Attorney General James Announces Court Decision Allowing Continuation Of Multistate Fraud Case Against Harris Jewelry

  Attorney General Letitia James announced the court decision to allow the multistate, multi-year lawsuit against Harris Jewelry to proceed. The lawsuit, filed in October 2018, alleges that the retailer/financier specifically targeted servicemembers with their illegal and fraudulent business practices.   

The Court declined Harris Jewelry’s motion to dismiss the case in its entirety, and ruled that claims against Harris Jewelry for statutory and common law fraud and violations of the State’s charitable co-venturing laws may proceed. The court additionally dismissed claims related to interest rates and general business law, and preserved the Attorney General’s claims of wrongdoing against the individual business principals, board members, Consumer Adjustment Corp., and the company’s out-of-state related corporations.  

“The Court’s decision to move forward with this lawsuit allows my office to continue in our commitment to protect the financial welfare of servicemembers and hold those seeking to defraud them accountable,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “My office will not back down from its efforts to vigorously protect our military.” 

Owners Susan Harris, Beverly Harris, and Sandi Harris-Pleeter were sued individually along with board members/executives John Zimmermann, David Malane, and Richard Baum, in addition to Consumer Growth Partners, a private equity and investment firm led by Baum. 

Harris Jewelry, which is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, has a retail store in Watertown, New York along with several other locations across the country, all strategically situated next to military bases for the express purpose of selling over-priced jewelry to servicemembers with in-house credit, as alleged by the Attorney General. The complaint includes allegations, for example, that the oft-sold Mother’s Medal of Honor is purchased at wholesale by Harris for under $78, but is sold as “quality” jewelry with store financing for $799 plus interest, over 10-times the wholesale amount. The lawsuit further alleges that servicemembers are defrauded by false representations about the benefits of Harris Jewelry’s proprietary financing and jewelry quality while force-placing warranty add-ons and failing to properly administer a charitable co-venture.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction, restitution for defrauded consumers, and financial penalties.  

BAFA Parkchester Parade

Sunday BAFA the Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts celebrated the Bengali New Year with a parade through the streets of Parkchester Sunday afternoon. 

The parade started outside PS 106 on Olmsted Avenue with a police escort from the 43rd. Precinct. The marchers turned right on Starling Avenue to Unionport Road where they moved north for two blocks before turning South on Unionport Road heading back to Starling Avenue. The marchers then went two blocks past Olmsted Avenue to Odell Avenue where the dancing began. 

After celebrating on Odell Avenue the almost 200 marchers asked the police officers who escorted the marchers to join in to take a few photos. 

Above - The BAFA Parade proceeded through Parkchester up Unionport Road.

Below - There was Dancing in the Street on Starling Avenue in Parkchester.

After the parade members of BAFA invited the police officers who guided the parade to join in on a group photo.

Taste of The Bronx Pop Up

  Taste of the Bronx held their third Pop Up vendor event Sunday at 50 East 168th the Urban Horizons Center. The location is an incubator for small entrepreneurs just starting out to use the various community space as they begin to enter the business world. Be it any type of business the kitchen area is available for those who cater parties or events, and other spaces are available to showcase products for sale that are handmade. Pictured above is Anthony Ramirez ll who is the mastermind behind the idea of bringing small vendors together for Pop Up events such as this third Taste of the Bronx. Taste of the Bronx Pops Up in various locations throughout the Bronx once a month.

Above is the Sustainable Snacks team which has just about outgrown its current space in Urban Horizons, and is looking for a larger production site for its delicious chocolate snacks as the company expands its business.

Below - Two part time entrepreneurs Kasey Rodriguez (Left, a photographer by trade) shows off her various items she makes herself from Jewelry to ceramic dishes. Carlita Lopez (Right) shows off her artwork. 

Laura Blackwood shows off her homemade soaps and other Vegan organic products she makes.

Governor Cuomo Vetoes 123 Legislative Additions to the FY 2020 Enacted Budget

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the submission of 123 vetoes in accordance with Article VII of the State Constitution, eliminating pages of unnecessary language from the FY 2020 Enacted Budget.  

  The vetoes include 51 appropriations pertaining to state agency operations. Twenty-six appropriations are more than seven years old and have had no disbursements over the most recent seven-year period. Twenty-five appropriations are fully expended and one due to fiscal impacts. Six appropriations are vetoed on constitutional grounds, six appropriations are duplicative of other reappropriations for the same purpose, and eight were previously vetoed.

  The full list of vetoes is available here.

Former Venezuelan Official Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios Arrested In Spain In Connection With Drug-Trafficking Charge

Carvajal Barrios Allegedly Participated in Large-Scale Drug-Trafficking Activities as a Venezuelan Government Official, Including a 5.6-Ton Cocaine Shipment

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher T. Tersigni, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), today announced that former Venezuelan official Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, a/k/a “El Pollo,” was arrested today in Madrid, Spain, based on an Interpol Notice related to the charge filed in Indictment 11 Cr. 205 in the Southern District of New York.  The Indictment charges Carvajal with participating in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, including a 5.6-ton shipment of cocaine transported from Venezuela to Mexico in April 2006.[1]  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York plans to seek the extradition of Carvajal Barrios from Spain. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, a former high-ranking official of Venezuelan military intelligence, allegedly conspired with others to traffic more than five tons of cocaine into the United States since at least 2006. Barrios’s arrest exemplifies this Office’s resolve to bring those who contribute to the illicit global drug trade to justice. No matter the rank or level of influence of an individual, we will continue to pursue and prosecute those who bring deadly drugs into this country in a U.S. court of law.”

Special Agent in Charge Christopher T. Tersigni said:  “Today’s arrest of Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios is yet another example of DEA’s commitment to stemming the flow of dangerous illicit drugs into our country.  Despite his status as a former government official in Venezuela, Carvajal Barrios is not above the law.  The DEA is grateful to our international partners for their efforts in helping to bring this drug-trafficker to justice.

Carvajal Barrios, 56, a Venezuelan national residing in Venezuela, among other places, is charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.  If convicted, Carvajal Barrios faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.  The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and Miami Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III, Amanda L. Houle, and Matthew J. Laroche, with assistance from Adam Fels of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

[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.

Comptroller Stringer, Council Members Cohen and Rivera Introduce Legislation Bolstering Rights of Tenants in Housing Search Process

Bill would mandate landlords or leasing agents requesting an application fee for a credit check to share the report with the applicant

Bill would also mandate that prospective tenants not be charged a fee for a credit report unless the rental unit is available at the time of screening

Legislation would help New Yorkers learn more about their credit history at the moment when it most matters

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer joined Council Members Andrew Cohen and Carlina Rivera in proposing legislation (Int 1499-2019) at the New York City Council that would require any landlord or leasing agent that charges a prospective tenant a credit check fee to share that credit report with the applicant, regardless of whether a lease is signed. The proposed legislation would grant prospective tenants unprecedented access to their credit history at the moment they need that information the most. The bill would also mandate that prospective tenants not be charged a fee for a tenant screening report unless the rental unit is available during the time period that a renter is looking to occupy the dwelling, helping protect tenants from unfair fees that are charged by leasing and acting agents.

Int 1499-2019 stems from a 2017 report by Comptroller Stringer, entitled “Making Rent Count,” which aimed to help New Yorkers lift their credit scores, save money, and alleviate deep disparities in credit histories across the city. The report showed how adding rental information to credit files can help boost credit scores for New Yorkers and reduce credit disparities. While consumers can generally request a limited number of free credit reports from credit bureaus, it is common practice that landlords and leasing agents charge housing applicants a fee to perform a more comprehensive check, passing on the cost to the applicant without disclosing the results of the report.

“When a tenant hands over an apartment application fee to have their credit history reviewed by a landlord or leasing agent, they deserve to have access to that credit report. The process of finding and qualifying for an apartment is exactly when a tenant needs their credit information the most and this bill would provide crucial insight into the health and accuracy of tenants’ credit and financial histories,” said Comptroller Stringer. “Helping New Yorkers take control of their credit is critical to solving the affordability crisis by helping consumers gain new financial opportunities, reduce costs of borrowing, and save money. I want to thank Council Members Andrew Cohen and Carlina Rivera for sponsoring this important legislation to ensure that all tenants have access to their credit information. Credit is at the core of upward mobility and financial empowerment, and it should not be taken for granted.”

This legislation, which will financially empower New Yorkers by granting them with more holistic credit information, is part of the Comptroller’s “Making Rent Count” initiative. To date, the Comptroller has launched a series of pilot projects that enable participating residents to opt-in to have their monthly rent payments count toward their credit scores, just as mortgage payments do for homeowners – helping tenants take control of their credit and secure better rates for loans, insurance, cell phone bills and more. The initiative has expanded to 2,600 apartment units, split between the Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association in the Bronx, Ocean Bay Apartments in Queens, and the Grand Street Guild Apartments in Manhattan.

“This piece of legislation aims to protect New Yorkers from the unscrupulous practices used by some real estate agents that try to make extra money off the backs of people seeking apartments,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen. “There are too many barriers and fees involved in the process of finding an apartment in New York City, and these confusing practices disproportionately affect low-income residents. We must continue to find ways to protect our most vulnerable New Yorkers from these abusive practices. I am proud to partner with Comptroller Scott Stringer and Council Member Carlina Rivera on this important piece of legislation.”

“We need to demystify the apartment-hunting process in New York, and part of that is giving New Yorkers the chance to know what the credit scores used in their rental application actually are,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera. “I want to thank Comptroller Stringer and Council Member Cohen for being partners in the fight to bring real accountability and access to the rental industry.”

“Making Rent Count” Report

The benefits of incorporating rent payment information into credit files are detailed in the Comptroller’s October 2017, “Making Rent Count” report, in which the Comptroller’s Office studied a representative sample of city tenants paying rents under $2,000 and found that reporting rent history would:

• Raise credit scores for 76 percent of New York City renters who currently hold a credit score. Specifically: 
• More than half (57 percent) would see their score rise between 1 and 10 points
• Nearly one in five (19 percent) would have their score boosted by 11 points or more
• 18 percent would see no change at all
• 6 percent would see a possible decline in their scores
• Provide nearly 30 percent of renters with a credit score for the first time. The average new score for these mostly low-income renters — now categorized as “invisible” or “unscorable” because of the relative dearth of financial information in their credit files — would be a prime score of 700.

Bronx River Art Center - Spend Spring Break at BRAC

1087 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, NY 10460 BronxRiverArt.org  (718) 589-5819 Hanging around for Spring Break? Looking for a place to stay for the day? REGISTER FOR ART WORKSHOPS At BRAC from 11:00am to 1:00pm  all week April 22-26, 2019 Click the Button Below to Register at eventbrite.com for a fun-filled week of Art Adventures at the  BRONX RIVER ART CENTER   CHECK OUT OUR  SPRING BREAK WORKSHOPS HERE WORKSHOPS RUN ALL WEEK LONG  FROM 11:00am-1:00pm with supervised art time afterwards  and regular afternoon classes from 4:30-6:30. Special Screening event of Student Digital Animations  and Photography on Friday from 11-1pm followed by the Documentary Film A River Returns:  A History of the Bronx River with an invitation to join our Cultural Immigrant  Initiative Dance Party featuring Masks by  Seniors and Students from Council Member  Ruben Diaz Sr. District 18 in Soundview at the  Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community Center 1000 Rosedale Ave at 3:00pm! COME EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT ART  MEDIUM EACH DAY WHILE OUT OF SCHOOL

Bronx Park East Community Meeting

  Wednesday night was the monthly meeting of the Bronx Park East Community Association where a panel discussion was held with representatives of the local elected officials who represent the Bronx Park East community. The discussion was moderated by BPECA resident Diana Finch. representatives from State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and Assemblyman Jose Rivera were present to speak about current events, the state budget, and answer a few questions during the meeting.