where he left the vehicle.  Watson then sought treatment for his wounds at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center where he falsely claimed that he had been a bystander victim of a gunfight between other individuals.  Law enforcement officers at the hospital then overheard the defendant telephone a female, believed to be Gangapersad, and tell her to go to the house and “get the jewelry and get rid of it.” 

Law enforcement officers responded to Watson’s and Gangapersad’s shared residence.  Gangapersad agreed to a voluntary interview and falsely told FBI agents that she had not seen the shooting.  After being confronted with surveillance video showing that she was on her front porch during the shooting and in a position to observe it, Gangapersad admitted that she had witnessed the incident.  Members of law enforcement searched the residence and found approximately 1.5 pounds of marijuana, $15,000 in cash and a large amount of jewelry in the defendants’ bedroom.  Both defendants were arrested that evening.

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

 If convicted of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, Watson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment.  If convicted of lying to the FBI, Gangapersad faces up to five years’ imprisonment.

The Defendants: 

Ronell Watson

Age:  31

Brooklyn, New York

Molissa Gangapersad

Age:  30

Brooklyn, New York

Unlicensed Dentist Convicted Of Healthcare Fraud, Conspiracy To Commit Healthcare Fraud

 And Conspiracy To Violate The Anti-Kickback Statute

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LUIS OMAR VARGAS, an unlicensed dentist, was convicted last Friday, after a two-week jury trial, for defrauding health insurance companies by billing for false claims, billing for claims performed by him as an unlicensed provider, and for conspiring to pay kickbacks to his patients.  The trial was presided over by United States District Judge Ronnie Abrams.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Luis Omar Vargas defrauded taxpayer-funded health insurance plans and his patients by posing as a dentist licensed to practice, when he was not.  Vargas billed for services he never performed and induced his patients to visit his dental clinic by providing them kickback payments.  Now, for his fraud and abuse of the system, Vargas stands convicted of three crimes and faces a substantial term in prison.” 

According to allegations in the Indictment and evidence introduced at trial:

From in or around 2012 through at least November 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, VARGAS and others conspired and participated in a scheme to defraud insurance providers of more than $2 million.  Vargas and others induced patients to be seen at a dental clinic on the Upper West Side of Manhattan by offering patients a $25 cash kickback.  Once the patients were in the door, VARGAS and his coconspirators charged insurance companies for services that were never performed and for services performed by VARGAS that he was not licensed to perform.

VARGAS, 46, of Roselle, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  VARGAS will be sentenced on April 5, 2019, by Judge Abrams.

Other members of the conspiracy, including Dr. Mehmet Dikengil, 70, and Anna Jones, 60, previously pled guilty to related offenses.

 Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General in this investigation.

Richard Brega, Owner Of Rockland County Bus Companies, Sentenced To More Than Four Years In Prison For Bribery And Fraud

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICHARD BREGA was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for bribery, fraud, and theft from a program receiving government funds.  BREGA was found guilty of these crimes on May 2, 2018, by a jury at the conclusion of a three-week trial.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “The successful prosecution of Richard Brega demonstrates the commitment of the federal government to rooting out corruption and fraud in Rockland County and throughout the Hudson Valley.  The taxpayers and the schoolchildren and their families there deserve far better than the criminal scheming Brega gave them.  The sentence imposed today serves a stern reminder that the criminal path Brega chose leads to one place: prison.”

The evidence at trial showed, among other things, the following:

BREGA defrauded a school district – Rockland BOCES – by falsely claiming to maintain the district’s buses, which BREGA knew were used to transport special-needs students, and bribing a Rockland BOCES employee to approve the false invoices for payment.  As a result, Rockland BOCES transported special-needs students on deteriorating, unmaintained buses as BREGA got paid.

In particular, BREGA owned and controlled vehicle repair and transportation companies in Rockland County, including Brega D.O.T. Maintenance Corp. (“Brega DOT”), a fleet-maintenance repair shop.  Rockland BOCES serves eight school districts in Rockland County.  Among the services that Rockland BOCES offers to its students – particularly children with special physical, intellectual, and emotional needs – is transportation, for which it has a fleet of buses and other vehicles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Rockland BOCES buses” and “bus fleet”), some of which are specially equipped for students with physical disabilities.  Rockland BOCES receives federal funding each year, often in excess of $1 million.

From in or about 2008 or 2009, through in or about 2015, Brega DOT provided vehicle repair service and maintenance for Rockland BOCES bus fleet, including regular preventive maintenance (“Preventive Maintenance”), which is supposed to involve a thorough and detailed inspection and testing of the buses at Brega DOT’s facility, designed to ensure that the buses are defect-free and safe to operate with children aboard.  Brega DOT would fix any problems with the buses that it found during Preventive Maintenance inspections before releasing the buses back to Rockland BOCES.  Brega DOT also created invoices documenting the work done and provided those invoices to Rockland BOCES for payment.  Rockland BOCES’ director of transportation, William Popkave, would then approve the invoice as accurately stating work that was performed on Rockland BOCES buses, and Rockland BOCES would mail payment to Brega DOT.

From in or about 2012 through in or about 2014, BREGA stole money from Rockland BOCES by, among other things, billing Rockland BOCES for Preventive Maintenance inspections that were never performed.  To do so, BREGA directed his employees to prepare fraudulent invoices, as well as fraudulent supporting documentation, giving the false appearance that his company had performed regular Preventive Maintenance inspections on certain buses, when in fact those buses were not even brought to Brega DOT and Preventive Maintenance inspections were not performed.

To create the fraudulent invoices, and to obtain payment from Rockland BOCES for work that was never performed, BREGA bribed Popkave – who oversaw upkeep and maintenance of its buses – with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of free personal vehicle repairs.  Popkave sent BREGA lists of buses and their mileages so that BREGA could create fraudulent invoices and supporting documentation, and thereafter approved payment of the fraudulent invoices at Rockland BOCES, even though Popkave and BREGA knew that the buses had not even been to Brega DOT on the days for which Brega DOT billed Rockland BOCES, and had not received Preventive Maintenance inspections.

BREGA, 51, of Rockland County, was convicted of three counts: (1) mail fraud, (2) bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds, and (3) theft from a program receiving federal funds. 

Popkave, 62, of Rockland County, New York, pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on January 24, 2017, to five counts: (1) conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; (2) mail fraud, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; (3) theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison; (4) bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison; and (5) obstruction of justice, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison.

The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of Popkave will be determined by the judge at a future date.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.  Mr. Berman also thanked the United States Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, for its assistance.