Bronx Drug Dealer Admits To Murder And Witness Tampering

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ELIJAH BILAL, a/k/a “Karate Kid,” pled guilty today to conspiring to commit a firearms crime in connection with the April 15, 2012 murder of Terrance Martin, 25, in the Bronx, New York.  As part of his plea, BILAL admitted that he murdered Martin.  BILAL pled in the middle of his jury trial before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.  BILAL also pled guilty to conspiring to tamper with witnesses who were expected to testify against him at trial.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:   “Through his guilty plea, Elijah Bilal admitted that he shot and killed Terrance Martin.  Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Bilal will be held accountable for his crimes.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment, other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:

On or about April 15, 2012, in a public courtyard in the Andrew Jackson Houses in the Bronx, New York, BILAL shot and killed Martin over a drug debt in connection with a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.  BILAL killed Martin by firing a single bullet into the back of his head from approximately two feet away.  Prior to trial, BILAL conspired from prison to disseminate the names of the witnesses who were expected to testify against him.  His co-conspirator released the witnesses’ names on Instagram.

BILAL, 30, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of conspiracy to commit witness tampering, and one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.

NEW JERSEY MAN SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING WOMAN AFTER SHE REJECTED HIS SEXUAL ADVANCES

 

Jury Found Defendant Guilty of Attempted Murder

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a New Jersey man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for shooting a woman in the chest after she rejected his sexual advances.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant was told by the victim that she wasn’t interested in his advances. For saying no, she was grabbed, hit in the face with a gun, and shot in the chest. For the defendant’s violent and reprehensible actions, he will be heading to prison.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Kevin Hawse, 47, last of Union, New Jersey, was sentenced on June 9, 2022 to 14 years in prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. The defendant was found guilty on May 20, 2022 of Attempted Murder in the second-degree and seconddegree Criminal Possession of a Weapon after a jury trial.

 According to the investigation, on March 4, 2019, in an apartment inside 4160 Hutchinson River Parkway, the victim rejected the defendant’s sexual advances. The defendant grabbed the victim by the hair to drag her out of the apartment, hit her over the head with a gun and then shot her in the chest. The bullet went through her body and into a nearby wall. The victim was treated at NYC Health + Hospitals Lincoln for injuries. Hawse was apprehended in Los Angeles, California on April 29, 2019.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Pedro Gomez of the Bronx Warrants Squad, and Police Officers Thomas Collazo, Fernando Benitez-Colon and Paula Aguero of the 45th Precinct, and Police Officer Estefani Cerda from Bronx Evidence Collection Team.

Governor Hochul Announces $234 Million in Additional Food Assistance for June

 

All SNAP Households to Receive the Maximum Level of Food Benefits This Month

Supplemental Food Benefits Help Nearly 2.8 Million New Yorkers Avoid Food Insecurity

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for June. All households participating in SNAP—including those already at the maximum level of benefits —will receive a supplemental allotment this month, resulting in a roughly $234 million infusion of federal funding into the New York State economy.  

"Far too many households continue to grapple with food insecurity, and in many instances these struggles are a direct result of the economic toll inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "As we continue to build back our state's economy better than it was before, these maximum food benefits will help put food on New Yorkers' tables, while also providing local retailers and related businesses with a welcome infusion of capital." 

The emergency assistance supplement is provided to all households, including those that ordinarily receive the maximum allowable benefit per month on SNAP, a federally funded program overseen by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Those households already near or at the maximum benefit level—$835 for a household of four—will receive a supplemental payment of at least $95.  

SNAP households in all counties outside of New York City should see these extra benefits post between today and Friday, June 17. Those SNAP households in the five-county New York City region should see their benefits post between Friday, June 17, and Thursday, June 30.  

SNAP plays an important role in New York's ongoing economic recovery and has injected over $1 billion into the state's economy since January. Every federal dollar invested by SNAP generates up to $1.54 in economic activity, according to a federal study quantifying the impact of SNAP on the U.S. economy.  

These benefits are also a critical lifeline for New Yorkers in need, as about 14 percent of the state's population relied on SNAP benefits last year according to a recent study. More than half of recipient households were families with children and about 48 percent included an adult over the age of 55 or someone who was disabled. 

OTDA began issuing the emergency supplemental benefits in April 2020 to those SNAP households receiving less than the maximum monthly benefit amount. When New York State's emergency declaration expired in June 2021, the agency successfully worked with the federal government to secure the maximum allotment for all SNAP households until the expiration of the federal declaration, which is now expected to extend until October.  

New Yorkers continued to rely heavily on SNAP this spring, with more than 1.6 million households, including more than 2.8 million New Yorkers, throughout the state enrolled in the program in April.

New York City saw a slight decline in the number of SNAP recipients in April, after four consecutive months of increases. About 1.7 million people living in the five-borough area were part of a SNAP household in April. 

In contrast, areas outside of New York City have observed a steady rise in the number of SNAP recipients since August 2021. As of April, about 1.1 million people living outside of the five-county metropolitan areas were part of a SNAP household. 

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, "The maximum food benefits have played a critical role in helping New Yorkers avoid food insecurity throughout the pandemic, and that carries on today as our economy continues to mend. These additional benefits are providing individuals and families across the state with the resources they need to put healthy, nutritious food on the table each month, as we collectively recover from the public health crisis." 

As with the prior months, the payments will be delivered directly to recipients' existing Electronic Benefit Transfer accounts and can be accessed with their existing EBT cards. Like regular SNAP benefits, the supplemental benefits can be used to purchase food at authorized retail food stores. Any unused SNAP benefits will automatically carry over to the following month.  

Find more information on the emergency supplemental SNAP benefits, including answers to frequently asked questions, here. New Yorkers interested in enrolling can check their SNAP eligibility, as well as apply online, by visiting mybenefits.ny.gov.  

As the Triple Crown races toward the finish line in New York, Inspector General Lucy Lang releases IG's first Gaming Annual Report

 

New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, ahead of the Belmont Stakes set to take place on Saturday, released the first annual report of gaming investigations since the Gaming Inspector General's duties and responsibilities were transferred to the Offices of the Inspector General last year as part of the 2020-21 State Budget. The Office of the Gaming Inspector General's (OGIG) core function is to conduct independent and thorough investigations into fraud, misconduct, and criminal violations related to gaming. In 2021, OGIG received over a hundred complaints, issued six letters and reports, and referred over a dozen recommendations to the New York State Gaming Commission. These matters, which are detailed in the report, include uncovering outside activities by Gaming Commission employees, including podcasting and social media endeavors, as well as abuses of state resources.

"As we complete our agency's expansion into gaming, I am committed to protecting participating New Yorkers from unfair practices, and to ensure healthy competition is matched with robust oversight, transparency, integrity, and equity," Lang said. "We are continuing to take steps necessary to be able to deliver careful attention and oversight of gaming from our office. Thanks to Deputy Inspector General for Gaming Lisa Lee, we successfully trained all OIG staff in the laws, policies, and practices relevant to gaming and horse racing activity, which will dramatically expand the number of staff available to investigate these matters."

This year, the state of New York is implementing or proposing a broad range of new initiatives and policy changes in the gaming industry which will require further oversight and monitoring by the Offices of the Inspector General, including mobile sports wagering, interactive gaming, and daily fantasy sports, as well as the potential awarding of three downstate casinos licenses.

DEC Announces Opening of 2022 Black Bass Season

 

New Annual Season Start Date is June 15

Top Quality Bass Fishing Opportunities Available Throughout the State

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that the open (harvest) season for largemouth and smallmouth bass, collectively known as black bass, begins Wednesday, June 15, and runs through Nov. 30. The June 15 opener is now the standard opening date for these species, replacing the third Saturday in June. For most of the state, a catch-and-release season exists from Dec. 1 through June 14. Special fishing regulations exist for some waters as outlined in the current fishing regulations guide and should be closely reviewed before heading out to fish.

“Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are New York’s most popular freshwater sportfish,” Commissioner Seggos said. “I encourage all to head out and experience the tremendous bass fishing we have here in New York, and while you’re at it, take a youngster along with you to make some great memories.”

New York has a number of waters that consistently rank as some of the best bass angling destinations in the country. In 2021, New York boasted a remarkable six locations in Bassmaster Magazine’s top 25 bass lakes in the Northeast. This included the St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands) (#1), Lake Erie (#3), Lake Champlain (#4), Cayuga Lake (#11), Oneida Lake (#18), and Chautauqua Lake (#25).

Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are widely distributed across the state with plentiful great bass fishing locations in addition New York’s “big six.” For more information, visit DEC’s Places to Fish and Warmwater Fishing webpages.  

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS SREOSHY BANERJEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NYC PUBLIC DESIGN COMMISSION

 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Sreoshy Banerjea as executive director of the New York City Public Design Commission (PDC). Banerjea brings an expertise in design with a deep commitment to public service, exemplified by her work on major community development and resiliency projects, including Downtown Far Rockaway, Broadway Junction, Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, and the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, among others. She will replace outgoing PDC Executive Director Keri Butler, who has served at PDC for more than a decade. 

“I am thrilled that a model public servant like Sreoshy Banerjea is taking the reins at the Public Design Commission,” said Mayor Adams. “New Yorkers deserve public spaces that reflect the best of our city and the values we hold dear, and Sreoshy has a proven track record of translating those both into art and space. I also want to thank Keri Butler for her many years of service to PDC and to the city, and I look forward to continuing to ‘Get Stuff Done’ with our new leadership.”

 

“Sreoshy will bring a wealth of design knowledge, complex project experience, and entrepreneurial spirit to her new role as executive director of the Public Design Commissioner,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “I thank outgoing executive director Keri Butler for her tremendous service to the city’s work in improving PDC processes to enhance the public realm by ensuring quality design in public projects throughout New York City, and I look forward to working with Sreoshy in this next chapter of the Public Design Commission.”

 

“I am humbled and honored to accept the role of executive director at PDC and to carry the baton forward in stewardship of our beloved public realm,” said incoming PDC Executive Director Sreoshy Banerjea. “I look forward to championing and advocating for equitable, safe, and resilient design values to ensure our shared city is vibrant across all boroughs, while being sensitive to the multitude of factors that architects juggle to actualize their projects. As I inherit a talented and visionary team, we will work together to uphold design excellence, while positioning PDC as a platform for innovating and disrupting status quos in the design field. I look forward to working across our partner agencies and in collaboration with professional organizations to increase dialogue and diversity in the profession and encourage a new pipeline of design talent to shape the urban fabric of New York City.”

 

“Sreoshy is among the most civic-minded and innovative design professionals,” said Geeta Mehta, founder and president, Asia Initiatives, and adjunct professor of urban design, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. “She understands the role that an inclusive built environment and infrastructure can play in building the social capital of communities, empowering New Yorkers in all walks of life. Her deep listening skills will be very important as she takes on the role of leading the New York City Public Design Commission.”

 

“The selection of associate architect Sreoshy Banerjea to head the New York City Public Design Commission brings new talent, initiative, and social sensitivity to this historic commission,” said Richard Dattner, FAIA, founding principal, Dattner Architects. “Under her leadership, PDC’s long tradition of encouraging the highest level of civic design will be expanded to meet the urban challenges of our city, and our times.”

 

“Personally, and on behalf of AIA New York, I could not be more thrilled to hear the news that Sreoshy Banerjea, Assoc. AIA, will serve as executive director of New York City’s Public Design Commission,” said Benjamin Prosky Assoc. AIA, executive director, American Institute of Architecture (AIA) New York. “A recipient of the 2021 AIA New York ‘Service to the City’ award, Sreoshy has earned the respect of the architectural community through her thoughtful and impactful work at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). Having demonstrated her commitment to design excellence through her collaboration with fellow AIA members on the city’s Open Restaurants program, among other initiatives, I am confident that she will approach her work at the PDC with rigor, raising the standards for public investment in design projects throughout New York City.”

 

“We are delighted that Sreoshy will be the new executive director of the Public Design Commission,” said Daniel McPhee, executive director, Urban Design Forum. “Sreoshy has used her time in government to champion design excellence, advocate for inclusive public spaces, and provide meaningful opportunities for new and emerging practices to shape the city. Under her leadership, we should expect an even safer, healthier, and more resilient public realm.”

 

About Sreoshy Banerjea

 

Sreoshy Banerjea is a former vice president of urban design for NYCEDC, where she has — for more than six years — been responsible for establishing and leading the Urban Design Unit housed within the Planning Division. She conducted urban design analysis, architectural and public realm studies, as well as advised internal staff and consultant teams on a variety of projects. She has helped shape consultants' visions for renovation of EDC assets and large-scale master plans and vision plans, including Sunnyside Yard, Broadway Junction, Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, Downtown Far Rockaway, Inwood, and Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Masterplan.

 

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Banerjea founded Design Corps, and formulated partnerships with AIA and NYCxDesign to create a network of 100 volunteer architects that assisted over 70 restaurants in design related to needs that had arisen during COVID-19.

 

Banerjea is a former Forefront fellow of the Urban Design Forum, as well as the 2021 winner of the AIANY chapter’s ‘Service to the City’ award, which recognizes those who have made tangible design contributions or participated in impactful collaborations with designers to make New York City a better place to live.

 

Banerjea will report to Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer.

 

NY PHILHARMONIC in Van Cortlandt Park - June 14, 2022

 

New York Philharmonic 

Tuesday, June 14 at 8 pm

Fireworks will follow the concert!

 

Van Cortlandt Park Parade Ground 

Enter the park from Broadway, near West 246th Street. 

Concert site is just past the Van Cortlandt House Museum and 

tennis courts. 

Parking is extremely limited. Please walk or take public 

transportation. 

 

The Philharmonic is FREE for all to enjoy. 

Pack a picnic and BYOB (bring your own blanket).

 

VIP Seating 

You can reserve a chair in the VIP section, the best place to really 

hear the concert. 

VIP tickets are available to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance Members at 

the $100 level; 1 ticket is included as a benefit of membership. 

You can also purchase one additional ticket. 

Purchase VIP Seating

Already a member?  

Email events@vancortlandt.org to receive a discount code in the 

amount of your current membership level.

 

Becoming a member supports Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s work 

in the park, which includes environmental education for kids, 

research and restoration programs, paid internships for teens, 

volunteer coordination throughout the park, daylighting advocacy, 

and bringing to light the legacy of the Enslaved Africans who built 

much of what we enjoy in the park today. Your support is essential. 

 

Philharmonic program information is available here. 

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

Senator Biaggi's Week in Review: 6/6/22-6/10/22

 

Dear Community,

The MTA announced this week that the Bronx Local Bus Network Redesign Plan will be implemented beginning on June 26th, and the maps and schedules for the new routes are now available online. This transformative project will make bus service in the Bronx faster, more reliable, and more accessible. Thirteen bus routes will change, two new routes will be implemented, and other bus routes will have frequency improvements that bolster off-peak service and enhance network connectivity to other bus routes and subway lines. 

Beginning on June 12th until the 26th, the MTA will also have customer ambassadors at key bus stops in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan to explain the route changes and increase familiarity of the new bus network. The customer ambassadors will provide maps and route-specific brochures outlining the changes and highlights of the new local bus network.

Visit here to learn more about the Bronx Local Bus Network Redesign Plan. Visit Bronx Bus Schedules to download a copy of the schedules and view updated route plans here. 

I am also excited to share that the New York State Senate and Assembly have both passed S9340, my bill which authorizes Pelham Manor with approval from DOT to install a red-light camera to capture vehicles on Boston Post Road which fail to stop for a red light at this intersection.

Affording this authorization to Pelham Manor will improve the safety of all who travel through or across the Pelhamdale Avenue/Boston Post Road intersection and ensure safer streets for all.

If you have any questions about any of these changes, please feel free to contact my office at biaggi@nysenate.gov or 718-822-2049. 

With Gratitude,

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi