Mexican Drug Traffickers Charged With Drug Trafficking Crime Based On Seizure Of More Than Three Tons Of Cocaine

 

The Defendants Were Transporting the Massive Cocaine Shipment in a Go-Fast Vessel off the Coast of Mexico’s Quintana Roo State

  Audrey Strauss, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that RAYMUNDO MONTOYA-LÓPEZ, ABRAHAM ALFONSO GARCÍA-MONTOYA, and FELIZARDO DÍAZ-HERNANDEZ were charged in a criminal complaint in Manhattan federal court with conspiring to import almost three tons of cocaine into the United States.  The charge arises from a September 1, 2020, seizure by Mexico’s Secretaría de Marina (the “Mexican Navy”) of approximately 2,960 kilograms of cocaine off the coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged, these defendants are responsible for the attempted importation of more than three tons of cocaine into the United States.  Thanks to the work of the DEA and the Mexican Navy, the shipment was interdicted and the defendants are in custody and facing federal prosecution.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said:  “Law enforcement thwarted cartel plans to saturate the American drug market with cocaine by intercepting over three tons of cocaine heading towards American towns.  This international enforcement operation has saved lives and reemphasized law enforcement’s commitment to keeping America safe from drug trafficking, drug abuse, and violent crime.”

HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “Cartels continue to operate with no regard for laws or human life, trafficking tons of deadly narcotics across the border and using bribery and intimidation to further their reach with government officials.  With HSI’s continued partnership with DEA’s Strike Force, three more alleged drug trafficking defendants will now face justice and three tons of cocaine will not reach our communities.”

State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said:  “The combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, along with authorities in Mexico, have put this operation out of business and disrupted the transport of thousands of kilos of cocaine to our streets.  This case continues our commitment and partnership to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone who tries to sell these dangerous drugs in our communities.”

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said:  “This case is another illustration of our joint, ongoing responsibilities in eradicating international drug trafficking. Our NYPD officers, working with our law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors, follow the facts anywhere in the world to achieve justice, in this case interdicting nearly three tons of cocaine off the coast of Mexico.”

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

On or about September 1, 2020, aircraft from the Mexican Navy located and began tracking a boat traveling northwest through the Caribbean Sea toward the Mexican city of Chetumal and the village of Mahahual.  Shortly thereafter, the Mexican Navy intercepted the boat approximately 85 nautical miles off the coast of Quintana Roo, and boarded and searched it.  During the search, the Mexican Navy found and arrested MONTOYA-LÓPEZ, GARCÍA-MONTOYA, and DÍAZ‑HERNANDEZ.  The Mexican Navy also found and seized approximately 2,960 kilograms of cocaine.

MONTOYA-LÓPEZ, 45, GARCÍA-MONTOYA, 31, and DÍAZ‑HERNANDEZ, 39, all of Sinaloa, Mexico, are charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, the DEA’s Mérida Resident Office, and Mexico’s Secretaría de Marina.  The Strike Force is housed at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; the New York City Police Department; the New York State Police; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; the U. S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Secret Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; New York National Guard; the Clarkstown Police Department; U.S. Coast Guard; Port Washington Police Department; and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendants are 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 and statements and filings in court set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation as to the defendants charged in the Complaint.

Attorney General James and Comptroller DiNapoli Announce Sentencing of Former Mount Vernon Government Official in Corruption Scheme

 

Lawrence Porcari, Former City of Mount Vernon Corporation Counsel, Sentenced to 1-3 Years in Prison 

 Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the sentencing of the former City of Mount Vernon Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari for abusing his position as a public official to engage in a scheme that defrauded the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply of more than $300,000 to pay the personal legal expenses of the former Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas and a public relations firm. 

Today in Westchester County Supreme Court, Porcari was sentenced to 1-3 years in prison. However, Judge David Zuckerman has temporarily stayed the execution of Porcari’s sentence. A status hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2020.  

“Any public official who lies, cheats, or defrauds New Yorkers must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General James. “New York’s public servants have a responsibility to serve with transparency, integrity, and respect for the state and all of its people. I thank Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for his partnership and continued unwavering commitment to rooting out corruption in all its forms.” 

“Mr. Porcari betrayed the people of Mount Vernon and violated his oaths as a public servant and attorney. Now, he faces the consequences of his actions,” said Comptroller DiNapoli. “I thank Attorney General James for holding Mr. Porcari accountable and her continued partnership in fighting public corruption across the state.”    

On December 16, 2019, a Westchester County jury found Porcari guilty of: 

• Corrupting the Government in the First Degree (B felony); 
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree as a Crime of Public Corruption (B felony);  
• Defrauding the Government (E felony); 
• Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (E felony) – 3 Counts; and  
• Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the Second Degree (A misdemeanor) – 1 Count. 

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, Porcari misappropriated funds from the city of Mount Vernon’s Board of Water Supply to pay law firms for the personal defense of former Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas in criminal proceedings, as well as a public relations firm hired at the time of Thomas’ arrest in March 2018.    

Approval for the rate of payment for one of the law firms and the public relations firm was sought from the city’s Board of Estimate and Contract on multiple dates in April and May of 2018, but was never obtained. Instead, Porcari arranged for payments from the funds from the Board of Water Supply, which consists of money paid by customers for their use of water and whose use is limited by state and local law to Board of Water Supply purposes. The scheme continued into the fall of 2018 with payments from the Board of Water Supply to a second firm later retained for Thomas’s defense. To further the scheme, Porcari submitted memorandums to the Board of Water Supply for “emergency” payments to the law firms, including memorandums containing false statements.   

Since 2011, the Attorney General and State Comptroller offices have worked together to fight corruption through their Joint Task Force on Public Integrity. They have brought charges against dozens of individuals implicated in public corruption schemes around the state — resulting in the return of more than $11 million in restitution to taxpayers through these convictions.  

The Attorney General thanks the Office of the State Comptroller’s Division of Investigations for their assistance in this investigation. 

Governor Cuomo Announces 33rd Straight Day with COVID-19 Infection Rate Below 1 Percent

 

0.91 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

DFS Extends Emergency Regulations to Waive Cost-Sharing for COVID-19 Testing and In-Network Telehealth Visits Until November 9, 2020

3 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

SLA and State Police Task Force Visits 969 Establishments; Observes 5 Establishments Not in Compliance

Confirms 576 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 441,154; New Cases in 38 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the 33rd straight day that New York State's COVID-19 infection rate has been below 1 percent. Yesterday, 0.91 percent of tests reported to the state were positive. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"New York State's infection rate has been under 1 percent for 33 straight days, which is great news and a credit to New Yorkers and what they're doing," Governor Cuomo said. "And that is with more testing than any other state. If you want to see something interesting, look at how many tests different states are taking. If you don't do many tests, you won't find many cases and the number of cases will drop. But that is false comfort. When we say this is how many cases we have, that's accurate because we're testing more than anyone else."

The governor also announced the New York State Department of Financial Services has taken action to extend emergency regulations requiring New York health insurers to waive cost-sharing associated with emergency room visits, in-network telehealth visits, in-network outpatient provider office visits, in-network urgent care center visits, and in-network laboratory tests when the purpose of the visit or test is to diagnose COVID-19, and waiving cost-sharing for in-network telehealth services for any healthcare service covered under a policy, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment until November 9, 2020. The extension of these emergency regulations ensures that cost-sharing is not a barrier to COVID-19 testing and in-network telehealth services for New Yorkers. Governor Cuomo first announced the State's directive requiring New York insurers to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and telehealth services in March.

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 969 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 5 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

• Bronx - 1
• Nassau - 4

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 463 (+18)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 53
• Hospital Counties - 34
• Number ICU - 121 (+7)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 59 (+7)
• Total Discharges - 75,539 (+36)
• Deaths - 3
• Total Deaths - 25,370

Governor Cuomo Announces Indoor Dining in New York City Allowed to Resume Beginning September 30 with 25 Percent Occupancy Limit

 

Temperature Checks, Contact Information for Tracing, Face Coverings When Not Seated and Other Safety Protocols Required; Bar Service Will Not Be Permitted and No Service After Midnight

The City of New York to Provide a Team of 400 Enforcement Personnel to Ensure Compliance

Guidelines Will Be Reassessed Based On Data By November 1; If Infection Rate Does Not Increase, Restaurants May Be Permitted To Go Up To 50 Percent Capacity; State Will Monitor Any Positivity Increase on an Ongoing Basis for Potential Reassessment

Restaurants Must Publicly Post Their Indoor Dining Capacity and Phone Numbers to Report Violations; Patrons Who Observe Violations Can Report Issues by Calling 833-208-4160, or by Texting 'VIOLATION' to 855-904-5036

Governor Announces State to Launch 'New Yorkers Protecting New Yorkers' PSA with New York State Restaurant Association to Encourage Compliance

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced indoor dining in New York City will be allowed to resume beginning September 30th with a 25 percent occupancy limit. All restaurants that choose to reopen will be subject to strict safety protocols, including temperature checks, contact information for tracing, face coverings when not seated and other safety protocols. Bar service will not be permitted, and restaurants will close at midnight. Guidelines will be reassessed based on the data by November 1. If the infection rate does not increase, restaurants may be permitted to go to 50 percent capacity; the State will monitor any positivity increase on an ongoing basis and potentially reassess if necessary. Business guidance for indoor dining in New York City is available here.

The City of New York will provide a team of 400 enforcement personnel to work with the State Police Task Force to ensure compliance. Restaurants must publicly post their 25 percent indoor dining capacity and the phone number and text number to report violations. Patrons who observe violations can report issues by calling 833-208-4160, or by texting 'VIOLATION' to 855-904-5036.

"I want to thank New Yorkers for their hard work to increase compliance, and we can now take the next step in reopening our restaurants. We've been speaking with stakeholders, and we are now announcing that we can safely reopen indoor dining in New York City with limited capacity at the end of this month, as long as they adhere to strict health and safety protocols," Governor Cuomo said. "This is good news and the right step forward, especially for restaurant owners and staff who have been struggling through this time. But it is up to all of us to ensure compliance and the health and safety of those around us."

The Governor also announced the State to launch 'New Yorkers Protecting New Yorkers' PSA with New York State Restaurant Association to encourage compliance. 

Guidance for Indoor Dining in New York City

• 25 percent occupancy limit
• Temperature checks will be required at the door for all customers
• One member of each party will be required to provide contact information for tracing if needed
• No bar service - bars will only be used as service bars, a source of making drinks and serving them tableside
• Masks must be worn at all times when not seated at a table
• Tables must be six feet apart
• Restaurants close at midnight

• Strict adherence to all State-issued guidance
• Restaurants should operate with enhanced air filtration, ventilation and purification standards
• Limit air recirculation and allow for outside air ventilation
• Outdoor dining will continue in the interim

We've been speaking with stakeholders, and we are now announcing that we can safely reopen indoor dining in New York City with limited capacity at the end of this month, as long as they adhere to strict health and safety protocols.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

MAYOR DE BLASIO STATEMENT ON RETURN OF INDOOR DINING

 

  “We are continuing New York City’s economic recovery by bringing back indoor dining. Working with the state and public health officials, we’ve achieved a plan that puts health and safety first by including strict capacity limits, a close monitoring of citywide positive testing rates and a coordinated inspection regimen. Science will guide our decision-making as we continue to monitor progress and health care indicators over the next three weeks to ensure a safe reopening. This may not look like the indoor dining that we all know and love, but it is progress for restaurant workers and all New Yorkers.” 

 

Restaurants will be allowed to reopen on September 30^th. They will be subject to rigorous inspection protocols and strict occupancy limits. Some requirements for restaurants include:

- Serve customers at a maximum of 25% capacity

- Conduct temperature checks at every front door

- Collect Test & Trace data from at least one customer at each table

- Close bar tops for seating

- Offer COVID-19 protections like PPE for employees

- Space tables six feet apart

 

If New York City hits 2% in COVID-19 positivity rates, the City will immediately reassess.

 

Open Restaurants, New York City’s outdoor dining program, has already given the restaurant industry a lifeline; more than 10,000 restaurants are participating, and the program has saved an estimated 90,000 jobs.

 

Get Involved: City Planning Announces Remote Waterfront Workshops

 

New website will help New Yorkers contribute to a coming plan for New York City’s 520 miles of waterfront

  Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Marisa Lago today announced a series of remote workshops, two or more in each borough, that seek to gather comment and input on the next edition of New York City’s Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The plan will set a vision for the future of the waterfront for the next decade and beyond.

This announcement comes alongside the launch of a new website dedicated to increasing public engagement on the plan. Public input is a critical, central pillar of the plan, which is tentatively scheduled to be released by the end of 2020. The website will accept public input through the end of November 2020.

“The Comprehensive Waterfront Plan gives every New Yorker a once-in-a-decade opportunity to craft a holistic vision for our city’s beautiful 520-mile-long waterfront. The discussions that we’re having with New Yorkers about our shoreline are invaluable, covering equity of access to jobs and open space, the health of our waterways, our resiliency to climate change and more. We invite you to join the conversation by exploring our new website and sharing your ideas at a remote workshop and online. Help us make our waterfront even better, more vibrant and more welcoming to all,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago.

The website also provides information about existing waterfront regulations, links to waterfront-related interactive maps, a section on what we’ve heard through public outreach so far, information about our community partners and a space where New Yorkers can share their thoughts on the waterfront.

The new website includes a draft framework document, spelling out priorities based on what DCP has heard from communities so far. Meant to further spur public conversation and input, the framework includes overarching themes of resiliency, equity and health that will shape the content of the plan and our process. The framework uses these themes as a lens through which it discusses topics like economic activity, ferries, natural resources and the working waterfront.

“Brooklyn Boatworks was pleased to partner with DCP during the last school year to add student voices to the waterfront planning process. Students in our classes participated in multiple sessions, during which they mapped out their current neighborhoods and introduced ideal waterfronts of the future to DCP staff. Students gained experience as strategic thinkers, planners, environmental stewards and civic participants. DCP has created a very thoughtful and intentional process for gathering feedback and discussing opportunities, and Brooklyn Boatworks encourages all NYC residents to participate in the planning process by attending a virtual workshop and visiting the new website. NYC will benefit from as much participation from the public as possible and participants will gain a greater appreciation for the NYC planning process,” said Marjorie R. Schulman, Executive Director of Brooklyn Boatworks.

“Working with DCP on Walking the Edge was an invigorating, surprising and wonderful experience. We were impressed with how thoughtful, thorough and dedicated their Waterfront team was in working with us and the diverse local artists we support. It was a privilege to see how hard the team works to communicate with all kinds of people in every corner of the city. We urge everyone to engage with this new online portal and with DCP’s workshops, to get up close and personal with their innovative thinking and deep commitment to our city’s waterfronts, and make your voice heard. We can assure you that they will listen and care!,” said Clarinda Mac Low, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Culture Push.

“Residents of the waterfront communities in and around Jamaica Bay and Rockaway can play a key role in framing the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. Through this, and other planning efforts, input from local community members will help shape waterfront policy over the next decade. The Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, which supports over 10,000 acres of parkland mostly along our shorelines, is thankful that this planning effort will engage the public through virtual workshops and offers an even greater opportunity for people to participate and set a vision for our city’s waterfront,” Alex Zablocki, Director, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy said.  

“New Yorkers from the City’s 520 miles of waterfront are critical to shaping the next Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. After 10 years of progress since the last Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, our harbor city has better recreation, more ferry service, and restored ecologically sensitive areas. The climate crisis will challenge this progress and shows us how much more progress is yet to be made, especially in waterfront environmental justice communities," said Cortney Worrall, CEO and President, Waterfront Alliance. “DCP’s virtual public workshops, on the heels of five forums the Waterfront Alliance organized with DCP late last year, give all communities the opportunity to have their voices heard, to shape the City’s waterfront and help ensure the resiliency needed for all New Yorkers in the new climate future.”

“In working with DCP, we’ve had a front row seat to their process, and how much depends on the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. We also learned so much about how we—as both artists and NYC citizens—have a role to play in the future of our city through participating in the public planning process. The only people who know more about our waterfront than DCP (and they know a lot!) are us New Yorkers; and our experiences of the waterfront are crucial to shaping our New York for years to come,” said Nancy Nowacek, Co-Founder, Works on Water.

The workshops are tailored for local communities. Participants can join by videoconference on Zoom or by calling from any phone. The hour and a half long meetings, which are also accessible through NYC Engage, are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. for:

• Sept. 15: Bronx: Eastchester Bay, East River and Bronx River (Community Districts 9, 10, 11, 12)
• Sept. 17: Queens: Northern Queens (Community Districts 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 – please note this meeting will start at 5:30 p.m.)
• Sept. 29: Staten Island North Shore, West Shore (Community Districts 1, 2 – please note this meeting will start at 5:30 p.m.)
• Sept. 30: Brooklyn: New York Harbor (Community Districts 6, 7, 8, 9)
• Oct. 1: Bronx: Hudson River, Harlem River, Hunts Point Peninsula, Bronx River (Community Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
• Oct. 13: Staten Island: South Shore, East Shore (Community Districts 2, 3 – please note this meeting will start at 5:30 p.m.)
• Oct. 15: Queens: Southern Queens (Community Districts 9, 10, 12, 13, 14)
• Oct. 26: Brooklyn: Northern Brooklyn (Community Districts 1, 2, 3, 4)
• Oct. 27: Manhattan: Upper Manhattan, East Side (Community Districts 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12)
• Oct. 29: Brooklyn: Southern Brooklyn (Community Districts 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
• Nov. 10: Queens: East River (Community Districts 1, 2, 5)
• Nov. 12: Manhattan: Lower Manhattan, West Side (Community Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9)

Each workshop will start with a presentation by DCP on the preliminary goals and issues the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan aims to address, followed by small group discussions to share ideas.

These workshops build on over a year of public outreach, including more than 20 events in all five boroughs, waterfront tours, appearances at seasonal or nature-focused festivals and our Waterfront Planning Camp. DCP continued engagement with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, through online programs like #WaterfrontWednesdays and Walking the Edge, done in collaboration with local arts and water organizations. 

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.

Yankee Protest Tomorrow 10 AM - GATE # 2 MOVED TO Thursday, September 17 @ noon @ Gate 2 @ our Yankee Stadium

YANKEE PROTEST Moved to Thursday September 17th

12 PM - Gate #2  'OUR YANKEE STADIUM'.

New York Attorney General James and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Take Action Against Debt Collection Operation and its Owners and Managers

 

  New York Attorney General Letitia James, in partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), today took action against a Buffalo-based debt collection operation accused of using illegal methods to collect debts. From at least 2015 through the present, the lawsuit alleges that defendants used deceptive, harassing, and improper methods to induce consumers to make payments to them in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA), and New York state law. 

“We will not sit idly by as debt collectors extort payment from consumers by using illegal and deceitful tactics,” said Attorney General James. “Collecting on money that consumers do not owe — and doing so using false threats of arrest and other unscrupulous means — is inexcusable and unlawful. My office is committed to defending the rights of New Yorkers, and I thank the CFPB for their partnership in this case.”

“This lawsuit should send a clear message to debt collectors who violate the law that we will take action to stop such practices and protect consumers,” said CFPB Director Kathleen L. Kraninger. “The Bureau is committed to holding these companies and individuals accountable for threatening, harassing, and deceiving consumers. I thank Attorney General James and her staff for working with us on this matter.”

JPL Recovery Solutions, LLC; Regency One Capital LLC; ROC Asset Solutions LLC, which does business as API Recovery Solutions; Check Security Associates LLC, which does business as Warner Location Services and Orchard Payment Processing Systems; and Keystone Recovery Group operated as one common operation enterprise that shared headquarters, exchanged financial transactions, and bought out each others’ acquired debts. The defendants are alleged to have deceived consumer debtors by making them believe that their debt was being bought by another company, when in fact their debt was being passed around different entities owned by the same people.

The lawsuit also names the principals and the managers of these companies individually. The individual defendants are Christopher Di Re and Scott Croce, who have held ownership interests in some or all of the defendant companies, and Brian Koziel and Marc Gracie, who are members of Keystone Recovery Group, and have acted as managers of some or all of the defendant companies. 

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In the lawsuit, the OAG and CFPB allege that the defendants violated several provisions of the FDCPA by threatening consumers with arrest or legal action the firms had no intention of taking, or could not legally take; threatening to contact consumers’ employers, family, and friends to disclose the debt; claiming consumers owed more debt than they did in order to convince them to pay the amount owed; harassing consumers by using intimidating, belittling, or menacing language and repeatedly and excessively phoning consumers; and failing to provide legally required notices informing consumers of their right to know how much they owed and of their ability to dispute the amount or existence of the purported debt.

This case follows suit in a long line of actions taken by Attorney General James to seek justice on behalf of consumers in New York state. Just last year, Attorney General James announced $66 million in restitution and penalties against debt collection kingpin, Douglas McKinnon, who engaged debtors using similar deceptive and illegal tactics.

The complaint seeks consumer redress, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, civil money penalties, and appropriate injunctive relief against the defendants.