Attorney General James Ends Discriminatory Housing Practices Against Jewish Community in Orange County

 

Orange County and Town of Chester Mandated to Comply with Fair Housing Act

Following Concerted Efforts to Stop Jewish Community from Moving to Chester

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that her office has reached agreements with Orange County and the Town of Chester to end their use of discriminatory housing practices that were designed to prevent members of the Jewish community from moving to Chester, New York. The agreements mandate that the county and the town comply with the Fair Housing Act and take preventative measures to ensure equitable housing practices moving forward.

“The discriminatory and illegal actions perpetrated by Orange County and the Town of Chester are blatantly antisemitic, and go against the diversity, inclusivity, and tolerance that New York prides itself on,” said Attorney General James. “Every New Yorker deserves equal opportunities in housing, regardless of gender, race, nationality, or their faith. Today and every day, I stand with all communities against hate and discrimination, which will not be tolerated in New York state.”

In May 2020, Attorney General James intervened in lawsuit filed by the developers of the “The Greens at Chester,” alleging that the town and county engaged in a concerted and systematic effort to prevent Hasidic Jewish families from moving to Chester by blocking the construction of a housing development. The original lawsuit, filed in July 2019, outlined countless discriminatory and unnecessary actions that Chester and Orange County took to stop the homes from being built in order to prevent Jewish families from purchasing and occupying them — gross violations of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act dictates that it is unlawful for anyone to refuse to sell or rent a dwelling based on an individual's religion, race, sex, national origin, or familial status, among other protected classes.

In October 2017, the developers of The Greens purchased a 117-acre property in the Town of Chester in Orange County, New York, which had been fully approved for residential development under the ownership of the previous developer. Since the purchase of the property in 2017, officials from the town repeatedly sought to block development of the site and openly expressed discriminatory intent to block the development at public town meetings — explicitly referencing their desire to keep Hasidic families out of the community. 

Additionally, the town placed multiple obstacles in the way of the developers in an attempt to thwart construction — all in violation of a settlement agreement, reached in 2010, regarding the zoning and construction of the land. They passed a law to restrict the size of the houses that could be built in an attempt to make them uninhabitable for families. The town also advanced proposals to levy extra taxes on the development; to limit the hours that construction could occur on the site; and to require the developer to provide the personal information of its managing partners to local officials. 

The town also imposed costly and unnecessary requirements that the developer had to comply with before construction could commence, including mandating that a new sewer waste line be rerouted and requesting the main road be moved by 10 feet. After the developer complied with each of these unnecessary requests, the town still denied all building permit applications, even though the developer clearly satisfied the requirements necessary to be granted the permits. A separate agreement between the developers, Orange County, and the Town of Chester has resulted in the construction of The Greens moving forward.

The agreements announced today mandate that Orange County and the Town of Chester must enact numerous policies to uphold fair housing regulations, including:

• Full compliance of the Fair Housing Act;
• Adopting outreach measures that disseminate information about fair housing to communities;
• Administering fair housing trainings to county and town employees working in housing or planning;
• Appointing a fair housing compliance officer; and
• Documenting and reporting of all housing discrimination complaints to the Office of the Attorney General.

198 Days and Counting

 

The series with Milwaukee is tied 3 - 3, but they are playing at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. Let's go Nets, and advance to the next round the Conference Finals in the NBA playoffs. Only nine games more to win the championship. 

What's that, today is Friday I'm going to make a few appearances I have to as Mayor, then its get ready for Game 7 of the NBA Conference Semi Finals, GO BROOKLYN.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE DEMOCRACYNYC AND THE NYC CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION HOSTS “COUNTDOWN TO VOTE”, INCLUDING PERFORMANCES, THE PEOPLE’S BUS AND LARGE-SCALE PROJECTION/ILLUMINATION

 

Event at Union Square featured Broadway dancers, stilt walkers, building projections, and a former Dept. of Correction bus that has been converted to a civic engagement art installation

 On Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at Union Square, DemocracyNYC hosted “Countdown to Vote,” a free community event open to the public to promote the Primary Election and Ranked Choice Voting. The event featured performances by local artists as well as The People’s Bus—a retired NYC Department of Correction vehicle that has been transformed into a community-led, intergenerational mobile civic engagement center. 

Photos and video from the event can be found here.

The People’s Bus is designed by Yazmany Arboleda, a Colombian-American artist who creates living sculptures. The bus will be parked on the plaza at Union Square for the event and will have opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages to learn about voting and to provide feedback for the development of the bus.

Performances at the event included local performers: rapper Kosha Dillz and Friends, Tony Glausi’s jazz trio, Broadway dancers Annelise (of “Jagged Little Pill”) and Kyle (of “Beauty and the Beast”), the Street Beat Brass Drum Line, stilt performer Brianna, NYC-based all-women Brazilian Samba Reggae drum line Fogo Azul, and Harlem-based youth poet Fanta Ratty. 

A large-scale illumination was executed by The Illuminator, a NYC-based artist-activist collective, and featured Ranked Choice Voting-focused artwork by diverse NYC-based artists including Ruben Dario Ramirez, Bernardo Rodriguez, Suzanne Ruzzo, and others.

As of 2021, NYC is using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in primary and special elections for NYC offices. Ranked Choice Voting is a new system of voting in which you can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. With so much at stake in local elections and the implementation of a new system of voting, public education is even more important than ever this year, which is why DemocracyNYC is working on educating New Yorkers through multilingual workshops, Get Out the Vote programming, community engagement, phonebanking, tech tools, and print and digital media campaigns.

DemocracyNYC is a nonpartisan mayoral initiative focused on increasing voter participation and civic engagement in NYC. For more information about the City’s $15 million Ranked Choice Voting campaign, see here.

The Civic Engagement Commission was created in 2018 through a Mayoral Charter Revision Commission and citywide vote. CEC’s Mission is to enhance civic participation in order to increase civic trust and strengthen democracy in New York City. The Commission is committed to engaging and listening to communities, while lifting up the voices of all New Yorkers, particularly the underserved and marginalized.

Production partners for this event include Enfluence, Kaleidoscope, and F.Y. Eye.

“As the amazing event in Union Square demonstrated, we are here to tell New Yorkers loud and clear: Ranked Choice Voting here—and it can be fun and engaging, too!” said Laura Wood, Chief Democracy Officer at DemocracyNYC. “DemocracyNYC is thrilled to work with so many wonderful artists from this great City to get out the vote in the final stretch before the June 22 Primary Election. From the pizza toppings vote to our multilingual media campaign, from our in-person and online informational events, to our street canvassing, phone-banking and texting, we believe that partnering with local artists and community leaders is the best way to build a campaign that is truly by and for New Yorkers. We hope New Yorkers feel the energy and vote by June 22.”

"On Wednesday, The Civic Engagement Commission's "Peoples Bus" rolled up to Union Square for the last stop on our five borough voter education tour. Together with agency partners, community organizations, artists, and performers, we brought information and excitement around the election directly to New Yorkers, meeting them where they are at. It is crucial that civic engagement be accessible, intelligible, and joyful; activations like the "Countdown to Vote" do exactly that," said Dr. Sarah Sayeed, Chair & Executive Director of the New York City Civic Engagement Commission.

“Community events like the one at Union Square bring New Yorkers together to celebrate their fundamental right to vote and help us reach New Yorkers in creative, attention-getting ways,” said Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson. “Voting impacts New Yorkers' everyday lies, so we need to bring voting into their everyday lives. What a great way to herald the future of fairer and more inclusive elections by celebrating Ranked Choice Voting.”

"Enfluence is so proud to be part of such a fun, lively,  and most importantly impactful event around the upcoming election and Ranked Choice Voting education! We felt the energy of the city and the excitement of the people,” said Kendra Weldon, Enfluence Co-founder.

BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY DARCEL D. CLARK ANNOUNCES SEVEN ALLEGED BETANCES GANG MEMBERS/ASSOCIATES INDICTED FOR SERIES OF SHOOTINGS IN THE SOUTH BRONX

 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea today announced that seven alleged members or associates of the Betances Gang, who operated in and around the Betances Houses in the South Bronx, have been variously charged in four indictments on charges including conspiring to murder and assault rival gang members and possessing firearms for incidents spanning the past three years. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “These alleged gang members fired guns on the streets of the South Bronx, bringing fear to residents during a long period of violence. In one incident, the defendants severely wounded a young man. The shootings were retaliatory, and with these charges we believe we ended a cycle of gunfire.”

 NYPD Commissioner Shea said, “Each day the NYPD works to identify and dismantle gangs and crews and prevent the senseless violence that is often associated with their activity. This challenging and often dangerous work continues to be of paramount importance to the NYPD and our law enforcement partners. I thank and commend the NYPD detectives involved in this Bronx investigation for their dedication to this vital work and I thank the members of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their efforts which led to these indictments.”

 District Attorney Clark said defendant, Michael Columna, 20, of the Bronx, was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Denis Boyle and remanded. Defendant Jhustin Martinez, 18, of the Bronx, was arraigned on June 14, 2021 before Judge Boyle and was remanded. Defendant Jeremy Delgado, 18, of the Bronx, was arrested and arraigned on May 25, 2021, before Judge Boyle and bail was set in the amount of $250,000 cash, $500,000 insurance company bond, and $750,000 partially secured bond at 10 percent. Raymond Corchado, 18, Adam Delarosa, 19, and Joshua Sampson, 17, all of the Bronx, were indicted and arraigned previously. Defendant Derek Centeno, 17, of the Bronx has not been apprehended.

 According to the joint investigation by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division, members and associates of Betances conspired to acquire firearms in order to protect the areas in and around the Betances Houses, which they considered to be their turf.

 Members of this organization often used coded language to discuss and boast about their illicit activities in telephone conversations and on social media.

 According to the indictments, on March 15, 2019, alleged Betances Gang members Derek Centeno, Jeremy Delgado, and Jhustin Martinez, fired multiple times at a member of Patterson YGz Gang, nearly striking him, behind a building at 880 Garrison Avenue. The shooting was allegedly planned in retaliation for a previous shooting committed against one of their own.

 According to the indictments, on March 21, 2019, alleged Betances members Michael Columna, and Jhustin Martinez, fired multiple times at a Patterson YGz member, striking the victim in the head and causing life-altering injuries. This shooting also was in retaliation for a shooting committed against another member of Betances.

 According to the investigation, on January 27, 2019, Adam Delarosa, Jhustin Martinez, and other Betances associates, robbed and assaulted a young woman on a subway platform in the Bronx. On March 18, 2020, alleged Betances members Raymond Corchado, Adam Delarosa, and others, acting together, shot at rival gang members at the Mitchell Houses in the Bronx. A .380 caliber firearm was recovered after the shooting. On January 7, 2021, alleged Betances associate Joshua Sampson discharged a firearm on the corner of East 149th Street and Exterior Street in the Bronx. Officers recovered a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol after Sampson fled from the police and discarded the gun down the garbage chute of a nearby building.

 Jhustin Martinez allegedly committed violent attacks while being held at Horizon Juvenile Facility in the Bronx. He allegedly assaulted another detainee, causing the victim to suffer a concussion and a fracture to the face, and allegedly assaulted an officer, causing him bruising and swelling.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Patriciann Caputo, Detective Michael DelGardo, Detective Cristofer Schiavone, Sergeant Louis Martinez, Lieutenant Paul Prendergast, Captain Brian McCaughey and Inspector Joseph Savino of the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division, and Chief of Detectives James Essig for their hard work on the investigation. District Attorney Clark thanked police officers from the 40th Precinct and PSA 7 who assisted in the investigation.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Partnerships for Parks - Grants up to $2,000, Free Webinars, Monday Morning Pitch-Ins

GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR PARK Want to join the thousands of New Yorkers that care for our city's parks and playgrounds? Already a volunteer, but need a refresher on working with NYC Parks or tips on expanding your grassroots efforts? Join us at this introductory workshop to get plugged into NYC's expansive network of community groups dedicated to local parks and find out how Partnerships for Parks can help. Attend the workshop and learn how to: Join in on hands-on volunteer opportunities. Beautify and clean up your neighborhood by leading an It's My Park project. Connect with Partnerships for Parks staff with expert knowledge on navigating NYC Parks. Build your group through resources like grants and free workshops. Featured speakers include: Vladimir Cruz, Outreach Co-Director, Partnerships for Parks Mary Daly, Corporate Program Manager, Partnerships for Parks Kangela Moore, President, Friends of Brookville Park Laura Veno, Community Coaching Manager, Partnerships for Parks Registration for this session is required and will close the day before the event. You will receive information on how to join the webinar once you register. Can't make it? Reach out to academy@cityparksfoundation.org to view a recording.   Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm   REGISTER INFO SESSION FOR GRASSROOTS GROUPS The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our City, leaving parks and green spaces struggling. In May 2020, a coalition launched the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund to respond to the most urgent needs facing organizations of any size that care for our City’s parks and open spaces. The intent of the funding is to keep parks, gardens, and open spaces green, clean, and safe. Grant funding of up to $2000 is now available for groups with annual operating budgets of less than $15,000 with demonstrated experience working in NYC’s open spaces and supporting community health and wellness. The application launches on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 and the deadline to apply is Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 12 noon. Join us at an info session webinar and learn everything you need to know about applying for funding.  Registration for this session is required and will close the day before the event. You will receive information on how to join the webinar once you register. Recorded video will be available at cityparksfoundation.org/nyc-green-fund for anyone unable to join.   Register for an info session on Wednesday, June 23 Register for an info session on Tuesday, June 29   LEARN MORE MONDAY MORNING PITCH-INS  During the pandemic, parks have become more important than ever. Show your park some love by joining a Monday Morning Pitch-In! Volunteer to pick up litter on any Monday morning this summer to help make our parks cleaner, safer, and greener for our families, pets, friends, and neighbors. Share a before/after video on Instagram Reels for a chance to be featured on all our platforms! Just tag us and use #WeArePfP. Chameleon Cold Brew, in partnership with NYC Parks, is thanking volunteers with a special offer of their Chameleon Cold Brew.  After participating in this project, volunteers will be eligible for a chance to win a year's supply of Chameleon Cold Brew! *some restrictions apply.  *Pitch-Ins will be held on the Tuesday following holiday Mondays. SIGN UP Partnerships for Parks is a joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks that supports and champions a growing network of leaders caring and advocating for neighborhood parks and green spaces. We equip people and organizations with the skills and tools needed to transform these spaces into dynamic community assets. Generous private support for Partnerships for Parks is provided by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, TD Bank, the New York Community Trust, Altman Foundation, the Greenacre Foundation, and the MJS Foundation. Public support is provided by the NYC Council under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson through the Parks Equity Initiative.

 

RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: CITY OF NEW YORK, CHAPIN HALL AND POINT SOURCE YOUTH LAUNCH GROUNDBREAKING DIRECT CASH TRANSFER STUDY FOR ADDRESSING YOUNG ADULT HOMELESSNESS

 

First-in-nation initiative aims to empower young people, increase their access to safe and stable housing, and improve evidence on what works to end youth homelessness

 

In the first phase of the study, 30 to 40 young adults (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness will receive $1,250 per month for up to two years; a rigorous evaluation will compare the outcomes and experiences of young people in the project to young people who receive smaller stipends for completing surveys

 Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Point Source Youth today announced the Trust Youth Initiative: Direct Cash Transfers to Address Young Adult Homelessness (young people age 18-24). The study will provide and evaluate direct cash assistance with optional supportive services to help advance the goal of ending youth homelessness in New York City and build actionable evidence. 

 

New York City youth/young adult-serving nonprofit agencies are encouraged to consider the Request for Proposals announced today for implementing the project’s supportive programming and recruitment processes.  

 

A collaborative team from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Point Source Youth developed the project based on an intensive research and multistakeholder design process. Point Source Youth will oversee and support program design and implementation by local nonprofit(s), Chapin Hall will lead research and evaluation, and UpTogether will manage the cash transfers to participants through its online platform. All three organizations will work together to develop evidence and infrastructure for a scalable policy solution to our nation’s youth homelessness crisis. 

 

The initiative is funded by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (for evaluation support), the Block-Leavitt Foundation, Melville Charitable Trust, Robin Hood Foundation, and the NYC Fund to End Youth & Family Homelessness, a funder collaborative that is hosted by FJC - A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds. It also involves collaboration with multiple agencies, including the Office of the Mayor, the Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI), the Continuum of Care (CoC) and its Youth Action Board, the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), and the Department of Social Services (DSS). 

 

“A Recovery for All of Us requires embracing innovating solutions to our most pressing challenges,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The direct cash transfer study, designed in collaboration with Chapin Hall and Point Source Youth, will help uplift young people and reinforces our commitment to ending youth homelessness once and for all.”

 

“New York City is the place many young people from towns and cities across the country look to for hope and a home, particularly LGBTQI youth who disproportionately experience physical and mental health challenges, and higher rates of homelessness and unemployment," said First Lady Chirlane McCray, who leads the NYC Unity Project and is chair of the Mayor’s Fund. "Today's announcement strengthens our commitment to provide social and economic supports that are critical to long-term success and stability for young people across our City."

 

“Housing insecurity can affect New Yorkers of all ages, and as a City we’re committed to helping young people navigate these challenges with understanding, care, and opportunity,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog. “Our new cash transfer program is an evidence-based effort that has the potential to give young adults a foundation to create greater stability in their housing circumstances and build up. I thank all of our partners for working together to prioritize our younger New Yorkers.”

 

“When young adults are not able to secure stable housing, the economic and personal costs can be significant – leading to public expenditures in shelter and other services, and more painfully, exacting a human toll from those who experience housing insecurity,” said Matthew Klein, executive director of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity.  “This cash assistance program was co-designed by young people who have been through homelessness, and we should listen to those who are closest to the problems we are trying to address.  Our office is pleased to support this important research, and to help policymakers better understand the potential effectiveness of cash payments to reduce homelessness and help young adults lead more productive, fulfilling lives.”

 

Attorney General James Sues Lear Capital and Founder for Defrauding New Yorkers Out of $10 Million in Precious Metal Investment Scam

 

Lear Defrauded New Yorkers Out of a Third of Investments

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed a lawsuit against Lear Capital (Lear) and its founder, Kevin DeMeritt, for cheating nearly 1,000 New Yorkers out of approximately $10 million. In the petition, Attorney General James alleges that Lear persuaded investors — including many elderly residents of Western New York who were seeking to safeguard their retirement savings — to invest tens of millions in precious metals, primarily coins. Lear did this while fraudulently charging undisclosed commissions — up to 33 percent — on more than $43 million in sales. Lear targeted New Yorkers’ individual retirement accounts and other savings, and charged hidden commissions that instantly reduced New Yorkers’ investments by as much as one-third — unlawfully profiting approximately $10 million at the commencement of these investments. Lear also perpetrated its scheme while not being registered as a commodity broker-dealer, commodity investment advisor, or a telemarketer — all as required by New York law. 

“When it comes to protecting New Yorkers’ life savings, we will not hesitate to do everything in our power to protect their investments and their ability to retire with dignity,” said Attorney General James. “Simply put, Lear Capital’s business plan relied heavily on cheating nearly 1,000 New Yorkers who were afraid of losing their hard-earned retirement savings out of approximately $10 million. Lear’s promises of safe investments in precious metals only ended up defrauding New Yorkers out of up to a third of everything they invested through hidden commissions. Our office will not allow fraudsters and cheats to raid retirement savings and leave New Yorkers’ scrapping to get by, which is why today’s action not only seeks to immediately halt Lear’s illegal scheme, but return millions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ wallets.”

To earn trust from prospective investors at the start, Lear falsely told them that Lear’s success was directly related to the investors’ success and that investors’ financial security was Lear’s main concern. The truth, however, was that Lear’s success was inversely related to the investors’ interests; Lear largely profited by charging a hefty, yet hidden, commission of up to 33 percent that caused investors to instantly lose up to one-third of their investment. The language detailing the exorbitant commissions was hidden among boilerplate legal terms — in the middle of a recorded confirmation — and presented in such a way that investors either missed it completely or did not understand it to mean that Lear was taking up to a third of their investment for itself.

In an effort to further its scheme, Lear also coached investors on answers to questions, made up financial terms that are not accepted as industry standard, and sent investors invoices that omitted or made information on commissions hard to read.

Lear additionally committed these frauds while failing to register in New York as a commodities broker-dealer, investment advisor, or telemarketer.

To this day, Lear and DeMeritt continue to fraudulently market and sell commodities in the form of precious metals and coins to New Yorkers, which is why — in addition to the lawsuit filed in Erie County State Supreme Court today — Attorney General James also seeks a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the company’s illegal activities.

Attorney General James seeks an order permanently barring Lear and DeMeritt from operating in New York, restitution for investors, disgorgement, damages, penalties and costs.

Constituent Services Are “Job One” For City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara

 

CouncilStat Database Shows Constituent Services Have Not Been Provided in District 15 for Months

 City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara, running in the Bronx District 15 Democratic Primary election, pledges to make constituent service her highest priority. Ferrara, who has a long history of service to her Van Nest community, says she knows first-hand how difficult it is for residents to deal with the city’s bureaucracy.

“I deal with the frustration people experience when trying to get the services or help they’re entitled to by the city. Often it’s heartbreaking to see people try to tackle the bureaucracy,” says Ferrara. “I believe elected officials should use the power of their office to help the people they represent, not to promote themselves. I will focus on cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and making city agencies accountable to the residents of this city.”

District 15’s City Council seat was vacant for nearly five months after Ritchie Torres was sworn into Congress, and it is unclear whether or how constituent needs were met on such matters as applying for U.S. citizenship, housing maintenance issues, help with taxes, and quality of life complaints, says Ferrara.

“The CouncilStat database, which tracks requests for help and how constituents get a response, shows only a handful of contacts from mid-December of last year to mid-January of this year – and nothing since then,” says Ferrara. “Given the volume of questions and complaints each year since 2015, it doesn’t appear that constituent services in District 15 are being provided at all in 2021.”

In her capacity as president of Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance (VNNA), Ferrara says she has been serving the needs of the people in her community without skipping a beat since the beginning of the year, while also running for office.

“I've been on top of every complaint or request from community residents – my future constituents – on all quality of life issues, including illegal car washes, commercial vehicles parked on residential streets after 9 p.m., loud music late at night, and even aggressive raccoons.” Ferrara adds, “I have also continued to lead VNNA monthly meetings, and attend 49th Precinct Council meetings every month.”

Most recently, Ferrara testified before the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform about how several of its proposed changes to property tax rates would raise taxes on owners of one- to three-family homes in District 15 high enough to drive them out of The Bronx.

“The city doesn’t belong to the bureaucrats, and it doesn’t belong to the criminals. It’s our city – the people who work hard, obey the law and pay their taxes – and I think it’s worth fighting for,” says Ferrara. “That’s what I will do when elected. Fight for the people I represent.”