Comptroller Stringer Releases Sweeping New Report Showing Domestic Violence is the Leading Driver of Homelessness and Proposes Comprehensive Roadmap to Support Survivors

In FY 2018, domestic violence accounted for 41 percent of the family population entering shelter – the single largest cause of homelessness and a 44 percent increase in five years

The use of commercial hotels for families entering shelter due to domestic violence skyrocketed between FY 2014 and FY 2018, from 0.1 percent of all placements to 21 percent

Over 7,000 children entered a DHS shelter as a result of domestic violence, more than half (56 percent) of whom were under 6 years of age

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Comptroller calls on City to change approach to better support domestic violence survivors and renews call for new housing plan targeted to New Yorkers in greatest need

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today released a sweeping new report on the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness, showing that domestic violence has surged ahead as the leading driver of homelessness in New York City, and proposed a comprehensive roadmap to support survivors. Comptroller Stringer’s report is the most comprehensive analysis to date of how domestic violence contributes to homelessness, the scope of services available to and utilized by survivors, and the needed policy prescriptions to stem this growing crisis. The Comptroller found that in FY 2018, domestic violence accounted for 41 percent of the family population entering homeless shelters – an increase of 44 percent in five years. The Comptroller’s report also found that the use of costly commercial hotels for families entering shelter due to domestic violence skyrocketed between FY 2014 and FY 2018, with 21 percent of families placed in hotels, up from only 0.1 percent.

To address this growing challenge, Comptroller Stringer called on the City to pursue a series of targeted  policy recommendations aimed at connecting domestic violence survivors to permanent housing and preventing extended periods of homelessness. The Comptroller’s roadmap would create paths for survivors to attain both housing and economic stability and tackle the homelessness crisis in New York City by directly addressing its single largest contributor.

“Every year, thousands of domestic violence survivors are pushed to the brink, experience homelessness, and have no way of finding a stable home for themselves and their children. It’s a tragedy – but we cannot accept this status quo as just the way things are. We must do more to lift up survivors who need a City government as their unwavering ally,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “With this report, we’re turning over a new stone in the fight to tackle the homelessness crisis, by shining a light on the pervasive impact of domestic violence on housing instability. As a City, we are judged by how we treat our most vulnerable, which is why it’s time to step up and act. No family that has entered a domestic violence shelter should ever leave without access to stable housing or find themselves placed in a commercial hotel.  It is not enough to say we support survivors – we need to put our money where our mouth is and implement bold reforms to actually provide survivors with the support they need to achieve long-term housing and economic independence.”

The Comptroller’s report showed how domestic violence has become a primary driver of New York City’s homeless crisis. The analysis found:

• In FY 2018, domestic violence accounted for 41 percent of the family population entering the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter system, and the number of families entering each year rose 44 percent from FY 2014.

• In FY 2018 alone, 12,541 people entered a DHS shelter due to domestic violence. That includes more than 4,500 women and 7,000 children, more than half (56 percent) of whom were under 6 years of age.

• The use of costly commercial hotels for families with children entering shelter due to domestic violence has increased dramatically, with 923 such families placed in hotels in FY 2018, compared to only two in FY 2014. While only 0.1 percent of all families entering due to domestic violence were placed in hotels in FY 2014, 21 percent were in FY 2018.

• The number of families leaving DV shelter and subsequently entering the DHS homeless shelter system increased every year between FY 2015 and FY 2018. In FY 2018 alone, more than 600 families (27 percent) who exited a City DV shelter ended up in a DHS shelter system within 30 days, which was twice the number of families who exited to subsidized housing.

• Neighborhoods in the Bronx and Brooklyn accounted for the most DHS shelter entries due to domestic violence between FY 2014 and FY 2018, with 38 percent of survivors having previously resided in the Bronx and 30 percent entering shelter from Brooklyn. More survivors entered shelter from the Hunts Point, Longwood and Melrose neighborhood in the Bronx than any other community, followed by Belmont, Crotona Park East, East Tremont, Bedford Park, Fordham North, and Norwood, also in the Bronx.

• Families who exit to permanent housing with a government subsidy are much less likely to return to shelter, but in FY 2018, 51 percent of survivors exiting the DHS shelter system did not have a housing subsidy. According to the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR), one in five (21.6 percent) families with children exiting to an unsubsidized placement returned to shelter within one year, while only 1.3 percent of families with children with a subsidy returned to shelter.

• Of the 1,839 families who did exit to a permanent placement with a subsidy in FY 2018, about two-thirds received some form of rental assistance, while an additional 28 percent secured housing through the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Only 2 percent of families exited to supportive housing.

Comptroller Stringer’s analysis found that despite the City’s record spending on homelessness, existing City resources are not sufficiently helping survivors build safe, independent lives and preventing homelessness. The Comptroller is therefore proposing comprehensive policy changes to increase housing stability for survivors in New York City, including:

Expand residential and non-residential services

• New York City should increase the capacity of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) domestic violence shelter system and end the practice of placing survivors in commercial hotel rooms rented by DHS.

• The City should also work with the State to extend the 180-day time limit in DV shelter on a case-by-case basis, and the City should ensure every domestic violence shelter has dedicated housing specialists.

• New York City must expand access to mental health support and dedicate supportive housing units and affordable housing for domestic violence survivors.

Strengthen legal protections

• The Governor should expeditiously sign recently passed legislation introduced by Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi to reform New York’s early lease termination law so survivors do not need to obtain a court order, alert their abuser, or be current on rent to leave an unsafe home.

• New York City should explore ways to reinforce its housing anti-discrimination policies, including by explicitly prohibiting landlords and brokers from refusing tenancy based on criminal history or a low credit score stemming from a prospective tenant’s identity as a survivor of domestic violence.

• The State should amend the Public Service Law to assist survivors who have recently fled an abusive living situation to ensure continuation or restoration of utility service.

Increase financial assistance to support survivors’ access to housing

• The State should enact legislation proposed by Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi to create a new statewide rent supplement, Home Stability Support, for vulnerable populations including domestic violence survivors.

• The City should develop a survivor housing stability fund for survivors regardless of immigration status and income.

• The City should increase the availability of free and reduced-cost legal services for survivors.

• New York City should expand upon the success of the five existing Family Justice Centers and create additional centers in high-incidence areas of domestic violence.

• To combat the shortage of affordable housing in the city and to reverse the rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness, the City should triple the number of affordable housing units, as Comptroller Stringer called for last year, and set aside 15 percent of it for homeless New Yorkers on an annual basis, so that the New Yorkers in greatest need have access to stable, permanent housing.

“The Comptroller’s report reveals that the highest number of domestic violence survivors in the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters are from the Bronx community, mostly women and children. Bronx residents suffering from domestic abuse must have more options than choosing to remain with an abuser or enter into a shelter. It is critical that New York City and State work together to create financial and legislative investment, and expand avenues for domestic violence survivors to access safe housing and residential services. I appreciate NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer’s leadership to address this issue, and look forward to working together to support survivors and give more New Yorkers access to safe housing,” said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Mayor Bill de Blasio when confronted by this reporter, admitted that homeless people were sent to the Bronx from other boroughs. Mayor de Blasio said that practice would stop, unless it was an emergency situation, which continues. 

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi needs to do her homework to find out just where the homeless people came from and why that Mayor de Blasio admitted were sent to the Bronx from other boroughs. That instead of just having a statement by Comptroller Stringer who worked vigorously on her campaign last year placed in his press release.

Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr: - Rikers Island, Borough Based Jails

STATEMENT FROM NYC COUNCIL MEMBER RAFAEL SALAMANCA, JR

CHAIRMAN, NYC COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON LAND USE

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

NYC COUNCIL STATED MEETING

My decision today is one that I did not take lightly. The application being voted on will have a vital impact on the way we approach the issue of criminal justice as a city. A significant step in fulfilling the criminal justice reform we have set out to achieve is eradicating the horrific history Rikers Island has had on our constituents. As I have said repeatedly, Rikers NEEDS to shut down if we are ever going to attain a more just system for communities like mine who have been burdened with the legacy of a repressive method to policing. 

While there should be no debate on the closure of Rikers, the course the administration has taken to get there has lacked the critical feedback of community stakeholders in the Bronx. Whereas the city followed the recommendations of the Lippman commission to build borough-based jails at the locations of existing detention centers near county courthouses in three of the four boroughs, the administration cited a location that is more than two and a half miles away from the Bronx courthouse. The response from the community and elected officials, alike, was immediate in their opposition to the location. Nevertheless, the administration moved forward with their plans, leaving many in the South Bronx wondering if a commitment to ‘meaningful community engagement’ was a convenient bullet point on a presentation.  

Additionally, the community’s dissatisfaction with the new borough-based plan extends to the broken promises of previous administrations to keep the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, otherwise known as the Barge, operating. Asking our community to accept a brand new jail without closing the Barge firstis wholly unacceptable and disingenuous to Bronxities. I have given the administration numerous opportunities at public hearings to address this concern relating to the Barge, but have been vastly disappointed each time at not even hearing the most preliminary estimated timeline to sinking the boat. 

Even without citing the other issues that have originated from Council hearings over the last two months, I CANNOT vote in favor of The Bronx actions on this landuse application in its current form. The administration cannot simply ignore the valid concerns of the community and expect us to accept this decision. I implore Mayor de Blasio to continue exploring all siting options near the Bronx County Courthouse where it belongs, and once and for all, SINK.THE.BARGE! 

New HBO Show 'FACES' being Filmed in North Riverdale

  Both sides of Riverdale Avenue from West 254th Street to West 259th Street were lined with movie trailers for the filming of the new HBO show Faces. Filming will continue on Tuesday before being wrapped up. 

BP DIAZ ANNOUNCES FINAL REGISTRATION PUSH FOR TOUR DE BRONX 2019

  Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined The Bronx Tourism Council, and Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation at Joyce Kilmer Park, to encourage registration for the 25th Annual “Tour de Bronx,” the largest free bicycling event in New York State.

The Tour de Bronx, taking place on Sunday, October 27, 2019, – sponsored by Montefiore health System, BronxCare Health System, St. Barnabas Hospital, Mercy College, Zipcar, Patricia Lynch Associates, Target and Unlimited Biking – drew over 6,000 bicyclists, last year, from throughout New York City and from around the world.

Borough President Diaz encouraged riders interested in participating in the Tour de Bronx to sign up at www.tourdebronx.com.

“I am excited it is that time of the year again, that time of the year where we get to welcome thousands of local and internationals cyclists and biking enthusiasts who descend to our great borough for the Tour de Bronx,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Riding a bike around The Bronx is not only a great way to rediscover our beautiful borough as well as showcasing alternative modes of transportation, but it also complements our ‘#Not62’ health initiative, highlighting the ways we can stay health, as a community.”

“It is wonderful to see how this amazing event has evolved in the last 25 years. We enjoy the company of cyclists from all over the globe!” said Bronx Tourism Council Executive Director Olga Luz Tirado.

The event offers both a 25-mile and 40-mile course, each of which winds through dozens of beautiful Bronx neighborhoods, historic districts, parks, waterfront, Greenway paths and more. Both routes culminate at the New York Botanical Garden for end-of-ride refreshments and a music festival.

The Tour De Bronx event has grown exponentially since its inception, with the 2014 edition of the Tour de Bronx having seen a record-breaking 7,500+ participants from all over the country gather on the Grand Concourse.

Log onto www.ilovethebronx.com to register.

BP Diaz Jr. is joined by several of the sponsors of the Tour De Bronx.

PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS RESPONDS TO THE DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION'S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE RECOMMENDATIONS

"In the yearlong delay since this report was set to be released- which still has not been seen by the public nor the task force members, even as its recommendations are implemented- the conversation around mental health crises has shifted in language and policy. We need to treat mental health crises as health emergencies, not criminal acts, as I laid out in my office's report last month. However, while these recommendations outline some policy shifts which I am glad the administration has agreed to, the focus and resources aimed at the NYPD, including a co-response model, is not the direction the city should be going toward in the long term. We need a non-police first response to mental health crises, and this plan does not even put us on a path toward that goal. "We already ask too much of law enforcement, and a criminal response to a medical emergency only heightens the chance of tragedy and reduces the likelihood that those in need will call for help in the first place. A team of mental health responders, sent out by a dispatcher well-trained in recognizing mental health emergencies, from a newly designated emergency number, is the path forward, and I hope to continue to work with the administration toward these critical reforms."

Bernie Sanders Visits Parkchester With AOC

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez points to where she lives, across the street from the diner she frequents, and where she and Bernie Sanders are.

  After a record breaking crowd in Queens to hear an endorsement by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of Democratic Candidate for President Bernie Sanders the two came to Parkchester. It was at Ellie's Diner, often visited by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez where they dropped in. 

The diner was packed with AOC and Bernie Sanders supporters to "Feel the Bern", and listen to Presidential candidate Sanders. After the speech it was time to try to get a selfie with Berine as he went around the room. AOC and Bernie then went on to their next stop.

Above - AOC brings Bernie Sanders and his wife Pat into Ellie's Diner at the Metropolitan Oval in the heart of Parkchester.

Below - Bernie gets ready to address the crowd inside the diner.

Above - Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez introduces Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Below - Democratic Presidential Primary candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to the crowd in the diner.

Below - After his speech Bernie went around the room speaking personally to his supporters, and taking photos with many so they could "Remember the Bern".

CITY INVESTS $391 MILLION IN COMMUNITIES AND COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The investments are part of the plan to close Rikers Island and usher in a new era for New York City

 The City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings and Dispositions and the Committee on Land Use voted on Wednesday to approve the plan to close the jails on Rikers Island and build four new borough-based facilities. Today, the plan will go before the full City Council for a vote, culminating a years-long effort propelled by the strong advocacy of the formerly incarcerated to shutter Rikers Island.

The vote occurs as Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson and Council leadership agree to a wide-range of investments tied to the closure of Rikers totaling $391 million dollars, including $126 million in previously planned investments and $265 million in new programming that will address the root causes of incarceration and help fundamentally reshape New York City’s criminal justice system going forward. These investments are being announced in detail for the first time today.

This massive decarceration effort establishes New York City as a leader in criminal justice reform and pioneer in ending mass incarceration. The number of New Yorkers entering jail has declined by nearly half in the past 6 years. The jail population has declined from 11,000 in 2014 to about 7,000 today, and is projected to be approximately 3,300 by 2026.

“When we pledged to close Rikers Island, we made a promise to transform a broken criminal justice system and give back to the communities that have experienced the effects of mass incarceration firsthand, said Mayor de Blasio. “By investing in neighborhoods and putting people on the path to success, we are making good and getting closer to a day where we’re the fairest, big city in America.”

“For far too long, this city’s answer to every societal problem was to throw people in jail. Because of that, we lost generations to mass incarceration, mostly young men of color. These investments are at the heart of our plan to close Rikers. We are investing $391 million in our communities to not only reform our system, but also address the root causes of incarceration. This includes $265 million in brand new spending for programming and capital projects, and is on top of the $40 million increase in criminal justice spending this Council won in the FY20 budget in preparation of closing Rikers. I am proud of this plan, and grateful to my fellow Council Members, particularly Council Members Diana Ayala, Margaret Chin, Karen Koslowitz, and Stephen Levin, as well as Adrienne Adams, Chair of the Subcommittee of Landmarks, Keith Powers, Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, the de Blasio administration and the longtime advocates for their partnership in this joint effort to usher in a new era for New York City,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. 

Reducing Incarceration through Prevention, Diversion, and Reentry

In its aim to provide safe and smart diversion from jail, the plan adds over $71 million for alternatives to detention and incarceration and reforms to the Department of Correction, building on $126 million in annual investments to reduce justice involvement, support communities, and make our justice system smaller, safer, and fairer.

Highlights of those investments and policy changes include:

·         $54 million expansion of pretrial services including Supervised Release, the City’s primary diversion program, which has prevented 15,000 people from entering jail since its inception in March 2016. This program will be expanded to become an option for people facing every type of criminal charge. 

·         $17 million in new funds to expand and continue Alternatives to Incarceration programs that will now serve 7,300 people per year, which will reduce the number of people serving sentences in City jails.

·         Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice will invest in a planning grant for The Imagining Project, a collaboration between the Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and the Columbia University Justice Lab, an organization whose long term mission is to create a plan for getting to zero incarceration and minimal convictions for youth age 25 and under. A similar effort with the Center for Court Innovation will create a community justice center to provide community-based programming in the Far Rockaways, with a focus on providing alternatives to arrest and incarceration and reducing recidivism post-incarceration.

·         Building on the existing investment in in-custody programming and reentry services, the City is restructuring such services to ensure access to comprehensive social services and access to paid transitional employment post-release for everyone leaving City jails.

·         Services to support incarcerated individuals facing medical and mental health issues, including: doubling the number of therapeutic treatment units in the jails, known as the Program for Accelerated Clinical Effectiveness, or PACE; expanded mental health discharge planning services; and a new program to help ensure continuity of medical care for those exiting City jails.

·         Expanded programming for social and emotional learning to help school communities be more proactive in changing school culture and climate, with the goal to foster and maintain a supportive school environment while reducing conflict.

·         Requiring every detention facility to have dedicated administrative space for community based providers as well as dedicated space for services and programming in every housing unit. Also requiring new trainings for correction officers, program staff, and healthcare staff to participate in together.

·         Expanded pre-arraignment diversion that will allow more people to avoid prosecution and have their arrests sealed

·         Increased funding to community-based restorative justice programming, with a particular focus on serious felony level cases that would otherwise result in detention and incarceration. This model will invest in community-based infrastructure in conjunction with the District Attorneys and courts.\

·         Commitment to build a Community Justice Fund through a public-private partnership managed by the Mayor’s Fund that would strengthen the fabric of community justice and safety by focusing on developing programming and policies for truly communities based investments. 

Address the Root Causes of Incarceration Through Investments In Housing and Community-Based Mental Health Services

The City will increase the number of supportive and transitional housing units dedicated to serving people who are homeless, have health needs, and histories of justice involvement to 1,000

·         In addition to the investment in expanding the Justice Impacted Supportive Housing (JISH) program from 120 to 270 beds, the City will create an additional 230 JISH units for people who are homeless with a history of justice involvement. This brings the total JISH bed commitment to 500 units.

·         In addition to baselining the City’s current $5 million investment in transitional housing for people with justice involvement, the City will increase funding to $25M (increasing the number of units from 100 to 500 by FY23) for transitional housing services enable people to avoid jail by participating in ATDs and ATIs and stabilize post-release.

·         Commitments, adopted from the NYCCrisis Prevention and Response Task Force recommendations that ensure people with behavioral health needs are provided medical treatment and community-based responses to limit justice-involvement.  Highlights of these investments include 8 new New Health Engagement and Assessment (HEAT) teams to proactively engage people at risk of mental health crises. These teams – which include one clinician and one peer – connect people to care and other stabilizing support, preventing mental health needs from becoming crises.

·         Other highlights include 6 Mobile Crisis Teams, which ensure a more rapid response by mental health professionals and peers to those in mental health distress, and 4 new Intensive Mobile Treatment teams, which provides proactive and sustained engagement with those individuals with behavioral health needs. This commitment will also include 4 new co-response teams in high need precincts, in which police officers and mental health clinicians work together to respond to 911 calls involving those in mental health distress.

Community Based Violence Reduction

To increase investment in neighborhood based and community led programs that improve public safety and reduce violence, the City will invest additional $2.7M in new investments and expanded Cure Violence programming in 6 areas including:

 ·         25th Precinct in East Harlem, encompassing New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA’s) Senator Robert F. Wagner, Sr. Houses

·         40th Precinct in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, encompassing NYCHA's Judge Lester Patterson Houses and Mitchel Senior Center Houses

·         113th Precinct in Southeast Queens, encompassing the southeastern area of Jamaica, Queens, along with St. Albans, Hollis, Springfield Gardens, South Ozone Park, South Jamaica, Addisleigh Park, and Locust Manor.

·         47th Precinct in the Eastchester neighborhood of the Bronx, encompassing NYCHA's Edenwald Houses.

·         60th Precinct in Southern Brooklyn, encompassing Coney Island, Brighton Beach, West Brighton Beach, and Sea Gate.

·         67th Precinct in Central Brooklyn, encompassing East Flatbush and Remsen Village

New neighborhood investments, announced today, will support communities surrounding the borough-based jails through new affordable housing, youth programming, community and cultural centers.

These local investments include:

 ·         New programming and recreation spaces for young people that give them safe and productive environments. This includes two new community centers in the South Bronx at 1080 Ogden Avenue and at 337 East 139th Street, and investments in NYCHA community centers in the South Bronx at Mill Brook, Mitchel, Patterson and Mott Haven Houses.

·         New affordable housing in the South Bronx at 351 Powers Avenue and 320 Concord Avenue.

·         Capital improvements at Samuel Gompers High School, and P.S. 99 and P.S. 139 in Queens. Technology investments for P.S. 65 in the South Bronx

·         New performing arts space and initial city support for acquisition of a permanent home for the Museum of Chinese in America, at 215 Centre Street in Manhattan.

·         Support for Chung Pak senior housing adjacent to the Manhattan borough-based jail site and small business relocation assistance.

·         Upgrades to Columbus Park in lower Manhattan, including renovations to the comfort station and the pavilion.

·         Streetscape improvements around the Brooklyn borough-based jail site.

·         Upgrades to Queens Community House located at 80-02 Kew Gardens Road

Design Changes That Better Integrate New Facilities Into Their Surrounding Communities

Negotiations between the Mayor’s Office and Council will result in additional improvements to the City’s plan to build borough-based jail facilities to prioritize therapeutic environments, and culture change in all aspects of the borough-based jail system, and to better integrate DOC and programmatic staff. About 40% of the housing units across the borough-based system will be dedicated therapeutic units with specific staffing and services to better serve people with mental health, substance use, and complex medical needs.

This effort was born from a commission created by the City Council in 2016, and led by former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, to study how to improve our jail system and our criminal justice system as a whole.

In 2018, the de Blasio administration initiated the Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process to site the new borough-based jails. Through months of engagement, both locally in communities with proposed jail sites, and also more broadly with criminal justice stakeholders, the plan to site borough-based jails evolved to maximize investments in addressing the underlying causes of incarceration, transform our justice system, and respond to local community-based concerns about building scale.

In addition, to ensure that Rikers Island is never again used to incarcerate people, the City Council will vote today  to initiate a City Map change that will restrict the use of detention centers on Rikers Island after December 31, 2026, thus requiring such facilities to close.

Additional details and a full list of commitments are included in a Points of Agreement letter signed by the Mayor and received by the Council on October 16, 2019.

MS-13 Leaders Charged With Racketeering, Narcotics, And Firearms Offenses

Indictment Includes High-Ranking Members of the Governing “Table” of the L.A. Program of MS-13 from New York, California, and Tennessee

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging AMILCAR ROMERO, a/k/a “Soldado,” JAIME SANTANA, a/k/a “Smiley,” JOSE GARCIA, a/k/a “Tricky,” and ALEXANDER RIVERA, a/k/a “Extrano,” with racketeering conspiracy and narcotics distribution conspiracy.  CRISTIAN GUERRERO-MELGARES, a/k/a “Enigma,” and GUSTAVO LLEVANO-RIVERA are charged in the narcotics conspiracy count.  Several defendants also face firearms charges.

GARCIA, GUERRERO-MELGARES, and RIVERA were arrested have been presented today before Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.  SANTANA was arrested last night and will be presented today in the Middle District of Tennessee.  ROMERO is currently in state custody in California on other charges and will be transferred to federal custody in New York and presented at a later date.  LLEVANO-RIVERA remains at large.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “The defendants in this case include alleged leaders of the L.A. Program of MS-13, operating across the United States.  They and their co-defendants are alleged to have engaged in acts of violence, narcotics distribution, and the use of firearms.  Thanks to our remarkable partners at HSI and the NYPD, the defendants now face federal charges for these very serious crimes.”

HSI Special Agent-in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “Today, three high ranking members of MS-13 were arrested for various charges, including, racketeering, drug distribution and firearms offenses.  These three gang members allegedly utilized violence and intimidation in order to further their criminal enterprise.  HSI New York and our other field offices around the country continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to combat MS-13.  It is only through these coordinated efforts that we will be able to disrupt and ultimately dismantle this gang.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Targeting gangs and crews, and preventing the violence so often associated with their illegal activities, continues to be among the highest priorities for the NYPD and our law enforcement partners.  By precisely targeting the relatively small percentage of individuals responsible for committing much of the violence in New York, we are making the safest large city in America even safer.  We remain relentless in our efforts to identify, arrest, and prosecute anyone who allegedly involves themselves in such criminal behavior.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court as well as court filings[1]:

ROMERO, SANTANA, GARCIA, and RIVERA are members of a transnational racketeering enterprise known as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, which operates throughout North and Central America, including in El Salvador, Mexico, New York, California, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.  In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of MS-13 committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including methamphetamine and cocaine; and obtained, possessed and used firearms.

MS-13 is organized into chapters called “cliques.”  Groups of cliques, in turn, are aligned as “programs.”  Each program is governed by a group of senior gang leaders known as the “table.”  ROMERO, SANTANA, and GARCIA are high-ranking members of the table of the “L.A. Program” of MS-13.

ROMERO, 50, SANTANA, 39, GARCIA, 31, and RIVERA, 31, are charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. Those four defendants, as well as GUERRERO-MELGARES, 32, and LLEVANO-RIVERA, 23, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute: (i) 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, (ii) 500 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and (iii) mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. SANTANA, GARCIA, and GUERRERO-MELGARES are charged with possessing, carrying, and using firearms during, in relation to, and in furtherance of, the narcotics conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.  SANTANA and RIVERA are charged with possessing firearms while unlawfully or illegally in the United States, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.

The charges contained in the Indictment 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 Indictment as well as the referenced letter constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.