SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE MASSIVE GRANT – $11.5 MILLION IN FEMA FUNDING FOR YONKERS FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HIRE 30 ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS

 

Funding Will Be Used To Hire 30 Yonkers Firefighters Saving the City & Department Millions in Overtime Costs

Senators Say Yonkers Firefighters Have Worked Tirelessly Throughout The COVID-19 Pandemic, Clocking Over 6.5M In Overtime

Schumer, Gillibrand: Federal Funding Will Help Put Out Budget Fire Facing Yonkers Fire Department

 U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $11,580,930 in federal funding for the City of Yonkers Fire Department to hire 30 additional firefighters. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program.

Specifically, the Senators explained, Yonkers Fire Department will fill 20 currently vacant positions and staff an additional 10 positions left open due to long term medical leave. This federal funding will help to relieve some of the financial stress that Yonkers has experienced due to additional overtime costs resulting from staffing shortages, vacant positions, and long term medical leaves.   

“From the peak of the pandemic to normal times, our brave Yonkers firefighters are always on the front lines, risking their lives to protect their community,” said Senator Schumer. “These courageous first responders deserve all the federal support possible to help them do their jobs. I’ve fought my whole career to bring more federal resources to support our heroic firefighters, and I’m proud to deliver this funding so Yonkers Fire Department can hire 30 new desperately needed firefighters without bearing the financial stress.”

“New York’s first responders have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe throughout the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As we enter fire season amidst a global pandemic, we must ensure our fire departments in Westchester have the resources needed to hire and retain firefighters. I will always fight to secure the funding our fire departments need to stay safe as they enter the line of duty.”

“Many thanks to Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the Department of Homeland Security for their commitment and advocacy of our Yonkers Fire Department,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “This SAFER grant will support the hiring of 30 new firefighters over the next three years, saving Yonkers taxpayers $3 million a year. Now more than ever, we need to invest in our essential workers who are on the frontlines and this funding assures our City can support them as well as our current firefighters,” said Mike Spano, Mayor of the City of Yonkers.

“We are grateful that Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand were able to secure this critical funding for the Yonkers Firefighters. These federal dollars will help keep the Yonkers Fire Department whole and allow us to continue to provide the citizens of Yonkers with the premier fire and emergency response they deserve,” said Barry McGoey, President Yonkers Firefighters IAFF Local 628.

The funding comes as Yonkers Fire Department faces staffing vacancies from attrition, long term sick or injury leave, and absences due to COVID-19 collectively creating additional unexpected overtime costs over $6,500,000.00. The senators said that the federal funding announced today will be used to offset the need for additional overtime funding by expanding the Department to better serve the City of Yonkers.

After hearing from the city and the department in June, both senators asked DHS Secretary Chad Wolf and FEMA Acting Administrator Peter Gaynor to fully fund Yonkers' $11.5M proposal to hire 30 additional firefighters. The senators emphasized the devastating financial impacts of COVID-19 in Yonkers, New York's fourth-largest city and one of the nation's first hot spots for the virus.

Senator Schumer’s letter to Secretary Wolf appears below:

Dear Acting Secretary Wolf:

I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by Yonkers Fire Department (YFD) for funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants program.

Located in Westchester County, New York, Yonkers is the fourth largest city in New York State with 210,000 residents across 21 square miles. The YFD has faced several major impacts to their budget recently, from a 20% reduction in state aid to lost hotel and sales tax revenues, combined with increased overtime from staffing vacancies.

With new developments, an increase in population and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, YFD has seen a dramatic increase in call volume, along with new risks. Without SAFER Grant funding, YFD will be unable to maintain a modern, adequately trained and equipped fire department.

I applaud the Yonkers Fire Department for its foresight, and sincerely hope the application meets with your approval.

Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my Grants Coordinator in my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NEW CLEANLINESS INITIATIVES FOR STREETS AND PARKS

 

“New Yorkers deserve clean, safe communities and with this announcement today we are continuing to deliver on that promise,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our sanitation professionals have been heroes throughout this crisis. They deserve all the support they can get in their fight to keep New York City clean.”

 

The City will take three response actions to supplement current sanitation efforts.

• The City will reallocate a portion of the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) budget to support the restoration of approximately 65 litter basket trucks weekly in areas across the city, a 24 percent increase from current levels. These additional litter basket trucks will focus on the 27 neighborhoods citywide that have been especially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, as well as other areas across the City that will see increased pedestrian traffic as employees return to the workplace.
• The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) will restart CleaNYC with the Doe Fund to provide supplemental cleaning services in neighborhoods and parks across the City through the end of the calendar year. This supplemental cleaning will support efforts by DSNY and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as Business Improvement Districts and other community partners. The Doe Fund provides employment, career training and social services to homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The City will partner with community-based organizations, elected officials and the private sector to sponsor community cleanups and mobilize volunteers to collect litter on streets and in parks. The City will provide tools and logistics support to groups who host cleanups.

Litter basket service will be restored in the 27 COVID-impacted areas listed here.

Senator Luis Sepulveda - Join Us For a Grocery and Backpack Distribution

 

NYC Public Advocate - WILLIAMS OPPOSES INDUSTRY CITY REZONING IN CITY COUNCIL HEARING TESTIMONY

 

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams opposed the Industry City rezoning application today in testimony for a hearing held by the New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. The controversial proposed rezoning has been met with opposition from community members, environmental organizations, and the local Council Member, among others. In his opposition, Public Advocate Williams cited their concerns and stressed that the potential risks of the project could outweigh the possibility of reward.

The Public Advocate discussed the failures of the rezoning process and necessary reforms, arguing that "For far too long, rezonings have not taken into consideration the views of communities of more color. Developers push through projects despite local community members' opposition and concerns. We need to change the process of rezonings, and ensure that residents have ample opportunities to be engaged, especially during the pandemic." He pointed to the need to pass his legislation mandating a racial impact study of any potential rezoning.

He also acknowledged the current financial situation facing the city, but argued that this project would not be a solution, saying "I am not convinced that rezoning will lead to these neighborhoods getting the assistance they need. The promised 20,000 jobs from the proposal, is just that, a promise-- it may not benefit everyone in the community. That worries me." He cited the Hudson Yards project as an example, noting that in that instance "the intended effect of stimulating our economy is yet to occur," and warning of a similar outcome with Industry City. 

Public Advocate Williams' full statement can be downloaded here.

NYC HAS PREVENTED UP TO 15,000 POTENTIAL NEW COVID-19 CASES THROUGH ITS TEST & TRACE EFFORT

 

Three months into Test & Trace, COVID-related visits to emergency departments, case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths, and test positivity are at their lowest point since the beginning of the epidemic

Mayor de Blasio today announced that nearly 80 percent of all positive COVID cases are completing the City’s Test & Trace Corps’ intake, surpassing the program’s initial benchmark goals. To date, the program has also potentially prevented up to 15,000 new COVID-19 cases. Nearly three months since the program’s launch, COVID-related visits to emergency departments, case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths, and test positivity are at their lowest since the epidemic began.

 

"With hospitalizations and test positivity at their lowest point since the beginning of the epidemic, the verdict is clear: Test & Trace is working," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.  New York City is a model for the rest of the nation and we will continue to build on this strong foundation to reopen our city safely." 

 

“Every evidence-based benchmark the City’s Test & Trace Corps exceeds emphasizes the commitment our tracers and New Yorkers have to help stop the spread of COVID-19, continue to safely reopen, and keep their family, friends, and colleagues protected against this pandemic,” said Test & Trace Corps Executive Director Ted Long, MD. “We will continue to do everything possible to ensure positive cases are reached and have the support they need to safely isolate and keep lowering rates of COVID cases and hospitalizations.”

 

The Test & Trace Corps is the City’s comprehensive effort to test, trace, and treat every case of COVID-19. Through a partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Corps allows the City to immediately isolate and care for those who test positive for the virus and then rapidly track, assess, and quarantine anyone they may have infected. 

 

To help all New Yorkers ‘safely separate’ at home and monitor their health status, the Take Care pillar of the Test & Trace Corps also offers free hotel rooms with wraparound services for New Yorkers who are unable to safely separate in their own homes. For those safely separating at home, contact tracers perform daily calls and conduct in-person visits as necessary. These calls allow tracers to gauge the progress of cases, ensure proper compliance with separation protocol, and connect patients to more supportive services as necessary. Today, 96% of all COVID-19 cases and 93% of contacts reported following isolation and quarantine requirements during their conversation with a contact tracer.

 

Additional information on the Test & Trace Corps, including program metrics, is available here.

Governor Cuomo Announces 38th Straight Day With COVID-19 Infection Rate Below 1 Percent

 

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

4 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

SLA and State Police Task Force Visits 1,018 Establishments; Observes 8 Establishments Not in Compliance

Confirms 583 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 444,948; New Cases in 35 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State's COVID-19 infection rate has been below 1 percent for 38 straight days. Yesterday, 0.92 of test results reported to New York 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's government sets the tone for the state's response to COVID-19, but New Yorkers drive it home. We can defeat this virus and create a better future, but we need New Yorkers to wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands as local governments enforce state guidance," Governor Cuomo said. "There's no doubt that we've made progress, but this is not over yet. By staying New York Tough, we'll get through this together."

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,018 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 8 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

• Manhattan - 1
• Queens - 2
• Nassau - 5

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 464 (+0)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 43
• Hospital Counties - 33
• Number ICU - 143 (+12)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 59 (+5)
• Total Discharges - 75,814 (+47)
• Deaths - 4
• Total Deaths - 25,394

International Fugitive And Disbarred Attorney Charged In Over $5 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud

 

  Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging RANDY CRAIG LEVINE, a/k/a “Viktor Lapin,” a/k/a “Andre Santiago Santos Galindo,” a/k/a “Alexander Martinez Lavrov,” a/k/a “Alexander Kozlov,” a/k/a “Hristo Danielov Marinov,” and PHILIP REICHENTHAL with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses.  As alleged, LEVINE induced others to send millions of dollars to REICHENTHAL, who was at the time a licensed attorney, to fund the purchase of Bitcoin after falsely representing that he intended to sell large quantities of Bitcoin to buyers.  REICHENTHAL, who was purportedly acting as an escrow agent for the transactions, then sent a substantial portion of the money to LEVINE, before any Bitcoin was provided by LEVINE to investors.  Neither LEVINE nor REICHENTHAL ever provided any Bitcoin or refunded the investors’ money.      

LEVINE, a U.S. citizen, fled the United States in or about 2005 after learning that he was under investigation for passport fraud and that his residence had been searched.  On or about May 19, 2005, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment charging LEVINE with passport fraud and perjury.  In 2018, LEVINE was arrested in Guatemala with a Russian passport containing the alias “Viktor Lapin.”  In June 2020, he was arrested in Austria with a Bulgarian passport containing the alias “Alexander Koslov.”  Extradition proceedings are pending.

REICHENTHAL was arrested today in Homestead, Florida, and will be presented later today before United States District Judge Jacqueline Becerra in the Southern District of Florida.       

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Randy Levine and Philip Reichenthal allegedly engaged in a scheme to take over $5 million in investor funds under the pretense of offering cryptocurrency for sale.  In reality, when investors’ funds were transferred to Reichenthal, a licensed attorney at the time, for ‘escrow’ at Levine’s behest, the two allegedly pocketed the money.  They never completed the Bitcoin transactions promised to their victim investors.  Today’s arrest of Philip Reichenthal ensures that he and his co-defendant, Randy Levine, will face justice for this alleged scheme.”  

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney said: “As alleged, Levine and Reichenthal operated two fraudulent schemes involving Bitcoin transactions. In both cases, investors wired money to the defendants to fund the purchase of Bitcoin. In neither case did these purchases actually take place. The money was funneled, as alleged, to overseas bank accounts controlled by Levine. While the charges brought today against Levine and Reichenthal are fairly detailed and laden with allegations of complex criminal activity, the truth is much more simple: they were con artists who finally got caught in the act.” 

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

The charges against LEVINE and REICHENTHAL involve two fraudulent schemes.  In the first fraudulent scheme, in approximately June and July 2018, LEVINE induced another individual, the principal of a purported cryptocurrency escrow firm (“Individual-1”), to wire to REICHENTHAL over $3 million of funds from an over-the-counter cryptocurrency broker (“Company-1”) to fund the purchase of Bitcoin after falsely telling Individual-1 that LEVINE would sell thousands of Bitcoin, when in truth and in fact, LEVINE never intended to sell Bitcoin.  After receiving the $3 million, REICHENTHAL, in turn, wired over $2 million to bank accounts in Guatemala held in the name of one of LEVINE’s aliases.  LEVINE then lied to Individual-1 for days about why the deal had not worked out, the status of the purported Bitcoin, and the location of Company-1’s money, which was never returned.

In the second fraudulent scheme, from approximately February 2019 to May 2019, LEVINE induced a Florida resident involved in brokering Bitcoin transactions (“Individual-2”) to cause investors to send to REICHENTHAL over $2 million of the investors’ money to fund the purchase of Bitcoin.  Again, LEVINE told Individual-2 that LEVINE would sell Bitcoin, when in truth and in fact, LEVINE never had any intention of selling Bitcoin to the investors. After receiving the funds from the investors, REICHENTHAL, in turn, sent over $1.9 million to bank accounts in Mexico controlled by LEVINE; the money was then wired to a bank account in Russia held in the name of one of LEVINE’s aliases. LEVINE then lied to Individual-2 and an investor (“Investor-1”) about the status of the investors’ funds, which were never returned.  After Individual-2 sought the return of the funds, LEVINE sent one electronic message threatening to “bring [Individual-2] into all My Legal Problems here in Guatemala including Money Laundering as I have open investigation a d [sic] I will alert the American Authorities you were involved in my operations before just to stick it up your a**.”

In connection with the above transactions, LEVINE used, among other things, various false aliases to communicate with the individuals sending funds to REICHENTHAL and foreign bank accounts held in his false names.  REICHENTHAL used bank accounts held in the name of his law firm and an attorney trust account to receive the funds and the pass them to LEVINE, before he or investors received the Bitcoin, contrary to REICHENTHAL’s and LEVINE’s promises.  

On or about October 31, 2019, the Supreme Court of the State of Florida granted REICHENTHAL’s own petition for voluntary disciplinary revocation of his bar license after approximately 12 attorney disciplinary charges were filed against him related to his “receipt of approximately $2,125,000.00 in escrow funds and subsequent failure to disburse in accordance with the escrow agreement,” as stated in the court documents.

LEVINE, 53, formerly of Coral Springs, Florida, and REICHENTHAL, 76, of Homestead, Florida, are each charged with one count of conspiring to commit commodities fraud, which carries a maximum term of 5 years in prison, one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, two counts of commodities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of money laundering, which carries a 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 sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and also thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of Financial Investigations for their assistance. 

The charges contained in the Complaint 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 Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Make the Yankees Pay Protest and Rally Thursday September 17th 12 PM GATE 2