Bronx Man Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court Of 2014 Murder

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JASON POLANCO, a/k/a “Jin,” a/k/a “Wolfman,” was found guilty today of the August 31, 2014, murder of Shawn Ross, a/k/a “S.B.,” on Decatur Avenue in the Bronx, as well as participating in a narcotics conspiracy, a robbery conspiracy, the robbery of a Citgo gas station in the Bronx, and the discharge of a firearm in connection with the Citgo robbery.   A jury convicted POLANCO today on all six counts of the Indictment following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “This morning, a unanimous jury found that Jason Polanco is a drug dealer, a robber, and a killer.  We hope that the family of Shawn Ross finds a measure of justice in today’s verdict.  We thank the NYPD, ATF, and DEA for their outstanding work on this case, and for their invaluable partnership with our office.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and the evidence presented in court during the trial:

On August 31, 2014, POLANCO shot and killed Shawn Ross, a/k/a “S.B.,” in connection with POLANCO’s membership in a drug crew that controlled drug sales on Decatur Avenue between 194th and 195th Streets in the Bronx.  This drug crew was responsible for distributing over a kilogram of heroin, as well as quantities of marijuana, from at least 2011 through 2015.  In 2014 and 2015, POLANCO and other members of the crew also committed a string of armed robberies of businesses across Manhattan and the Bronx, including the robbery of a Citgo gas station on Pelham Parkway in the Bronx.  During the Citgo robbery, POLANCO carried a loaded firearm, which he fired just feet away from a customer.

POLANCO, 29, was found guilty of one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram and more of heroin and quantities of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life; one count of murder through the use of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life; one count of murder while engaged in a narcotics offense, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848(e), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life; one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of committing a Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with the robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(iii), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Manhattan Doctor Pleads Guilty To Accepting Bribes And Kickbacks From Pharmaceutical Company In Exchange For Prescribing Fentanyl Drug

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TODD SCHLIFSTEIN, a doctor who practiced in Manhattan, pled guilty today to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, in connection with a scheme to prescribe Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray, in exchange for bribes and kickbacks from Subsys’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics.  SCHLIFSTEIN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As he admitted today, Todd Schlifstein prescribed patients a powerful fentanyl drug in exchange for bribes and kickbacks from the drug’s manufacturer.  This case shows that doctors who let illegal payments corrupt their medical judgment will be held accountable.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment against SCHLIFSTEIN and filings in related proceedings:

The Insys Speakers Bureau

Subsys, which is manufactured by Insys, is a powerful painkiller approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.  The FDA approved Subsys only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients.  Prescriptions of Subsys typically cost thousands of dollars each month, and Medicare and Medicaid, as well as commercial insurers, reimbursed prescriptions written by SCHLIFSTEIN.

In or about August 2012, Insys launched a “Speakers Bureau,” a roster of doctors who would conduct programs (“Speaker Programs”) purportedly aimed at educating other practitioners about Subsys.  In reality, Insys used its Speakers Bureau to induce the doctors who served as speakers to prescribe large volumes of Subsys by paying them Speaker Program fees.  Speakers were supposed to conduct an educational slide presentation for other health care practitioners at each Speaker Program.  In reality, many of the Speaker Programs were predominantly social affairs where no educational presentation about Subsys occurred.  Attendance sign-in sheets for the Speaker Programs were frequently forged by adding the names and signatures of health care practitioners who had not actually been present.

SCHILFSTEIN’s Participation in the Scheme

SCHLIFSTEIN, a doctor certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, worked at a medical office in Manhattan.  From in or about March 2014 until in or about September 2015, SCHLIFSTEIN received approximately $127,100 in Speaker Program fees from Insys in exchange for prescribing large volumes of Subsys.  SCHLIFSTEIN became approximately the 19th-highest prescriber of Subsys nationally in the second quarter of 2015, accounting for approximately $593,373 in total net sales of the drug during that quarter.

SCHILFSTEIN, 50, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  SCHLIFSTEIN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Wood on September 26, 2019.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General for its participation in the investigation.

NYPD Response to OIG Report

 June 26, 2019

STATEMENT

"The NYPD understands that constitutional, biased-free policing is foundational to building community trust and keeping New York City even safer. The NYPD is committed to addressing misconduct in any form, and has created comprehensive policies and procedures to prevent, investigate, discipline, and monitor any and all instances of biased policing. Whether enhancing training for officers; outfitting all 22,000 patrol cops with body-worn cameras; or dramatically reducing stop-question-frisk, every change is designed to bring police and community closer together -- and each has been overseen by the Federal Court and its monitor.

"These efforts are producing results: biased policing complaints to IAB are down more than 33.1% year-to-year as of May 31, 2019, and the NYPD has imposed more discipline on the substantiated cases of racial or protected-class slurs than any other major city police department.

"Importantly, the instances cited in the OIG report represent less than .001% of the millions of annual NYPD interactions with the public. At the same time, the period of review of the Report does not capture the effect of all of the reforms the NYPD has implemented since 2014. And while the OIG highlighted a number of bias policing allegations, the OIG itself did not identify a single allegation out of the 888 they reviewed that they believe should have been substantiated on the basis of the available evidence – underscoring the difficulty in proving these allegations.

"Even with the positive changes already made, and the full context of this report, the NYPD knows there is more to do. The Department will continue to work with fellow agencies to improve its efforts in line with many of the recommendations contained in the Report. For example, NYPD will continue to work with CCRB to establish a mediation program for biased policing complaints handled by NYPD.

"The NYPD has initiated a number of significant changes over the past five years to create greater trust, build mutual respect, and strengthen coordination between the police and neighborhoods we serve -- and that essential work continues."

BACKGROUND

Expanded BWCs: The issuing of Body Worn Cameras to all 22,000 police officers, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants on patrol is transformational. It provides the enhanced ability to supervise generally and to specifically investigate complaints of biased policing. Critically, the period of time covered in the Report predates the full roll-out of Body Worn Cameras.

Increased and Improved Training: Since 2014, the NYPD has established in-depth biased policing-related training modules taught at the Police Academy; has undertaken mandatory day-long, in-service training on implicit bias; has instituted a revised and significantly strengthened written policy covering both biased policing and racial profiling; has instituted an additional day-long in-service training on investigative encounters, focused in part on the prohibition of utilizing race or other protected class factors in the decision to question or stop an individual; has established a process to ensure thorough investigations of every allegation of racial profiling or biased policing; and has collected data related to such allegations and associated complaints, which is analyzed to determine if any patterns or trends exist.

Reduced Complaints: For the period of January 1, 2018 through May 31, 2018 there were a total of 329 biased policing complaints received by IAB. This number was reduced to 220 complaints for the same period in 2019.

Zero Tolerance for Slurs: OIG's conclusion that NYPD has substantiated zero biased policing investigations does not take into consideration that 49 cases of racial or other protected class slurs have been substantiated with the imposition of penalties of up to 30 days lost vacation. This is more such substantiations than by any other major city police department. The NYPD has zero tolerance for racial and other protected-class slurs. The policy prohibiting slurs is drilled into members of the service from their earliest training as recruits in the Academy and is reinforced in a variety of different ways by in-service training (Patrol Guide 203-10 Public Contact- Prohibited Conduct).

Context: The number of allegations of biased policing, when considered in the context of the tens of millions of public interactions over the past five years, represents less than .001% of those interactions.

Substantiation: While OIG highlighted a number of bias policing allegations, OIG itself did not identify a single allegation out of the 888 they reviewed that they believe should have been substantiated on the basis of the available evidence.

Scope of OIG Review: Importantly, the period of review of the OIG-NYPD's inquiry, which ends mid-2017, does not reflect all of the reforms the NYPD has implemented since 2014. Mentioned above, the period of time covered in the Report predates the full roll-out of Body Worn Cameras.

In addition, two issues raised in the Report have been fully addressed since mid-2017. 1) A department case management system, instituted in January 2018 and now used to document biased policing investigations, does not permit investigators to close cases until they have documented at least three attempts to contact a complainant. The system also requires investigators to sub-classify each case in accordance with the NYPD's nine defined sub classifications. 2) With respect to training since mid-2017, an additional eight hours of instruction dedicated to biased policing has been added to the recruit curriculum and is also mandatory training for all uniformed members of the Department.

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR SLASHING THROATS OF 12-YEAR-OLD SON AND TEEN STEPDAUGHTER

Defendant Also Tried to Escape From Custody; Hit NYC DOC Officer with Metal Pipe

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on Attempted Murder and additional charges for stabbing his 12-year-old son and 18- year-old stepdaughter in their apartment, and for assaulting two New York City Department of Correction Officers. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “In a chilling act of violence, the defendant allegedly tried to kill his 12-year-old son and teen stepdaughter by slashing their necks with a knife. A few days after the attack, the defendant allegedly assaulted two Correction Officers while trying to escape from custody. We will pursue justice for these innocent siblings and for the Correction Officers who were attacked while performing their duty.” 

  

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Carlos Camilo, 43, of the Bronx, was arraigned today on Attempted Murder in the second degree, Attempted Assault in the first degree, seconddegree Assault, second-degree Menacing, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, second-degree Obstructing Governmental Administration, Attempted Escape in the first degree and Resisting Arrest before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The defendant was continued on remand and is due back in court on November 6, 2019.

 According to the investigation, on the night of May 28, 2019, the defendant stabbed his son and stepdaughter inside the home they shared in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, after the mother of the victims allegedly talked to Camilo about ending their relationship. The defendant allegedly went to the 12-year-old victim, who was lying on a bed, and grabbed him by the shirt and slit his throat. Camilo then went to the bathroom, where his 18-year-old stepdaughter was in the shower, and allegedly pinned her against the wall and slashed her neck. The mother and the victims who were slashed fled the apartment after the attack and went to a hospital where they were treated for their wounds. The defendant barricaded himself inside the apartment and slashed himself before NYPD officers were able to remove him. On May 31, 2019, the defendant allegedly attempted to escape from custody at St. Barnabas Hospital and assaulted two Correction Officers in the process. Camilo also hit one of the Officers with a metal pipe which caused a large gash to his head.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Assistant District Attorney James McPartlon of the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau for his assistance in the case. District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Police Officers of the 50th Precinct, the Emergency Services Unit and the Hostage Negotiation Team.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Bronx Council Members Gjonaj and King Rally At City Hall For Small Businesses

  Bronx Council Member Mark Gjonaj and Andy King were joined by Council Member Robert Cornegy and from Brooklyn, Joseph Borelli from Staten Island,Robert Holden and Eric Ulrich from Queens, as well as independent supermarket workers with the National Supermarket Association, on the steps of City Hall this afternoon in support of the city's small business owners who are struggling, forced to cope with a maze of confusing and outdated regulations and rising property taxes.

Above - Councilman Mark Gjonaj a leader in fighting for small businesses tells the horrors of what some small business owners must go through with new regulations and mandates by the city.

Below - William Rodriguez President of the National Supermarket Association also tells of hoe his members of the NSA are being forced to close because they can no longer make a profit due to the new regulations and laws out in place.

The rally responds to a crisis with small business corridors in the Bronx and around the city.  Since the arrival of the retail chains and online shopping, small businesses have shut their doors after years of providing services to their local communities. Furthermore, data shows that it has become harder for startups to survive – approximately 50% of small business and 80% of restaurants never make it past year five

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROSE CELEBRATE ADOPTION OF BAY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD REZONING

  June 26, 2019

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Member Debi Rose today celebrated the City Council’s approval of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan. Years in the making, this plan will spur the development of as many as 1,000 new jobs, 1,300 affordable homes, investments in parks, schools, sewers, and a new Cromwell Recreation Center. With today’s vote, each borough is now home to at least one comprehensive neighborhood plan

“The Bay Street Neighborhood Plan will create a more affordable neighborhood that opens the doors of opportunity to all its residents. This plan will bring two new schools, 1,300 affordable homes, sewer and utility upgrades, a brand new Cromwell Recreation Center and more to Bay Street. I thank Council Member Rose for her partnership and fierce advocacy on behalf of all Staten Islanders,” said Mayor de Blasio.

“The era of haphazard or nonexistent planning on Staten Island is over. After four years of public meetings, planning and negotiations, we have a long-term blueprint for Bay Street that will eventually transform it to a vibrant, diverse, walkable neighborhood, affordable to a wide range of income levels, with all the amenities residents deserve,” said Council Member Debi Rose. “The road to this agreement was a long one, but it brought us a $250 million infusion of public investment, including a $92 million Cromwell Center, open space, a waterfront esplanade, two new schools and much more. I thank everyone who has worked with us to create a plan that will provide long-term opportunities for our children and grandchildren to live, work and play.”

The Bay Street Neighborhood Plan represents $250 million in investments in housing, public space, waterfront access, education, transportation, economic development and infrastructure.  Of that total funding, more than $100 million is new City funding for various projects and initiatives. These investments come on top of more than $1 billion in public and private investments being made within walking distance of the Bay Street Corridor. 

Under the plan:

• Approximately 2,600 new homes are projected, with more than 450 permanently affordable homes through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and 850 affordable homes on city-owned sites
• The City will protect existing tenants through free legal, rental and financing assistance, help move homeless families into permanent housing, aid low income homeowners make critical repairs to their homes and more
• Zoning changes will foster a lively downtown through additional community facility and commercial uses, including retail, offices and restaurants. These economic opportunities could create around 1,000 new jobs
• All developments financed by HPD will include local hiring incentives
• The City is helping local businesses thrive with over $1.5 million granted to community-based partners for district marketing, public events, sanitation and beautification efforts, and merchant organizing

The City is bringing a wide range of infrastructure investments to the North Shore through the Bay Street Corridor Plan, including the reconstruction of the Cromwell Recreation Center at the site of Lyons Pool. This $92 million project will bring an invaluable resource back to the community.

"The Bay Street Neighborhood Plan exemplifies our mission to be the 'Fairest Big City,'" said Deputy Mayor Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. "Every Staten Islander will benefit from our investments in growing this neighborhood holistically and sustainably. The new housing, employment opportunities, school seats, open space, infrastructure improvements, and rebuilt recreational center will ensure that that Bay Street remains a vibrant neighborhood."

“Imagine a livable, walkable, vibrant downtown emerging along the spectacular beauty of the Staten Island’s North Shore waterfront, stretching from St. George to Stapleton. That’s the promise of the Bay Street Corridor Plan. Investments in affordable housing, new businesses and jobs, parks (including a new Cromwell Center) – they augur a brighter future for Staten Islanders, their children and generations to come. Huge thanks are due to the City Council, and most especially the leadership of Council Member Debi Rose. We are also indebted to the many Bay Street area communities who invested countless hours, sharing their invaluable insights throughout the creation of this Plan and the public review of the Bay Street Corridor rezoning,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago.

“This plan is the result of a thoughtful evaluation of community needs in the Bay Street area, and will deliver 1,300 new affordable homes to the neighborhood. Thanks to extensive coordination and engagement with the community, Bay Street residents will soon reap the benefits of necessary infrastructure upgrades that will enhance this area of Staten Island and comprehensive neighborhood investment that will bolster economic development well into the future.” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “I commend the Mayor on his vision and thank all of the parties involved, especially Council Member Rose, for their support in growing the Bay Street community in an equitable and sustainable way.”

“The Housing Dignity Coalition is pleased to have a more equitable rezoning which will bring affordable housing to a neighborhood which is in desperate need of it. From day one, we have said that this rezoning needs to serve everyone, including the neediest families on Staten Island. This rezoning will do just that. In a city which has a housing crisis, this rezoning will bring over 1,000 affordable units through MIH and public sites. None of this would have been possible without Councilmember Rose’ leadership and the valiant effort of the members of our coalition,” said Ivan García, Neighborhood Rezoning Coordinator for Staten Island at Make the Road NY.

To keep pace with additional development, $15 million will go to upgrading sanitary sewers in and around the Bay Street rezoning area, plus another $45 million for new sewers, streets and utilities at the New Stapleton Waterfront. A comprehensive drainage plan will monitor underground infrastructure needs and a storm-water management study will plan for future sea-level rise.

Other public realm investments for Bay Street include:

• The completion of the Tompkinsville Esplanade, creating a continuous, relaxing waterfront esplanade between Lighthouse Point and the New Stapleton Waterfront
• 12 acres of open space at the New Stapleton Waterfront, with a comfort station; playground; basketball, volleyball and pickle ball courts; bocce; a dog run; barbecue grills and a picnic area
• Repairs to Tappen Park, including improvements to historic Village Hall
• A new public school at the New Stapleton Waterfront and a new elementary school at 155 Tompkins Avenue. Funding for 1,776 school seats has been dedicated for the North Shore.
• More than $39 million in pedestrian and intersection improvements along the Bay Street Corridor.

Transportation plans for the area include:

• More than $4 million of improvements to areas around Tompkinsville and Stapleton stations
• Implementation of a traffic monitoring plan to ensure mitigation of  adverse impacts on traffic and pedestrian conditions as development occurs
• Commitment to work with future developers and the City’s Board of Standards and Appeals to ensure strategic widening of Bay Street as development occurs
• Real time passenger information at MTA bus stops
• Streetscape improvements along Bay Street

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The date was attached because we thought that Mayor Bill de Blasio was pandering for votes outside of New York City. 

Wasn't NYC Mayor de Blasio in the Presidential Democratic Debate last night also?

So how could he be in NYC for this?

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Council Members Rally Against Racist and Misogynistic Hip Hop Lyrics on Radio

  Bronx Council Member Andy King joined Brooklyn Council Members Inez Barron and newly elected Farah Louis, along with representatives from The National Black Leadership Alliance (NBLA) and The Central Brooklyn Leadership Council (CBL), to rally against racist and misogynistic hip hop lyrics and call out  WQHT (97.1 FM “Hot 97”) and WWPR Power 105.1 for playing the offensive music.

The rally corresponds to Council Member Barron's legislation Res 0975-2019, which she introduced at today's Council Stated meeting, which calls for New York City radio stations to adhere to FCC regulations that state that indecent and profane content cannot be programed between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.  It also calls for obscene content be eliminated entirely. 

JOINT STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS AND COUNCIL MEMBER LANDER ON THE BIAS-BASED POLICING REPORT

"The Office of the Inspector General revealed today that the NYPD has substantiated ZERO of nearly 2,500 complaints of discriminatory policing in the last several years. We doubt this is what's meant when the department claims 'zero tolerance' for bias. 

"The NYPD has shown, over and over again, that it is both unable and unwilling to police itself. While it's unclear how many of these complaints could have been substantiated, it seems clear there is a reluctance to find out. The department's failure to adequately investigate and address complaints of bias and racism experienced by members of the public at the hands of the police shows a clear disregard for the rights and safety  of communities of more color. If the department is serious about building trust with these communities, it has failed to show it.

 

"We created the Office of the Inspector General in 2013 to be an external set of eyes and ears to investigate the policies and practices of the NYPD. We echo the IG's call for the NYPD to begin publicly releasing statistics on the complaints of biased-based policing, and for CCRB to expand its own efforts to investigate these complaints. Any positive progress toward better police-community relations is undercut by a failure to fully address the core issues of police accountability and transparency under this administration." 

The full 61 page   report by the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD .