Attorney General James Announces Second Round Of Restitution Funds For Croman Tenants

Croman Tenants will Receive a Total of $8 Million in Restitution Funding, the Largest-Ever Monetary Settlement with an Individual Landlord 

 Households Received Checks for $2,425 from the First of Up to Four Rounds of Payments in December 2018 

  New York State Attorney General Letitia James today announced the opening of the second round of the Croman Tenant Restitution Fund, allowing current and former tenants of Steven Croman owned buildings to apply for restitution. The fund was part of an unprecedented settlement reached with Croman in December 2017 following an investigation and lawsuit against the major New York City landlord for engaging in illegal conduct, including harassment, coercion, and fraud. Such unlawful practices forced tenants out of their rent-regulated apartments, which Croman then converted into highly profitable market-rate units.  

“It’s unconscionable for a landlord to unlawfully force a family from its home simply to improve his own bottom-line,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “I’m pleased that this settlement provides Croman tenants with long overdue restitution and additional protections. Unscrupulous landlords like Steve Croman are not above the law, and we remain committed to holding bad-acting landlords accountable for taking advantage of New Yorkers.”  

The consent decree requires Croman to pay $8 million into a Tenant Restitution Fund – the largest-ever monetary settlement with an individual landlord. The $8 million will be divided equally among eligible claimants and distributed to tenants in installments over a 38- to 42-month period. This first round of restitution payments was distributed to eligible tenants starting in December 2018. Households received $2,425 in the first round of payments. 

Croman must make two additional installment payments to the Croman Tenant Restitution Fund. After receiving each installment, the Attorney General, through its claims administrator, will again send payments to all eligible households. The exact amount of future payments may change based on the number of eligible claimants. 

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

On Tuesday May 28th, JND Class Action Administration, the claims administrator, mailed a notice to eligible claimants who did not apply in the first round, that they have until June 27th to apply for the 2nd round of payments. Claim forms and additional information are also available at www.cromanrestitutionfund.com. Tenants who received restitution in the first round are automatically approved for future rounds of payments and do not need to re-apply. 

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

In October 2017, Croman was sentenced to a year in jail and paid a $5 million tax settlement following separate criminal charges brought by the New York Attorney General’s office for fraudulent refinancing of loans and tax fraud. 

Van Nest Memorial Day Remembrance and New Monument Dedication

  This new War Memorial remembering soldiers from World War 1, World War 11, The Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the most recent wars overseas in the Middle East was dedicated this afternoon. This monument was made possible with the help of Councilman Ritchie Torres said VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara. 

 The ceremony was dedicated to a former local resident who went to fight for his country in World War Two, but never made it home alive. Dominick Farina perished when the ship the USS Mount Hope he was on blew up in November 1944. Letters he wrote home to his sister Rose were read by Rich Vitaelo, Gene De Francis, and Ricardo Garcia. Dominick's nieces Virgina and Victoria along with nephews John and Tom were on hand as Victoria was given a flag that flew over the U.S. Capital and a memorial plaque from the VNNA. 

 After wards the ribbon was cut for the new War Memorial in Van Nest. 

Above - Councilman Mark Gjonaj says a few words.

Below - Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez also said a few words. 

Above - Dominick Farina's niece Victoria is speaking as niece Victoria and nephew John are to her right. Ricardo Garcia, Gene De Francis, and Rich Vitaelo to her left. 

Below - As the Memorial comes to an end, Taps is played by the Bugler. 

Above - The Ribbon Cutting in front of the new War Memorial.

Below - A group photo in front of the War Memorial with Joe McManus (holding the American flag) who was representing Councilman Ritchie Torres. 

Old Soldiers Cemetery Memorial Day Remembrance

  The Old Soldiers Cemetery located on East 180th Street in the West Farms section of the Bronx is home to many soldiers that dates back to the Civil War. This Memorial Day Community Board 6 held a Memorial Day Remembrance for those interned in the Old Soldiers Cemetery. 

Above - After entering the Old Soldiers Cemetery a reef is placed as a remembrance.

Below - Chairperson of the Community Board 6 Veteran's Committee Welcomes those in attendance, as she reads some of the names of those buried in the cemetery. 

Above - Former Army Sergeant John Perez was the Keynote speaker. Sergeant Perez served two tours of duty in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan during his twenty years in the U.S. Army.

Below - A Proclamation from the Mayor's office is given to Community Board 6 for the Old Soldiers Cemetery.

June Happenings at The B J C

  Please join us for our next community Shabbat dinner at the Bronx Jewish Center,1969 Haight Avenue,Bx NY 10461 to be held on Friday, June 7th starting at 7:00 PM. The special theme for that evening will be Shabbat in Thailand... Yes,That"s right Thailand.   All of your favorite Thai  style  dishes will take center stage!  We look forward to seeing you! Enjoy a delicious 4 course dinner with your fellow neighbors.Turn your Friday night Shabbat into an evening of spiritual awakening, inspiration, Jewish songs and culinary delight.  Please RSVP@718-812-1701 to let us know you are coming . Community Shabbat dinners are held the first Friday of every month.

Then on Sunday June 9th at  11:00 am there will be a reading of the Ten Commandments followed by a dairy Brunch  celebrating the holiday  of Shavout at  the B J C. The word Shavout means"weeks". Shavout celebrates the completion of the seven week counting period between Passover and Shavout. The Torah was given by G-d to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai on Shavout  more than 3300 years ago. Every year on the holiday  of Shavout we renew our acceptance of G-d's gift  and G-d's re-gives the Torah.The giving of the Torah was a far -reaching spiritual event ,one that  touched the essence of the Jewish soul for all time.

Join us for these TWO beautiful events .Please RSVP@718-812-1701 to let us know you are coming . Community Shabbat dinners are held the first Friday of every month.

Address: 1969 Haight Avenue Bx NY 10461

Cost: Free of charge and all are welcome to join!

Website:www.BronxJewishCenter. org

Contact: office@bronxjewishcenter.org 

Telephone:  #718-812-1701

Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of $8.5 Million Project to Improve Traffic Flow on the Bronx River Parkway

Redesigned Exit Lane and Ramp by Exit 9 at Gun Hill Road in the Bronx Will Enhance Safety and Reduce Northbound Traffic Backups

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that major construction is complete on an $8.5 million project to remove a notorious traffic bottleneck on the northbound Bronx River Parkway near Exit 9 at Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. The project has enhanced safety and improved mobility on this heavily traveled artery by converting what had been the right travel lane at this location into an exit-only lane for Gun Hill Road and constructing a new travel lane in the left median to maintain three northbound travel lanes. The end of the exit ramp approaching the traffic light at Gun Hill Road has also been re-striped to designate separate lanes for left- and right-turning vehicles.

"New York State is making targeted investments in the infrastructure of all five boroughs to ease traffic and improve safety for the traveling public, and the Bronx is a key beneficiary of these investments," Governor Cuomo said. "From our transformational project converting the Sheridan Expressway into a neighborhood-friendly boulevard to this project on the Bronx River Parkway, we are making this region an even better place to live, work and raise a family." 

With the completion of this project, the Exit 9 ramp's storage capacity has increased to almost half a mile, reducing congestion and enabling traffic to exit the highway more efficiently. The project added new guiderails, drainage structures that filter rainwater before it reaches the Bronx River, signage, and lighting. The northbound parkway within the project limits, the exit ramp for Gun Hill Road, and a pedestrian walkway along the ramp were also repaved. Trees were planted adjacent to the northbound parkway, as well as along the Gun Hill Road exit ramp.

"Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York State is making critical investments in infrastructure that will improve our transportation network and foster economic growth in the Bronx and throughout the state," New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. "This project has enhanced safety and mobility by removing a traffic choke point on the Bronx River Parkway that was the source of frequent backups."

"Residents of the Bronx are no strangers to the congestion on the Bronx River Parkway," said Assembly Member Nathalia Fernandez. "Cars often end up bumper-to-bumper and extends our residents' travel time. The completion of this $8.5 million project along the Gun Hill Road exit will undoubtedly alleviate that traffic jam and help our constituents."

"This welcome improvement of Bronx River Parkway will make our borough safer for drivers and more prosperous for our residents," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr."Summer is an excellent time to experience the Bronx, and with reduced road congestion, those who are driving can hopefully spend less time in traffic. We appreciate the governor's commitment to make our borough more interconnected and the roads safer and more reliable."

City Council Member Andy King said, “With the summer driving season upon us, we are very fortunate that the Bronx River Parkway has been improved to help reduce traffic congestion. Congested roads can be as frustrating for local communities as they are for drivers. I thank Governor Cuomo for seeing this project through and for making transit improvement in our region a priority.”

Former NYPD Detective Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison For Obstructing Narcotics Investigation

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) detective SAED RABAH was sentenced to 24 months in prison for knowingly providing misinformation to a federal law enforcement officer in order to obstruct a narcotics investigation.  RABAH pled guilty December 14, 2018, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As an NYPD detective, Saed Rabah’s first duty was to uphold the law, not befriend known drug dealers and assist in their criminal enterprises.  Now Rabah, a convicted corrupt former police officer, will serve time alongside criminals he and his colleagues arrested.”

According to the Information and a previously filed criminal Complaint: 

The target of a narcotics investigation was a cooperator in another court proceeding, and RABAH was his handler.  Despite his obligation as a cooperator to engage in no further criminal conduct, the target continued to operate a sophisticated narcotics distribution business.  In May 2016, RABAH was contacted by law enforcement and informed that the target was under investigation for narcotics-related offenses.  In September 2016, RABAH was again contacted by law enforcement, this time about whether RABAH had a phone number for the target.  RABAH waited to respond and, when he did, intentionally provided a phone number for the target that RABAH knew the target was no longer using, rather than providing the target’s active phone number through which RABAH and the target were regularly communicating. 

As alleged in the Complaint, RABAH’s obstruction of the investigation was only one component of his corrupt relationship with the target.  RABAH and the target traveled to Las Vegas together in July 2016.  Moreover, RABAH warned the target when RABAH observed one of the target’s employees make a drug delivery in a manner that RABAH believed could have drawn the attention of law enforcement.

In addition to the prison term, RABAH, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $10,000.   

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) Westchester Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Yonkers Police Department, Orangetown Police Department, NYPD, Westchester County Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, New Windsor Police Department, and the Woodbury Police Department.  He also thanked the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their assistance.

3 Charged In Million-Dollar Elder Fraud Scheme

Defendants Accessed Their Victims’ Computers Without Authorization, Caused Them to Malfunction and Lured the Victims’ Into Purchasing Phony Computer Repair Services

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Gregory W. Ehrie, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a criminal Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging GUNJIT MALHOTRA, GURJEET SINGH, and JAS PAL with participating in a conspiracy that for several years exploited elderly victims by remotely accessing their computers and convincing victims to pay for computer support services they did not need, and which were never actually provided.  The conspiracy netted at least $1.3 million for the conspirators.  MALHOTRA and PAL were arrested yesterday and were presented before Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.  SINGH was arrested yesterday in St. Louis, Missouri, and will be presented before a magistrate judge today.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, these defendants devised a sophisticated scheme that involved accessing victims’ computers to charge them for unnecessary repairs or repair services they never performed.  By targeting the elderly, the defendants took advantage of some of our society’s must vulnerable members, and they now face criminal consequences for their alleged predatory conduct.”

FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said:  “The scheme charged is the latest scam to victimize unsuspecting people who are just looking for assistance.  The FBI is constantly on the lookout for criminals posing as legitimate businesses but we want the public to be more aware, as well.  Make sure you are calling a reputable company at the number listed on their website, not through a random pop-up on the computer or from a robo-call left on your voicemail.  And, above all, report anything suspicious to law enforcement.”

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

MALHOTRA, SINGH, PAL, and others engaged in a scheme in which they and their co-conspirators purported to provide computer repair services to victims located throughout the United States, many of whom are elderly.  The defendants and their co-conspirators provided their victims’ false and misleading information to extract payment for computer repair services.  For example, the defendants and their co-conspirators:  (i) claimed to be associated with major technology software companies when, in fact, they were not; (ii) promised to provide computer services when none were provided; and (iii) represented that computer repair services were needed when they knew that was false.  As part of their scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators accessed their victims’ computers and caused them to freeze or, in other instances, installed software on their victims’ computers and caused their victims’ email accounts to send emails that thanked the perpetrators for providing computer services.  In connection with the scheme, the defendants and others established several companies.  The victims typically sent payments to those companies via private and commercial interstate mail carrier, among other methods.  In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators have obtained from their victims more than $1.3 million.

MALHOTRA, 30, of Ghaziabad, India, SINGH, 22 of Queens, New York, and PAL, 54, of Queens, New York, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer in furtherance of fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  SINGH was also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two 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.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI in this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan B. Finkel is in charge of the prosecution.

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

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

Attorney General James Joins 51 AG Coalition Calling For Automatic Discharges Of Student Loans For Totally And Permanently Disabled Veterans

  Attorney General Letitia James joined a group of 51 Attorneys General in urging the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to automatically forgive the student loans of veterans who became totally and permanently disabled in connection with their military service. The bipartisan coalition issued its letter as the country prepares to honor fallen troops on Memorial Day.  

Last year, DOE identified more than 42,000 veterans as eligible for student loan relief due to a service-related total and permanent disability, the Attorneys General note in their letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Fewer than 9,000 of those veterans had applied to have their loans discharged by April 2018, however, more than 25,000 had student loans in default.  

The letter, which was led by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, calls on DOE to develop a process to automatically discharge the student loans of veterans determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be eligible for such relief. While the automatic discharge process is in development, the letter proposes DOE should halt debt collection efforts targeting disabled veterans, and clear their credit reports of any negative reporting related to their student loans.   

“Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect our country and we have a duty to protect them in return,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “On Memorial Day, as we honor the lives of all those we lost, we can also honor the service of those still with us by providing them with this financial relief. I strongly urge DOE to discharge these student loans and support the brave men and women who supported us.” 

Under federal law, DOE is required to discharge the federal student loans of veterans determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be unemployable (or totally and permanently disabled) due to a service-connected condition. Although DOE currently requires disabled veterans to take affirmative steps to apply for a loan discharge, those steps are not required by law.  

The Attorneys General note that the federal government has taken some steps to make it easier for eligible veterans to secure student loan relief. According to their letter, however, an automatic discharge process that gives individual veterans an opportunity to opt out for personal reasons “would eliminate unnecessary paperwork burdens and ensure that all eligible disabled veterans can receive a discharge.” 

The letter supporting automatic student loan discharges for totally and permanently disabled veterans received support from enough Attorneys General to become formal policy of the National Association of Attorneys General. This designation is reserved for letters and comments supported by 51 Attorneys General. 

“Proposals for automatic discharges with opt-out rights have bipartisan support in Congress and among leading veterans’ advocacy organizations,” the letter states. The veterans groups supporting such proposals have included: Vietnam Veterans for America, Veterans Education Success, The Retired Enlisted Association, High Ground Advocacy, and Ivy League Veterans Council. 

The letter closes by urging DOE to “take action to better protect those who once protected the nation. Our veterans deserve nothing less.”