Bronx Drug Dealer Charged With 2012 Murder

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging ELIJAH BILAL, a/k/a “Karate Kid,” with the April 15, 2012, murder of Terrance Martin, 25, in the Bronx, New York.  BILAL was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman in federal court later today.  This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul J. Oetken.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Elijah Bilal murdered Terrance Martin nine years ago in connection with his drug dealing.  Now, thanks to the outstanding work of the NYPD, the defendant has been charged with this heinous crime.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Today’s charges demonstrate that the investigative efforts of New York City law enforcement are far-reaching, precisely-focused, and patient.  As long as individuals are involved in the sale of illegal narcotics and gun violence, the NYPD and our partners will work to stop the threat to public safety.  I commend and thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District for their assistance in bringing Elijah Bilal to justice.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:

On April 15, 2012, in the vicinity of 285 East 156th Street in the Bronx, New York, BILAL shot and killed Martin in connection with a conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.

BILAL, 27, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of using a firearm to commit murder during a drug-trafficking crime, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.  The maximum and minimum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.

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

Member Of Bronx Gang Pleads Guilty To Ordering 2009 Murder

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEVEN BROWN, a/k/a “BI,” pled guilty today to participating in a murder in connection with a drug crime for his role in the August 2, 2009, murder of Derrick Moore in the Bronx.  BROWN pled before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said:  “Almost 10 years ago to the day, Steven Brown, the leader of a violent, drug-dealing street crew, ordered the killing of rival street crewmember, Derrick Moore.  We are committed to combating gang violence, and today’s guilty plea shows that no passage of time will stop us from bringing perpetrators of violence to justice.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in court:

The Taylor Avenue Crew was a criminal enterprise that operated principally in and around the Bronx from at least 2007 up to and including 2015.  The Taylor Avenue Crew sold cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” primarily in and around Taylor Avenue in the Bronx.  The Taylor Avenue Crew controlled crack cocaine sales within this area by prohibiting and preventing non-members, outsiders, and rival narcotics dealers from distributing crack cocaine in the area controlled by the Crew.  The Taylor Avenue Crew also committed acts of violence in the area against rival gangs, including assaults, attempted murder, and murder.

Members and associates of the Taylor Avenue Crew also allied themselves with crews from nearby areas of the Bronx.  One such crew included the Creston Avenue Crew, a criminal enterprise that operated principally in and around the Bronx, New York, from at least 2003 up to and including 2011 and whose members sold cocaine and marijuana primarily in and around Creston Avenue in the Bronx.  Members of the Taylor and Creston Avenue Crews associated with each other and assisted each other by, among other things, carrying out acts of violence on each other’s behalf upon request by the leaders of the respective crews.  One such act of violence was the murder of 22-year-old Derrick Moore.  In August 2009, after escalating violence between the Taylor Avenue Crew and a rival crew, BROWN, who was the head of the Taylor Avenue Crew, ordered the murder of Moore.  To carry out the murder, BROWN requested the assistance of the Creston Avenue Crew, whose members then shot and killed Moore.

BROWN, 40, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of murder while engaged in a narcotics trafficking offense, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.  He will be sentenced by Judge Failla on December 4, 2019.

Luis Ortiz, one of BROWN’s co-defendants, pled guilty on July 24, 2019, to murder through use of a firearm in connection with a drug crime, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.  Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2019.

Trial for an additional co-defendant, Rafael Reyes, is scheduled to begin on September 30, 2019.  The description of the offense set forth in this release are merely allegations and Reyes is innocent until proven guilty.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI.  Mr. Berman also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for their assistance.

Brooklyn Man Sentenced To 13 Years In Manhattan Federal Court For Sex Trafficking Of Minors

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that COREY ROPER was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for sex trafficking of minor females.  ROPER was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, before whom he previously pled guilty to one count of sex trafficking minor victims.  As part of his plea, ROPER acknowledged that he trafficked three minor females, and also trafficked another female by force.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated:  “Self-proclaimed pimp, Corey Roper, perpetrated awful acts against young women.  Roper subjected his victims – some as young as 13 years old – to what he called ‘pimp rules,’ and punished them through cruel physical violence and depriving them of food and sleep if they didn’t comply with his abhorrent commands.  Because of his unconscionable conduct against these vulnerable victims, Roper now ironically finds himself subject to a code of conduct that he’s forced to comply with – prison rules.”  

According to the Indictment and other court documents filed in Manhattan federal court:

The defendants were members of or affiliated with the Snow Gang, a gang based in Queens, New York, which was engaged in a myriad of criminal activities, including violence, drug trafficking, credit card fraud, and sex trafficking of young women.  Between February 2015 and March 2017, the defendants worked together to traffic minor female victims, using methods of force, fraud, and coercion.  Members of this conspiracy used brutal violence to capture and control their victims, and used firearms to protect their illegal sex trafficking business.

ROPER was a violent pimp who controlled his victims through force and intimidation.  ROPER’s victims included minor females as young as 13 years old, who were subjected to ROPER’s code of “pimp rules,” that, for example, prohibited his victims from speaking to other men, from keeping any money they earned, and from eating if they did not make ROPER enough money.  If any of the rules were broken, ROPER punished his victims through violence, including choking, hitting, punching, and kicking his victims.  One victim—identified in court documents as “Minor Victim-4”—was regularly abused by ROPER, including being beaten with a cord, being forced to kneel on uncooked rice for hours as a form of punishment, and being held in a windowless room in Brooklyn where she was physically abused by ROPER and forced to have sex with customers of his choosing.  Another victim—identified in court documents as “Victim-1”—was beaten by ROPER when she initially refused to work for him.  ROPER responded by slapping her, refusing to let her leave, and denying her food.  When Victim-1 angered Roper by disobeying him, he disciplined her, including by making her stand in the corner of a room for hours and depriving her of food and sleep.     

In addition to his prison sentence, ROPER, 27, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

ROPER is the seventh defendant to be sentenced in this case by Judge Buchwald for his participation in sex trafficking minors.  The other defendants in this case—David Hightower, Nashean Folds, Antwone Washington, Terrell Clarke, Tremain Moore, and Gregory Luck—pled guilty to and have been sentenced in connection with various offenses, including participating in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department’s Human Trafficking Team and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He also thanked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Nassau County Police Department, and the Edison New Jersey Police Department for their support and cooperation in this case.

Attorney General James Sues Trump Administration Over Toxic Pesticides In Food

AG James Leads Coalition Suing EPA Over Chlorpyrifos Not Determined Safe for Consumption 

  Attorney General Letitia James, leading a coalition of six State Attorneys General, today filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administrations Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA) for continuing to allow chlorpyrifos , a widely used pesticide with well-documented harms to infants’ and children’s neurological development, to contaminate common foods. The coalition is challenging the EPA’s decision to continue to allow chlorpyrifos to be used in food, even though it has not made a current finding, as required by law, that this pesticide contamination is safe.  

“Chlorpyrifos is extremely dangerous, especially to the health of our children,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “Yet, the Trump Administration continues to ignore both the science and law, by allowing this toxic pesticide to contaminate food at unsafe levels. If the Trump EPA won’t do its job and protect the health and safety of New Yorkers, my office will take them to court and force them to fulfill their responsibilities.”  

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to New York, the lawsuit was filed by the Attorneys General of California, Washington, Massachusetts, Maryland and Vermont. The Attorneys General of Hawaii and the District of Columbiaintend to join the coalition by filing tomorrow to intervene in the suit.  

Chlorpyrifos--a widely used pesticide on food crops, including fruits and vegetables consumed by infants, young children, and pregnant women — is well-documented to harm proper development and functioning of the central nervous system and brain. In fact, the EPA’s own scientists have twice been unable to identify a safe level for the pesticide on food. Because of this, in November 2015 and again in November 2016, the EPA issued proposed regulations to revoke all allowable levels, or “tolerances,” and no longer allow chlorpyrifos to be used on food crops. However, in one of his first official acts, then EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt disregarded those proposals – and decades of scientific evidence amassed by the Agency – and issued an order putting off until October 2022, if not longer, any decision on whether to revoke or modify currently allowable levels for chlorpyrifos residues in food.   

In June 2017, the New York Attorney General’s Office, leading a coalition of Attorneys General, along with a group of petitioners including the League of United Latin American Citizens and other citizen, health, and environmental organizations, filed administrative objections to Administrator Pruitt’s order.  The objections argued that in leaving in place the tolerances for Chlorpyrifos, the order violated the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Food Act) because EPA failed to make the legally required finding of safety required to maintain these tolerances.  

In April of this year, the Ninth Circuit ordered the EPA to make a decision on the administrative objections within 90 days. The EPA issued a decision denying these objections on July 18, stating that, rather than take action on its proposed rule to revoke chlorpyrifos tolerances, it would instead continue to monitor the safety of the dangerous pesticide in food until as late as 2022.   

The suit filed today by the coalition of Attorneys General argues that EPA’s July 18 decision was “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law in numerous respects,” including that the Agency is leaving the tolerances in place without – as required by the Food Act – ensuring that no harm will result to infants and children, or determining that the current tolerances for Chlorpyrifos are safe. The coalition requests that the court set aside July 18 order, and direct EPA to revoke all tolerances for Chlorpyrifos residues on foods unless the Agency makes a finding that the tolerances are “safe.”   

Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used insecticides in the United States on numerous food crops, including those consumed by infants and young children such as apples, strawberries, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, and cherries.  Residues of the pesticide have repeatedly been documented in baby foods and juices.  Chlorpyrifos has been subjected to regulatory review for nearly 20 years, and its dangers are well-documented.  The pesticide is related to nerve gas, and acts by inhibiting an enzyme that is key to the proper development and functioning of the central nervous system and brain.  Several studies have shown that children born to women exposed to Chlorpyrifos during pregnancy had cognitive and motor development delays in the first three years, and structural changes in the brain, lower working memory and IQ scores at age seven, and movement disorders (including arm tremors) by age eleven. 

National Night Out 49th Precinct

 Two of the most popular tables at the 49th Precinct National Night Out held in Bronx Park East were the Ice cone and popcorn tables. There were dozens of other tables featuring local community organizations, Non-Profit organizations with various information of use, NYC agencies, and area elected officials. The tables were set up in a semi circle around the huge stage where entertainment performed, and the elected officials spoke. 

Above - Councilman Mark Gjonaj was a big hit as he handed out hot dogs to many who attended the event.

Below - Elected officials on stage (L-R) Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, Councilman Mark Gjonaj, and Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez.

Above - State Senator Jamaal Bailey had a Proclamation for the 49th Precinct for doing a fine job of lowering crime that he presented to Officer Hernandez.

Below - Councilman Ritchie Torres also thanked the 49th Precinct, saying that he had been at several other National Night Outs in his district.

The group photo of elected officials, and community leaders in the 49th Precinct.

National Night Out 50th Precinct

  Cooking over the Major Deegan Expressway the grill was loaded with burgers and franks for all the people who attended the National Night Out in the 50th Precinct. As in past years under Deputy Inspector O'Toole, Captain Melendez has continued National Night Out on West 236th Street which spans from Broadway to Bailey Avenue, and over the Major Deegan Expressway.

Above - Jeff Fahringer stood above the crowd at about eight feet tall, but had one wooden leg and a wheel as the other. 

Below - The most popular table was the face painter.

Above - The local elected officials had representatives, as you see Councilman Fernando Cabrera was represented. We were told Councilman Cabrera was vacationing overseas.

Below - Assemblyman Jose Rivera had these two energetic young people representing him, as he had several National Night Outs in different precincts to attend.

BP DIAZ RENEWS CALL FOR GUN CRIME REGISTRY

Online database would make info on gun crime offenders public, similar to that currently available to monitor convicted sex offenders

  In the wake of mass shootings in Brownsville, Brooklyn; El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is renewing his call for the New York City Council to pass legislation to create a public gun crime registry.

“Enough is enough,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “The scourge of gun violence that has rocked this country in recent weeks—as well as Washington’s continued refusal to act on these tragedies—requires us to implement strong local solutions. The recent shooting in Brownsville showed us quite clearly that perpetrators of gun violence demonstrate a flagrant disregard for human life and the health of the community. They need to be exposed.”

Borough President Diaz’s public registry, which he first proposed in 2013, would be available online and would allow members of the public to search for information about gun offenders who live in their areas. Information about gun crime offenders, under this proposal, would be publicly available so long as they are required to remain on the registry. The NYPD would publish this information on their website in a searchable database.

Members of the public would be able to:

  Access information about offenders including their names, partial addresses and photographs.
  Search for offenders living in their communities.
  Sign up for email updates whenever a gun offender moves into their neighborhood.

“As a city, we must be willing to expose those among us who have made our communities unsafe through gun violence. We must shine a clear spotlight on those who would terrorize our neighborhoods with guns,” said Borough President Diaz. “I look forward to working with my colleagues at every level of government and community leaders throughout the city to see this law enacted.”

News From Team AOC

Demand a vote on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act

  Just a few days ago, a group of teenage boys wearing “Team Mitch” shirts posed with a cardboard cutout of AOC while performing inappropriate and sexually threatening gestures.

Instead of apologizing, McConnell’s team defended their actions with a theme that still makes our blood run cold: boys will be boys. From someone who supported Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh, we’re not surprised their team essentially said that — but McConnell’s anti-equality agenda isn’t limited to words.

For almost four months, McConnell has blocked a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act. The VAWA is legislation that, among other things, would prevent abusive relationship partners and stalkers from acquiring weapons. These are real checks that can save lives and prevent mass shootings — so of course, McConnell wants to kill the VAWA in the Senate.

We can’t let him get away with it. Sign your name right now to demand a vote on the VAWA in the Senate. We need to take real action to protect women and prevent mass shootings.

Across the board, Mitch McConnell has used his power to block legislation that would save lives. From universal background checks, to closing the Charleston loophole, to the VAWA, McConnell’s inaction has gotten people killed.

When his team embraced the title “Reaper of the Senate,” we didn’t expect it to be so literal.

Reaping what Trump sowed

 Trump’s brazen racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy have turned into a domestic terror crisis. Over the weekend, two shooters ravaged El Paso and Dayton — one even directly referenced Trump in his manifesto.

Trump’s campaign spent thousands on Facebook targeting Americans with ads about the ongoing “invasion.” At a rally, he laughed when someone shouted “shoot them” in reference to migrants crossing the border. Trump is not just emboldening racism in America — he is a racist.

We need to do everything in our power to get guns out of the hands of these white supremacist terrorists, and combat systemic racism in all of its forms. The House has already passed a comprehensive gun control bill, but McConnell is trying to block it in the Senate.

The Senate has had five months to act on our bill to curb gun violence — but unfortunately for the American people, McConnell and the rest of the Republican Party care more about protecting their NRA donations than they do saving people’s lives.

They’ve already mobilized the Fox News propaganda apparatus to blame anything but the guns. Video games. Mental health. The media.

In Dayton, police officers took down the shooter in less than 30 seconds. In that amount of time, he still managed to kill 9 people and injure another 27. It’s not video games, access to guns is the problem.

We can’t wait for another mass shooting to finally take action. Sign your name here to demand Mitch McConnell recall the Senate to finally vote on common-sense gun control:

Inaction is not an option. It is up to all of us to work together to prevent the next tragedy, and root out the scourge of white supremacy.

Pa'lante, 

Team AOC