MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON RESILIENT EDGEMERE COMMUNITY PLAN

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after the New York City Council Land Use Committee and Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions voted to advance the “Resilient Edgemere” community plan:

 

“With the Resilient Edgemere community plan, my administration is delivering hundreds of affordable homes, urgent resiliency upgrades, and critical neighborhood infrastructure investments — an important step forward for residents of Edgemere, the Rockaways, and the entire city. I want to thank Councilmember Brooks-Powers and Speaker Adams for working with us so closely to advance this plan, and I look forward to continued partnership with the speaker and the Council to tackle our affordable housing crisis, equip our neighborhoods for a changing climate, and help our city recover from the pandemic.”

 

MAN INDICTED FOR ASSAULT AS A HATE CRIME AFTER ATTACKING MAN WITH KNIFE AND YELLING HOMOPHOBIC SLURS

Victim Slashed on Wrist, Suffered Severed Nerve and Bone-Deep Cut on Subway Train  

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Brooklyn man has been indicted on hate crime charges and Assault charges for allegedly critically injuring a man with a knife during a dispute over the victim and his boyfriend playing loud music on a train.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly yelled homophobic slurs at the victim, before and after slashing him with a knife. Thanks to the quick action of nearby police officers who applied a tourniquet to the victims’ arm, he was saved. We will always protect those in our community who are subjected to hate-based violence and hold those accountable for such acts.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Jordan Runadieo, 52, of Brooklyn, was arraigned July 7, 2022, on four counts of first-degree Assault as a Hate Crime, four counts of second-degree Assault as a Hate crime, two counts of third-degree Assault as a Hate Crime, two counts of firstdegree Assault, two counts of second-degree Assault, third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, third-degree assault, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, second-degree Aggravated Harassment before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Judge George Villegas. The defendant was remanded. Today bail was set at $250,000$ cash/ $250,000 bond and $250,000 partially secured bond at 10% by Supreme Court Justice Naita Semaj-Williams. The defendant is due back in court September 29, 2022.

 According to the investigation, on June 1, 2022, at approximately 1:00 a.m. inside a northbound No. 2 train at the Third Avenue and East 149th Street Subway station in the Bronx, the defendant told the victim and his boyfriend to turn town their music while screaming hateful remarks. He then allegedly took a knife and slashed the victim’s wrist, severing a nerve and cutting him down to the bone. Runadieo then allegedly continued yelling homophobic slurs at the victim before leaving the scene of the attack.

 Responding officers applied a tourniquet while the victim went in and out of consciousness due to severe blood loss. The victim suffered nerve damage and has undergone multiple surgeries for his injuries.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Captain Gregory Mackie of Transit District 12, and Detective Redmond Halpern of the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force.

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

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Syosset Man Sentenced For Role In $12 Million Ponzi Scheme

 

Matthew Eckstein Sentenced to up to 10-1/2 Years in Prison: Nearly $5.6 Million in Restitution Returned to Victims

 New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced a Syosset man was sentenced today to up to ten-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a $12 million Ponzi scheme that targeted nearly 50 victims – many of them seniors – between 2015 and 2017.

Matthew Eckstein, 52, pleaded guilty on Feb. 8, 2022, before Judge Teresa Corrigan to charges of Grand Larceny in the First Degree (a B felony) and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree (an E felony). The defendant was sentenced today to 3-1/2 to 10-1/2 years in prison.

Eckstein originally pleaded guilty to the charges on Sept. 26, 2019, but later withdrew his plea. A new indictment was secured in August 2020, but court closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the case.

The State Comptroller’s Office, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, FBI, and New York State Attorney General’s Office all assisted on this case.

“Matthew Eckstein brazenly took advantage of people who trusted him to line his own pockets and fund his opulent lifestyle," said State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. "Stealing the savings of senior citizens is unconscionable. I commend the work of District Attorney Donnelly, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service and thank them for their continued partnership with my office and diligence in bringing Eckstein to justice."  

“This defendant preyed upon seniors and hard-working men and women, duping them out of their retirement savings and other finances, and using the money to fund business ventures and pay for his own personal expenses,” said DA Donnelly. “I am grateful to my prosecutors for ensuring that Eckstein pays for his crimes with significant prison time, and to my civil forfeiture bureau, for their diligent work securing nearly $5.6 million in restitution for the victims. I also want to thank all of our partners on the local, state, and federal levels for their great contributions to this investigation and prosecution.”

USPIS Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Division Daniel B. Brubaker said: “Eckstein made his biggest mistake by using the Postal Service to further his scheme to defraud investors in Conmac Funding Corp. out of millions. Instead of investing his client’s money safely, Eckstein, a registered CPA, used their funds to pay Conmac’s bills and for his own personal interests. He took advantage of investors’ trust in his credentials and stole their life savings. Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners will tirelessly pursue anyone who targets investors, especially the elderly, for fraud. Today’s sentencing is solid proof that anyone who defrauds investors will pay a heavy price for their crimes.”

DA Donnelly said that beginning in January 2015, an elderly victim for whom Eckstein worked as a personal accountant and financial advisor, agreed to invest approximately $385,000 into a Hicksville-based company owned by co-defendant Kevin Brody, Conmac Funding Corp., at Eckstein’s urging. At that time, Eckstein, who was a registered CPA, assured his client that the investment was safe, had no risk, and the principal would be returned after a two-year waiting period with additional four-percent interest, like a certificate of deposit.

After waiting for two years, the victim requested the return of the money in January 2017 but received a payment of only $26,699. At that time, Eckstein claimed that Conmac Funding was an insurance company, and her money had to be paid back in installments. The victim continued to ask for the return of the remaining principal and interest, but Eckstein stopped communicating with her.

An NCDA investigation commenced in November 2017 after the elderly victim reported the incident to officials. A search warrant executed by NCDA investigators, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York State Comptroller’s Office at Eckstein’s home office in April 2018 yielded thousands of pages of financial documents.

Eckstein and Brody were ultimately revealed to have victimized nearly 50 individuals and had scammed them out of a total of $12 million. Many of the victims were senior citizens who trusted the defendants with their retirement savings.

Eckstein and Brody provided victims with a username and password for www.conmacfunding.com to view their account statement and growing account balance, leading victims to believe that their principal investment was with Conmac Funding and earning interest.

However, instead of investing the money into Conmac Funding, the defendants used the money to fund other business enterprises – including hamburger restaurants – personal purchases and paying other victims of the scheme.

Additionally, Eckstein used some of the stolen funds for the down payment on his home, which had a swimming pool and tennis court.

Eckstein and Brody were arrested in September 2018.

Brody, of Pennsylvania, was previously sentenced on Sept. 12, 2019, to 2-1/3 to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony) and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree.

The victims were from Massapequa, Seaford, Glen Cove, Oyster Bay, Plainview, Woodmere, Wantagh, Hewlett Harbor, Woodbury, Hicksville, Merrick, Oceanside, Smithtown, Melville, Dix Hills, Farmingdale, Miller Place, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Westchester, Norwalk, CT, Jupiter, FL and Redlands, CA, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey.

Many of the victims were lured into the scheme by Eckstein who owned another firm called Sisk Investment Services that he ran out of his Syosset home. He convinced his existing clients, who trusted him, to invest in Conmac Funding.

NCDA’s Civil Forfeiture Bureau was able to freeze all of Eckstein and Brody’s known assets while their cases were pending, including bank accounts and real estate properties, which allowed the office to distribute more than $5.6 million in restitution to the victims following the prosecutions.

Three Members Of International Fraud And Money Laundering Conspiracy Convicted In Manhattan Federal Court

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the convictions last week of MIRCEA CONSTANTINESCU, NIKOLAOS LIMBERATOS, and ALEXANDRU RADULESCU for their participation in an international conspiracy to commit a variety of offenses, including access device fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, following a seven-day trial before the Honorable Sidney H. Stein.

United States Attorney Damian Williams said: “As the jury recognized, these defendants participated in a prolific ATM skimming and money laundering ring that spanned years and continents.  They caused staggering losses by, among other things, stealing account numbers and personal identification numbers of their victims using sophisticated technology.  Because of yesterday’s verdict, they will no longer be able to ‘cash out’ on others’ identities.”

As proven at trial:

MIRCEA CONSTANTINESCU, NIKOLAOS LIMBERATOS, and ALEXANDRU RADULESCU were members of an international “ATM skimming” and money laundering organization (the “Skimming Organization”).  From approximately 2014 to 2019, the Skimming Organization made millions of dollars by installing sophisticated machinery on ATMs and point-of-sale machines, capturing unsuspecting bank customers’ card numbers and PINs, reencoding that information on counterfeit cards, and then “cashing out” those cards to withdraw as much money as they could.

The Skimming Organization sent crews of “install” and “cash out” workers to travel throughout the country, carrying out numerous skimming operations at various banks and on point-of-sale machines.  The operations often lasted a period of days.  After cashing out, the teams would take a cut of the money earned and provide the rest to the Skimming Organization’s leaders. 

LIMBERATOS and RADULESCU were leaders of the Skimming Organization, who ran teams of “install” and “cash out” workers, oversaw the manufacture and repair of skimming devices, cased ideal locations, organized skimming jobs, and made millions of dollars as a result.  LIMBERATOS also participated in laundering the proceeds of the skimming jobs, including through a restaurant business he owned. CONSTANTINESCU helped to send and receive packages containing skimming and skimming-related equipment, worked with an engineer who fashioned skimming devices, and laundered money for the Skimming Organization from the United States to Romania.

CONSTANTINESCU, LIMBERATOS, and RADULESCU were among 33 defendants charged in connection with this case.

CONSTANTINESCU, 48, of Queens, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiring to commit access device fraud, one count of conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering.  Those counts carry a maximum potential sentence of 59 years and six months in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years of in prison.

LIMBERATOS, 56, of Deer Park, New York, was convicted of one count of aggravated identity theft. Shortly before trial, LIMBERATOS pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit access device fraud, one count of conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud, and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering.  Those counts together carry a maximum potential sentence of 59 years and six months of in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.

RADULESCU, 36, of Romania, was convicted of one count of aggravated identity theft. Shortly before trial, RADULESCU pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit access device fraud, one count of conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud, and one count of access device fraud.  Those counts together carry a maximum potential sentence of 54 years and six months in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Stein on October 13, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. (CONSTANTINESCU), 3:00 p.m. (LIMBERATOS), and 3:30 p.m. (RADULESCU).

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul on Court of Appeals Chief Judge Janet Difiore

 

"From the Westchester District Attorney's Office to the Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore has dedicated her career to the people of New York. Chief Judge DiFiore's leadership of our state court system - especially during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic - has been a critical asset. I thank Judge DiFiore for her years of service and look forward to reviewing the recommendations of the Commission on Judicial Nomination as we work to appoint new leadership to the Court." 

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS EVA WONG AS DIRECTOR OF MAYOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH, BRIAN STETTIN AS SENIOR ADVISOR FOR SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointment of Eva Wong as director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) and Brian Stettin as senior advisor for severe mental illness. Wong and Stettin will join those in the administration — including leaders in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and at NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) — working to promote the mental health of New Yorkers every day.  

“Bringing mental health care to every New Yorker who needs it, especially our most vulnerable neighbors, is more urgent than ever,” said Mayor Adams. “Eva’s experience and dedication to making mental health care as accessible as possible is exactly what New York City needs, and I’m confident that, in her role as OCMH director, she will coordinate with our agency and community partners to ensure people have access to quality care they need. Brian has an impressive record of helping government meet the needs of people with severe mental illness and I know he will be an invaluable leader as we build a stronger system of treatment and support. It isn’t just our responsibility to support our most vulnerable New Yorkers, but also to also shatter the stigma surrounding mental health illness. With these new appointments, we will tackle this longstanding and long-ignored crisis with compassion, urgency, and forward-thinking solutions.” 

 

Eva Wong brings over 15 years of professional experience in direct clinical services, program management and operations, and community development. Wong has a breadth of experience in advocacy and developing programs, including crisis intervention with a special focus on historically marginalized groups. As director, Wong will bring her experience in sustained, authentic conversations with New Yorkers, including young people, families, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those hit hardest by the pandemic to lead the city’s work promoting mental health wellness, destigmatizing mental illness, and delivering equitable access to mental health services with communities of color in New York City.  

 

Brian Stettin is a veteran of state government returning to New York after 13 years as a prominent national advocate for mental health reform. He has drafted and led successful campaigns for improved treatment laws in numerous states and guided jurisdictions of every type and size in establishing Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) programs. Stettin will serve as a senior advisor to Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. In this role, he will work to expand and strengthen the city’s in-patient psychiatric programs, ensure the city’s utilization of AOT is as effective as possible, and work with DOHMH, OCMH, and across city agencies to support New Yorkers with severe mental illness.  

  

“Prioritizing mental health is essential to the recovery of this city,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “I am confident that Eva is the right person to work collaboratively with local communities, as well as with city, state, and federal lawmakers to develop policies that improve access to mental health care in our city. For our fellow New Yorkers who suffer with serious mental illness, we must ensure they are connected to the supports they need to thrive. For years, many have been ignored and given too little too late. Brian’s focus on mental health policy will bring us one step closer to bringing care and dignity to this population.” 

 

“New Yorkers in all walks of life have endured varying degrees of anxiety, fear, trauma and loss in the past two years. While I believe wholeheartedly that New Yorkers are resilient; we are also strong enough to acknowledge that we are exhausted and in need of healing. The work of OCMH is central to the city being a leader in closing critical gaps in care and promoting access to treatment for New Yorkers with mental health needs” said incoming OCMH Director Eva Wong. “I feel incredibly honored and grateful for Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom's trust in me to lead this important work with the dedicated staff at OCMH. I am proud to have a continued commitment to intentionally listen to the voices and perspectives of New Yorkers, especially those from historically disinvested communities and communities of color. Together with city agencies, non-profit providers, and community groups citywide, we can effectively and equitably promote mental wellness, mental health crisis prevention, and intervention, and decrease barriers to mental health care for under-resourced communities, ensuring a safe, healthy, and resilient city.” 

 

“Like all of us, New Yorkers with severe mental illness deserve decent places to live, health care, physical safety, and meaningful connections to others,” said Brian Stettin, senior advisor on severe mental illness. “By building a system of treatment and support that responds to the needs of each individual, we can disassociate severe mental illness from homelessness and criminal justice involvement, and live up to our calling as the world’s greatest city. The Adams administration is committed to making this happen and I am honored by the opportunity to contribute.” 

 

“The ‘second pandemic’ of mental health issues, arising from the last 2.5 years of COVID-19 on top of longer-term causes demands an all hands-on deck approach,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “We’re excited to welcome Eva and Brian to the administration to bring more hands into this fight, and to strengthen our team as we address both immediate and structural issues in our mental health system, and the underlying social and economic drivers of rising mental health needs in our city. We need everyone to step in and step up to the challenges, and we’re grateful to Eva and Brian for their service at this critical time.” 

 

“Brian's deep knowledge and track record of improving mental health systems will be great assets to New York City,” said Dr. Mitchell Katz, president and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals. “I look forward to working with him to provide much-needed care for those with serious mental illness.”  

 

About Eva Wong 

 

Eva Wong currently serves as a ParentCorps unit supervisor at the Center for Early Childhood Health and Development at NYU Langone Health. Wong leads the clinical direction of programming that reaches more than 450 pre-K programs in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and 70,000 families in New York City alone. 

 

Previously, Wong devoted a decade to University Settlement, where she held several leadership roles. As the director of programs and engagement, Wong designed and increased access to strength-based and holistic programs for specialized populations, including older adults and youth with developmental disabilities. Under her strategic leadership as director of Project Hope in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Wong helped deliver mental health prevention and interventions to over 40,000 New Yorkers. 

 

Additionally, in the past, Wong has served on boards of directors for a range of nonprofits and community-wide coalitions. Wong chaired both the Lower East Side and East Harlem Community Partnership Programs, where she convened leaders and decision makers from community-based organizations, community boards, schools, local precincts, and faith-based groups to support the safety and wellbeing of children. Since 2007, Wong served as board member for various non-profits organizations focused on improving the quality of health and social services for Asian communities through interdisciplinary service coordination and culturally responsive professional development — devising creative strategies to overcome stigmatic barriers and increase mental health awareness for older adults, as well as pioneering housing and economic-empowerment solutions for survivors of trafficking to access a safe home and a safe job.  

  

Wong has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with honors in Actuarial Science from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Arts degree with honors in Mental Health Counseling from Nyack College.  

   

About Brian Stettin 

 

For the last 13 years, Brian Stettin has served as policy director for Treatment Advocacy Center, a national non-profit focused on removing barriers to the treatment of severe mental illness. In this role, Stettin drafted, advocated and marshaled support for legislation enacted federally and in numerous states to improve civil commitment laws and expand access to mental health treatment. Stettin also led the Treatment Advocacy Center's efforts to provide technical assistance to communities across the United States in the establishment and operation of AOT programs, helping individuals with severe mental illness and histories of treatment non-adherence avoid hospitalization and arrest through court-ordered treatment and monitoring.  

 

Stettin is the lead author of a definitive white paper on AOT implementation commissioned by the American Psychiatric Association. Concurrent with his work at the Treatment Advocacy Center, Stettin served for three years as an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law, teaching a seminar on "Mental Illness and the Law.” 

 

Prior to joining the Treatment Advocacy Center, Stettin spent a decade in New York State government, serving as counsel to the Health Committee of the New York Assembly and as special counsel to the New York State commissioner of criminal justice services, focusing on civil-law strategies to address neighborhood crime.  

 

From 1999 to 2007, Stettin was an assistant attorney general in the Office of the New York Attorney General, serving in the Program Development and Public Integrity Units. In this role, Stettin drafted the original proposal of "Kendra's Law" (New York's AOT law) in 1999, as well as significant improvements enacted in 2006. 

 

Stettin is a graduate of City College of New York and the University of Texas School of Law. 

Reality Show Cast Member Pleads Guilty To Running Nationwide Telemarketing Fraud Scheme

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that earlier today, JENNIFER SHAH pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Jennifer Shah was a key participant in a nationwide scheme that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims.  These victims were sold false promises of financial security but instead Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it.  This Office is committed to rooting out these schemes whatever form they take.”

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment, and statements made during the plea and other proceedings in the case:

From 2012 until March 2021, JENNIFER SHAH, together with others (collectively, the “Participants”) carried out a wide-ranging telemarketing scheme that defrauded hundreds of victims (the “Victims”) throughout the United States, many of whom were over age 55, by selling those Victims so-called “business services” in connection with the Victims’ purported online businesses (the “Business Opportunity Scheme”). 

In order to perpetrate the Business Opportunity Scheme, Participants, including SHAH, engaged in a widespread, coordinated effort to traffic in lists of potential victims, or “leads,” many of whom had previously made an initial investment to create an online business with other Participants in the Scheme. 

SHAH, among other things, sold leads to other Participants for use by their telemarketing sales floors with the knowledge that the individuals they had identified as “leads” would be defrauded by the other Participants, including by lying to Victims about how much they would earn after purchasing the business services and the purported success of others who had purchased the services.  SHAH received as profit a share of the fraudulent revenue per the terms of their agreement with those Participants.  SHAH often controlled each aspect of the frauds perpetrated by other Participants on the individuals they had identified by, among other things, determining which “coaching” sales floor could buy leads from them, selecting the downstream sales floors to which the “coaching” sales floor was permitted to pass the leads, choosing the firms to provide “fulfillment” services, that is, documents and records purporting to demonstrate that the services the Participants claimed to provide to those Victims were actual and legitimate, setting how much the downstream sales floors could charge, and determining which “products” each of the downstream sales floors could sell. 

In approximately 2017, SHAH began operating a Manhattan-based sales floor that sold downstream “business opportunity” products to victims on lead lists provided by the defendant as part of the Business Opportunity Scheme (the “Manhattan Sales Floor”).  Between 2018 and 2020, SHAH controlled the day-to-day operations of the Manhattan Sales Floor.  Among other things, SHAH, with other Participants, moved certain operations for the Manhattan Sales Floor to Kosovo to avoid law enforcement and regulatory scrutiny.  The salespeople at the Manhattan Sales Floor engaged in the same fraudulent sales practices as other telemarketing floors in the Business Opportunity Scheme: namely, lying to and misleading Victims into purchasing “business opportunity” products to ostensibly advance their non-existent online businesses.  

SHAH undertook significant efforts to conceal her role in the Business Opportunity Scheme.  For example, SHAH, among other things, incorporated her business entities using third parties’ names and instructed other Participants to do the same, used and directed others to use encrypted messaging applications to communicate with other Participants, and made numerous cash withdrawals structured to avoid currency transaction reporting requirements.

SHAH, 48, of Park City, Utah, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing through which she victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.  As part of her guilty plea, SHAH also agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and to pay restitution up to $9.5 million.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as SHAH’s sentence will be determined by the judge. 

SHAH is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein on November 28, 2022.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI’s El Dorado Task Force.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Benet J. Kearney, Robert B. Sobelman, and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution. 

If you believe you have been a victim of the scheme described above, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900 or wendy.olsen@usdoj.gov

Governor Hochul Announces the Launch of a New COVID-19 Treatment Hotline by the State Department of Health in Partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals

 

888-TREAT-NY Hotline Utilizes NYC Health + Hospitals' Virtual ExpressCarePlatform

Proven Treatment Options Available to Effectively Treat COVID-19

Statewide Hotline Will Help Reduce Barriers to COVID-19 Treatment for all Communities

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of a new free Hotline for those who test positive for COVID-19, but don't have a health care provider, as part of the administration's ongoing efforts to keep New Yorkers protected throughout the pandemic. The Hotline, 888-TREAT-NY, was launched by the New York State Department of Health after reaching an agreement to utilize the Virtual ExpressCare platform operated by NYC Health + Hospitals.

"We've made real progress in our fight against COVID-19, but as new variants continue to spread it's important to continue to adapt and expand our efforts to protect New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "Our new COVID-19 treatment hotline will provide New Yorkers with better access to early treatments that help prevent severe illness."

All New Yorkers outside of New York City, regardless of income or health insurance coverage who test COVID-19 positive, are eligible to be evaluated for treatment by calling 888-TREAT-NY (888-873-2869) or completing an evaluation at the NYS COVID-19 ExpressCare Therapeutics Access website, which includes a telemedicine visit. New York City residents should call 212-COVID-19.

The Hotline is available 24-hours per day, seven days a week and operated by experienced Health + Hospitals professionals who have the clinical training to prescribe treatment and referrals if needed. The ExpressCare platform is a service that allows New Yorkers to receive virtual care from a NYC Health + Hospitals provider.

The telemedicine visit will include a clinical assessment by medical providers who will identify the appropriate COVID-19 treatment plan, which may include a prescription for Paxlovid or Molnupiravir. These oral antiviral medications have both been proven to decrease hospitalization for those that are at risk for severe disease. When given soon after positive COVID-19 diagnosis these antivirals also help fight infection and shorten recovery time.

As all treatments require a prescription, those who test COVID-19 positive should talk to their provider or call 888-TREAT-NY to determine what treatment is best for them. New York State is assigned a weekly allotment of both Paxlovid and Molnupiravir from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "Every New Yorker should have access to the latest COVID-19 therapeutics regardless of whether they have a regular health care provider. Thanks to the Department's agreement with NYC Health + Hospitals, our new COVID-19 treatment hotline at 888-TREAT-NY is another tool to reduce the barriers to treatment and will help ensure traditionally underserved communities have access to the same care as other New Yorkers."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "Every New Yorker deserves access to quality, accessible health care, regardless of their insurance status. NYC Health + Hospitals' Virtual ExpressCare has helped connect thousands of New Yorkers to COVID-19 resources and I'm proud that, through this partnership with Governor Hochul and Commissioner Bassett, New Yorkers across the state, regardless of whether they have a health care provider, will now have access to critical and lifesaving treatments."

NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD said, "NYC Health + Hospitals is proud to partner with the Governor's Office and the State Health Department to offer COVID-19 therapeutics to the entire state through our proven Virtual ExpressCare program. Virtual ExpressCare has been a vital part of our strategy to ensure that everyone in New York City has access to the COVID-19 care and treatment they need, and it will bring the same expertise and commitment to all New Yorkers across the state."

Under the agreement, insured patients will pay a co-pay amount based on their plan and the New York State Department of Health will cover the costs of the service for those without health care coverage.

Learn more about COVID-19 treatment options at health.ny.gov/CovidTreatment