Instagram Personality Known as “Jay Mazini” Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Money Laundering

 

Defendant Admits Perpetrating Fraudulent Schemes, Including Investment Scheme that Bilked Muslim-American Community Out of Over $8 Million

 Jebara Igbara, also known as “Jay Mazini,” pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to a three count information charging him with wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.  As set forth in the information, up until March 2021, Igbara maintained a popular Instagram account under the name “Jay Mazini,” where he would post videos depicting, among other things, occasions during which he would hand out large amounts of cash to various individuals as gifts.  In reality, Igbara was perpetrating overlapping fraud schemes, scamming investors out of at least $8 million. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the guilty plea. 

“With today’s plea, the defendant has admitted to leveraging his Instagram popularity to prey upon innocent investors and steal at least $8 million of their hard-earned money,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Together with our agency partners, this Office is committed to bringing scammers to justice.”

“As he admitted today, Igbara deliberately operated multiple scams to cheat a multitude of investors out of their money.  The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to stopping fraudsters of all types and holding them accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.  

“All the victims in this case were promised something that was too good to be true.  Those in the Ponzi scheme were all assured a high rate of return in a short amount of time, while the victims of the Bitcoin advance fee scheme were guaranteed above current market value for their Bitcoin.  This multi-million dollar case is a reminder for anyone thinking of investing: Be skeptical of any investments with larger than life promises, because if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.

As detailed in the information, Igbara is charged with perpetrating a scheme to defraud members of the Muslim-American community in New York by soliciting their money for purported investments in stock, electronics resale, and purchases of COVID-19 related personal protective equipment (PPE).  In reality, Igbara was operating a Ponzi scheme, and misappropriated nearly all of the money for his personal expenses and gambling. 

To raise money in order to pay his investors “returns,” and keep them on the hook, Igbara also perpetrated a second fraudulent scheme, wherein he posted on his Instagram and other social media accounts that he was willing to pay above-market prices for various cryptocurrencies.  He would then send his victims doctored images of wire transfer confirmations that purported to show he had sent money for the cryptocurrency as promised, when in reality, the payment was never sent, and Igbara was merely stealing the cryptocurrency sent by his victim.                       

When sentenced, Igbara faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.

The NYPD Announces it will Join Ring Neighbors

 

Neighbors App Allows the Department to View, Post, and Respond to Crime and Safety Posts

The NYPD today has announced its participation in Neighbors, a free app developed as a part of the Ring system that facilitates interaction between law enforcement and the public.

The collaboration between Ring and the NYPD will commence citywide in the coming week.

While the NYPD will not monitor the app around the clock, it will have the capacity to view, post and respond to crime- and safety-related information posted publicly by the users of the app. Those posts will appear on a map and a timeline, with or without accompanying photos or video. The NYPD will also be able to proactively post notifications to the public, and to seek the public’s help with active police matters, through the app’s “Request for Assistance” feature.

"The ability to interact online with New Yorkers – often in real time – adds to the comprehensive crime-fighting strategies already employed by the NYPD in its relentless efforts to keep our city and everyone in it safe," said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. "True public safety is a shared responsibility, and this tool stands to further advance the collective work of our police and all the people we serve toward reaching that worthy ideal."

Statement from Speaker Adrienne Adams on 18th Death in City Jails and Latest Violence on Rikers Island

 

“The continued deaths and violence on Rikers Island make clear that it remains unsafe for everyone there, and the relentless harm inflicted on detainees and staff alike underscores the seriousness of this crisis.

“I was deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the death of Gilberto Garcia while in custody on Rikers Island, and offer my condolences to his family, friends and community. Just like the 17 other detainees who lost their lives in our city’s jails this year, he should still be alive. Yet, another family is now forced to grieve the loss of their loved one.

“On the same day as Gilberto’s death, a Department of Correction officer was attacked and seriously injured by a detainee at the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island in an act of unacceptable violence. I send my prayers for the officer’s speedy recovery and to his family. As the daughter of a former correction officer who worked on Rikers, I know the challenges faced and sacrifices made by these dedicated public servants and their families – they also deserve to be safe.

“Our city’s jail system needs drastic reform, and there has unquestionably and understandably been a loss of confidence by the public and this Council that the current situation will improve without it. The Council is closely reviewing the federal monitor’s new report, submitted to federal court on Friday, and is exploring next steps to help address the crisis on Rikers as the court’s status conference approaches in the next two weeks.”

Attorney General James Protects New Yorkers’ Right to Vote

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after the Appellate Division, Third Department rejected challenges to New York’s laws expanding access to absentee ballots and streamlining the counting process for returned absentee ballots, and affirmed a decision by state Supreme Court Judge Martin Affredou and overturned in part a decision by state Supreme Court Judge Dianne Freestone:

“We should be taking every step possible to empower voters and ease New Yorkers’ access to the polls. I was proud to defend New York’s absentee ballot reforms, and am happy with the decision to keep these commonsense election integrity initiatives in place. As Attorney General, I will always fight against efforts to infringe on the right to vote and make it harder for New Yorkers to make their voices heard.”

In 2021 and 2022, New York state implemented voting reforms which sought to expand access to absentee ballots, ensure minor technical mistakes on ballots wouldn’t invalidate votes, and update the ballot counting process and timeline. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) defended the laws against suits challenging their constitutionality. The decision by the Appellate Division, Third Department rejected those challenges.

Attorney General James has taken significant action to protect voters’ rights and access to the polls. The OAG has an Election Protection Hotline and works to inform voters to ensure they are able to report issues or if they experience problems. In May 2021, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (BOE) for failing to provide county voters with adequate and equitable access to early voting poll sites, which in August 2021, affirmed and ordered BOE to select new early voting poll sites. Leading up to the 2020 primary elections, Attorney General James called for automatic absentee voting due to the pandemic and need to protect voters, and following the November election, Attorney General James issued an alert to ensure absentee voters were aware of their rights in case there was an issue with their ballots. 

Restaurateur Pleads Guilty To Large-Scale COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Fraud And Interstate Threats

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that restaurateur BESIM KUKAJ pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and making interstate threats.  KUKAJ pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted in court, Besim Kukaj conspired with others to try to secure more than $3.5 million dollars in government-backed loans intended for businesses devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Kukaj told banks that his restaurants operated with dozens of employees, when in fact he employed far fewer people. These brazen lies tricked banks into sending him approximately $1.5 million in loans.  Even after his arrest, Kukaj continued to submit false loan applications.  Kukaj now faces the possibility of a significant term of incarceration for these serious crimes.”

According to the allegations contained in filings in Manhattan federal court:

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).  Pursuant to the CARES Act, the amount of PPP funds a business is eligible to receive is determined by the number of employees employed by the business and their average payroll costs.  Businesses applying for a PPP loan must provide documentation to confirm that they have previously paid employees the compensation represented in the loan application. 

From at least in or about April 2020 through at least in or about July 2020, KUKAJ, working with others, submitted applications for PPP loans to multiple banks on behalf of various restaurants KUKAJ or a relative of his owned.  He did so on behalf of restaurants that were no longer operating or that had far fewer employees than were listed on the PPP loans.  In total, KUKAJ and his co-conspirators applied for dozens of PPP loans, totaling approximately $3.9 million, from numerous financial institutions, using many different corporate entities, and they successfully received at least $1.5 million in PPP loans.  KUKAJ was arrested in October 2020 and charged with bank fraud conspiracy and later indicted for the same charges in December 2020.  He was released on pretrial release pursuant to an order that notified him of the potential effect of committing a criminal offense while on pretrial release.

In January 2021, however, KUKAJ filed another false loan application for one of the same restaurants he had previously filed a false application for in July 2020.  The same month, KUKAJ also requested PPP loans for six businesses he owned and submitted false documentation about each of the six businesses.  These January 2021 applications and requests were not funded by the banks to whom he submitted the false paperwork. 

Separately, on November 6, 2019, at the urging of KUKAJ, a co-conspirator of his placed a telephone call, which traveled in interstate commerce, to a victim, during which call the co-conspirator threatened physical violence against the victim.  KUKAJ instructed his co-conspirator to place this call because KUKAJ owed money to the victim.

KUKAJ, 42, of New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of making interstate threats, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, KUKAJ also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1,500,000.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  KUKAJ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Carter on March 9, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of FBI New York’s Balkans and Middle East Organized Crime Squad, as well as the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the New York State Liquor Authority for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.  

MAYOR ADAMS LAUNCHES NYC LEGAL FELLOWS PROGRAM, NEW MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CITY AND MAJOR LAW FIRMS

 

Program Will Allow Junior Attorneys at Law Firms to Serve at Various City Agencies 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the launch of the New York City Legal Fellows Program, a new citywide initiative designed to enable junior attorneys at law firms across New York City to serve their fellow New Yorkers through a one-year appointment in the legal department of a city agency. The fellows will continue to be employed by and paid by their firms, but in all other respects, will be full-time city employees and fully integrated into agency legal departments. 

“Here at the city, we’re not merely talking about problems, but solving them. The Legal Fellows Program will strengthen the partnership between the private and public sectors, lay the groundwork for a lifetime of civic support and engagement, and help put the talents of these dedicated lawyers to work by addressing some of the biggest challenges facing New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “I’m grateful to the firms that are giving young attorneys these opportunities and investing in our city, its residents, and our future. I’m looking forward to welcoming our inaugural class of Legal Fellows and thank them in advance for their service to our city.”  

“I’m thankful to our inaugural set of firms for making this major investment in our city and for recognizing the value of public service,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Brendan McGuire. “The city is aiming to deepen its relationship with lawyers in private practice who are seeking purpose-driven work and to develop the next generation of lawyer leaders committed to city service. We’re excited to plug these attorneys into the challenging and rewarding work we’re doing for New Yorkers, and, more broadly, to expand the partnership between this administration and the private bar.” 

 

“I am pleased to see a number of firms, many of which have participated in the Law Department’s longstanding public service program, lending additional support directly to the agencies at this critical time in the city’s history,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix. “I congratulate Mayor Adams for his efforts in this venture.”

“King & Spalding is proud to partner with the City administration on this rewarding program, which reflects the very best of the New York legal community,” said

Randy Mastro, partner, King & Spalding. “We love our great city, so when Mayor Adams put out the call for law firms’ help, we, of course, answered the call.”

“Paul, Weiss has a long history of public service, and we are thrilled to participate in this important initiative at a time when our city faces many urgent challenges,” said Brad S. Karp, chairman, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. “We look forward to working with the mayor and his team to make this innovative public-private partnership a success for the city and for our law firm associates.” 

“Ropes & Gray is proud of our associates who are supporting the City of New York,” said Sarah Davidoff, partner, asset management practice, Ropes & Gray. “They are bright, solutions-oriented thinkers, unfazed by tackling the complex social issues before them. We are excited to energize this new program, which is valuable to every New Yorker.”     

The New York City Legal Fellows Program is part of a broader Legal Services Initiative launched by Mayor Adams to enhance the partnership between the city’s lawyers and lawyers in private practice. Firms that are planning to participate in the Legal Fellows Program include Paul Weiss; King & Spalding; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; O’Melveny; Ropes & Gray; Shearman & Sterling; Simpson Thatcher; and Wilkie Farr & Gallagher. Fellowship opportunities exist across a range of agencies within the Adams administration, including the New York City Department of Investigation, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the New York City Department of Education (DOE), the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance, the New York City Office of Labor Relations, and the Office of the Chief Counsel.   

In addition to the New York City Legal Fellows Program, in the future, the city plans to identify a broad range of pro bono matters to help further expose junior law firm attorneys to the work of the city.  

The Adams administration has been focused on facilitating public-private partnerships over the last 10 months. In September, Mayor Adams and DOE Chancellor David Banks announced the Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA) program. The program will connect 3,000 students across more than 50 schools with paid multi-year apprenticeships made possible by transformative public-private partnerships with businesses in collaboration with the New York Jobs CEO Council. CRMYA has already secured more than 1,000 apprenticeships, supported by

CareerWise New York.   

Additionally, in July, Mayor Adams and the Partnership for New York City launched the

Homeless Assistance Fund — a collective public-private initiative to provide services and mental health resources to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. 

Housing Lottery Launches For 915 Elsmere Place Senior Apartments In West Farms, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 915 Elsmere Place Senior Apartments, a nine-story residential building in West Farms, The Bronx. Designed by Marin Architects and developed by Stagg Group, the structure yields 72 residences and 15 parking spaces. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 39 units for residents at 80 to 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $55,612 to $187,330.

Amenities include parking, pet-friendly policies, a shared laundry room, gym, and recreation space. Residences come with energy-efficient appliances and air conditioning, and tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are nine studios with a monthly rent of $1,536 for incomes ranging from $55,612 to $85,440 and 18 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,640 for incomes ranging from $59,589 to $96,080.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there is one studio with a monthly rent of $1,900 for incomes ranging from $65,143 to $138,840; nine one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,000 for incomes ranging from $68,572 to $156,130; and two two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,100 for incomes ranging from $72,000 to $187,330.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than December 30, 2022.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera in Support of Residents Unionizing at Montefiore Medical Center

 

“Unions are what keep the Bronx strong, and I am thrilled to welcome the more than 1,200 Montefiore residents and fellows as the newest group of unionized workers in our borough. These physicians are deeply committed to providing the best care possible for their patients, and are now organizing for the working conditions they need to improve healthcare in the Bronx. As the doctors who care for our community 365 days a year, they deserve to have a say in decisions that impact their working conditions and patient care. CIR/SEIU is an important leader in the fight for health justice in New York and across the nation, and I look forward to working with the Montefiore resident physicians on improving healthcare equity and access in the Bronx. I call on Montefiore to respect the will of a supermajority of their resident physicians and recognize their union without delay.”