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Sunday, May 30, 2021
THENEWBXCC - Bronx Business News You Can Use
Councilman Mark Gjonaj's NYC Moving Forward Week in Review - 5/28/2021
Dear Friends,
I hope you and your families are doing well. As we are entering this Memorial Day weekend, please remember the meaning of this holiday to honor the men and women who served our country and the ultimate sacrifices they made.
Food insecurity continues to be a devastating issue in the Bronx, the most impoverished borough in NYC. Since the start of the pandemic along with community organizations we have given out over 125,000 food boxes to those in need. The federal government has decided to end the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program at the end of this month. Please stand with us, and Click Here to sign a petition we started calling on the federal government to extend the Food Box Program for struggling New Yorkers.
Last week I was humbled to unveil a street co-naming in honor of Beatrice Castiglia Catullo, Founder and President of R.A.I.N., one of the largest senior and social service organizations in the Bronx. She was an icon, a humanitarian a leader and a dear friend who devoted her life to others, the sick, the elderly and the community.
During this week’s NYC Council Stated meeting I joined my colleagues in passing a bill confirming permission from the state to begin penalizing parked or unattended semitrailers or trailers on our streets. Our office has received numerous reports about unattended trucks in the district; this practice can congest traffic and take up valuable sidewalk space. This bill will keep sidewalks clear and trucks going where they’re supposed to.
We are proud to present our Summer 2021 Concert Series starting next week, June 4th in Bufano Park. Join us and mark your calendars as we kick off the summer in District 13.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office with any issues or concerns at 718-931-1721 or email at MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov.
Sincerely,
NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj
District 13, Bronx
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Tony Salimbene Says he Voted for Matt Cruz for District Manager of Bronx Community Board 10 - The Minutes I Received From Community Board 10 Say He Was Absent the Night of the Vote
Let's look at the history of a comment by Tony Salimbene today about voting for Matt Cruz for District Manager of Bronx Community Board 10.
Mr. Tony Salimbene was absent from the meeting Where the vote was taken according to the minutes of the April 27, 2017 CB 10 meeting where the vote for new District Manager Matt Cruz (the only choice) was taken, and it was taken in Executive Session according to the minutes.
Tony Salimbene
I am a member of BCB 10 and I voted for Matthew Cruz because he was the best choice based on his experience in Councilman Vacca Office and also who in the Complaint Department of NYC - Agencies etc..... I never regretted voting for him and he was the best choice we were offered...Today at 4:09 PM
Tony Salimbene
I am a member of BCB 10 and I voted for Matthew Cruz because he was the best choice based on his Educationm Experience in Councilman Vacca Office, and also working in other NYC - Agencies etc..... I never regretted voting for him and he was the best choice we were offered... Matthew Cruz is an excellent problem solver...Today at 4:12 PM
Tony Salimbene
I am a member of BCB 10 and I voted for Matthew Cruz because he was the best choice based on his Educationm Experience in Councilman Vacca Office, and also working in other NYC - Agencies etc..... I never regretted voting for him and he was the best choice we were offered... Matthew Cruz is an excellent problem solver and get issued resolved very quickly too !!Today at 4:13 PM
According to the New York City Charter Section 2800 Community Boards, Article D, Item #3
(3) At its discretion hold public or private hearings or investigations with respect to any matter relating to the welfare of the district and its residents, but the board shall take action only at a meeting open to the public;
New York State Open Meetings Law Article 7 Section 105
§105. Conduct of executive sessions. 1. Upon a majority vote of its total membership, taken in an open meeting pursuant to a motion identifying the general area or areas of the subject or subjects to be considered, a public body may conduct an executive session for the below enumerated purposes only, provided, however, that no action by formal vote shall be taken to appropriate public moneys:
a. matters which will imperil the public safety if disclosed; b. any matter which may disclose the identity of a law enforcement agent or informer; c. information relating to current or future investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense which would imperil effective law enforcement if disclosed; d. discussions regarding proposed, pending or current litigation; e. collective negotiations pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law; f. the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation; g. the preparation, grading or administration of examinations; and h. the proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.
218 Days and Counting - Go Brooklyn
Game 4 of the series between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics is tomorrow night. It's a good thing I'm a Boston Red Sox fan, and not a Celtics fan, because I could never wear this Brooklyn Nets shirt. However because I am a Boston Red Sox fan, I can never wear a New York Yankee shirt.
Governor Cuomo Announces State Police, Local Law Enforcement to Crack Down on Impaired and Reckless Driving This Memorial Day Weekend
Enforcement Campaign to Run Through June 1
More Than 8,000 Vehicle and Traffic Law Violation Tickets Issued During Last Year's Initiative
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State Police and local law enforcement statewide will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired, and reckless driving throughout Memorial Day weekend. The enforcement period starts on Friday, May 28 and runs through Tuesday, June 1. Memorial Day is one of the busiest travel holidays of the year and police will be out in force to remove impaired and reckless drivers from our highways.
"This Memorial Day weekend, please honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee our freedom by making smart, safe choices on our roads and highways," Governor Cuomo said. "Impaired driving is reckless, dangerous and puts lives at risk. Please act responsibly and don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking."
Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during this holiday weekend. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles as part of this crackdown in order to more easily identify motorists who are violating the law. CITE vehicles allow the Trooper to better observe driving violations. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
State Police Acting Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, "State Troopers and our local law enforcement partners will be highly visible this weekend, targeting impaired and reckless drivers. If your weekend plans include alcohol, assign a designated driver, or make other plans for a safe ride home. We will have zero tolerance for those who endanger the lives of others."
Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, said, "As the state begins to reopen, we are all eager to get back on the road and visit family and friends and to take vacations. Driving recklessly or under the influence of drugs or alcohol is no way to honor the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy those freedoms and spend time with our loved ones. Out of respect for their sacrifice and for the safety of everyone on the roads, we are urging everyone to be responsible and drive sober."
This initiative is partially funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their "Have a Plan" mobile app, is available for Apple, Droid and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties, and a way to even report a suspected impaired driver.
According to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany, 251 people were killed and 5,151 were injured in drunk driving related crashes in 2019. Another 258 people were killed in drug-related crashes.
On Memorial Day weekend in 2020, Troopers arrested 203 people for driving while impaired, issued 8,907 total tickets, and investigated 457 crashes, which resulted in two fatalities. In addition to the New York State Police, numerous counties and agencies throughout the state also participated in last year's Memorial Day Crackdown.
Construction Company President Charged With Defrauding The State Department In Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Schemes
Sina Moayedi Allegedly Paid Lucrative Bribes to State Department Insider in Exchange for Confidential Bidding Information, and Fraudulently Induced State Department to Pay His Company Approximately $100 Million
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael Speckhardt, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General, announced the arrest today of SINA MOAYEDI, the owner of a construction company, on charges including bribery and fraud. MOAYEDI was arrested in Castleton, Virginia, and will be presented later today in the Western District of Virginia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel C. Hoppe.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Sina Moayedi made misrepresentations about his employees’ qualifications and his company’s ownership in order to induce the State Department into awarding approximately $100 million in lucrative construction contracts to Moayedi’s company, Montage, Inc. Moayedi also allegedly cultivated a State Department insider, and paid the insider lucrative bribes in exchange for confidential State Department bidding information. Moayedi must now be held accountable for his alleged brazen fraud on the government.”
Special Agent in Charge Michael Speckhardt said: “As alleged, the defendant’s scheme to undermine the Department’s procurement process for personal gain caught up with him today and he will now be held accountable. His alleged actions not only hurt other legitimate businesses competing for awards, but also damage the public’s trust in the effective and efficient utilization of taxpayer money.”
According to allegations in the Complaint[1]:
Montage, Inc. (“Montage”) is a U.S.-based business that is primarily involved in worldwide Government construction projects, including embassies, military posts, consulates, and similar overseas properties owned and operated by the United States Government. Montage has performed over $220 million in contracting work for the U.S. Government, including for the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice/Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since 2014, Montage appears to have focused primarily on competing for and obtaining contracts with the State Department. During that period, the State Department has awarded Montage approximately six overseas U.S. Embassy/Consulate construction project contracts totaling $100 million, in locales such as Ecuador, Spain, Sudan, the Czech Republic, and Bermuda. The founder of Montage is SINA MOAYEDI.
Montage engaged in at least two fraud schemes. The first scheme alleges that, from approximately 2014 to September 2020, MOAYEDI and Montage lied that it was a female-owned business in order to secure unmerited advantages in the bidding process. By way of context, it is advantageous to a company, when bidding for federal government contracts, to be majority-owned by an individual from a socially or economically disadvantaged community. In fact, certain contracts (or portions of contracts) are “set aside” for – i.e., only available to – such companies. MOAYEDI and Montage repeatedly represented falsely in submissions to the State Department that Montage was female-owned, or female-owned and minority-owned, in order falsely to induce the State Department to award Montage lucrative construction contracts. In actuality, MOAYEDI repeatedly lied about Montage being a female-owned business, and indeed, MOAYEDI controls Montage and makes all material decisions on Montage’s behalf. As MOAYEDI revealed to a bank that inquired about Montage’s ownership status, “I am the sole owner and president of Montage and have always been.” Montage and MOAYEDI also repeatedly misrepresented, and significantly overstated, the qualifications of Montage employees. MOAYEDI made these misrepresentations in order to, among other things, meet State Department and contractual requirements for minimum experience in certain key positions.
The second scheme charged in the Complaint is a bribery scheme during at least 2016 and 2017. Insider-1 is employed in the State Department’s Overseas Building Operations (“OBO”), which, according to OBO’s website, “directs the worldwide overseas building program for the Department of State and the U.S. Government community serving abroad.” Specifically, Insider-1 works for the State Department’s OBO Project Development and Coordination Division, European division. In connection with overseas construction projects, the State Department has a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) that considers all aspects of an offeror’s plan to execute the project. The TEP has the power to disqualify an offeror. Insider-1 oversaw the TEP for the Hamilton, Bermuda, project – a project that was awarded to Montage. In at least 2016 and 2017, MOAYEDI paid cash bribes to Insider-1 in exchange for confidential State Department bidding information relating to a particular multimillion-dollar contract in Bermuda, for which Montage was then bidding. In connection with the bidding process for the Bermuda project, Insider-1 informed MOAYEDI, in sum and substance, that: His bid was low; Montage could raise its bid by $300,000 and would still be the low bidder; and he should kick back 20 percent, or $60,000, to Insider-1 in return for this information. Shortly thereafter, Montage increased its bid by nearly $1 million. In a letter accompanying the revised bid, MOAYEDI falsely represented to the State Department that Montage’s revised bid was attributable to “an arithmetic error in our estimate worksheets.” MOAYEDI then paid Insider-1 $60,000 in cash, in three separate payments, using two men as intermediaries.
MOAYEDI, 66, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, is charged with one count of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum potential prison sentence of 20 years, and one count of bribery of a public official, which carries a maximum potential prison sentence of 15 years.
The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only; any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the State Department, Office of Inspector General, Special Agents from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Internal Revenue Service. She also thanked Special Agents from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.