Mount Vernon Baseball Coach Charged With Coercion And Enticement Of A Minor

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jacqueline Maguire, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Miriam E. Rocah, Westchester County District Attorney, announced today the arrest of ROBERT POPE for persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing a 16-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity.   POPE was arrested yesterday morning and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison in White Plains federal court.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “The alleged conduct in this case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them. We have zero tolerance for the exploitation of children and we will prosecute and punish those who engage in this conduct. Any individuals who may have relevant information concerning Robert Pope should please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

FBI Acting Assistant Director Jacqueline Maguire said:  "Adults who are entrusted with educating and instructing children usually have the child's best interest at heart. As we allege, Mr. Pope instead chose to abuse his position of authority as a baseball coach to coerce and entice a child into having sex with him. We believe there may be other victims who haven't yet come forward, and we're asking any potential victims and their parents or guardians to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov. Your information could help our investigation, and help us hold Mr. Pope accountable."

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said: "As alleged in this case, Robert Pope abused his position of trust to take advantage of the most vulnerable for his own sexual gratification. We are proud to work together with the Southern District of New York, the New York FBI and the Mount Vernon Police Department to aggressively prosecute sexual abuse of minors and will use all of our collective resources to ensure sexual predators are stopped and held accountable.”

According to the Complaint[1] filed on August 9, 2021 in White Plains federal court and unsealed yesterday:

Between at least on or about September 1, 2020, up to and including at least on or about April 11, 2021, POPE communicated with a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) by cellphone and persuaded Victim-1 to meet POPE in person in Westchester County, New York on more than one occasion to engage in sexual activities with POPE. 

On or about June 15, 2021, ROBERT POPE was charged in Westchester County, New York, with three counts of Criminal Sexual Act in violation of New York Penal Law 130.40(2).  

Ms. Strauss stated that the investigation is ongoing.  Ms. Strauss requests that any individuals who may have relevant information concerning ROBERT POPE contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). 

POPE, 30, of  Mount Vernon, New York, is charged with one count of coercion and enticement, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.  The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the efforts of the FBI, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, and the Mount Vernon Police Department in connection with this investigation.  She added that the investigation is ongoing.

[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. 

Rep. Bowman, Sen. Schumer, Rep. Waters Announce Resolution to Recognize and Celebrate Hip Hop’s Cultural Impact

 

EDITOR'S NOTE FIRST:

We were part of Congressman Bowman's Monday Town Hall meeting where he mentioned conditions he found during his recent visit to the Southern Border. We have asked for an interview with Congressman Bowman since we write for the Bronx Chronicle and Coop-City News to elaborate further on his visit to the Southern Border. 

We were sent to different locations in his office and finally received an answer from Congressman Bowman's Communications Director Georgia Parke, 'I’d be happy to set up time for you to discuss this issue with him later this month'. That means to a reporter no. I will have to do to Congressman Bowman what I do to Mayor de Blasio to get an answer then. I can't wait to see him at hi next press conference. Your constituents want to know what you found out, one way or another.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer announced that the Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating today, August 11, 2021 as “Hip Hop Celebration Day,” August 2021 as “Hip Hop Recognition Month,” and designating November 2021 as “Hip Hop History Month.” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joined Rep. Bowman as an original co-sponsor of the resolution in the House.

 

Hip Hop, now a world-wide phenomenon, had humble beginnings in New York City. On August 11, 1973, at a “Back To School Jam” held in the recreation room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York, a new innovative style of disk jockeying and engaging the crowd with rap was introduced by Clive “DJ Kool Herc” Campbell. Since then, Hip Hop culture has spread across the nation and the world, uniquely infusing itself into the roots of communities everywhere.

 

The art and culture of Hip Hop, an original American creation, has transcended boundaries and has been reinvented many times over since its creation in 1973. Hip Hop artists and supporters were originally of African heritage but Hip Hop art and culture has become a melting pot, with its artists and supporters transcending ages, ethnicities, religions, locations, and socioeconomic statuses. Hip Hop has spawned a multi-billion dollar economy in various industries from high fashion to social media platforms. This influence has arguably placed Hip Hop at the center of American culture, both directly and indirectly influencing other genres of music and parts of American social life.

 

Despite these invaluable contributions to American culture and social life, Hip Hop has struggled to receive the recognition and admiration it deserves on a national level, and government officials have even banned the sale of certain rap albums and disparaged the music altogether. Bowman’s resolution aims to reverse the lack of public recognition of Hip Hop by unequivocally recognizing Hip Hop as a critical part of American culture as it has long deserved.

 

“Hip Hop is the rebirth of civilization,” Rep. Jamaal Bowman said. “For people who were disconnected from their continent, from their language, from their culture, and from their ancestry, Hip Hop represented a step toward rediscovering what it means to be a Black American, or to be a Latino American. In using the English language to create an entirely new art form, the pioneers of Hip Hop created a vessel that grew to impact nearly every facet of American culture. As we continue our fight to advance civil rights and racial justice, we need to not only recognize but celebrate how Hip Hop and Black Americans have given so much to our culture and our country. I’m proud to lead Congress in formallys recognizing the contributions that Hip Hop has made and will continue to make to our country and the world.”

 

“For decades I have fought to preserve and protect the legacy of Hip Hop as a truly original American art form. When greedy landlords wanted to close the apartment building on Sedgwick Avenue, where DJ Kool Herc first disk jockeyed beside an emcee and lots of hardworking people lived, we stopped them,” said Sen. Charles Schumer. “I’m proud to honor Hip Hop’s history and its lasting influence with this Senate resolution, which acknowledges the evolution of Hip Hop culture and the tremendous impact it has had on our society.”

 

“I’m proud to join Rep. Jamaal Bowman as an original co-sponsor of his resolution to highlight the impact of Hip Hop on our culture and the role it plays in telling our story to the world,” Rep. Maxine Waters said. “Some of the early Hip Hop legends came out of the greater Los Angeles area, and through their lyrics managed to tell honest stories about our struggles and our triumphs. I’ve always said that there is no better way to tell our stories than for us to tell them ourselves and on our terms. Hip Hop, from its birth, has always given voice to the unheard and has served as a catalyst for change that moves our community, our culture, and our country forward. This resolution will help us to honor Hip Hop’s long history of contributions to our society and commemorate the lived experiences of our people who, through music, have changed the world.”

 

“From a small Bronx neighborhood back to school jam in 1973, to the U.S. Capitol government resolution, Hip Hop's impact has gone a long way over the decades, and the future looks bright, from the ladies to men, old school to new school, the best is yet to come. Thanks to Sen. Schumer, Rep. Bowman, and all involved for honoring Hip Hop with this resolution,” said Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell.

 

The Hip Hop Resolution designates the following national observances:

• August 11th 2021 as “Hip Hop Celebration Day” in honor of the anniversary of the birth of hip hop
• August 2021 as “Hip Hop Recognition Month” to highlight the contributions of hip hop to the broader American cultural landscape
• November 2021 as “Hip Hop History Month” to reflect on the historical treatment and development of the culture

Attorney General James Calls on the U.S. Senate to Strengthen Protections for Working Americans By Passing PRO Act

 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James, as part of a coalition of 17 attorneys general, has called on on the U.S. Senate to protect hardworking Americans by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 (PRO Act). The PRO Act provides protections for workers trying to organize by strengthening and modernizing key parts of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which enshrines the fundamental rights to organize, unionize, and bargain collectively. In the letter, the multistate coalition highlights the urgent need to pass the PRO Act and urges the U.S. Senate to act to improve the lives of America’s working families.

“Unionizing is a core American right, and no business should be able to infringe on a worker’s ability to organize,” said Attorney General James. “Over the past year, we have been reminded of the critical need to protect our workers and ensure they have better pay, benefits, and working conditions. In honor of the late Richard Trumka and all the workers who sacrificed so much over the past year, I stand with my fellow attorneys general in urging the Senate to pass the PRO Act and support working people.”

The PRO Act is comprised of commonsense reforms to the NLRA designed to curb worker intimidation, retaliation, and other abusive practices and, more generally, restore the law’s original purpose of encouraging unionization. Compared to their non-union counterparts, union members earn 10 to 15 percent higher wages; are more likely to have employer-sponsored benefits, like health insurance, paid sick days, and pensions; experience less wage theft; and are less reliant on public benefits. Today, just 12 percent of American workers are represented by a union — down from 27 percent in 1979.

If enacted, the PRO Act would give the National Labor Relations Board the power to fine companies that retaliate against organizing workers and require arbitration when unionized workers and employers cannot reach agreements on contracts. It would also strengthen the right of workers to strike, ban employer interference and influence in union elections, and prevent employers from using employees' immigration status against them when determining the terms of their employment. Notably, the legislation would override state “right to work” laws, which allow employees to forgo paying dues in unionized workplaces, and would address the “gig” economy by lowering the bar for independent contractors to prove they are “employees” under the Act.   

“We thank Attorney General Letitia James for her support on what is the most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression,” said Mario Cilento, president, New York State AFL-CIO. “The reforms included in the PRO Act are necessary to restore some balance to our country's labor laws in the face of the increasingly drastic lengths employers have gone to silence the voices of their workers. New York’s Senators Schumer and Gillibrand co-sponsor the bill and we join Attorney General James in calling on their colleagues to follow their lead to increase worker power, rebuild our economy fairly, make workplaces safer, and grow America’s labor movement.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS THREE JUDGES TO CRIMINAL AND CIVIL COURT

 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced two appointments to Criminal Court and one appointment to Civil Court.

 

“These judges have fought for justice for the entire length of their careers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I have no doubt that they will continue to champion fairness in our court system as New York City recovers from the pandemic.”

 

Criminal and Civil Court are part of the New York State Unified Court System. The City’s Criminal Court handles misdemeanor cases and lesser offenses and conducts arraignments. The judge newly appointed to Civil Court will be presiding in Criminal Court.

 

The Mayor appointed the following judges to Criminal Court:

 

Judge Joshua A. Glick has practiced criminal law for nearly 33 years. He began his legal career with The Legal Aid Society, Queens County Criminal Defense Division where he served for eight years before joining Queens Defenders and opening his own practice. Fourteen years later, he was briefly employed as a Principal Law Clerk to a New York State Supreme Court Justice and as an associate for a law firm. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he returned to Queens Defenders as a Supervising Attorney for nearly nine years while also maintaining his own practice.  Judge Glick received his undergraduate degree from Queens College and law degree from Temple University, Beasley School of Law.

 

Judge Valentina M. Morales began her legal career with the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (“NDSH”) as a Kirkland & Ellis Fellow and created defensaNDS – a project dedicated to providing bilingual holistic representation to monolingual Spanish speakers accused of crimes in upper Manhattan.  After the end of her fellowship, she continued to serve the NDSH as the Project Director of defensaNDS. Thereafter, she worked for a private firm for five years before returning to public service as Principal Attorney-in-Charge, Mental Hygiene Legal Service, First Judicial Department. Most recently, Judge Morales served as Senior Director of Justice Initiatives with Fedcap Group where she created and directed innovative criminal justice programming with a focus on specialized populations including The Women’s Project. Judge Morales graduated summa cum laude from Wellesley College and received her law degree from Columbia Law School.

 

The Mayor appointed the following judge to Civil Court:

 

Judge Germaine Auguste has practiced criminal law for nearly 30 years. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Auguste served with The Legal Aid Society, Queens County Criminal Defense Division, most recently as Supervising Attorney. She received her undergraduate degree from New York University and her J.D. from Howard University School of Law.  Judge Auguste is appointed to Civil Court and will be serving in Criminal Court. 

Thoroughbred Trainer Jorge Navarro And Head Of New York Veterinary Clinic Plead Guilty In Federal Doping Case

 

Trainer Jorge Navarro and Veterinarian Kristian Rhein Used Their Positions to Acquire, Promote, and Administer Prohibited Performance Enhancing Drugs

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendants JORGE NAVARRO and KRISTIAN RHEIN have pled guilty to their respective roles in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead, in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Navarro et al., 20 Cr. 160 (MKV).  NAVARRO pled guilty today and RHEIN pled guilty on August 3, 2021, both before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.  RHEIN will be sentenced by Judge Vyskocil on December 2, 2021, and NAVARRO will be sentenced by Judge Vyskocil on December 17, 2021.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Kristian Rhein and Jorge Navarro represent the supply side and the customer side of the market in performance enhancing substances that have corrupted much of the horse racing industry.  As he admitted today, Navarro, a licensed trainer and the purported ‘winner’ of major races across the world, was in fact a reckless fraudster whose veneer of success relied on the systematic abuse of the animals under his control.  Rhein previously admitted that he flouted his oath as a veterinarian to protect the animals under his care, choosing instead to pursue money through the sale and administration of unregulated substances used by trainers engaged in fraud and animal abuse.  These latest convictions demonstrate the continued commitment of this Office and our partners at the FBI to the investigation and prosecution of corruption, fraud, and endangerment at every level of the horse racing industry.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, the Superseding Information charging RHEIN, prior charging instruments, and other filings in this case[1], and statements during court proceedings:

The charges in the Navarro case arise from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, performance enhancing drug (“PED”) distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing.  By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States and other countries, including in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses.  Trainers, like NAVARRO, who participated in the schemes stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings, and by improving their horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control.  Veterinarians, including RHEIN, who was the head veterinarian and owner of Empire Veterinary Group, profited from the sale and administration of these medically unnecessary, misbranded, and adulterated substances.

NAVARRO operated his doping scheme covertly, importing misbranded “clenbuterol” that he both used and distributed to others, avoiding explicit discussion of PEDs during telephone calls, and working with others to coordinate the administration of PEDs at times that racing officials would not detect such cheating.  Among the horses that NAVARRO trained and doped was XY Jet, a thoroughbred horse that won the 2019 Golden Shaheen race in Dubai.  Among NAVARRO’s preferred PEDs were various “blood building” drugs, which, when administered before intense physical exertion, can lead to cardiac issues or death.

Among the misbranded and adulterated PEDs promoted, sold, and administered by RHEIN were an illegally distributed prescription drug, Clenbuterol, used as a bronchodilator and the drug “SGF-1000,” which was compounded and manufactured in unregistered facilities and contained growth factors that the defendants knew to be undetectable through regular drug screens.  SGF-1000 was an intravenous drug promoted as, among other things, a vasodilator capable of promoting stamina, endurance, and lower heart rates in horses through the purported action of “growth factors” supposedly derived from sheep placenta.           

The horse “Maximum Security,” briefly considered the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby (though later disqualified), was among the horses that RHEIN assisted in doping.  On June 5, 2019, New Jersey racing regulators tested Maximum Security for performance enhancing drugs a short time after Maximum Security had received a shot of SGF-1000.  The testing occurred in advance of a race scheduled for June 16, 2019, in which Maximum Security competed and placed second.  On an intercepted call following that test, RHEIN asserted that Maximum Security would not test positive for the presence of the drug: “[t]hey don’t even have a test for it [SGF-1000] . . . There’s no test for it in America.”

Through their pleas, NAVARRO has agreed to the payment of restitution in the amount of $25,860,514, reflecting winnings obtained through his fraudulent doping scheme, and RHEIN has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $729,716 in connection with fraud committed through a false billing practice related to RHEIN’s drug misbranding scheme.  RHEIN, and others working under RHEIN’s direction, created false billing records to be provided to horse owners that did not reflect the drugs that RHEIN and others had actually injected into racehorses under their “care.”  Through this false billing scheme, RHEIN attempted to conceal from potential investigators and horse owners the true nature and means of administration of the PEDs that he and others provided and administered.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the Bureau’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative.

[1] As to Navarro and Rhein’s codefendants, the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

147 Days and Counting for me, and 13 For Andrew Cuomo

 

• 

Now that current New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo will be gone in thirteen days, I have to get set to run to replace him. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference, and as reporters had more questions for her, she ran away from them. 

No one can match my experience in government. I wa the campaign manager for Congressman Charles Rangel in 1994, and 1997. I was then appointed by President Bill Clinton to be HUD regional director of HUD. In 1999 I was elected to School Board 15 in Brooklyn. Then I was campaign manager for Hillary Clinton later in that year. 

In 2001 I won the Democratic Primary for the 39th City Council District with just 32% of the vote in a crowded field. In 2009 I won the Democratic Primary for Public Advocate with 33% of the vote. After the results of the Run off election I won with 62% of the vote. In 2013 I ran for Mayor and won with just over 40%, so I avoided a run off election. I have been the only elected official besides Assemblyman Ron Kim who had th e guts to stand up to Andrew Cuomo. I should be given the seat of Governor of New York.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW By Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz 18 District, Bronx

 

Who Will Pick You Up When You Have Fallen From Grace?

 You should know that the last (3) Democrat governors, to the detriment of the State of New York, have been forced to resign in disgrace which involved their treatment of women, in one form or another.   

 

You should also know that in March 2008, Governor Elliot Spitzer was forced to resign due to a scandal regarding his involvement with prostitutes.   

David Paterson, who had replaced Governor Spitzer, was also forced to end his political career as governor when he was accused of trying to hide or protect his faithful friend David W. Johnson when he was accused of domestic abuse.  

 

Governor Paterson was charged with using the state police to intimidate Mr. Johnson’s domestic partner into dropping the charges.  David Paterson himself was personally accused of speaking to the injured woman to get her to drop the charges, which she did. 

 

I remember when Governor David Paterson learned that Rev. Al Sharpton and some African American leaders had withdrawn their support from him.  In response to this treatment, he withdrew into seclusion at the Governor's Mansion in Albany.   On that occasion, the “Tres Amigos” composed of Senators Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate, and yours truly visited Gov. Paterson at the Mansion to give him words of encouragement and to pray for him. 

 

We, now have the news that Governor Andrew Cuomo, like Eliot Spitzer, and David Paterson have resigned.   Cuomo like his predecessors has been left completely alone, without friends, without political support, and nowhere to hide. His fall from grace came after more than eleven (11) women have come forward to accuse him of sexual harassment. 

The accusations against the Governor are so awful that even his “friend”, the State Attorney General Letitia James, released a report of the findings of her investigations which proved to be the last nail on the governor’s coffin.  

Governor Andrew Cuomo is now the news of the day.   His resignation comes because of a barrage of news from newspapers, television, radio commentators, friends, foes, and fellow politicians. They all united their voices to ask the Governor to resign or be impeached.

  

It doesn’t matter how hard he worked to make same-sex marriage in the state of New York a reality.  No one has come to his defense.

  

It doesn’t matter how hard he worked to extend abortion rights, up until the ninth month…No one has come to his defense. 

 

It doesn’t matter how hard he worked with the unions to increase the minimum wage in the state of New York.   No one has come to his defense.  

It doesn’t matter how much he helped and went to the island of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.   No one has come to his defense. 

It doesn’t matter how hard he has worked to make New York a safe haven for the undocumented immigrants making New York a sanctuary city.   No one has come to his defense.  

 

We can all just imagine the pain, and scars that Governor Cuomo’s actions have left ingrained in the 11 women he has been accused of victimizing.   His behavior is unacceptable and unforgettable.   In the wake of these accusations, we must not forget the thousands of elderly lives lost in nursing homes because of Cuomo’s mandate during the height of the pandemic.    

 

However, the solitude, the loss of friends, the immense rejection, and abandonment that happens when someone falls from grace, I don’t wish that on my worst enemy even when if it’s because of one’s own mistakes or conduct. 

This sad, embarrassing, and shameful chapter that Cuomo is living should serve all of us as an example and remind us of the old cliché that says to “Remember that the people you meet on way up, are the same people you meet on your way down.”   

You should also know that the only one we can depend on to receive us with open arms and forgive us, regardless of how atrocious our condition may be, is He who shed His blood for us on the cross at Calvary. 

 

I am Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz, and this is what you should know.

 

See why Van Cortlandt Park is where NYC hikes when you join Van Cortlandt Park Alliance for Hike-toberfest!

Hike in the park followed by a classic Oktoberfest celebration, complete with local beer, German food, live music, lawn games, and more.

 

Hikes begin at 2:30, 3:00, 3:30 PM

PARTY! 4:30 PM to 7 PM

 

All Hikes:

• Are led by skilled guides;
• Finish at approximately 4:30pm… please take note of start times;
• Begin and end at the Van Cortlandt House Museum;
• Require onsite check-in. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time for your hike.

 

Oktoberfest:

• German food by Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten;
• Local beer by Gun Hill Brewing Company served in a VCPA Hike-toberfest souvenir mug;
• Cupcakes from Lloyd's Carrot Cake;
• Yard games on the Van Cortlandt House Museum lawn;
• Live music 
• Raffle tickets will be sold at the event for the chance to win terrific prizes!

Visit vancortlandt.org/hiketoberfest2021 for more details!

 

Early Bird Ticket Prices Thru September 25th!

Purchase

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org