10 Days and Counting

 

I have announced that we will be scaling down the New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square. We don't want people to catch COVID, whatever the variant. Doctor Chokshi what are there eight variants of COVID now, with the other five we have not highlighted because they are a very minor strain of the virus. That stupid acting governor David Patterson I mean Kathy Hochul let out numbers that showed only forty-one cases of Omicron in the city on December 19, 2021. I have to panic people to get vaccinated or to get their booster shot so I can get big contributions from the drug companies when I run for governor. 

So we want you to enjoy New Years Eve, but we are limiting the number of people at Times Square because our doctors have been wrong again on this. Stay home and watch me throw the switch and start the 2022 sign to drop and light up at midnight to begin the New Year 2022. Don't forget to wear your masks, and if you have a phoney vaccination card Governor Patterson, I mean Hochul just signed a couple of bills to increase the penalties for anyone caught with a fraudulent vaccination card. Doctor Chokshi why do I keep mistaking Kathy Hochul for David Patterson. You are right, both of them were never elected governor, and I intend to keep that going as I get elected Governor of New York State. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES 200,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES BUILT OR PRESERVED DURING THIS ADMINISTRATION

 

Administration sets record for affordable housing production and meets its 10-year goal in just eight years

 

500,000 New Yorkers served, nearly half of whom earn less than $42,000 per year

 

City-financed affordable housing projects bring more than $1 billion to M/WBE businesses

 Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), today announced that the de Blasio administration has financed the preservation or new construction of 200,000 affordable homes, the most in one administration in New York City history. The administration achieved the original goal established in Housing New York on budget and two years ahead of schedule.

 

Making good on the Mayor’s commitment to reach deeper affordability, 46 percent of the homes serve New Yorkers earning less than $42,000 per year or $54,000 for a family of three. The Mayor’s signature housing plan remains on pace to reach its ambitious goal of creating or preserving 300,000 affordable homes by 2026.

 

“There’s no fight more fundamental to the future of our city than the one to keep it affordable for working families. In 2014, we set the most ambitious goal in this city’s history to build and preserve affordable housing – and today, thanks to eight years of hard work, we met it,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Those affordable units have done more than just keep working families stably housed amid unprecedented challenges. They will help ensure a fairer, more diverse, and more vibrant New York City for generations to come.”

 

“At the core of today’s announcement are two critical parties: community leaders who fought to advance equity across the five boroughs and several generations of public servants who worked day and night to make it happen,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. ”Undeniably, over the past 8 years, the City worked through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, a number of path-breaking, collaborative neighborhood rezonings—such as Gowanus, SoHo/NoHo, and East New York, and many other fundamental improvements to make the city we love fairer, more resilient, and more diverse. I am proud to say that we delivered on what was first heralded as impossible: the promise to create and preserve 200,000 affordable homes.”

 

“This Administration’s historic achievement is a testament to the City’s workforce and its partners, but the real legacy lives with the thousands of families who now have an affordable home to raise families, work hard, and pursue their dreams,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “Housing New York has placed the City in its strongest position yet to tackle the affordability crisis ahead, leaving behind an impressive production pipeline able to secure, on average, 25,000 units each year while deepening affordability to reach the lowest income New Yorkers and laying out a blueprint for fair housing and equity through the Where We Live NYC initiative. Since 2014, the plan has evolved into an all-around and all-hands-on-deck approach to helping New Yorkers afford rent, buy a first home, fight tenant harassment, maintain safe living conditions, help families stay in their neighborhoods, house the most vulnerable families, and build stronger neighborhoods. The plan has generated more than 200,000 affordable homes in 8 years, and trailblazed a path for a fairer New York City.”

 

“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio, Deputy Mayor Been, Commissioner Carroll, and all our colleagues and partners across the affordable housing industry for their triumphant effort in bringing the Housing New York plan across the finish line. I am incredibly proud of the dedicated teams at HDC and HPD whose hard work made this milestone achievement possible,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “HDC contributed critical bond financing to support the ambitious goals of the Housing New York plan, and never ceased in the pursuit of innovative solutions in order to stretch our limited resources further and secure the tools needed to create more affordable housing at a time it is needed most. As we look ahead, there is more work to be done to ensure greater opportunity for New Yorkers; it’s imperative we continue to work together and advocate for the tools needed to ensure our city is a more equitable and secure place to live.”

 

To commemorate Housing New York’s success, City leaders visited 50 Penn, a 218-home affordable development in East New York Brooklyn co-developed by Pennrose and RiseBoro Community Partnership, a nonprofit service provider. The nine-story multifamily building includes 42 homes for formerly homeless households and will house a health foods grocery store on the ground floor. The building complies with Enterprise Green Community design standards, including green roofs, rooftop photo-voltaic panels, a highly insulated exterior wall system for energy efficiency, and landscaped outdoor space for the residents.

 

“The need for affordable housing in New York City is an undeniable reality,” said Dylan Salmons, Regional Vice President with Pennrose. “We are pleased to have been able to support Mayor de Blasio’s administration in achieving this record and look forward working with our partners to continue delivering much needed housing throughout the city.”

 

“As an organization dedicated to housing New York City’s low to moderate income families for almost 50 years, RiseBoro is committed to community development that engages diverse stakeholders and meets the needs of residents,” said Scott Short, CEO of RiseBoro Community Partnership. “We commend Mayor Bill de Blasio for reaching the goals set out by his Housing New York plan two years ahead of schedule. It is our honor to celebrate with the Mayor, Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the NYC Housing Development Corporation, this milestone achievement for a city Administration, which centers affordable housing at the heart of community development.” 

 

About Housing New York

When this Administration took office in 2014, the City’s housing agencies were on pace to build and preserve 15,000 affordable homes per year through public-private partnerships. In Housing New York, the Mayor set an ambitious goal of financing the preservation or new construction of 200,000 affordable homes over ten years. With new funding and new tools, the City’s housing agencies quickly ramped up to finance 20,000 affordable homes per year.

 

In 2017, the Mayor committed to achieving deeper affordability and expanded the plan with Housing New York 2.0, which laid out a sustained goal of 25,000 affordable homes preserved or constructed per year. In 2020, as part of YOUR Home NYC, the City’s comprehensive approach to helping New Yorkers get, afford, and keep housing, the Mayor further committed to ensure all new housing produced reached New Yorkers earning less than $42,000 per year or $54,000 for a family of 3.

 

As a result, the City has financed more than 66,000 new affordable homes and preserved more than 134,000 homes to create and secure affordability for the next generation of New Yorkers. Through Housing New York, the City financed affordable units in every single New York City community district and the plan remained on budget.

 

Housing New York fundamentally shifted the paradigm for how, where, when, and for whom affordable housing is built in New York City. By expanding the range of tools available to build and preserve housing and protect tenants; advancing innovative policies and programs to address a broad range of housing needs and serve more of the most vulnerable New Yorkers; expanding and diversifying the pool of partners who participate in this work; and streamlining existing processes to make them more efficient; the City not only secured 200,000 affordable homes, but also advanced an agenda designed to make this a more equitable and inclusive city.

 

Highlights include:

• Deepened affordability of the housing created or preserved: By revising existing housing financing programs, introducing new ones, and infusing even more capital, 46% of our total production – more than 90,200 affordable homes – serve New Yorkers earning less than $42,000 (or 50% AMI), far exceeding the original 25% target.
• Increased housing for the most vulnerable New Yorkers: Through targeted efforts and extensive inter-agency coordination, the City financed 12,937 homes specifically for seniors and set aside 16,015 affordable homes for homeless New Yorkers, including 7,802 supportive homes with on-site services, delivering on the Mayor’s NY/NY15 plan to build 15,000 new supportive homes.
• Preserved affordability at a record number of homes: New and revised programs helped owners stabilize buildings, rehabilitate properties in distress, save costs through energy efficiency and sustainability improvements and protect affordable buildings at risk of being lost to the private market. For example, HPD preserved the affordability and facilitated renovations at the Park Affordable portfolio in Borough Park, Brooklyn, with 229 residential homes, including 30% that will be available for formerly homeless households with services provided through a collaboration with Health & Hospitals.
• Safeguarded the affordability of the city’s Mitchell-Lama stock: HPD and HDC revamped programs to shore up the financial and physical health of the Mitchell-Lama portfolio, which continues to face rising maintenance and operating costs. As a result, the City preserved 67,116 Mitchell-Lama apartments, including Electchester, a State-supervised development in Pomonok, Queens with 2,400 affordable co-ops that locked in affordability and installed solar photovoltaics that will save hundreds of thousands in energy costs every year.
• Advanced policies for equitable neighborhood growth: The City launched the strongest Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program in the nation to ensure that permanently affordable apartments are included in new developments in areas zoned for growth. To date, MIH has driven the creation of more than 4,000 permanently affordable homes.
• Spearheaded neighborhood plans and rezonings: The City advanced neighborhood rezonings in East New York, Downtown Far Rockaway, East Harlem, Jerome Avenue, Inwood, Bay Street, Gowanus, and SoHo/NoHo that will introduce tens of thousands of new homes supported with investments in schools, parks, open space and other neighborhoods amenities. As a part of the Administration’s vision for stronger neighborhoods, the City developed a Neighborhood Planning Playbook to guide comprehensive community planning efforts and to engage residents about the development of affordable housing on public land.
• Transformed public sites with placemaking projects: Since January 2014, HPD, EDC, and NYCHA, working with DCP and other agencies, have developed a pipeline of over 13,000 affordable homes and apartments on City-owned sites. To guide the development and selection of proposals, the City established a community vision for the various sites, resulting in dynamic projects such as Bronx Point, a mixed-use project along the Harlem River waterfront that will bring 542 permanently affordable homes, a new Universal Hip Hop Museum, an early childhood and outdoor science programming space, and 2.8 acres of public open space to the South Bronx; and Gowanus Green, a project that will create nearly 1,000 homes, a 1.5-acre public park along a revitalized Gowanus Canal, and space for a new public school.
• Prioritized M/WBE and non-profit partners: HPD and HDC have advanced numerous initiatives to grow and diversify the affordable housing community, including most recently the creation of a Pathways to Opportunity program to train and build the capacity of M/WBE and non-profit marketing agents. In 2017, the City created the M/WBE Build Up program to increase contracting opportunities for certified M/WBEs in projects where HPD or HDC contributes $2 million or more in subsidy. Since its launch in 2017, the program has delivered more than $1.1 billion in spending toward M/WBEs across 239 projects. Earlier this year, the administration announced that the NYC Acquisition Fund, a $210 million public-private affordable housing loan fund, will exclusively finance projects led by M/WBEs and nonprofits with at least 51% ownership stake.
• Launched Where We Live NYC: The culmination of a two-year planning process engaging hundreds of residents, over 150 community-based and advocacy organizations, and dozens of partner agencies, Where We Live NYC lays out a series of strategies to build more integrated neighborhoods and break down barriers to opportunity. Already, the City has advanced key commitments in the five-year plan, including the rezoning of Gowanus and SoHo/NoHo, neighborhoods that have exceptional access to transit, schools, and job centers.
• Increased support for homeownership: The administration strengthened support for homeowners through the launch of programs like HomeFix, which funds critical repairs for lower income homeowners, and the expansion of HomeFirst, which increases the amount of down payment assistance available to low-income first-time homebuyers to $100,000. Through Open Door, a new program to finance the construction of co-ops and condos for first-time homebuyers, HPD completed Sydney House, which brought 56 affordable homeownership opportunities to the Williamsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.
• Promoted healthy, sustainable affordable housing: The City has updated design guidelines to raise bar for designing quality, healthy, sustainable, and equitable affordable housing. Sendero Verde, a project selected through the City’s SustainNYC RFP, will become the largest fully affordable Passive House building when complete, as well as provide more than 700 affordable homes, extensive community and retail space, a school, and outdoor gardens to the East Harlem community in Manhattan. And through the Green Housing Preservation Program, projects such as 256 Martense, a 6-home rental property in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, addressed capital renovations, including a high efficiency boiler and an oil-to-gas conversion, higher efficiency windows, and numerous energy-efficiency improvements expected to reduce the project’s energy usage by 23%.

 

“From the Bronx to the Far Rockaways, from Hudson Yards to the North Shore of Staten Island, we have been laser focused on bringing affordable housing to New Yorkers,” said DCP Director Anita Laremont. “I congratulate City Hall, HDC and HPD for their leadership, the housing advocates who help us get it right, and my incredible DCP team for crafting zoning policies and practices that supercharged the creation of new and permanently affordable housing. We are a city for all, and this work speaks clearly to that.”

 

“It is critical to preserve our existing housing stock and create affordable housing, and NYCHA’s partnerships with the Mayor and the City of New York are necessary to achieve that,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “Today’s achievement was made possible by the sizable investment this Administration has made to increasing the City’s stock of low-cost, high-quality homes and it will resonate for generations to come.”  

 

“We are proud to have worked with this administration to bring affordable housing to New Yorkers across the city,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “Our work repurposing vacant or underutilized city-owned sites into affordable housing developments ensures New York City remains a place where New Yorkers can live, work, and thrive.”

 

Bronx Gang Member Sentenced For Ordering 2009 Murder

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEVEN BROWN, a/k/a “BI,” was sentenced to 260 months in prison today for participating in the August 2, 2009, murder of Derrick Moore in the Bronx.  BROWN previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who imposed today’s sentence.  Today’s sentence was imposed in addition to a 115-month sentence that BROWN previously served for related narcotics conduct in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “More than a dozen years ago, Steven Brown, the leader of a violent drug crew, ordered the killing of rival street crew member Derrick Moore.  This prosecution and today’s sentence show that our Office is committed to curbing gang violence and making our neighborhoods safer for the law-abiding residents who make their homes there.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in court, including at BROWN’s plea proceeding and sentencing:

The Taylor Avenue Crew was a criminal enterprise that operated principally in and around the Bronx from at least 2007 up to and including 2015.  The Taylor Avenue Crew sold cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” primarily in and around Taylor Avenue in the Bronx.  The Taylor Avenue Crew controlled crack cocaine sales within this area by prohibiting and preventing non-members, outsiders, and rival narcotics dealers from distributing crack cocaine in the area controlled by the Crew.  The Taylor Avenue Crew also committed acts of violence in the area against rival gangs, including assaults, attempted murder, and murder.

Members and associates of the Taylor Avenue Crew also allied themselves with crews from nearby areas of the Bronx.  One such crew included the Creston Avenue Crew, a criminal enterprise that operated principally in and around the Bronx, New York, from at least 2003 up to and including 2011 and whose members sold cocaine and marijuana primarily in and around Creston Avenue in the Bronx.  Members of the Taylor and Creston Avenue Crews associated with each other and assisted each other by, among other things, carrying out acts of violence on each other’s behalf upon request by the leaders of the respective crews.  One such act of violence was the murder of 22-year-old Derrick Moore.  In August 2009, after escalating violence between the Taylor Avenue Crew and a rival crew, BROWN, who was the head of the Taylor Avenue Crew, ordered the murder of Moore.  To carry out the murder, BROWN requested the assistance of the Creston Avenue Crew, whose members then shot and killed Moore.

In addition to the prison term, BROWN, 42, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and $6,445 in restitution.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Mr. Williams also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for its assistance.

ASSEMBLYMAN JEFFREY DINOWITZ CALLS FOR RETURN OF MASS-TESTING SITE TO LEHMAN COLLEGE

 

Lehman College previously hosted a mass-testing as well as a mass-vaccination site during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

With Bronxites on edge about dramatic increases in COVID-19 infection rates due to the omicron variant, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is calling on New York State to reopen a mass-testing site at Lehman College. In the early stages of the pandemic, Lehman College hosted a drive-through testing site in a parking lot which became a popular and efficient way for residents of the Bronx to access critical diagnostic COVID-19 testing.

 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “It is unfortunate that nearly two years into this pandemic, we still seem to be flying by the seat of our pants with respect to testing access. The bottom line at this moment is that Bronxites need better access to testing, especially those who live in the northwest Bronx. Private providers are overwhelmed and frankly some are charging excessive amounts for testing, but people are over a barrel as they try to be as safe as possible during the holiday season.

 

“The mass-testing site at Lehman College was an incredibly valuable resource for many Bronxites in 2020. Its return would offer a reliable, predictable location for people to go get tested so that they can make educated and informed decisions about their holiday plans. The current model operated by the city, where the only permanent public testing sites are at hospitals, is simply insufficient. Having to constantly check for new information about pop-up testing locations is unnecessarily stressful and I believe it is reducing the overall number of people who are getting tested. We need a mass-testing site back at Lehman College as soon as possible.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

If Assemblyman Dinowitz would talk to Governor Hochul he would find out that the Bronx is the lowest of the five boroughs in positive test results, here are the last three days from the governor's office.

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:   

Borough       Sunday,           Monday,           Tuesday, 

in NYC        December     December         December 

                     19, 2021          20, 2021            21, 2021

Bronx            6.34%              7.06%                8.14%

Kings             6.80%              7.55%                8.65%

New York       7.10%              7.62%                8.30%

Queens            6.74%              7.49%                8.33%

Richmond        6.64%              7.33%                8.20%

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 22, 2021

 

144,541 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours       

57 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.

"As we confront the winter surge, it is vital to remember we have come a long way in our fight against COVID with the best defense we have - the vaccine - readily available throughout the state," Governor Hochul said. "We are actively working to bring more tests in for New Yorkers to reduce wait times as we see more people getting tested for the holidays. Get yourself vaccinated along with the booster dose, wear a mask, stay home if you feel sick, and exercise caution when in large gatherings - we have what we need to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Let's spread joy, not COVID, this holiday season."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 271,290
• Total Positive - 28,924
• Percent Positive - 10.66%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 8.58%
• Patient Hospitalization - 4,452 (+124)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 766
• Patients in ICU - 828 (+29)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 475 (+5)
• Total Discharges - 224,549 (+587)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 47,728 
  
  The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only. 

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 60,689 
  This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings. 

• Total vaccine doses administered - 32,693,260
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 144,541
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 959,247
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 88.2%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 80.2%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 94.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 82.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 76.9% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 69.2%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 82.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 71.1%

TESTING FOR ALL: NYC TEST & TRACE CORPS WELCOMES FEDERAL MOBILE TESTING FLEET

 

CDC mobile testing units will bring an additional 25,000 PCR tests per week to New York’s communities most in need of

 As New York City continues to fight the omicron surge of COVID-19 cases, the NYC Test & Trace Corps today welcomed the first deployment of CDC’s Increasing Community Access to Testing Team (ICATT) mobile testing units. By next week, the units will provide an additional 25,000 PCR tests per week to communities most in need of convenient, no-cost testing. The additional testing capacity will help New York City continue to meet testing demand, which has reached record levels at more than 150,000 tests per day.

“As we gather for the winter holidays and with COVID-19 cases on the rise due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, testing is more important than ever,” said Dr. Henry Walke, lead of CDC’s Expansion of Screening & Diagnostics Task Force. “Testing can help people determine if they have COVID-19 – regardless of whether they have symptoms – and if they are at risk of spreading the virus to others. CDC is eager to assist communities with mobile testing options to ensure anyone can get tested.”

“We’re grateful for the ongoing support the Federal government has provided NYC during this pandemic to ensure we have the necessary resources to diagnose and treat this terrible virus,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “The impacts we’re seeing from the Omicron variant is further proof that we’re not out of the woods with COVID-19, but the additional testing capacity provided by President Biden and the CDC allows us to detect more of the infection and help New Yorkers heal and stop the spread.”

 

“We thank President Biden and the CDC for their quick, decisive action to support our testing capacity in New York City,” said Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care and Population Health at New York City Health + Hospitals and NYC Test & Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Ted Long. “The deployment of additional units will provide even greater access to convenient, no-cost testing for New Yorkers as they look out for the wellbeing of their family, friends and neighbors by getting tested to break chains of transmission and stop the spread of COVID-19. Together with our federal partners, we will continue to keep New York City safe and defeat this latest wave.”

 

Starting Wednesday, December 22, New Yorkers will be able to access CDC mobile testing units here:

• Travers Park
  76-9 34^th St.
  Queens, NY 11372
  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

On Thursday, December 23rd, New Yorkers will be able to access CDC mobile testing at the following locations:

• Travers Park
  76-9 34^th St.
  Queens, NY 11372
  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Queens Valley Playground
  Corner of 137 Street & 77 Ave.
  Flushing NY 11367
  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Helen Marshall Playground
  100 St & 24th Ave.
  East Elmhurst, NY 11369
  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Additional CDC ICATT mobile testing units will be added next week. Please visit NYC.gov/covidtest for the most up to date information on where testing is available in your area.

 

About Test & Trace Corps

The Test & Trace Corps is the City’s comprehensive effort to test, trace, and provide support for every case of COVID-19 and every person exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. Through a partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Test & Trace Corps allows the City to immediately isolate and care for those who test positive for the virus and then rapidly track, assess, and quarantine anyone who may have been exposed. To help all New Yorkers safely separate at home and monitor their health status, the Take Care pillar of the Test & Trace Corps also offers free hotel rooms with wraparound services for New Yorkers who are unable to safely separate in their own homes. For those safely separating at home, contact tracers perform daily calls and conduct in-person visits as necessary. These calls allow tracers to gauge the progress of cases, ensure proper compliance with separation protocol, and connect people to more supportive services as necessary. Today, 98% of all COVID-19 cases and 94% of contacts reported following isolation and quarantine requirements.

Two Queens Men Charged For Large-Scale Distribution Of Synthetic Cannabinoids Through Multiple Websites

 

The Defendants Allegedly Continued To Distribute Synthetic Cannabinoids After Four Co-Conspirators Were Arrested

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, , Ricky Patel, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”),  Frank Russo, Acting Director, Field Operations, New York, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging VICTOR ALMONTE and MICHAEL ESPOSITO with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids and to distribute controlled substances using the internet.  The case, in which four other individuals previously were charged and arrested, is assigned to United States District Judge J. Paul Oetken.

ALMONTE and ESPOSITO were arrested this morning and will be presented later today in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Trafficking of synthetic cannabinoids – sometimes called K2 or Spice – poses a serious threat to public health and safety.  Packaged attractively to appeal to teenagers and young adults, synthetic cannabinoids are in reality toxic concoctions that can be very dangerous to consume.  As alleged, the defendants used websites they operated to distribute massive quantities of synthetic cannabinoids throughout the United States.  Thanks to our law enforcement partners, the defendants have been arrested and their dangerous business has been dismantled.”

HSI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky Patel said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants purported to sell potpourri and herbs but were instead peddling mass amounts of dangerous synthetic cannabinoids to the public. What made these offenses even more egregious were that the defendants allegedly continued to engage in these illegal activities after the arrest of four co-conspirators involved in the scheme, which displayed a blatant disregard for the rule of law – that will not be tolerated.  HSI, in conjunction with its partners, will stand together and bring to justice malicious actors that use the internet to poison the public and put the health and safety of their customers at risk, just to turn a profit.”

USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “Today’s indictment of Almonte and Esposito is an example of the commitment of Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners to keep the streets safe from illegal drugs, while preventing criminal misuse of the mail.”

CBP Director Frank Russo said:  “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud of the expertise we provide in support of investigations that result in the takedown of criminal enterprises. Today’s arrest is an example of CBP’s interagency partnerships and collaborative efforts to detect, disrupt, and deter transnational criminal organizations.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and the Superseding Indictment,[1] and other court filings:

From February 2019 until May 2021, NIAZ KHAN, NOEL SANABRIA, ANDRE GOMES, PATRICK PATTERSON, VICTOR ALMONTE, and MICHAEL ESPOSITO (the “Defendants”) operated a scheme to distribute massive quantities of smokeable synthetic cannabinoids (“SSC”), colloquially referred to as “K2” or “Spice,” containing controlled substances and/or a controlled substance analogue, throughout the United States.

The Defendants sold SSC through at least four different websites that they operated, namely K2HerbStore.com, HerbalPlug.com, LegalAromaTherapy.com, and LegalHerbalSmack.com (collectively, the “Websites”).  The SSC the defendants sold through the Websites included dried, shredded plant material onto which synthetic cannabinoid chemicals had been sprayed.  The SSC distributed by the scheme was branded with colorful graphics and distinctive names, including “Train Wrecked,” “Scooby Snax Kush,” “Bizarro,” “AK 47,” “Hi5 Triple X,” “Evil Santa,” “Krazy Turkey,” “Sexy Monkey,” “W.T.F.,” and “COVID-19 Coronavirus Limited Edition.” 

In an effort to conceal their criminal activity and advertise their illegal products, the Defendants used names for certain of the Websites that falsely represented that their SSC products were “legal.”  The defendants also sometimes misleadingly described their SSC products publicly as “not for human consumption,” “potpourri,” “herbal incense,” and “legal aroma therapy,” when, in fact, the defendants intended that the SSC would be consumed by drug users and they knew that their conduct was unlawful.

On May 20, 2021, KHAN, SANABRIA, GOMES, and PATTERSON were arrested in connection with the charges contained in the Indictment.  Notwithstanding those arrests and the unsealing of the Indictment, ALMONTE and ESPOSITO continued to perpetrate the SSC distribution scheme until in or about December 2021.

Over the course of the scheme, the Defendants shipped thousands of packages of SSC through the United States mail from the Bronx, New York, to customers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which contained a total of hundreds of kilograms of SSC.  The defendants earned more than approximately $1 million from their illegal marketing and sale of SSC during the course of the scheme.

ALMONTE, 42, and ESPOSITO, 29, both of Queens, New York, are each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and a controlled substance analogue, and to distribute controlled substances using the internet, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.  

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, HSI, USPIS, and the New York Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  The long-term investigation of this case was partially funded by the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”), a federal grant program that invests in law enforcement partnerships to build safe and healthy communities.

The charges contained in the Indictment and the Superseding Indictment 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 Indictment and the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Indictment and the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS LEGISLATION TO CODIFY THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH IN NEW YORK CITY CHARTER

 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed Intro. 2442-A, codifying the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health into the City Charter and establishing the Office as a permanent part of City government. Built on the strong foundation of ThriveNYC, the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health coordinates an all-government approach to mental health and works with city government agencies and over 200 community-based organizations to close gaps in mental health care through innovation. The signing of Intro. 2442-A follows an executive order establishing The Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health on May 5, 2021.

“In New York City, we’ve established mental healthcare as a right for all,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health will ensure that New Yorkers can get support at every stage of life and every level of need for decades to come.” 

 

“Today marks a significant milestone in our nearly eight year journey to make mental health and substance use services as accessible in our communities as physical health care, and to lessen the stigma. There is a solid path forward to continuing this work—lives will be transformed and lives will be saved because the Office of Community Mental Health has been signed into law,” said First Lady Of New York City Chirlane McCray. “The pandemic has heightened the need for even more programs, more education and training, and more integrated health care. With the OCMH, all New Yorkers—no matter their struggles or backgrounds—will continue to live in a city that prioritizes their mental well being and makes services accessible where they live. Thank you to the City Council members, faith leaders, community leaders and people inside and outside of government for all the time and hard work they have put into this effort.”

Intro. 2442-A charges the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health with the following powers and duties, all of which are currently performed by the Office: 

• Reduce substance misuse and promote access to services for substance use disorder;
• Promote access to treatment for New Yorkers with mental health needs;
• Promote equity in access to treatment;
• Reduce any racial and ethnic disparity in reported mental health emergencies in the city;
• Reduce the incidence of mental health emergencies occurring in the city and address individual’s mental health needs before they become crises;
• Develop and support the implementation of strategies to close gaps in mental health care;  
• Develop interagency policies and practices to promote mental health; 
• Decrease any barriers to mental health care that may prevent access among groups identified as being under-served; and perform any other relevant duties as the mayor may assign.  
• Ensure interagency coordination with DOHMH and any other City offices or agencies. 
• Establish a Mental Health Council to advise the Office on issues relating to mental health and mental health care and facilitate coordination and cooperation among city agencies.  
• Report annually to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council, and post to the Office’s website, a report identifying critical gaps in mental health care that are preventing New Yorkers with mental health needs from accessing and staying connected to care.   

“For the first time, a high-level commitment to mental health and the office needed to fulfill it will be enshrined into our City’s law,” said Susan Herman, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health. “This decision is a fitting bookend to the vision first articulated by Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray in 2016—to take an all-government approach to ensure that all New Yorkers, especially the most vulnerable, have access to the mental health support they need. New York City is now delivering more mental health services, in more places and in more ways than ever before, and today’s milestone guarantees that even more New Yorkers will have access to care in years to come.”