Wave Hill events April 4‒11, Hudson River Eel Weekend!

Did you know that there are eels in the Hudson River? Wave Hill is dedicating a whole weekend to these fascinating creatures! Families with younger children, by the way, will be able to meet glass eels at Wave Hill, Saturday. On Sunday, take a trip to The Center for the Urban River at Beczak in Yonkers to see these slippery creatures in their natural habitat—kids ages eight and older are welcome to attend with an adult. This trip is a community science project that will help experts who are researching eel migration.  Or forget about the eels and come hear acclaimed jazz musician Josh Lawrence and his band Color Theory perform here on Sunday afternoon. A reception following the performance will celebrate the release of Lawrence’s new album Triptych—and a grand finale to the 2018‒2019 concert season in Armor Hall.

Thu, April 4

Mixed-Media Workshop series begins: Subtle and Exquisite Nature

From bud to bloom, nature has an endless inspiration to offer artists in the spring. Capture changing textures and subtle color shifts as the garden transitions from subtle to bright. Each week, with the guidance of artist Wennie Huang, spring continues to pop and participants experience, observe and render exquisite moments using layers of dry and wet media. This six-session series continues Thursdays, April 11, 18, 25, May 2 and 9. A list of materials will be provided. $300; Wave Hill Members save 10%. Registration required, online or at the Perkins Visitor Center.

Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM

Sat, Sun, April 6, 7

Hudson River Eel Weekend

Did you know that eels swim past Wave Hill every spring? Get the real deal about eels and their Hudson River ecosystem at Wave Hill’s Hudson River Eel Weekend. Meet scientists studying eel migration, make eel-themed art and see live eels. You’ll look at the river in a whole new way!

Sat, April 6

Family Art Project: The Epic of an Eel

Celebrate the arduous journey eels make during their annual migration, their adaptations and the place eels call home. Create your own puppet theater to act out your own stories about these epic underwater adventures. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Hudson River Eel Weekend event.

Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM

Sat, April 6

Meet the Eels

Families are invited to drop by to see live eels, with a science educator from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Eel Project. Ages five and older welcome with an adult. Free with admission to the grounds.Hudson River Eel Weekend event.

Wave Hill House, 1–1:30PM

Sat, April 6

Nature Talk: The Incredible Journey of the American Eel

A science educator from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Eel Project shares the incredible journey of Anguilla rostrata with images, artifacts—and live eels! Hear how scientists, students and community volunteers are gathering information about local eel populations by catching, counting and releasing thousands of tiny “glass eels” as they swim up the Hudson River estuary each spring. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Free with admission to the grounds. Hudson River Eel Weekend event.

Wave Hill House, 2PM

Sun, April 7

Family Art Project: The Epic of an Eel

Celebrate the arduous journey eels make during their annual migration, their adaptations and the place eels call home. Create your own puppet theater to act out your own stories about these epic underwater adventures. Free with admission to the grounds. Hudson River Eel Weekend event.

Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM

Sun, April 7

Pre-Concert Tea

Enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Mark Twain Room prior to today’s concert in Armor Hall. The Café at Wave Hill pairs a classic menu with an assortment of green, black and herbal teas. This traditional tea service includes the four classic elements of savory, scones, sweets and tea. The menu, presented by Great Performances, includes an array of tea sandwiches, scones and bite-sized desserts. Afternoon Tea also includes a glass of sparkling wine. Afternoon Tea Service is $36. Wave Hill Members receive a 10% discount. Advance registration is required by emailing wavehillreservations@greatperformances.com or by calling 718.549.3200 x395. We will take reservations until 5PM on the Thursday prior to the concert.

Wave Hill House, NOON

Sun, April 7

Concert: Josh Lawrence & Color Theory

Josh Lawrence is a critically acclaimed trumpeter and composer. His ensemble Color Theory was dubbed "an all-star outfit" by The New York Times. Bandmates include pianist Orrin Evans, drummer Anwar Marshall, the Curtis Brothers, pianist Zaccai and bassist Luques, alto saxophonist Caleb Curtis and trombonist David Gibson. Ticket Prices: Adults: $28 (includes admission to the grounds) / Wave Hill Members 10% discount / $12 children ages 8-18, unless otherwise noted. Order tickets online or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. For additional information, please call 718.549.3200 x251.

Wave Hill House, 2PM

Sun, April 7

Counting Eels at The Center for the Urban River at Beczak

Every spring, juvenile American eels swim 1,000 miles from the Sargasso Sea to freshwater streams along the Hudson River. Join Wave Hill and environmental educator Jason Muller at The Center for the Urban River at Beczak in Yonkers—easily accessible by car and Metro-North—to collect data on migrating eels and their ecosystem. Put on waders and head out into the river to collect eels and other creatures in the fyke nets, or stay on shore to assist with recording water quality data and counting and weighing the little eels before releasing them back into the river. The data collected from CURB and other sites as part of this community science research project provides crucial information about young eel populations in the Hudson River. For adults and families with kids eight and older. $10; Wave Hill Members save 10%. Registration required, online or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Hudson River Eel Weekend event.

Meet at Center for The Urban River at Beczak, 2–3:30PM

Sun, April 7

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, April 8

Closed to the public.

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–5:30PM,  March 15–October 31. Closes 4:30PM, starting November 1.

ADMISSION – $10 adults, $6 students and seniors 65+, $4 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.

BILL THAT ESTABLISHES MATERNAL MORTALITY REVIEW BOARDS PASSES THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY

Sponsored by State Senator Gustavo Rivera, the Maternal Mortality Review Boards will create new strategies to combat the high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in New York, which disproportionately affect minority women, primarily black women

Ranked 30th out of 50 states, the creation of the boards will help New York obtain a deeper understanding of the causes and circumstances associated to the high rate of maternal mortality and morbidity

Senator Rivera also introduced a new bill that will direct hospitals to adopt standard obstetric hemorrhage protocols to help lower New York's maternal mortality rate

  State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chairman of the Senate Health Committee, passed bill S.1819 in the New York State Senate unanimously.  This critical bill will establish the New York State and New York City Maternal Mortality Review Boards and a Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Advisory Council to review the alarming maternal deaths and maternal morbidity rates affecting women across New York. The bill also passed the New York State Assembly unanimously. 

The Maternal Mortality Review Boards, both of which would be comprised of a diverse group of clinical experts, are designed to work collaboratively to facilitate a comprehensive and confidential review of maternal deaths, disseminate their findings, and develop strategies for reducing maternal deaths. The advisory council is tasked with reviewing the boards' findings and developing an exhaustive list of recommendations and best practices that will help prevent future maternal deaths and decrease the rate of life-threatening complications faced by New York women while giving birth or after.

Currently, New York ranks 30th out of 50 states in its maternal death rate. The rate of maternal deaths in New York rose from 13.2 per 100,000 live births in 2006 to 25 per 100,000 in 2015. Furthermore, this public health issue has a clear racial and ethnic disparities component. Compared to white women, black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth.

"It is a terrible reality that in this day and age, mothers in New York State, particularly black mothers, are dying and developing life-threatening complications after birth at an alarming rate," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chair of the Senate Health Committee and sponsor of the bill. "The establishment of the maternal mortality review boards and advisory council will help ensure we are developing and implementing strategies to not only reduce this troubling trend throughout New York, but to address the healthcare disparities causing higher rate of deaths and complications among women of color."

In his effort to immediately reduce New York's maternal mortality rate, Senator Rivera recently introduced a new bill (S.4498) to address obstetric hemorrhages, which are highly preventable. The legislation would require hospitals to adopt and implement standard protocols to appropriately identify and manage obstetric hemorrhage during childbirth using best practices and submit them to the Department of Health. The Department would be required to develop protocols or identify existing protocols that hospitals could use and to report to the legislature on data collected from the hospitals.

With hemorrhages accounting for approximately 16 percent of maternal deaths in New York State, this legislation along with the creation of the Maternal Mortality Review Boards, will ensure New York is aggressively working to ensure women do not have to worry about making it out of the delivery room. 

United States Settles Suit Against Three Responsible Parties For The Release Of Mercury In The Village Of Rye Brook

Defendants Agree to Pay $179,647 in Clean-up Costs and Admit Liability and Accept Responsibility in Consent Decree

  Robert S. Khuzami, Attorney for the United States, acting under authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, and Peter D. Lopez, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously entered into a consent decree settling a civil lawsuit against COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION LLC (“Columbia”), HENRY SCHEIN, INC. (“Schein”), and UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION (“UCC”) (collectively, the “Defendants”).  The lawsuit, brought pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) – commonly known as the Superfund statute – seeks to collect clean-up costs that  EPA has incurred since April 2004 in connection with its clean-up of mercury at the Port Refinery Superfund Site (the “Site”) in the Village of Rye Brook in Westchester County, New York.  The consent decree, which will be lodged with the District Court for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval, provides for a combined payment of $179,647 by the Defendants.

Attorney for the United States Robert Khuzami said:  “Polluters must pay for the costs they have imposed on the community.  Each of these defendants arranged for the treatment or disposal of toxic mercury and contributed to significant contamination in a residential community.  Each is now paying a share of the costs.”

Regional Administrator Peter D. Lopez said:  “It is crucial for companies to take all necessary steps to limit people’s potential exposure to mercury. Exposure to mercury can harm the heart, kidneys, lungs, immune system and have other health impacts. EPA completed a successful cleanup in Rye Brook, held the parties accountable and continues to remain vigilant to ensure that the public is protected from unsafe releases of mercury.”

As alleged in the complaint filed today in White Plains federal court, each of these defendants arranged for the sale and transport of used or scrap mercury, or mercury-containing products, directly or indirectly to Port Refinery, Inc. (“Port Refinery”).  Port Refinery operated a mercury refining business out of a residence in Rye Brook, New York.  Port Refinery’s treatment and processing of the scrap mercury sent by the Defendants and other parties led to extensive releases of mercury, a hazardous substance, requiring two separate clean-up actions (“removals”) by EPA.  In connection with the second removal, which began in 2004, EPA has incurred costs at the site for a variety of investigative and clean-up activities, including, among other things, excavating and disposing of more than 9,300 tons of mercury-contaminated soil from the Site.

In the consent decree filed today, the Defendants admit and accept responsibility for the following:

• EPA has determined that from the 1970s through the early 1990s, Port Refinery engaged in, among other things, the business of mercury reclaiming, refining, and processing.
• Port Refinery operated in the Village of Rye Brook, Westchester County, New York, out of a two-story garage bordered by private residences on its south, east, and west sides.
• EPA has determined that Port Refinery took virtually no environmental precautions or safety measures during its mercury refinement process.
• EPA has determined that Port Refinery released a significant amount of mercury into the environment, contaminating the Site.
• EPA has determined that the Defendants’ mercury was comingled at the Site and contributed to the mercury released into the environment at the Site.

Pursuant to the consent decree, the Defendants will pay a total of $179,647 in costs incurred by EPA, consisting of $120,198 to be paid by UCC, $54,845 to be paid by Columbia, and $4,604 to be paid by Schein.

Today’s lawsuit is the United States’ fourth lawsuit against responsible parties to recover clean-up costs for the second removal at the Port Refinery site.  Prior to today’s settlement, the United States had recovered $647,582 from other responsible parties.  The United States is continuing to pursue its claims against additional potentially responsible parties.

The consent decree will be lodged with the District Court for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval, to provide public notice and to afford members of the public the opportunity to comment on the consent decree.

U.S. Attorney Settles Suit Against Meat Market For Violations Of The Poultry Products Inspection Act

Court Approves Consent Decree Requiring Compliance with Federal Law

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Carmen Rottenberg, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (“USDA”) Food Safety and Inspection Service (“FSIS”), announced today the entry of a Consent Decree against defendants GEORGE MEAT MARKET, INC. (“GEORGE MEAT MARKET”), KWOK SIN NG, president of GEORGE MEAT MARKET, and ALICE YAN FUNG NG, vice president of GEORGE MEAT MARKET (collectively, “the defendants”), along with settling parties BEN MEAT MARKET, INC. (“BEN MEAT MARKET”), and its incorporator, BENSON NG, for violations of the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act and related regulations at their Manhattan meat market.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated:  “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it has to be USDA-inspected like a duck.  By disregarding regulations designed to ensure that food remains wholesome and unadulterated on its way to being consumed, the owners and operators of George Meat Market and Ben Meat Market put people at risk.  Today’s consent decree ensures that they will comply with the law and consumers can have confidence in the safety of the food they buy.”  

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Carmen Rottenberg said:  “The defendants repeatedly violated food safety laws and put consumers at risk for foodborne illnesses.  The United States enjoys the safest food supply in the world and we will hold the individuals accountable for their actions.” 

According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:

The Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) protects the public health by imposing a set of inspections, labeling, and packaging requirements for poultry.  These inspection, labeling, and packaging requirements allow consumers to have confidence in the safety of their poultry products and permit public health officials to trace problems to their source.

Since 2009, the defendants repeatedly violated federal law by selling uninspected and misbranded roast ducks from their facility at 288 Grand Street, New York, New York – then operating under the name GEORGE MEAT MARKET – to wholesalers and retailers in New York City.  Although USDA inspectors repeatedly found the defendants in violation, issuing multiple notices of warning and a notice of alleged violation between 2009 and 2017, the defendants continued to violate the law.

In July 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified the defendants of the government’s intent to file suit to enjoin them from continuing to violate the PPIA.  In response, the defendants claimed that GEORGE MEAT MARKET would cease operations at the end of that month.  However, a USDA inspector visited the market at the end of July 2018 and found no indication that the market was closing.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed this suit.

In the Consent Decree entered today, the defendants and settling parties admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following:

• Defendants GEORGE MEAT MARKET, KWOK SIN NG, and ALICE YAN FUNG NG have repeatedly sold non-federally inspected and misbranded whole roast duck and other poultry products to retailers for resale, in violation of federal law.
• GEORGE MEAT MARKET, KWOK SIN NG, and ALICE YAN FUNG NG have also failed to keep records that fully and correctly disclose all business transactions respecting such poultry products.
• By letter dated July 16, 2018, the United States notified the defendants of its intent to file suit under the PPIA.
• On July 24, 2018, BENSON NG incorporated BEN MEAT MARKET, a New York corporation with the same address as GEORGE MEAT MARKET, 288 Grand Street, New York, New York. 
• In August 2018, the defendants purported to transfer business operations to Ben Meat Market. 
• Defendants KWOK SIN NG and ALICE YAN FUNG NG, and settling party BENSON NG, continued to operate the business under the name BEN MEAT MARKET from August 2018 through the entry of this Consent Decree.

Pursuant to the Consent Decree, GEORGE MEAT MARKET, KWOK SIN NG, ALICE YAN FUNG NG, BEN MEAT MARKET, and BENSON NG are enjoined from (1) selling or transporting any poultry products required to be inspected and passed by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service that have not been inspected and passed by USDA inspectors; (2) preparing or processing poultry and poultry products in unsanitary conditions; (3) not keeping records that fully disclose transactions involving poultry products; and (4) engaging in any other conduct that would violate the PPIA and related regulations.  The settling parties have also agreed to complete mandatory training in relevant federal law and regulations and agreed to certain conditions on transferring ownership of the meat market.  The settling parties are subject to additional actions, including civil monetary penalties, termination of exempt status, contempt sanctions, and other relief, if they violate the provisions of the Consent Decree.

Mr. Berman thanked the USDA for its assistance leading to the Complaint.  

Former U.S. Marine Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Explosives, Firearms, And Narcotics Offenses

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RICHARD LAUGEL was sentenced to 121 months in prison for detonating a pipe bomb in the Bronx on March 2, 2016, along with firearms and narcotics offenses.  LAUGEL pled guilty on November 8, 2018, before United States District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who also imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Richard Laugel’s dangerous attempt to harm his neighbor by detonating a car bomb was, thankfully, unsuccessful.  His cache of weapons was also seized, and his narcotics businesses ended thanks to the extraordinary work of our law enforcement partners, making New York City streets safer.  Now Laugel will serve a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes.”

According to the Information, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and evidence presented in court at sentencing:

On March 2, 2016, LAUGEL placed an improvised explosive device (“IED”) under the rear tire well of his neighbor’s car, which was parked near their apartment building in the Bronx, New York.  LAUGEL, a former United States Marine, had constructed the IED using a metal pipe bomb, which he packed with nails and explosives and attached to a butane canister to increase the potential lethality of the device.  LAUGEL used a remote-detonation device to activate the bomb after his neighbor entered the car and drove several blocks away.  The force of the explosion blew out the airbags in the car and buckled the car doors.  The neighbor was not injured by the explosion.

On May 22, 2018, agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), officers with the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) executed a search warrant at LAUGEL’s home in the Bronx.  Law enforcement recovered from LAUGEL’s home and garage, among other items:

• 575 rounds of assorted ammunition
• 8 silencers and 32 silencer parts
• 5 home-made pistols
• 2 commercially manufactured pistols, one of which had an obliterated serial number
• 2 “switches” to convert pistols into fully automatic weapons
• 1 bump stock

During a subsequent search of LAUGEL’s apartment located near his home, law enforcement recovered evidence consistent with the manufacturing of alprazolam for distribution to customers online, including a powder mixing machine, pill press dies to stamp pills, and boxes of alprazolam packaged for shipment to customers.

In addition to the prison term, LAUGEL, 39, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of ATF, the NYPD, and HSI.

U.S. Attorney Announces Fraud And Money Laundering Charges Against Accountant

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, J. Russell George, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Office of Investigations (“TIGTA”), and Brian M. Hickey, Director, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Office of Internal Affairs (“NYSDTF”), announced today the arrest of defendant SALVATORE ARENA, who is charged with defrauding clients who trusted him to prepare and pay their taxes, and with misappropriating at least $600,000 of those clients’ funds for his own use.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “The ability of our government to maintain functions and provide necessary services relies heavily on tax revenue from ordinary Americans.  Self-reporting of taxes relies on the honesty of both taxpayers and tax professionals alike.  When individuals attempt to pervert the system for their own benefit – as we allege Salvatore Arena has done – law enforcement will be there to bring them to justice.”

TIGTA Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George said:  “TIGTA investigates allegations of wrongdoing by tax preparers that impedes tax administration and victimizes their clients.  Today’s arrest sends a clear message that TIGTA will work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute perpetrators that exploit the tax system to victimize others.”

NYSDTF Director Brian M. Hickey said:  “When tax preparers blatantly betray the trust of their clients for personal gain it casts a shadow over an entire industry and can deprive communities of revenue for vital services. We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to pursue unscrupulous preparers and hold them accountable for their crimes.”

As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

During the relevant time period, defendant SALVATORE ARENA purported to offer tax services, including the preparation and payment of taxes, to clients of an accounting firm in Manhattan.  As alleged in the Complaint, instead of making payments on behalf of those clients, as ARENA represented he would, he diverted client funds for his own use.  As alleged, ARENA executed this fraudulent scheme in two primary ways – first, by diverting pre-payments of taxes to his own tax account and later claiming illegitimate refunds; and second, by misappropriating tax payments clients had wired into a bank account controlled by ARENA.

ARENA defrauded multiple victims of at least $600,000 during the period from January 2014 through March 2019.

ARENA, 46, of Queens, New York, is charged with one count each of mail fraud, money laundering, and wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Special Agents from TIGTA, and Criminal Investigators from the NYSDTF. 

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

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

Lithuanian Man Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud For Theft Of Over $100 Million In Fraudulent Business Email Compromise Scheme

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EVALDAS RIMASAUSKAS, a Lithuanian citizen, pled guilty today to wire fraud arising out of his orchestration of a fraudulent business email compromise scheme that induced two U.S.-based Internet companies (the “Victim Companies”) to wire a total of over $100 million to bank accounts he controlled.  RIMASAUSKAS entered his guilty plea today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As Evaldas Rimasauskas admitted today, he devised a blatant scheme to fleece U.S. companies out of $100 million, and then siphoned those funds to bank accounts around the globe.  Rimasauskas thought he could hide behind a computer screen halfway across the world while he conducted his fraudulent scheme, but as he has learned, the arms of American justice are long, and he now faces significant time in a U.S. prison.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:

From 2013 through 2015, RIMASAUSKAS orchestrated a fraudulent scheme designed to deceive the Victim Companies, including a multinational technology company and a multinational online social media company, into wiring funds to bank accounts controlled by RIMASAUSKAS.  Specifically, RIMASAUSKAS registered and incorporated a company in Latvia (“Company-2”) that bore the same name as an Asian-based computer hardware manufacturer (“Company-1”), and opened, maintained, and controlled various accounts at banks located in Latvia and Cyprus in the name of Company-2.  Thereafter, fraudulent phishing emails were sent to employees and agents of the Victim Companies, which regularly conducted multimillion-dollar transactions with Company-1, directing that money the Victim Companies owed Company-1 for legitimate goods and services be sent to Company-2’s bank accounts in Latvia and Cyprus, which were controlled by RIMASAUSKAS.  These emails purported to be from employees and agents of Company-1, and were sent from email accounts that were designed to create the false appearance that they were sent by employees and agents of Company-1, but in truth and in fact, were neither sent nor authorized by Company-1.  This scheme succeeded in deceiving the Victim Companies into complying with the fraudulent wiring instructions.

After the Victim Companies wired funds intended for Company-1 to Company-2’s bank accounts in Latvia and Cyprus, RIMASAUSKAS caused the stolen funds to be quickly wired into different bank accounts in various locations throughout the world, including Latvia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Hong Kong.  RIMASAUSKAS also caused forged invoices, contracts, and letters that falsely appeared to have been executed and signed by executives and agents of the Victim Companies, and which bore false corporate stamps embossed with the Victim Companies’ names, to be submitted to banks in support of the large volume of funds that were fraudulently transmitted via wire transfer.

Through these false and deceptive representations over the course of the scheme, RIMASAUSKAS caused the Victim Companies to transfer a total of over $100 million in U.S. currency from the Victim Companies’ bank accounts to Company-2’s bank accounts. 

RIMASAUSKAS was arrested by Lithuanian authorities in March 2017, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant, and was extradited to the Southern District of New York in August 2017.

RIMASAUSKAS, 50, of Vilnius, Lithuania, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. 

RIMASAUSKAS is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Daniels. 

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office and the Economic Crime Investigation Board of Vilnius County Police Headquarters, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia, and the International Assistance Group at the Department of Justice, Canada, for their assistance in the investigation, arrests, and extradition, as well the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

Attorney General James And DEC Commissioner Seggos Take Down Alleged Illegal Shark Trafficker In Dutchess County

Joshua Seguine Allegedly Kept Live Sharks in an 18-Foot Pool Inside His House and Offered Them for Sale on the Internet  

  Attorney General Letitia James and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the arrest of Joshua Seguine, age 38, of the Hamlet of LaGrangeville in Dutchess County. Seguine is charged in the Town of LaGrange Justice Court with the Illegal Commercialization of Fish, Shellfish, Crustaceans, and Wildlife (Environmental Conservation Law 71-0924(2)) for the alleged illegal possession with intent to sell seven Sandbar Sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus), a protected species under New York law.  

“The trafficking of protected species is both unlawful and harmful to these vulnerable creatures," said Attorney General Letitia James. “This individual is charged with knowingly putting these endangered species in harm’s way in an effort to line his own pockets. My office will continue to enforce the laws that safeguard our wildlife and hold accountable those who seek to violate them.”   

“Harboring and selling protected species for one’s personal financial gain is not only illegal, it’s immoral. I applaud the work of DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes, Environmental Conservation Police Officers, and Division of Marine Resources for the investigation that brought these crimes to light and the work of the Attorney General’s office that is bringing this individual to justice,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. 

According to the felony complaint and statements made by the prosecutor at arraignment, Seguine came to the attention of DEC Law Enforcement in July of 2017, after he was allegedly found in possession of five undersized sharks in the back of his truck. According to authorities, Seguine admitted that he was transporting the sharks to New York State, where he intended to sell them, and that he possessed additional live sharks at his house in New York.  After this information was sent to DEC, investigators discovered that Seguine was allegedly conducting business under the name Aquatic Apex Life LLC, which had offered sharks for sale as recently as June 29, 2017 on the website MonsterFishKeepers.com.   

Using this information, DEC police obtained a warrant to search Seguine’s house in LaGrangeville. DEC officers, accompanied by biologists from the Long Island Aquarium located in Riverhead, New York, and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium located in Coney Island, allegedly discovered an above-ground pool at Seguine’s house that contained seven live sharks. The sharks were subsequently identified as Sandbar Sharks, the possession of which is prohibited by New York law without a special license. The search also uncovered two dead Leopard Sharks, one dead Hammerhead Shark, and the rostrum (snout) of a Smalltooth Sawfish, an endangered species.  

Biologists from the two aquariums assessed the sharks and then transferred them to the Riverhead facility. The sharks were subsequently moved to the New York Aquarium in Coney Island. The cost to legally acquire a Sandbar Shark is approximately $11,500.    

The defendant was arraigned yesterday in the Town of LaGrange Justice Court and released under the supervision of probation. His next court date is scheduled for April 16, 2019.   

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

The DEC investigation was led by Environmental Crimes Investigator Jeffrey Conway and Environmental Conservation Officer Deo W. Read, under the supervision of Lt. Nick Desotelle, Lt. Mike Buckley, Captain Martin Townley, and Major Scott Florence of the DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement.