SIXTH ANNUAL SENIOR HEALTH FAIR HOSTED BY SENATOR RIVERA & ASSEMBLY MEMBER PICHARDO AT MONROE COLLEGE

State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assembly Member Victor M. Pichardo hosted their 6th Annual Senior Health Fair at Monroe College's Mintz Auditorium. The event, part of Senator Rivera's Bronx CAN Health Initiative, gathered more than 150 seniors who filled the college's auditorium to enjoy a summer afternoon filled with music, delicious and nutritious food and fun raffles. Further, seniors received useful health-related information and free health screenings from the 19 participating governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Top: Senator Rivera and Assemblymember Pichardo with a group of seniors.  Middle: Senator Rivera with representatives of participating partner organizations.  Middle: Senator Rivera giving out a raffle prize to a senior.  Bottom: Panoramic view of Monroe College's Mintz Auditorium during the celebration of Senator Rivera and Assemblymember Pichardo's 6th Annual Senior Health Fair.

NEW YORK POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE RESPECTED

What You Should Know

By Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz

District 18, Bronx County

You should know that more and more incidents are being reported of people throwing water at New York Police Department officers while on duty, as if it’s some sort of game or challenge. We have all seen news reports and videos that have gone viral showing that not only are our police officers being doused with water, but they are also being hit with the empty buckets while onlookers jeer.

This is reprehensible and I have never seen anything like it.

You should already know that since 2014, the online Ice Bucket Challenge has been played by people who agree to have ice water dumped on their heads, but this is to raise money for ALS awareness and it’s all done in good fun. What is taking place in New York City is nothing at all like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge game, and it must stop.

It pains me to see how New York City has become a safe haven to celebrate disrespect and humiliate NYPD officers by drenching them with water and throwing empty buckets at their bodies. Our NYPD officers place their lives on the line every day and deserve respect, not humiliation.

It is important for you to know that as an elected official in New York City Council 18th District, as the Pastor of the Christian Community Neighborhood Church, and as the President of the New York City Hispanic Clergy Organization, I do not support New York City’s anti-cop climate, and I have not and will not turn my back on our police officers.

I urge all our of parents and caretakers to discourage this kind of defiant behavior, to teach the next generation that it is not acceptable, and nothing to laugh at.

If there is any assistance I can provide or my Church can provide or the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization can provide to help strengthen community relations with the NYPD, please know that I am just a phone call away.



I am Reverend Rubén Díaz, Sr. and this is what you should know.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON DEATH OF NYPD OFFICER

“Last night our city mourns at the news that we’ve lost another NYPD officer to suicide. These tragedies cannot continue. We cannot lose any more of our officers. We cannot leave parents, spouses and children at home waiting for loved ones who will not return. 

“I want to say as loudly and clearly as I can: it is okay to ask for help. If you or a loved one is in need: ask. Your whole city stands in support of you ready to answer the call.”

If you or someone you know is in need of support, please reach out:

NYPD Employee Assistance Unit 646-610-6730 

NYPD Chaplains Unit 212-473-2363 

POPPA (Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance) 888-267-7267 

NYPD Crisis Text Line Text BLUE to 741741 

NYC WELL 1-888-NYC-WELL

Additionally, this year, the NYPD is launching a peer counseling program in every precinct.

Iowa Man Charged With Making Threats To Manhattan-Based Jewish Organization

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging GARRETT KELSEY with sending threats to a Manhattan-based Jewish organization (the “Victim Organization”) by email and phone.  KELSEY was arrested in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this morning and is expected to be presented before a Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Iowa. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Garrett Kelsey repeatedly conveyed obscenity-laden and hate-filled threats to a Jewish organization by phone and email.  The alleged conduct is not protected speech.  As charged, the conduct – making interstate threats – is a federal crime punishable by years in prison.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “The FBI will always follow threats that cross the line of free speech and threaten the safety of individuals and groups, especially when those threats are based on a religion or race.  The fact that Mr. Kelsey allegedly continued his threatening behavior even after being informed that his previous actions were not protected speech makes his actions more abhorrent.”

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “The investigative efforts of New York City law enforcement are relentless and far-reaching.  Whenever individuals – wherever they are based – pose a threat, the NYPD and our partners will work tirelessly to keep people safe.  I thank our colleagues at the FBI and the Southern District for their partnership.”

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

In late May 2019, KELSEY made violent threats by phone and email to the Victim Organization.  On May 23, KELSEY called the Victim Organization and spoke briefly with one of its employees.  A short time later, KELSEY called that employee’s number back and left a voicemail for the Victim Organization stating, “My people have fucking slaughtered your fucking people before and we will do it again. And right now, you are giving us incentive to do that . . . . Filthy fucking Jews.” 

Later that same day, KELSEY sent the Victim Organization an email demanding that the Victim Organization remove a video about Nordic Neo-Nazis that the Victim Organization had uploaded to the Internet.  KELSEY wrote: “Everywhere Jews go in the world they cause trouble. You have 3 days to remove this video and offer an apology to the Asatru community or we will be taking action against your organization full of degenerates.”  “Asatru” appears to have been a reference to a religious movement recently linked to anti-Semitic and other racist groups.

The next day, KELSEY participated in a voluntary interview with law enforcement, during which he admitted to sending the threatening email and voicemail to the Victim Organization. 

Approximately one week after his voluntary law enforcement interview, KELSEY changed the cover photograph associated with his Facebook account.  The new cover photograph depicted Jewish residents of a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland, lined up facing a wall with their hands up.  Those residents were detained after an uprising during World War II and ultimately were transferred to Nazi concentration camps.

KELSEY, 31, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is charged with one count of interstate transmission of threats to injure a person, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Berman also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.  Mr. Berman noted that the case is ongoing.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Lake is in charge of the prosecution.

The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, 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 herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Files Lawsuit Against Spinal Implant Company, Its CEO, And Another Executive For Illegally Paying Millions Of Dollars In Kickbacks To Surgeons In Exchange For Using Its Products

Suit Alleges Approximately Half of Company’s Spinal Product Sales Were for Procedures Performed by Surgeons Who Received Payments from Company

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has filed a civil healthcare fraud lawsuit against LIFE SPINE INC. (“LIFE SPINE”), MICHAEL BUTLER, the founder, president, and chief executive officer of LIFE SPINE, and RICHARD GREIBER, the vice president of business development of LIFE SPINE.  The Government’s complaint seeks damages and civil penalties under the False Claims Act for paying kickbacks in the form of millions of dollars of consulting fees, royalties, and intellectual property acquisition fees to surgeons to induce them to use LIFE SPINE’s spinal implants, devices, and equipment.  The lawsuit alleges that the surgeons who received these payments accounted for approximately half of LIFE SPINE’s total domestic sales of spinal products from 2012 through 2018.  As set forth in the complaint, these payments violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and, as a result of this unlawful conduct, LIFE SPINE, BUTLER, and GREIBER caused hospitals and surgeons to submit false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Life Spine and its senior management flagrantly ignored the law by paying surgeons millions of dollars in fees and royalties to get them to use Life Spine products during spinal surgeries.  Kickbacks to doctors can alter or compromise their judgment about the medical care and services to provide to patients, and can increase healthcare costs.  This office will continue to hold companies and the people who run them accountable when they make improper payments to doctors.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  "Cases like this are why patients sometimes distrust the care they receive because they don’t know if it’s what the doctor actually thinks, or if there is a company pushing a new drug or new device.  People seeking medical treatment are dependent on the advice they get, they don’t have the expertise to question the doctors.  The FBI does all it can to stop those companies who overlook the patient who is just hoping to get better, and only sees the dollar signs.”

HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert said:  “Paying kickbacks to physicians as a means to boost company profits, as alleged in this case, compromises medical judgement and drives up healthcare costs.  Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate such illegal activities.”

The following allegations are based on the Complaint that was filed in Manhattan federal court and unsealed today: 

LIFE SPINE is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Huntley, Illinois.  LIFE SPINE designs, develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices and equipment primarily used in spinal surgeries performed by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons, including implants and instruments (“Life Spine Products”).  BUTLER is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of LIFE SPINE and is its majority shareholder.   BUTLER was closely involved in overseeing the operations of LIFE SPINE.  From 2012 to 2015, GREIBER was involved in selecting and approving surgeons who served as paid “consultants” for LIFE SPINE.

LIFE SPINE paid surgeons to induce them to use Life Spine Products during their surgeries.  LIFE SPINE aggressively recruited surgeons who had the potential to use a high volume of Life Spine Products to enter into agreements to serve as paid consultants and/or to transfer their patents/patent applications to LIFE SPINE in exchange for payments and promised support to bring the surgeons’ new products to market.  LIFE SPINE tied these agreements and the associated payments – as well as the company’s continued commitment to devote resources to the surgeons’ product development projects – to the surgeons’ usage of Life Spine Products.  LIFE SPINE and BUTLER expected surgeons to commit to using Life Spine Products at a certain level in exchange for the consulting fees, royalties, and intellectual property acquisition fees paid to them. 

LIFE SPINE, with the knowledge, involvement, and participation of BUTLER and GREIBER, entered into agreements with dozens of surgeons.  These agreements included medical education agreements under which the surgeons were paid to provide training and/or educational services; product development agreements under which the surgeons were paid to purportedly provide input on new products and then would receive royalties on future sales of the product; and intellectual property agreements under which the surgeons were paid large up-front acquisition fees for their patents/patent applications and then would receive royalties on sales of any products developed based on the patents.  Life Spine paid surgeons millions of dollars in consulting fees, royalties, and intellectual property acquisitions pursuant to these agreements.

BUTLER informed LIFE SPINE staff that he expected surgeons who were paid for their consulting services to commit to using Life Spine Products.  LIFE SPINE’s senior management, including BUTLER, closely tracked surgeons’ usage of Life Spine Products to ensure that the payments to surgeons were generating sufficient sales revenues for the company and that the surgeons were fulfilling their “commitment” to use Life Spine Products.  LIFE SPINE went so far as to generate a report that compared surgeon consulting, royalty, and intellectual property payments to surgeon product usage levels, and then calculated an “ROI” (return on investment) for each surgeon based on those figures.  If a surgeon’s usage was too low, LIFE SPINE managers, including BUTLER, pressured the surgeon to use more Life Spine Products during his or her surgeries.

The kickback scheme was successful.  Surgeons who received payments from LIFE SPINE accounted for approximately half of LIFE SPINE’s total domestic sales of spinal products between 2012 and 2018.  Most of these surgeons substantially increased their usage of Life Spine Products after entering into agreements with LIFE SPINE.  These surgeons used Life Spine Products during procedures performed on Medicare and Medicaid patients, which resulted in the submission of kickback-tainted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.

The Government intervened in a private whistleblower lawsuit before Judge Jed S. Rakoff that had previously been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.

Mr. Berman thanked the FBI and HHS-OIG for their assistance with the cas

Attorney General James Defends Ban Against Large-Capacity Magazines

Coalition of 18 AGs Argue that Second Amendment Allows States to Adopt Gun Safety Laws

  Attorney General Letitia James, working with a group of 17 additional Attorneys General from across the nation, today defended California’s ban on large-capacity magazines (LCM) holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. In an amicus brief filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Attorneys General argue that states have the right to enact reasonable firearm restrictions that protect public safety and reduce the prevalence and lethality of gun violence.

“Large-capacity magazines threaten our communities and have no place in our stores, on our streets, or in our homes,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “These rapid-fire bullet delivery systems not only endanger the safety and well-being of New Yorkers, but all Americans, which is why we remain committed to upholding California’s longstanding, constitutional laws. We must never stop fighting to safeguard our communities from senseless, preventable gun violence.”

Attorney General James and the 17 other Attorneys General filed this amicus brief in Duncan v. Becerra, a lawsuit challenging California’s prohibition on large-capacity magazines. The lawsuit was filed by a group of gun owners and the California Rifle & Pistol Association, a state affiliate of the National Rifle Association (NRA), after the passage of California’s Proposition 63 in 2016.

Since 2000, the State of California has prohibited the manufacture, importation, and sale of large-capacity magazines. In 2016, both the California legislature and the California electorate — through Proposition 63 — went further and banned the possession of LCMs that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, in order to improve enforcement efforts and to further stem the proliferation of large-capacity magazines in the state. Nine other states — including New York — and the District of Columbia have also enacted laws banning large-capacity magazines. The constitutionality of those laws have been unanimously upheld by federal courts of appeals.

In April 2019, a lower court struck down California’s prohibition on large-capacity magazines in total. California has appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit and the ruling is currently stayed.

In this amicus brief, the states collectively argue that a ban on large-capacity magazines is a reasonable restriction that California has the right to adopt because:

• The Second Amendment does not prevent states from enacting common-sense gun safety measures: The brief explains that states are entitled to adopt reasonable restrictions on firearms to address the unique conditions within their borders and protect public safety. Restricting access to large-capacity magazines is a reasonable restriction because it would reduce firearm injuries and deaths while leaving many other options open for individuals who wish to exercise their core Second Amendment right to self-defense.

• States have a responsibility to prevent gun violence and protect public safety: The brief notes that states have primary responsibility for ensuring public safety. This includes a duty to reduce the likelihood that their citizens will fall victim to preventable firearm violence, and to minimize fatalities and injuries when that violence does occur. The brief notes that deciding how best to protect the safety of state residents is a question better suited to legislatures than to courts.

• Regulating large-capacity magazines protects the public: The brief cites evidence that large-capacity magazines are especially attractive to mass shooters and criminals, posing increased risks to innocent civilians and law enforcement. At the same time, there is no proof that large-capacity magazines are necessary — or even commonly used — for self-defense.

In addition to filing today’s amicus brief, Attorney General James and the Office of the New York State Attorney General has consistently taken action to protect communities from gun violence. Attorney General James has continued the office’s gun buyback events taking 2,505 firearms to-date off the hands of New Yorkers. The office also cracked down on illegal trafficking of firearms across state lines so the safety of New Yorkers is not jeopardized by lenient gun laws in neighboring states. Additionally, the office developed Model Gun Show Procedures, a series of safety procedures for gun show operators in New York State, and announced new policies to help social media sites curb illegal sales of firearms on their platforms.

Joining Attorney General James in filing the amicus brief were the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Attorney General James Objects To Mortgage Servicer's Unlawful Attempt To Strip Away Rights Of Homeowners

  Attorney General Letitia James has taken action against Ditech Holding Corporation (Ditech) by filing a brief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, opposing the mortgage servicer’s attempted end-run around statutory protections for homeowners.

“Bankruptcy Court should never be used as a tool to unjustly oust New Yorkers from their homes,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “Ditech’s action is an illegal attempt to strip hundreds of homeowners of their legitimate claims and eviscerate New York’s carefully-created foreclosure process. Housing is a right, and we will continue to use every legal tool at our disposal to stand up for homeowners and to protect their rights.”

Ditech currently has more than 880 active foreclosure actions pending across New York State. Homeowners organized the Consumer Creditors Committee to ensure that the courts do not permit the company to sweep their rights under the rug. Homeowners are demanding that their claims and defenses — which include significant money damages — not be extinguished in Bankruptcy Court.

Attorney General James — in support of the Consumer Creditors’ Committee — is filing the objection to ensure that vulnerable homeowners, who were victims of predatory lending and mortgage servicing abuses, including seniors with reverse mortgages, can assert their rights under the protections of New York’s robust judicial foreclosure process. 

In addition to filing this motion, the Office of the New York State Attorney General currently has an open investigation into Reverse Mortgage Solutions (RMS), a reverse mortgage servicer that is owned by Ditech.

This past March, Attorney General James took a similar action when a building owner in Manhattan attempted to flout rent regulation laws and displace tenants.

SPECIAL NARCOTICS GRAND JURY REPORT DOCUMENTS IMPACT OF FENTANYL ANALOGS ON OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN NEW YORK CITY

Recommends Ban on All Forms of Fentanyl Analogs and Increased Funding To Police Labs and Medical Examiners

  Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor and New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill announced today the release of a Grand Jury report documenting the impact of fentanyl analogs on the opioid epidemic in New York City. The report is the first of its kind issued by a Special Narcotics Grand Jury.

Fentanyl analogs are powerful and harmful synthetic opioids that are increasingly linked to overdose deaths in New York City. Yet despite their lethal nature, fentanyl analogs are largely unregulated in New York State. According to an analysis of data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (SNP), fentanyl analogs have contributed to approximately 900 fatal overdoses across the five boroughs since 2017.

The report details public health risks associated with fentanyl analogs, as well as challenges posed to law enforcement agencies and the scientific community due to the high potency and legal status of these substances. Grand Jurors reviewed more than 250 exhibits admitted into evidence and heard testimony from 72 different witnesses, including medical and forensic experts, civilian eyewitnesses and members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division and the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, among others.

Two recommendations are directed towards the New York State Legislature:

• Adopt a “fentanyl analog statute” that effectively bans all forms of fentanyl analogs by classifying them as Schedule I drugs under New York’s Public Health Law, and

• Allocate additional funding for laboratories conducting analyses for controlled substances, including police labs and the offices of medical examiners.

Fentanyl analogs are closely related to illicit fentanyl, an opioid drug 50 times stronger than heroin. Both illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogs are created in laboratories outside of the U.S. But unlike fentanyl, the majority of fentanyl analogs remain legal to possess and sell under New York State law. Slight variations to the chemical compositions produce a wide variety of potencies and enable distributors to skirt regulations.

Important tools like search warrants, wiretaps and arrests are unavailable to local law enforcement agencies if the substance being distributed is not regulated in New York State, even when deaths have resulted. As discussed in the report, the Grand Jury heard that investigations into overdose deaths linked to local drug distributors in New York City were slowed due to the uncontrolled status of the substances involved.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “The Grand Jury report outlines a simple solution to a complex problem. A fentanyl analog statute will allow us to track ever changing formulations of a deadly drug and seize it before it can take the lives of more New Yorkers. I thank our dedicated staff, and those from the NYPD Lab and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for collecting critical information to present to a thoughtful and dedicated Grand Jury.”

“Fentanyl and its analogs have caused hundreds of fatal overdoses throughout our city,” said NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “Today’s Special Narcotics Grand Jury report – the first of its kind – describes just how lethal fentanyl is and how fentanyl ‘analogs,’ as they are known, exploit a legal loophole: Illegal drug labs stay one step ahead of law enforcement by creating slight variants to their recipe. The ‘new’ product is just as addictive and deadly, but the recipe is technically legal until its exact composition is prohibited by new legislation. That’s why the NYPD is standing with the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office to call on the State Legislature for additional funding for forensic laboratories, so we can detect, analyze and track these deadly substances. We’re also calling for legislation that would ban all forms of fentanyl analogs, eliminating the existing loophole. Countless lives are depending on us to work together to end the opioid crisis, and today’s report and the recommendations it contains are critical to our ability to win this battle.”

Fentanyl analogs are unpredictable and sold interchangeably with heroin. This uncertainty creates a dangerous public health threat. Drug buyers who are unaware of the contents of the substance they are ingesting are at greater risk of accidental overdose.

OCME has tracked the harmful effects of these drugs, which are currently involved in approximately 40% of all overdoses resulting from a non-prescription opioid in New York City, usually in combination with fentanyl and/or heroin. Because fentanyl analogs are so potent, they tend to appear in low concentration during post mortem analysis, which may cause them to be underreported.

The constant fluctuation of fentanyl analogs presents challenges for forensic toxicology in New York City and across the state. Unique and unregulated fentanyl analogs have emerged in deaths in 2018, while other types disappeared. For example, furanyl fentanyl was the third most common analog contributing to overdose in New York City in 2017, but is now seen infrequently. Valeryl fentanyl, on the other hand, suddenly appeared in July of 2018 and has become one of the analogs most frequently involved in fatal overdoses in 2019.

Police seizures of fentanyl analogs in New York City have steadily increased since 2016, according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Laboratory, with new and distinct fentanyl analogs continually being identified. While each borough saw a significant increase in the number of NYPD fentanyl analog invoices between 2016 and 2017, the largest increases were in Brooklyn South and the Bronx. In 2018, the Bronx saw a significant increase over 2017 and had the most NYPD fentanyl analog invoices in the city.

In 2018, there were 14 distinct types of fentanyl analogs seized by the NYPD, with six that had not been seen before. In the first quarter of 2019, 12 distinct types of fentanyl analogs were identified, including one never seen before in New York. Efforts to better analyze analogs in recovered evidence are hampered by the lack of specialized equipment and necessary standards for comparative analysis at police labs.

Due to the considerable fluctuation between analog types, legislation is needed by New York State lawmakers to control fentanyl analogs and allow law enforcement to take actions to prevent them from causing more deaths. We must also provide additional resources to the scientific community including the NYPD Lab and the OCME to ensure they have the tools necessary to test and analyze these substances safely and effectively and to provide important information which will allow us to better understand the impact of these emerging substances.

Bridget G. Brennan thanked Assistant District Attorneys Susan Lanzatella, Nigel Farinha and Callie Lloyd, SNP’s Investigative Analysts Unit, the NYPD Laboratory, OCME, DEA New York Division, the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark.