157 Days and Counting

 

Here I am yesterday sitting at Orchard Beach in the Bronx winding up my City Hall in the Bronx week. I got to play a little volleyball with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., and he went all out in the game. His team won as my team just couldn't get to the ball, let alone put it over the net. 

My advice to incoming Mayor Eric Adams is to put Diaz Jr, in a very high level position in your administration. He is a good person to have around. I only wish that I could of had Ruben in my administration, then maybe I would have done thing a lot better. So Eric don't pass up our friend Ruben Diaz Jr., he will make a fine 1st Deputy Mayor.  

Dark Web Narcotics Dealer “Fentmaster,” Responsible For Overdose Death, Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison

 

Chukwuemeka Okparaeke Netted Millions by Distributing Kilograms of Fentanyl Analogues and Synthetic Opioids Through a Darknet Marketplace and the United States Mail, Completing Over 7,000 Sales

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHUKWUEMEKA OKPARAEKE, a/k/a “Emeka,” was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for importing and trafficking fentanyl analogues and other synthetic opioids through the dark web.  OKPARAEKE previously pled guilty to distributing U-47700, a controlled substance analogue of AH-7921; importing 100 grams and more of acryl fentanyl, a controlled substance analogue of fentanyl, from Hong Kong; and making false statements to the Government regarding the proceeds of his offenses.  Through his guilty plea, OKPARAEKE admitted that in November 2016, he sold U-47700 to an 18-year-old individual (the “Victim”), who died from an overdose after using the drug.  OKPARAEKE further admitted that his narcotics offenses involved over 9 kilograms of acryl fentanyl, nearly 6 kilograms of U-47700, over a kilogram of furanyl fentanyl, as well as 12 grams of 4-ANPP.  OKPARAEKE was sentenced in White Plains federal court by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who previously accepted OKPARAEKE’s guilty plea. 

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Chukwuemeka Okparaeke previously admitted that he peddled highly addictive opioids over the darknet, including to an 18-year-old who died from them.  Okparaeke also lied to agents and prosecutors about the whereabouts of Bitcoins representing millions of dollars in poison-peddling proceeds.  Now Okparaeke will forfeit those proceeds and go to prison for his crimes.”

According to the allegations in the Superseding Information, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during public court proceedings:

From at least July 2016 through March 2017, OKPARAEKE imported kilogram quantities of fentanyl analogues, including acryl fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids, including U-47700, from Hong Kong and China into the United States.  To transact with customers and coordinate his narcotics sales, OKPARAEKE used a darknet website known as AlphaBay Market (“AlphaBay”), accessible only through a special software program that allows users to mask their identities and anonymize their internet traffic.  Under the AlphaBay vendor name “Fentmaster,” OKPARAEKE engaged in more than 7,000 sales of synthetic opioids, which he shipped to customers throughout the United States using the U.S. Postal Service.  OKPARAEKE’s narcotics trafficking generated criminal proceeds of at least 680.60963624 Bitcoins, worth millions of dollars.

In November 2016, OKPARAEKE sold three grams of U-47700 to the Victim, an 18-year-old living in Vancouver, Washington, in an AlphaBay transaction.  The Victim used the drugs purchased from OKPARAEKE and died in a U-47700 overdose on November 10, 2016. 

OKPARAEKE – who attended medical school before he began selling synthetic opioids on AlphaBay – used extensive measures to conceal his identity, including software to encrypt his internet traffic and communications sent from his cellphone.  Using alter egos, he boasted online about his exploits as a darknet drug trafficker, offered advice to other drug dealers, and published a short story describing his criminal activities and his strategies for evading law enforcement.  In January 2017, Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), intercepted several packages containing kilogram quantities of fentanyl analogues that OKPARAEKE had imported from Hong Kong.  Subsequently, in March 2017, law enforcement searched a drug premises OKPARAEKE maintained in Kearny, New Jersey.  During the search, law enforcement seized more than 10 kilograms of U-47700, acryl fentanyl, and furanyl fentanyl, as well as a quantity of 4-ANPP and approximately 82 mailing envelopes containing smaller amounts of those substances that OKPARAEKE had packaged for distribution to his customers.

On September 15, 2020, OKPARAEKE met with representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  During that meeting, OKPARAEKE falsely represented that the approximately 680 Bitcoins – worth millions of dollars – generated by his narcotics sales on AlphaBay were no longer in his possession and control, and that a third party had stolen the Bitcoins from him through hacking and other unauthorized access to OKPARAEKE’s electronic accounts.  OKPARAEKE subsequently surrendered the 680 Bitcoins to USPIS and agreed to forfeit those proceeds as part of his plea agreement.

In addition to the prison term, OKPARAEKE, 32, of Middletown, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $105,177.30 in United States currency and 680.60963624 Bitcoins, presenting proceeds of his narcotics trafficking.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the USPIS, HSI, CBP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department, the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, the Middletown Police Department, and the Vancouver, Washington, Police Department for their investigative work and ongoing support and assistance with the case. 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - The annual National Night Out is taking place on August 3rd, here are the locations in The Bronx.

 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr - The 2021 Summer Concert Series! Sunday August 1, 2021

 

Join Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Sunday, August 1, 2021 for the Summer Concert Series at Orchard Beach!

Fordham Flea - LARGEST FLEA MARKET IN THE BRONX!

 

DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AND WORKER PROTECTION SETTLES FAIR WORKWEEK CASES WITH FAST FOOD FRANCHISEES

 

A Pizza Hut in the Bronx and a McDonald’s in Brooklyn must pay a total $221,356 in restitution to 135 workers for violating the Fair Workweek Law

Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Acting Commissioner Sandra Abeles today announced settlement agreements with two fast food franchisees, a Pizza Hut in the Bronx and a McDonald’s in Brooklyn, to resolve violations of the NYC Fair Workweek Law on behalf of their workers. The settlements require the companies to pay a total of $221,356 in restitution to 135 workers, $17,043 in civil penalties, and to comply with the Law going forward. 

“Working people are the backbone of our city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Sick leave, predictable schedules and paychecks—these are rights, not privileges, for fast food workers. I applaud DCWP for getting New Yorkers the money they deserve.”

“Too often, fast food workers’ lives are disrupted by last minute changes to their schedules and pay, making it difficult to live a decent, stable living,” said DCWP Acting Commissioner Sandra Abeles. “I want to remind all fast food workers that unpredictable schedules is illegal under the Fair Workweek Law and any employer that retaliates against its employees for exercising their rights will not be tolerated. We thank the workers for bravely coming forward to report these violations.”

“When I complained to my job about my workplace rights being violated, I was fired and eventually became homeless because I was suddenly left with no income,” said Tanairi Reyes, former Pizza Hut worker. “No one should have to risk losing their job in order to have a predictable schedule and paycheck. I’m very happy about the settlement and it is nice to know that the City has our backs.”

DCWP’s investigations revealed that that these fast food franchisees violated the law by failing to provide schedules to employees two weeks in advance, failing to get written consent from employees when adding time to their schedules or when requiring them to work two shifts over two days when there are less than 11 hours between shifts (a “clopening”), failing to pay employees the required premiums for clopening shifts or when schedules were changed, failing to offer available shifts to current employees before hiring new employees, and failing to provide updated written good faith estimates. The investigation also uncovered that Pizza Hut retaliated against an employee who exercised her rights by reducing her hours and then terminating her. In addition to Fair Workweek violations, DCWP found Paid Safe and Sick leave violations at Pizza Hut, including failure to allow use of sick leave and non-compliant safe and sick leave policies.

The settlements require the franchisees to pay:

·         Pizza Hut—which is now under new management (765 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx)

o   Pay $90,371 in restitution to 64 workers and $8,028 in civil penalties. One worker who was retaliated against for exercising her rights will receive $27,471 of that restitution. 

·         McDonald’s (180 Parkside Avenue, Brooklyn)

o   $130,985 in restitution to 71 workers and $9,015 in civil penalties.

In addition to restitution and fines, the settlements require the franchisees to comply with the Fair Workweek and Paid Safe and Sick Leave laws going forward, including adopting internal compliance policies and procedures, training managers and supervisors, displaying educational posters about the Law, conducting regular self-audits, and appointing internal compliance officers who monitor and report on compliance. 

Under the Fair Workweek Law, which went into effect in November 2017, fast food employers in New York City must also give workers regular, predictable general schedules, two weeks’ advance notice of their work schedules covering specific dates, premium pay of between $10-$75 for schedule changes, and the opportunity to work newly available shifts before hiring new workers. Fast food employers also cannot schedule workers for a morning shift the day after a night shift unless workers consent in writing and are paid a $100 premium to work the shift. Similarly, fast food employers must obtain workers’ written consent before adding any time to their work schedules with less than two weeks’ notice and may not penalize them for declining to work.

 

The Fair Workweek Law was also recently expanded to include “just cause”, or wrongful discharge, protections. Under the amendments, which go into effect in phases, fast food employers cannot fire or lay off workers or reduce their hours by more than 15 percent without just cause or a legitimate economic reason.

 

Fast food employers must post the new NYC Fast Food Workers’ Rights Notice in English and any language that is the primary language of at least five percent of the workers if available on the DCWP website. Employers and employees can visit nyc.gov/workers or call 311 (212-NEW-YORK outside NYC) for the new Notice, which is available in 16 languages, as well as an overview of the law, information about the required progressive discipline policy, templates, and FAQs about the law. DCWP has started conducting a series of educational walks and roundtables to educate workers and employers about the new protections.

Since the law went into effect in 2017, DCWP has received more than 375 complaints about Fair Workweek, closed 182 investigations, and obtained resolutions requiring more than $2,457,342 in combined fines and restitution for 3,789 workers.

 

DCWP’s cases were handled by Investigator Ryan McGuire and Supervising Investigator Juana Abreu, under the supervision of Director of Investigations Elizabeth Wagoner of DCWP’s Office of Labor Policy & Standards, which is led by Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Holt.

Under the NYC Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, employers with five or more employees and employers of domestic workers who work more than 80 hours per calendar year in New York City must provide paid safe and sick leave to employees. Employers with fewer than five employees must provide unpaid safe and sick leave and employers with 100 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours of paid leave. Safe and sick leave is accrued at a rate of one hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per calendar year, and begins on the employee’s first day of employment. For employers who do not front-load safe and sick leave on the first day of a new calendar year, employees must be able to carry over up to 40 hours of unused safe and sick leave from one calendar year to the new calendar year. For more information about the Law, including the new Notice of Employee Rights in multiple languages, visit nyc.gov/workers. 

Governor Cuomo Announces Statewide Effort to Prevent Speeding

 

Speed Awareness Week to Run July 31 to August 8 

Speed Related Fatal Crashes Increase 36 Percent in 2020

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State Police and local law enforcement will be increasing patrols to target speeding from July 31 to August 8. According to preliminary data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany's Rockefeller College, unsafe speed was a contributing factor in 314 fatal crashes in 2020, compared to 230 fatal crashes in 2019 - a 36 percent increase. The 314 fatal crashes last year resulted in 365 deaths including drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

"Our message is simple: slow down and drive responsibly," Governor Cuomo said. "Too often, speeding leads to avoidable and deadly consequences, and it won't be tolerated. Trying to get to your destination quicker is not worth putting yourself, your passengers, and all those sharing the road in danger."

This high-visibility enforcement campaign is supported by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, or GTSC, to stop speeding and prevent avoidable crashes caused by unsafe speed. During last year's Speed Awareness Week, law enforcement throughout the state issued 21,428 tickets for speeding and 30,273 tickets for other vehicle and traffic law violations, such as impaired and distracted driving.

Throughout the enforcement campaign, a "No Excuses" public service announcement will be airing on broadcast and cable networks statewide, highlighting the penalty for speeding. Additionally, the State Department of Transportation will have Variable Message Signs alerting motorists to the dangers of speeding.

Data shows fatal crashes in New York caused by unsafe speed increase during the summer months with the highest totals in June through October. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speed was a contributing factor in 26 percent of all traffic fatalities nationally in 2019. Additionally, NHTSA says speeding causes:

• Greater potential for loss of vehicle control
• Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment
• Increased stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger
• Increased degree of crash severity leading to more severe injuries
• Increased fuel consumption/cost

Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder said, "Speeding is an all-too-common practice on our roads, and what drivers often forget is how dangerous it is and how much it puts everyone at risk. Shaving a few minutes off your commute or your trip is not worth a lifetime of guilt and regret from a speeding-related tragedy. By reminding motorists of the risks and the consequences that come with speeding, we hope drivers will think twice before stepping on the gas."

New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, "Studies have shown - speeding kills. During this campaign, and year-round, we will work to reduce this kind of dangerous driving. We want drivers to slow down, put the electronic devices away and pay attention out on our roads. Attentive, responsible, defensive driving is the key to avoiding crashes and keeping our roads and highways safe for all that travel them."

About GTSC 

Combined with education and enforcement campaigns, GTSC coordinates various traffic safety activities throughout the year, and supports ongoing initiatives to improve pedestrian, motorcycle and bicycle safety. The GTSC also sponsors critical training for law enforcement, provides resources for teen drivers and their parents, and promotes seatbelt use statewide. For more information about traffic safety in New York State, please visit the GTSC website at https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition Of Two Pakistani Nationals For Attempted Heroin Importation

 

Maulabaksh Gorgeech and Niamatullah Gorgeech Are Charged with Attempting to Send

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Milgram, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the extradition of Maulabaksh Gorgeech and Niamatullah Gorgeech for attempting to import heroin into the United States.  The defendants, both citizens of Pakistan, were taken into custody by Thai authorities in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 11, 2021, and extradited to the United States today from Thailand.  They will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn later today. 

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Maulabaksh Gorgeech and Niamatullah Gorgeech trafficked in wholesale importation of heroin to the United States.  Thanks to the DEA’s global reach and the assistance of law enforcement authorities in Thailand, the defendants are in U.S. custody and facing serious federal charges.”           

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “At a time when the United States is facing an opioid overdose epidemic of unprecedented proportions, it is critical that DEA stop the flow of heroin into the country before it makes its way to our communities.  Directly because of DEA’s efforts, Maulabaksh Gorgeech and Niamatullah Gorgeech are now on American soil, facing significant criminal charges for their alleged crimes.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaints charging the defendants,[1] which were unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

Beginning in late 2019, MAULABAKSH GORGEECH and NIAMATULLAH GORGEECH, Asia-based drug traffickers, began communicating and meeting with individuals whom they believed were heroin traffickers interested in purchasing multi-kilogram quantities of heroin for importation into the United States.  Those individuals were, in fact, confidential sources working at the DEA’s direction, and an undercover DEA agent posing as a New York-based heroin distributor.  In March 2019, NIAMATULLAH GORGEECH caused a sample of approximately seven kilograms of heroin to be delivered in Afghanistan, with the understanding that those drugs would be transported to and sold in the United States.  In July 2019, MAULABAKSH GORGEECH offered to provide as many as 100 kilograms of heroin for importation to the United States.  In September 2019, MAULABAKSH GORGEECH caused another sample of approximately seven kilograms of heroin to be delivered in Afghanistan, for importation and sale in the United States.  Following these sample shipments, MAULABAKSH GORGEECH and NIAMATULLAH GORGEECH planned to supply larger quantities of heroin for importation to and distribution within the United States.

MAULABAKSH GORGEECH, 43, and NIAMATULLAH GORGEECH, 37, each a citizen of Pakistan, are charged with one count of attempting to import heroin into the United States, and MAULABAKSH GORGEECH is also charged with a second count of conspiracy to import heroin into the United States.  Each count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The statutory minimum and maximum 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 outstanding investigative efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, and the OCDETF New York Strike Force; the DEA’s Bangkok, Islamabad, Kabul, and Bucharest Country Offices, and Guam Resident Office; the United States Central Command; U.S. Embassy in Bangkok’s Consul General’s Office and Diplomatic Security Service; the Royal Thai Government’s Office of the Attorney General - International Affairs Department, Royal Thai Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau - Sensitive Investigative Unit, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its ongoing assistance.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF funds investigations that identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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