Thursday, August 13, 2020

BRONX DA DARCEL D. CLARK ANNOUNCES FINDINGS OF INVESTIGATION INTO FATAL SHOOTING OF KAWASKI TRAWICK BY POLICE

 

No Criminality in Tragic Death, But a Need to Review Training and Procedures; and Provide More Assistance to Those in Supportive Housing

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a year-long investigation into the fatal shooting of Kawaski Trawick inside his non-profit housing apartment by a member of the New York City Police Department on April 14, 2019 has resulted in no criminal charges being brought. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “Although we do not find that the facts warrant a criminal prosecution, this event does demand a thoughtful review of police procedures and training techniques. Additionally, as a community, we must do a better job of providing appropriate support for the residents and staff of supportive housing services in the City.

“My office intends to release a comprehensive and transparent report that will detail the facts leading up to Mr. Trawick’s tragic death.”

The family of Mr. Trawick and their advocates met with the Public Integrity Bureau today and were informed of the findings.

The formal report detailing the investigation will be released to the public in the coming weeks. The report outlines the basis for the conclusion that criminal charges against the police officer involved in the shooting in Mr. Trawick’s apartment at 1616 Grand Avenue are not appropriate.  


MAYOR DE BLASIO DELIVERS REMARKS AT VIRTUAL TOWN HALL FOR M/WBE’S

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you so much, Maggie. Everyone, welcome. Really, really glad you are part of this gathering. and even though Maggie called me a keynote speaker, I'm going to do better than most keynote speakers, I’m going to keep it really brief, so – we've all been to long, boring keynote speeches. This will not be one of them.

 

So, first of all, Maggie, thank you. You've done great, great work and ensuring that M/WBEs get opportunity. In your previous role at EDC, I think you did groundbreaking work to expand opportunity there, but now you are painting on a much bigger canvas, all of the agencies in New York City as our M/WBE Director. So, thank you for your leadership. And, everyone, look, I'm excited that we are gathered because over the last few weeks a lot has been happening and we want to really give you a sense of all the changes that are being made, and I want to first put it in context. This work to me is sacred, to ensure that government actually fulfills its obligation to create opportunity across the board, and to really – I use the phrase openly – to redistribute wealth to ensure that people and communities that have worked so hard, but not been rewarded, start to get more and more of their fair share. That's only going to happen with the role of government. I absolutely know we want to see as much fairness as possible, as much investment as possible from the private sector in creating opportunity for all. But in the end, it is the government that actually is the guarantor that our values are lived out. That's what you all depend on us to do, and over the years in this administration, we have tried intensely to change the way the game is played, to change the rules in favor of minority and women-owned businesses, and we've seen already how much impact that can make, and we've worked with a lot of you to determine how to do that. And I want to thank everyone who's advised us, everyone who has shown us different ways of doing things or offered ideas. Many of you have not just been standing back hoping that things would have happened, but you've really been participants with us in determining how to create more fairness. A lot of you fought in Albany for the changes in the legislation that we needed so that we could award more contracts to M/WBEs A lot of you pressed us to be creative and go farther, and, you know, we have amazing things we're talking about this week, like 10,000 certified M/WBEs, incredible achievement and Maggie, and Jonnel Doris before her, and a lot of other great people contributed to that. We can tell you that now against the goal of $25 billion that we intended to ensure that in the hands of M/WBEs over a 10-year timeframe, over $16 billion has already moved and is speeding up.

 

So, clearly, great things are happening, but we needed to make further structural change to favor M/WBEs. I signed an executive order that has added additional power, additional tools to the process. You're going to hear the details of that. We also announced the fact that we've come to a really powerful agreement with a lot of our labor community to ensure that working people will benefit from all the City investments and contracting, but also to more and more create opportunity for M/WBEs, and that took a lot of work to say, look, we're not going to succeed as a city, if we are not getting more hands in – more money in the hands of minority and women-owned businesses, and particularly the 27 communities, 27 neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus. We have a very powerful new tool inside our city government. We have a task force on racial inclusion and equity. It’s built on a very simple principle that we must make immediate changes in favor of redistribution, that we must address disparities in the most aggressive way possible. And this task force is made up of entirely people of color leaders within the agencies of our City government, chaired by our First Lady, and Deputy Mayor Thompson, Deputy Mayor Perea-Henze. The idea is to turn to the leaders inside government who understand communities of color the best, and to empower them to guide us to the changes we need to make, and they fought very hard to ensure this new plan that we came to, this new project labor agreement with labor also took fully into account the need to invest through M/WBEs.

 

So, there is a lot going on right now and it's all moving in the direction of justice, and I will only say a few more things quickly. Look, I think our job is to write the wrongs of the past. I think we have an opportunity to do it. We've all been doing that together now for seven years, but in the next 500 days or so, the remainder of this administration, we are going to be sprinting to the finish line and we have an imperative for economic justice, not just – and we've all learned this from the past, the fight for racial justice and equality for civil and human rights is never complete, unless economic rights are also included, and so we are fighting for the economic rights of our communities. We have more and more tools to work with and we feel this is a transformative moment. We've all been through a lot of pain with the coronavirus, and at the same time, we recognize that the old rules have been thrown out. It’s a moment for transformations, it’s a moment for unprecedented change. That's what want deliver. The briefing you're going to get today from Maggie and Jonnel and others is going to show you how we take that vision and put it into action that's going to reach your companies and your communities.

 

I'll finish by saying, to create a more just society, it does not ultimately come from the top-down. We in government have to set the framework, but the real change is going to come from all of you. Every time you win a contract and then you turn around and employ people from the community, you are making that change. Every time you prove the power inability of minority and women-owned business, you are making that change. There is no way New York City can build back without you. Lot of times, the dialogue about New York City's future revolves around some of those famous major corporations, and of course they're part of a puzzle, but I actually think the future of New York City is in our neighborhoods. It's in our small businesses. It's in the kinds of companies that you built with your own sweat and toil, the kinds of companies that actually are going to turn around and hire your fellow New Yorkers and empower communities that must be part of our new reality. We will not succeed as a city if we repeat profound disparity, it won't be sustainable. It's not morally right, but it also just practically won't be sustainable. So, I think we're on the cusp of something great right now. And the briefing you're about to receive from really fantastic public servants, true believers in equity, you should see as a beginning, not an end. These are just the most recent steps we're taking, but we have 500 days to do so much more. We're going to go to Albany and fight hard for legislation to ensure that there'll be local hiring when government money is used on major projects, to make sure the communities that are so often left out now are the communities that get the jobs. We're going to need your help to get that done. We have a lot of changes ahead.

 

So, join us in a 500-day sprint to the finish. Join us in creating fairness and equality. I have great faith in all of you that with your help, with your partnership, amazing things are going to happen as this city comes back and comes back fairer and better. Thank you everyone. And back to you, Maggie.

 

MDCNY demands representation of U.S. Muslim communities at 2020 Democratic National Convention

 

  The Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY) slammed the 2020 Democratic National Convention for its erasure of U.S. Muslim communities and its inclusion of politicians with histories of Islamophobia in its recently released speaker lineup.

 

“Muslims in the U.S. have been at the forefront of fighting back against the depravities of the Trump administration, having led social movements, shaped political conversations, and won elections for office ranging from municipal government to the U.S. Congress. Yet, the party that presents itself as the opposition to Trump has erased us from its platform, its policies, and now from its convention.

 

“There is no shortage of U.S. Muslims that the DNC could tap to speak at the convention next week. Our communities deserve and demand better,” said Tahanie Aboushi, MDCNY President.


“Millions of Muslims across the U.S. have persevered despite heightened Islamophobia during the Trump administration. Some of us remain separated from family members and loved ones due to Trump’s Muslim Ban. We are disheartened and dismayed to see the DNC not only exclude Muslims from its speaker lineup, but actively give a platform to politicians with a history of Islamophobia.


“Former New York City Mayor and failed presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg was an architect and champion of mass surveillance of Muslim communities and the NYPD’s racist stop-and-frisk program, which almost exclusively targeted Black and brown New Yorkers. Both of these bigoted and unconsitutional policies have since been lauded by Republican politicians.


“Republican former Governor John Kasich, during his failed 2016 presidential campaign, used his platform to spread the Islamophobic trope that Muslims should ‘police their own neighborhoods.’


“Liberal Islamophobia is no antidote to the radical anti-Muslim bigotry of the Trump administration. The DNC can and must give a platform to those directly impacted by Trump’s white nationalist policies, not those who laid the groundwork for his atrocities.” said Faiza Ali, MDCNY Vice President.


MDCNY calls on the DNC to include Muslim speakers in its lineup and rescind its speaking slots for Michael Bloomberg and John Kasich.

New York City Tax Preparer Charged with Failing to File His Own Taxes

 

Faces six other felony counts for allegedly filing fraudulent income and withholding tax returns

The New York State Tax Department announced the arrest of a New York City-based tax preparer for allegedly filing false income, corporate, and withholding tax returns. Tax Department investigators arrested Raul Martinez, 60, of Brayton Street in Englewood, New Jersey, and formerly of 91 Van Cortlandt Avenue in the Bronx, on August 6.

 

Martinez, arraigned remotely in Albany City Court and released on his own recognizance, faces seven felony counts in all, including one count for repeatedly failing to file corporate tax for his business, Apollo Tax, located at 170 Dyckman Street in New York City.

 

He was also charged with third-degree grand larceny for claiming a refund of nearly $7,000 by allegedly providing false information on his 2015 personal income tax return. In addition, Martinez was charged with one count of third-degree criminal tax fraud, one count of fourth-degree criminal tax fraud, and three counts of offering a false instrument for filing.

 

“We deploy an analytics-driven approach to prevent and uncover tax fraud that deprives communities throughout New York of revenue needed for vital services,” Commissioner Michael Schmidt said. “The urgency of these efforts is only heightened in the context of the pandemic. We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to uncover tax fraud and hold unscrupulous tax preparers accountable.”

 

A criminal complaint is only an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Albany County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case.

 

Taxpayers who believe a tax preparer has engaged in illegal or improper conduct, may file a complaint. The department will review the complaint promptly and, if appropriate, take corrective action. For details, please see our File a complaint about a tax return preparer webpage.

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Governor Cuomo Announces $15.1 Million in Federal Funding to Support Emergency Planning and Response

 

Funding Supports Emergency Planning Efforts and Operational Readiness

Deadline for Applications is August 31, 2020


  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $15.1 million in federal funding is being made available to New York State and county emergency management agencies to support planning and operational readiness for any type of disaster New York may experience.


Through the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant, an annual grant program, awardees are able to access funding to support efforts ranging from the development and implementation of trainings and exercises to acquiring emergency response resources. This funding is in addition to a $4.3 million supplemental grant already awarded to the state for similar efforts focused on the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Whether its fighting against an invisible enemy like COVID-19, or helping communities withstand the dangers of extreme weather, local governments play a critical role in emergency management and we need to make every effort to support our local partners and help ensure they have the resources they need to keep New Yorkers safe," Governor Cuomo said. "With this funding in hand, our local partners will now be better positioned to protect the communities they serve no matter what this new reality throws at us."

The $15.1 million awarded to New York in FY2020 represents a slight increase in funding from FY2019, when New York was awarded $15.03 million. As in past years, 51 percent of the funding ($7.7 million) will support enhancement of the state's overall readiness and all hazards approach to emergency management. The remaining 49 percent ($7.4 million) is being made available to individual counties based on a population driven formula.

In order to access the funding, local awardees must develop projects or initiatives which strengthen their own readiness and response capabilities to address all hazards. Projects should also focus on addressing any efforts identified by FEMA as needing national improvement. This includes logistics and distribution management planning, evacuation planning, disaster financial management, catastrophic disaster housing and resilient communications.

New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Patrick A. Murphy said, "Over the past several years, New York has experienced a wide array of emergency situations ranging from natural disasters to terrorism, making it essential emergency management experts have the resources they need to keep communities safe no matter the hazard. This funding not only supports the state's efforts to continuing strengthening our readiness posture, but also provides critical funding to our local partners to further build their capabilities as well."

Working within this framework, funding can be used to support:

  • Management and Administration activities;
  • Planning;
  • Staffing for Emergency Management Agencies;
  • Equipment;
  • Training and Exercises;
  • Construction and Renovation of Emergency Operations Centers; and
  • Maintenance and Sustainment of GIS and interoperable communications systems

Ineligible costs include:

  • Unallowable Equipment: firearms, ammunition, grenade launchers, bayonets, or weaponized aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind with weapons installed.
  • Costs to support the hiring of sworn public safety officers for the purposes of fulfilling traditional public safety duties or to supplant traditional public safety positions and responsibilities.
  • Activities and projects unrelated to the completion and implementation of the EMPG Program.

Governor Cuomo Announces New Record Number of COVID-19 Tests Reported Yesterday

 

87,776 COVID-19 Tests Reported Yesterday; 0.79 Percent of Tests were Positive

7 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

Confirms 700 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 422,703; New Cases in 36 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 87,776 COVID-19 tests were reported to New York State yesterday—a new record high for tests in a single day. The governor also updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"We're continuing to move forward protecting New Yorkers, slowing the spread and saving lives as the COVID-19 pandemic rages throughout much of the country and threatens the reduction in the numbers we've achieved here at home," Governor Cuomo said. "New York is reaching new heights in its ability to track and trace the virus, and that's evidenced by the record number of tests—nearly 88,000—that were reported yesterday. As we prepare for the fall, I urge everyone to wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands, and I urge local governments to enforce state guidance on reopening."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

  • Patient Hospitalization - 558 (+18)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 89
  • Hospital Counties - 30
  • Number ICU - 123 (+3)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 62 (+2)
  • Total Discharges - 73,842 (+63)
  • Deaths - 7
  • Total Deaths - 25,218

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON IN 1999 COLD CASE KILLING OF NEIGHBOR

 

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to First-Degree Manslaughter

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree Manslaughter in the 1999 death of his neighbor. 

District Attorney Clark said, “More than two decades have passed since the defendant killed his neighbor, a 56-year-old woman who lived on the floor above him. DNA taken from another crime he committed in 2017 connected him to the 1999 crime scene. The defendant believed he had gotten away with her killing, but in the end justice prevailed.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Curtis Batchelor, 44, last of 825 Gerard Avenue, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter on February 27, 2020.

According to the investigation, on or about and between May 25, 1999 and May 27, 1999, at 825 Gerard Avenue, the defendant stabbed Elsa Grullon more than twenty times in the face, neck and chest with a knife while he raped her. Grullon was discovered dead on May 27, 1999 by a family member.

Batchelor was arrested and convicted in January 2016 for a minor crime and his DNA was taken. In March 2016, the DNA was found to match the DNA recovered from the Grullon’s body. Batchelor was arrested on February 27, 2017 for the death of Grullon.

As part of the plea deal the Rape charge was dismissed.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Brian Hennessy and NYPD Detective Dennis Kelly (retired), both of the 44th Precinct, and NYPD Detective Francis Orlando of the Bronx Homicide Squad for their assistance in the investigation 

Texas Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Participation In Multimillion-Dollar Business Email Compromise Scheme

 

  Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA IKEJIMBA, a/k/a “Johnson Ifeanyi Gbono,” a/k/a “Alfred Henshaw,” a/k/a “Peterson Kamara Lawson,” a/k/a “Ganiru Paul Thompson,” pled guilty and was sentenced in Manhattan federal court today for conspiring to commit wire fraud as part of a wide-ranging, international business email compromise (“BEC”) syndicate.  IKEJIMBA was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As he admitted in court today, Joshua Ikejimba played a key role in an international business email compromise conspiracy.  For his admitted crime, Ikejimba will serve a two-year prison sentence and be compelled to make restitution to the victims of his fraud.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:

During the relevant time period, IKEJIMBA, his co-defendants, and others engaged in a fraudulent BEC scheme that deceived numerous victims, including international companies, individuals, and an intergovernmental organization headquartered in New York City, into diverting payments to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.

The defendants executed this fraudulent scheme by, among other things, obtaining fraudulent passports in false names, registering and incorporating shell companies, and opening fake bank accounts at various banks throughout the United States.  A substantial number of victims were tricked by fake emails and fraudulent wiring instructions into sending funds to the syndicate’s bank accounts, and those amounts were then withdrawn by members of the conspiracy and dissipated.  During the period from about 2016 through about July 2018, it appears the defendants obtained approximately $8 million by defrauding numerous victims.

IKEJIMBA had a multi-faceted role in the BEC scheme, which included using fraudulent identities and false identification documents to open bank accounts; using those accounts to receive funds from victims; and forming a shell corporation to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional fraud proceeds, principally by purchasing or depositing cashier’s checks that represented stolen funds.  Through his participation in the scheme, IKEJIMBA was personally responsible for receiving and laundering approximately $1.25 million in fraud proceeds.

IKEJIMBA, 25, of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to, and was sentenced on, one count of with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  In addition to the 24-month prison term, IKEJIMBA was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  IKEJIMBA was further ordered to forfeit $1,250,766.03, and to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $1,238,748.93.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Olga I. Zverovich and Jarrod L. Schaeffer are in charge of the prosecution.