Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Raymond Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the return of a superseding indictment charging KYLE MULLINGS, a/k/a “Kase,” with murder in aid of racketeering and murder through the use of a firearm in connection with the murder of Daquan Cooper on June 25, 2015, in the Bronx. MULLINGS was already in federal custody on other charges. On November 5, 2019, an indictment was unsealed charging co-defendant Jose Rodriguez, a/k/a “Hov,” a/k/a “Hov Goon,” in connection with the murder of Daquan Cooper.
MULLINGS will be presented at a later date. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged in the indictment, Kyle Mullings and others were responsible for the murder of Daquan Cooper in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx in 2015. We commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement partners to bring Mullings to justice.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “HSI and our partners have demonstrated a tireless commitment to dismantling this gang’s complex criminal enterprise through multi-agency cooperation, resulting in these indictments. This case highlights that, as alleged, Mullings and other violent perpetrators in our communities are well organized in their criminal pursuits. However, law enforcement in New York continues to be successful in apprehending these pugnacious offenders allegedly responsible for numerous senseless deaths.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond Donovan said: “Great police work and multi-agency cooperation has brought an alleged murderer to justice. I applaud all of our partners for their steadfast diligence throughout this investigation.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
MULLINGS was a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as the Beach Avenue Crew, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, murder, attempted murder, and narcotics trafficking.
On June 25, 2015, MULLINGS orchestrated the murder of Daquan Cooper and provided the firearms that others used to shoot and kill Cooper in the vicinity of 1595 Unionport Road in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx.
MULLINGS, 26, from the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; and one count of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The statutory maximum and mandatory minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of a defendant would be determined by the Court.
Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the NYPD, HSI, and DEA.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 4.86 Percent; New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas is 2.53 Percent
Statewide Positivity Rate is 2.95 Percent
29 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"COVID is raging nationally, setting record numbers of cases and hospitalizations with each passing day," Governor Cuomo said. "While New York is doing better than just about any state in the United States, we are not immune from the national trend. Now it's up to what we do. There is no pre-destined future here. It's a pure consequence of our actions. If we stay New York Tough and don't fall subject to COVID fatigue and we stay smart through the holidays, through Thanksgiving, through Christmas, through Hanukkah, we'll keep it under control. New Yorkers just have to continue to take it seriously. I know it has been a long time, but these next weeks are going to be key and we really need people to buckle down to fend off the tide."
The Governor noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state's Micro-Cluster strategy is 4.86 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 2.53 percent. Within the focus areas, 28,906 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 1,406 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 133,721 test results were reported, yielding 3,391 positives.
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 2019, the 288 ECOs across the state responded to 25,704 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 16,855 tickets or arrests for crimes ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.
Two-thousand-and-twenty marks 50 years for DEC and 140 Years for New York’s Conservation Police Officers. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.
"From Montauk Point and Brooklyn to Buffalo, the ECOs patrolling our state are the first line of defense in protecting New York's environment and our natural resources, ensuring that they exist for future generations of New Yorkers," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "Our ECOs have worked arduous hours, both deep in our remote wildernesses and in the tight confines of our urban landscapes, for far longer than the 50 years since DEC was created. These officers are critical to achieving DEC's mission to protect and enhance our environment and I am confident they will continue this important mission for the next 50 years and beyond."
Tiger (Tooth) King - Queens County
On Sept. 11, a Queens County man was fined for his role in the illegal sale of a tiger tooth. Wildlife parts of endangered species like tigers are prohibited from sale in New York. The tooth was offered for sale on Craigslist for $500. On Aug. 17, ECOs Lovgren and Traynor went undercover to arrange “buying” the tooth pendant and met with the seller in Queens. Igor Mukhin was issued a Notice of Violation for selling endangered wildlife parts and the case was closed with a fine of $500, with $250 suspended. The tiger tooth was forfeited to the State of New York and will be used for educational purposes.
On Oct. 27, two Sullivan County men appeared in the Town of Bethel Court to answer charges related to a poaching incident earlier this year. On Mar. 24, ECOs Wood, Parker, and Doroski received reports from a concerned citizen who advised officers he saw fresh blood in the snow and on the back of a white van just up the road in Bethel. ECO Wood deployed K-9 Deming and located a spent shell casing while ECOs Parker and Doroski investigated the van and noticed what appeared to be deer hair on the back of the van and blood inside of it. Officers interviewed residents at that location, Oscar Casas and Julio Dubon. When questioned, the men admitted to shooting a deer from a vehicle. Casas stated he shot the deer the previous night from his vehicle after the sun had set with the aid of a spotlight and Dubon, a passenger in the car, admitted to assisting with the take of the deer. Dubon showed ECOs where the deer was located inside a shed behind the residence. Officers seized the deer and the rifle and charged Casas with taking deer except as permitted, possession of a loaded long gun in a motor vehicle, and taking deer with the aid of an artificial light. Dubon was charged with being an accessory to the illegal take of a deer, taking deer except as permitted, and taking big game out of season. Both Casas and Dubon agreed to a civil compromise in court and were fined $2,200 plus applicable court fees.
On Nov. 8, ECOs Curinga and Davey responded to reports of two injured barred owls struck by motor vehicles in two separate locations. One of the owls was struck in the town of Copake, Columbia County, while the other was struck in the town of Brunswick, Rensselaer County. The ECOs successfully captured the owls and transported them to Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center in Greene County. Both owls appeared to respond well to treatment and will hopefully be released back into the wild soon.
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Historic Transition to Take Place Simultaneously at 58 Tolling Locations Across Thruway System Overnight Friday, November 13 into Saturday, November 14
New TollsNY App Released Ahead of Transition for Easier Access to Manage E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail Accounts to Pay Toll Bills
Motorists Encouraged to Get E-ZPass at More Than 900 Retail Locations Across the State or to Sign Up Online at E-ZPassNY.com
Toll Plaza Removal and Interchange Reconfiguration to Begin Following Conversion
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced cashless tolling will go live on the New York State Thruway's ticketed system - more than a month ahead of schedule - during the overnight hours of Friday, November 13, into Saturday, November 14. The historic conversion will take place simultaneously at 58 tolling locations across the Thruway's 450-mile ticketed system. The ticketed system is the final section of the Thruway to be converted to cashless tolling, meeting a goal Governor Cuomo set in his 2018 State of the State address.
The official switch will take place in the overnight hours to limit impact to traffic. At the time cashless tolling goes live, cash will no longer be accepted as a form of payment at toll booths and printed toll tickets will not be handed out. To support this transition, NY E-ZPass has released a new TollsNY mobile app to help drivers manage E-ZPass accounts, find and pay Tolls by Mail invoices, and get important account alerts for tolls accrued at Thruway, MTA, and Port Authority tolling sites.
"The completion of this exciting new project will help Thruway travelers save time, as well as reduce traffic, cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality all along the system," Governor Cuomo said. "Getting this cashless tolling system done and getting it done early shows that -even in these trying times - New York will never stop innovating and never stop building for its future"
"Cashless tolling is already improving traffic flow, allowing motorists to get to their destinations easier and quicker without having to stop to pay a toll," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "Less idling also complements our clean energy goals, reducing pollution for a cleaner and greener environment. We encourage all drivers to get an E-ZPass across the state, with a new mobile app to help manage accounts and alerts to make it easier for New Yorkers. This is part of our ongoing efforts to improve and modernize infrastructure and build back better and stronger for the future."
Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said, "The conversion to cashless tolling is one of the largest projects in the Thruway's 66-year history. This unprecedented achievement is a significant milestone that will modernize the Thruway system for millions of drivers and ushers in a new era for toll collection that will benefit generations to come."
The $355 million design-build project to convert to cashless tolling is transforming and modernizing the Thruway system for approximately 267 million motorists that travel the superhighway each year. As part of the project, American-made steel gantries with state-of-the-art technology have been installed to replace cash collection at toll booths. Gantries are located over the Thruway or on exit ramps depending on traffic volumes, safety, and other factors. The tolling structure will not change and drivers will continue to be tolled by distance and exits traveled.
The conversion to cashless tolling marks the end of phase one of the project. Phase two, which begins following the conversion, includes the removal of existing toll plazas. During the interchange reconstruction, drivers will continue to travel through existing toll lanes at reduced speeds without stopping until the booths are removed and road reconfigurations are complete. Drivers should expect traffic shifts and must use caution around the toll plazas during this time, as these will be active construction zones. The posted speed limit when traveling through the toll lanes will be 20 MPH.
Tribute to Toll Collection Staff
After 66 years of operation, the conversion marks the end of an era for the Thruway Authority. Since the first tolls were collected on the Thruway in June 1954, toll collectors have been the backbone of the Authority, assisting customers and collecting cash tolls along the superhighway. From 1954 to 2020, more than 12,000 men and women have served as toll collectors, working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in all weather conditions. As a tribute, the Thruway Authority launched a webpage dedicated to the history of toll collection.
TollsNY App
Ahead of the conversion to cashless tolling on the NYS Thruway, the new TollsNY mobile app has been released to help drivers manage E-ZPass accounts, find and pay Tolls by Mail invoices, and get important account alerts for tolls accrued at Thruway, MTA, and Port Authority tolling sites. The TollsNY app is available free in the Apple Store and Google Play.
When system-wide cashless tolling is operational, motorists will experience non-stop travel under gantries with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images. The system consists of more than 2,000 state-of-the-art cameras affixed to the gantries.
Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged and vehicles without E-ZPass tags will have their license plate image captured and a toll bill mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle via Tolls by Mail. Non E-ZPass customers have a number of options to pay including by mail, over the phone, online, and via the TollsNY app. Customers who call **826 from most mobile devices will receive a text message with a link to the Tolls by Mail website and information on how to pay their toll bill.
Get E-ZPass Today and Start Saving Money
Motorists are encouraged to sign up for E-ZPass, the easiest and quickest way to pay tolls on the NYS Thruway. All drivers, regardless of residency, can sign up for a New York E-ZPass account at E-ZPassNY.com or by calling the E-ZPass Toll Free Customer Service Center at 800-333-TOLL (8655). E-ZPass On-the-Go tags are available at 26 Thruway Service Areas system-wide, more than 900 locations across the state including participating grocery and convenience stores as well as government offices, DMV offices, and AAA retail stores.
Current E-ZPass customers are encouraged to sign up for mobile alerts and to properly mount Tags to their windshield. Customers can login to their account at e-zpassny.com for more information.
For additional information on how cashless tolling works and tips on how to pay bills on time, visit the Thruway Authority's website at thruway.ny.gov/cashless.
Taxi Workers Alliance proposal offers strategic and comprehensive roadmap to relieve crushing debt, resolve non-performing loans, and save taxpayer money
Following the tragic deaths of nine drivers in one twelve-month period, plan calls for City to act as backstop for medallion loans held by individual owners
Stringer: Predatory lenders took drivers for a ride and left families in a wreckage of financial distress and despair. We have a fiscal and moral obligation to make this right—and embracing this plan is a start.
New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced support for a breakthrough proposal released by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) to address the taxi medallion crisis that has led to widespread financial devastation among drivers whose medallion values plummeted. NYTWA’s plan calls on lenders to write down outstanding loans to a maximum of $125,000, allowing medallion owners to repay loans on terms they can afford with current earnings. Under this agreement, the City would act as a backstop for medallion loans held by individual owners. After reviewing the proposal, the Comptroller’s Office has concluded that it offers a comprehensive risk management approach that could reduce future liability and costs for taxpayers.
“For decades, driving a cab in New York City was a road to the middle class for immigrants from around the world. But today, the medallion that once promised prosperity and stability is now a financial sinkhole. The taxi medallion crisis is a test of our commitment to fighting poverty and preserving pathways to the American Dream,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “This breakthrough proposal from the Taxi Workers Alliance offers a responsible and necessary approach to relieve crushing debt for drivers and reduce ballooning costs for taxpayers. Predatory lenders took drivers for a ride and left families in a wreckage of financial distress and despair. We have a fiscal and moral obligation to make this right—and embracing this plan is a start. My office has vetted the proposal from the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and found it fiscally sound.”
In the early 2000s, many taxi medallion owners took out loans to purchase medallions at inflated prices that were driven upward by predatory lenders. The advent of app-based for-hire companies like Uber and Lyft further upended this market and popped the speculative bubble, leading to a sharp decline in driver incomes and the value of medallions. The resulting economic catastrophe led nine drivers to commit suicide in a twelve-month period, underscoring the urgent need for action. With the added economic stress brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, even more medallion owners are struggling and unable to afford rent and groceries, let alone their monthly loan payments – which exceed their earnings in some cases. Due to the medallion market collapse, owners across the city are now underwater and their loan balances exceed the market value of their medallions. Yellow cabs, in particular, are impacted by economic downturn in Manhattan and the airports, both of which they rely on for the majority of their fares. Without immediate attention to this crisis, the yellow cab sector will face massive foreclosures and bankruptcies, worsening the economic instability in our city.
NY Taxi Workers Alliance proposal presents strategic roadmap to solve the medallion crisis
The City backstop would benefit all parties—medallion owners, lenders, and City taxpayers
