Queens Jeweler Convicted In Luxury Watch Robbery And Money Laundering Scheme

 

Jamaica Colosseum Mall Jewelry Store Operator Laundered Stolen Watches from Armed Robberies of Luxury Jewelers

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict today against STANISLAV YAKUBOV, a/k/a “Steve,” on three counts in a Superseding Indictment, including one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.  YAKUBOV is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who presided over the eight-day trial.     

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Stanislav Yakubov agreed to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of diamond-encrusted, stolen luxury watches that had been taken during violent robberies, the victims of which included jewelers from Yakubov’s own community.  Yakubov’s actions fueled a year-long robbery spree that targeted nearly a dozen victims, and his conviction sends a message to the community that the purchase and laundering of stolen property will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”

Photographs of some of the stolen watches are set forth below.  If you believe you know the whereabouts of any of these watches, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900, and reference this case:

According to the Superseding Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:

From at least in or about October 2019 up to and including November 2020, STANISLAV YAKUBOV, and others known and unknown, agreed to purchase stolen watches worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, each that had been taken during armed robberies.  The watches owned by victims targeted in the robberies included diamond-encrusted Richard Mille, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe watches owned by jewelers as part of the jewelers’ businesses based in Manhattan’s Diamond District and elsewhere.  

The robberies and attempted robberies included the following: 

1. On October 3, 2019, a jeweler in Long Island City, New York, was robbed of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $150,000.
2. On October 25, 2019, a jeweler in Jamaica, New York, was robbed of, among other things, a Rolex watch worth over $118,000.
3. On December 10, 2019, a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, was robbed of, among other things, a Patek Philippe watch worth over $160,000 and a diamond necklace worth over $77,000. 
4. On January 14, 2020, a jeweler in Rego Park, New York, was robbed of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $500,000.
5. On February 16, 2020, a jeweler in Jamaica Estates, New York, was robbed of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $28,000.
6. On February 20, 2020, an individual in Long Island City, New York, was robbed of, among other things, an Audemars Piguet watch worth over $125,000.
7. On June 11, 2020, a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, was robbed of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $148,000. 
8. On July 6, 2020, a jeweler in Hoboken, New Jersey, was robbed of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $81,000. 
9. On July 20, 2020, a jeweler in Queens, New York, was the victim of an attempted robbery involving a Richard Mille watch worth over $180,000.
10. On August 2, 2020, a food critic/social media influencer was robbed of, among other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $250,000 in the vicinity of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. 

In addition, on or about October 20, 2020, and March 24, 2021, YAKUBOV knowingly and willfully made false statements to federal law enforcement officers investigating the robbery spree.  YAKUBOV falsely said, among other things, that he never purchased any watches from the robbery crew and that the robbers were merely customers who had purchased jewelry from YAKUBOV in the past.

YAKUBOV, 42, of Queens, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, and two counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents, each of which carry a maximum prison term of five years.

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.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Bergen County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office, the Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Police Department, the Weehawken, New Jersey, Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department for their assistance.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL

 

"I thank the governor for heeding our request for state funding to support asylum seekers, and I urge her to more strongly speak out moving forward, as well as further address the need to engage other municipalities statewide.  

"Prioritization of crises – or misprioritization – is clear across this budget, nowhere moreso than in public safety. Increases in community-centered gun violence prevention, though far short of the investment needed, are certainly welcome. But they are paired with expansions in law enforcement and so-called 'hotspot' policing, a pursuit of failed policies of the past. Where is the discussion of providing other services to these 'hotspots' - whether economic opportunity, health services, or truly affordable housing? I’m glad that the governor is addressing housing and public safety, but this budget largely fails to see how those issues intersect at their roots, and does not address either one in a large enough scope or urgent enough timeline. Eventual development, though necessary, is not a substitute for affordability and protections now. 

"As we continue to review the budget specifics, it’s important to note what was highlighted in the address, what was minimized, and what it means for the governor’s priorities in the coming months of the budget process."

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Statement on Executive Budget Proposal

 

“Governor Hochul introduced her executive budget while many New Yorkers continue to struggle to make ends meet and concerns of a recession grow. Inflation is still too high, and New York still has not regained all the jobs lost during the pandemic. Federal relief aid has provided critical support to the state budget, but will be depleted by the end of the financial plan. New York needs to fund essential programs and services that support quality of life in our state, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of the state’s finances.

“With two months left in the state’s fiscal year, tax collections remain relatively strong, exceeding the Division of Budget’s mid-year projection by $7.7 billion through December. These funds should be used wisely in this shifting economic landscape, and I am pleased the Governor has continued her promise to increase rainy day reserves. Robust increases to reserves will better prepare us for future downturns and challenges.

“I remain concerned about New York’s high debt burden and how it hinders our future, which is why I proposed a roadmap for reform to impose meaningful limits on debt and ban backdoor borrowing. This proposal can serve as the basis for discussion and action to give more power back to voters and return to prudent debt limits and practices.

“My office will release a more detailed analysis of the Executive Budget in the coming weeks.”

Governor Hochul Announces Highlights of FY 2024 Executive Budget

 

$1 Billion Plan Will Fix New York State's Continuum of Mental Health Care

Governor Follows Through on Pledge Not To Raise Income Taxes for FY 2024 Budget

New York Housing Compact Will Build 800,000 New Homes, Address Statewide Housing Shortage

$337 Million Investment Aimed at Reducing and Preventing Gun Violence

Addresses MTA 'Fiscal Cliff' While Investing in Public Transit Statewide

Investing $5.5 Billion to Promote Energy Affordability, Reduce Emissions, and Clean Our Air and Water, Building on More Than $30 Billion Committed to Climate Action

$7.6 Billion, Four-Year Child Care Investment Continues, Eligibility Increased To Include an Additional 113,000 Children

$1 Billion Health Care Investments for Capital Projects at Hospitals and Other Facilities

$1.3 Billion Economic Development Investments Will Create Jobs of the Future Across the Empire State

$1 Billion Investment Will Provide Health Care, Shelter, and Other Critical Services to Asylum Seekers

Fully Phases in Foundation Aid, a $24 Billion Commitment to Education that Includes $125 Million for Pre-K, and $250 Million for Learning Loss Tutoring

Link to Budget Book Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today outlined her Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget. The FY 2024 Executive Budget reflects Governor Hochul's bold agenda to make New York more affordable, more livable, and safer by making smart, responsible investments in mental health care, public safety, housing, education, climate initiatives, and more. 

"I'm committed to doing everything in my power to make the Empire State a more affordable, more livable, safer place for all New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "We will make bold, transformative investments that lift up New Yorkers while maintaining solid fiscal footing in uncertain times." 

"Governor Hochul's Executive Budget considers the needs of every New Yorker, providing both the funding and a road map to put in place lasting, meaningful solutions," said Acting Budget Director Sandra L. Beattie. "From bold investments in affordable housing, innovative mental health services, and effective crime prevention strategies, this Executive Budget is one that will reach today's New Yorkers as well as our future generations, making New York a stronger and safer state for years to come."

A Balanced Budget   

Governor Hochul's FY 2024 Budget proposal reflects New York's steady finances, even as global economic trends send mixed signals. All funds spending is $227 billion growing 2.4 percent. Deposits to reserves that had been planned for FY 2024 and FY 2025 will be completed by the end of the current year — two years ahead of schedule - for a total of $24 billion secured for a rainy day.

Fixing the Continuum of Mental Health Care   

For too long, New York's mental health care system has suffered from underinvestment, and the pandemic only made things harder for New Yorkers with serious mental illness. To address the unmet mental health needs of New Yorkers, Governor Hochul will make a long-term, $1 billion investment to transform New York's continuum of mental health care. This comprehensive, multi-year plan includes allocating: 

• $915 million in capital to develop new residential units, plus $127 million in annual operating costs.
• $18 million in capital and $30 million annually to increase operational capacity for inpatient psychiatric treatment.  
• $60 million in capital and $122 million annually to expand outpatient services.
• $27.5 million annually to improve post-discharge connections to services through the creation of 50 new Critical Time Intervention care coordination teams.
• $30 million annually to expand mental health services in schools.  

Addressing the Housing Crisis  

The New York Housing Compact is a comprehensive, multifaceted proposal to address a historic housing shortage in New York State and build 800,000 new homes over the next decade. In addition to setting local housing targets in every New York municipality, emphasizing transit-oriented development, removing barriers to housing creation, and incentivizing new construction, Governor Hochul's plan includes:  

• $250 million for infrastructure upgrades and improvements to support local housing growth and development.  
• $20 million for planning and technical assistance to support local rezoning efforts and other solutions to drive growth. 
• $15 million for a new statewide data collection effort.  
• $4 million to create a new Housing Planning Office within Homes and Community Renewal to support localities in meeting their housing goals and coordinate planning efforts across the state. 

• $39.8 million to reduce the risk of lead exposure in rental properties outside of New York City, including $20 million in assistance to property owners for building remediation.
• $50 million for the creation of a statewide Homeowner Stabilization Fund to provide critical home repairs in 10 key communities with a high concentration of low-income homeowners of color. 

In order to unlock thousands of units of housing currently under construction, the Executive Budget extends the 421-A construction deadline through 2030. The Budget also expands HCR's Tenant Protection Unit as part of a multi-year investment to provide targeted support for tenants in upstate New York. 

Driving Down Gun Violence, Combating Fentanyl and Protecting Public Safety  

Governor Hochul will make major public safety investments aimed at reducing violent crime and enhancing quality of life. Funding will expand programs and services to further drive down gun violence, reduce recidivism, address the flow of deadly fentanyl, and improve the efficacy of the court system, which was disrupted by the pandemic.  

• $337 million for programs designed to prevent and reduce gun violence, including but not limited to:

-$84.1 million for youth employment programs, of which $37 million is for programs in Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) jurisdictions.

-$70 million for communities to respond to the aftermath of gun violence, of which $50 million is for community capital needs.  

-$36.4 million for the GIVE initiative.

- $31.1 million for crime reduction, youth justice, and gang prevention programs.

- $25.9 million for State Police Community Stabilization Units (CSUs).

- $25 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program.

- $18 million for Crime Analysis Centers, including $2 million for crime analysts to combat the flow of fentanyl into communities.

The Executive Budget proposal also includes:

• $52 million in aid to prosecution funding for all 62 district attorneys' offices.
• $40 million to funding to support discovery reform implementation.
• $31.4 million for alternatives to incarceration programs.
• $20 million for pretrial services.
• $10 million to support stipends for volunteer firefighters who complete core training, providing a recruitment and retention incentive to those who serve their communities.
• $7 million for a new Anti-Fentanyl Innovation Grant.

Expanding Public Transit Access, Affordability, and Safety  

Over the past year, Governor Hochul has advanced the completion of the Long Island Rail Road's Third Track project, taken the inaugural ride into Grand Central Madison, broke ground on the Metro-North Penn Station Access project, and pushed other major projects forward, including the Second Avenue Subway and the Interborough Express.  

Governor Hochul has worked tirelessly with partners in the MTA, New York City, and the State to strengthen the long-term fiscal stability of the MTA, while ensuring continued progress in rider safety. The Executive Budget proposal calls for: 

• Implementing over $400 million in MTA operating efficiencies to reduce expenses and improve service to customers. 
• Increasing the top rate of the Payroll Mobility Tax (PMT), generating an additional $800 million annually. 
• Increasing New York City's share of funding for paratransit services, providing students with reduced fare MetroCards, and offsetting foregone PMT revenues for entities exempted from paying the tax, generating nearly $500 million annually.  
• $300 million in one-time State aid to address the extraordinary impact on MTA operating revenues. 
• $150 million annual commitment from the MTA for additional safety personnel.  
• Dedicating a share of $1.5 billion in the licensing fees if three casino licenses are awarded, and a share of an estimated $462 to $826 million in annual tax revenue from the casinos for MTA operations.  

Governor Hochul will build on her record investing in transit by making a new historic contribution to expand public transit access and affordability while improving public safety on trains, buses, and subways, across the state. 

• $9.1 billion in mass transit operating support, including $809 million in operating support for non-MTA authorities. 
• Nearly $7 billion for the second year of a record $32.8 billion, five-year DOT Capital Plan to improve highways, bridges, rail, aviation infrastructure, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities including $1.2 billion for local roads and bridges.
• $1.3 billion for a commuter-first Penn Station, the Western Hemisphere's busiest transit hub.
• $20 million for bus electrification for non-MTA authorities, and $20 million to rehabilitate NFTA's light rail. 

Additionally, Governor Hochul will take action to fight toll and speed camera evasion. A new law will authorize law enforcement and the Department of Motor Vehicles to levy increased penalties on drivers whose license plates are knowingly altered to make them unreadable in photographs, including increased fines and registration denials. The law will also enable law enforcement to seize materials affixed to license plates that are designed to prevent them from being read by speed and toll collection cameras.  

Addressing the Climate Crisis and Investing in Affordable Energy 

New York State has one of the nation's most ambitious climate plans focused on creating a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations. Governor Hochul will make a transformative $5.5 billion investment to promote energy affordability, reduce emissions, and invest in clean air and water, building on more than $30 billion committed to climate action.  

In her State of the State address, Governor Hochul directed the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to advance a Cap-and-Invest Program to establish a declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions and invest the proceeds in programs that drive emissions reductions and maintain the competitiveness of New York's industries. Included in the Executive Budget is a proposed Climate Action Fund which is expected to deliver more than $1 billion in future Cap-and-Invest proceeds to New Yorkers every year.  

The Executive Budget includes a proposal to advance renewable generation in New York State by granting the New York Power Authority the ability to help the State meet its aggressive renewable energy targets. The Executive Budget also includes nation-leading building decarbonization proposals that will prohibit fossil fuel equipment and building systems in new construction, phase out the sale and installation of fossil fuel space and water heating equipment in existing buildings, and establish building benchmarking and energy grades. The new construction proposal includes certain exemptions such as commercial kitchens. The existing equipment phase out proposal does not impact stoves. 

In addition to forthcoming investments from the historic Environmental Bond Act passed by voters in 2022, the Executive Budget includes:

• $500 million in clean water infrastructure funding and $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund.  
• $400 million to provide relief to New Yorkers experiencing high electric bills as well as lowering energy burdens through electrifications and retrofits. 
• $200 million for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to invest in enhancing the improving state parks.  
• A proposal to implement the Waste Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act to increase recycling rates, save local governments money, and protect the Environment.

New grant program to provide funding for municipalities to investigate and remediate sites contaminated with emerging contaminants like PFAS. 

Making Child Care More Accessible and Affordable    

With the actions included in the FY 2024 Executive Budget, Governor Hochul is increasing the State's investment to an unprecedented $7.6 billion over four years to make the child care system more accessible and affordable. This will put New York State on the path toward improving the process of finding child care, widening program eligibility, and supporting the child care workforce.  In addition, there will be the following targeted investments:

• $389 million in underutilized Federal funds for a Workforce Retention Grant program. 
• $25 million in foregone revenue to support the Employer Child Care Tax Credit.
• $4.8 million in State funds for the Employer-Supported Child Care Pilot Program. 

Creating a Stronger Health Care System   

Building off last year's historic $20 billion investment, Governor Hochul's will continue to invest in high quality health care, address pressing health needs facing New Yorkers, and helping facilities across the state prepare for future public health emergencies. New York's health care system is among the best in the nation, but the pandemic shed light on disparities in the system. The budget seeks to address these disparities by adding more than $1 billion in health care capital funding, expanding Medicaid coverage for 7.8 million low-income New Yorkers, and improving access to aging services and high-quality long-term care:

• $500 million in multi-year health care capital funding to drive transformative investment that support the State's health care investments.
• $500 million in multi-year capital grants to support investments in technological investment upgrades, including clinical tech and cybersecurity.
• $967 million to complete consolidation of Wadsworth Laboratories' five unconnected sites to one site on the W. Averell Harriman Campus in Albany by 2030.
• $100 million to expand Medicaid coverage of preventative health services and access to primary care.
• $157 million in New York State's nursing homes and $9 million in New York's assisted living providers, so staff can better provide high-quality care to residents.
• $60 million beginning in FY 2025 to expand the Medicaid Buy-In program so more New Yorkers with disabilities can work and still qualify for coverage.
• $39 million to reduce the risk of lead exposure in rental properties outside of New York City.
• $8 million to revitalize the state's Emergency Medical Services system and $14 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for medical transportation.
• $12 million to modernize New York State's health reporting systems and build a nation-leading health monitoring and surveillance system.

Boosting New York's Economy  

The Executive Budget includes proposals to strengthen the state's economy and accelerate Governor Hochul's vision of making New York the most business-friendly and worker-friendly state in the nation. The Governor has proposed a significant expansion of the State's business attraction programming to create good, high-paying jobs in fast-growing industries like tech, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.  

The Governor has also proposed indexing New York's minimum wage to inflation to help workers meet the rising cost of living and a nation-leading plan to offer fully paid parental leave to thousands of New York State employees.  

The Executive Budget also adds:  

• $425 million to invest in local economies, including $225 million in grant funding and tax credits for the Regional Economic Development Councils and $100 million each for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward.
• $60 million in grant funding to support locally sourced school meals and food retailers in underserved communities and regions. 
• $58.5 million to support the State's robust tourism industry, including funding to promote regional attractions and matching grants to assist counties and municipalities with local tourism efforts.  
• $45 million to be made available to GO-SEMI: The Governor's Office of Semiconductor Expansion, Management, and Integration to lead the growth of the state's semiconductor industry.
• $18.8 million to rebuild New York State's government workforce through critical initiatives to be administered through the Department of Civil Service and Office of General Services.  
• $2 million to help Public Assistance recipients recoup stolen benefits. 
• $1 million for the Department of Agriculture and Markets to develop a stronger food supply workforce pipeline. 

As part of Governor Hochul's ongoing commitment to expanding opportunity for New York workers and businesses, the Executive Budget also establishes the Office of Community and Workforce Development in New York City. The Office will require New York City contractors to make best efforts to hire candidates from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and will require the city to consider impacts of penalties for noncompliance on minority- and women-owned businesses, nonprofits, and small businesses. 

Providing Critical Assistance to Asylum Seekers

Since asylum seekers began arriving in New York in unprecedented numbers, Governor Hochul has been working to provide assistance and support. The FY 2024 Budget sets out a framework through which the financial responsibility for supporting asylum seekers is split evenly: one-third for New York City, one-third for New York State, and one-third for the federal government.

In total, the State will commit more than $1 billion in the coming year on critical initiatives to support asylum seekers, including:

• $767 million to pay 29 percent of city shelter/HERRC costs for asylum seekers, consistent with existing State shares for Safety Net Assistance, which already supports City shelters.
• $162 million for logistical and operational support provided by the National Guard, which has deployed more than 900 service members for this mission.
• $137 million for health care to support the City of New York, which is providing free health care to certain eligible asylum seekers.
• $25 million in resettlement funding for asylum seekers through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
• $10 million in legal services funding through the Office of New Americans.
• $6 million to support the shelter site at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
• $5 million for enhanced migrant resettlement assistance, distributed to refugee resettlement agencies already under contract with OTDA.

Supporting Students and Schools  

All New York students deserve a high-quality education, from prekindergarten through college. Governor Hochul will allocate a historic $34.5 billion in total School Aid, the highest level of State aid in history. This funding will help give every child in New York the tools to succeed through a high-quality education.  Funding for education includes:

• $24 billion for Foundation Aid - a $2.7 billion increase from last year - to complete Governor Hochul's three-year phase-in to fully funding Foundation Aid for the first time in history. 
• $1.5 billion in new capital projects for SUNY and CUNY.
• $250 million of the historic increase in Foundation Aid to establish high impact tutoring to address learning loss. 
• $125 million expanding prekindergarten to bring the State's annual support for such programs to $1.2 billion. 
• $270 million in new operating support for SUNY and CUNY campuses.
• $400 million in SUNY transformation capital initiatives, including $200 million for research labs at the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University and $200 million for a digital transformation of IT infrastructure throughout the SUNY system.
• $500 million to create the first-ever New York State matching fund for contributions made to the endowments of SUNY's four university centers.  

Governor Hochul will also eliminate the regional cap on the number of charter schools in New York City and authorize the reissuance of charters due to surrender, revocation, termination, or non-renewal. These changes will permit the issuance of additional charters in New York City and expand educational opportunities for students.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES ROADMAP FOR NATION’S LARGEST COMPOST COLLECTION PROGRAM, INCLUDING ACHIEVING DECADES-LONG GOAL OF PROVIDING CURBSIDE SERVICE TO EVERY NEW YORK CITY RESIDENT

 

City Also Announces Completion of Installation of 250 Smart Composting Bins with Additional 150 on the Way

Queens Residents — Who Proved Curbside Program to Be Successful, Scalable Model – to Receive Free NYC Compost This Spring

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch today announced a roadmap to implement the nation's largest composting program, a long-delayed win for cleanliness and sustainability. After highlighting the program in his State of the City address last week, Mayor Adams laid out details, over the coming 20 months, for weekly collection of compostable material that will become an automatic, guaranteed, free, year-round service for every single resident across all five boroughs. While curbside composting programs have existed in New York City for the last decade, none have ever served more than approximately 40 percent of the city. This will be the first-ever specific plan and commitment to reach 100 percent coverage citywide, providing residents with simple, universal weekly collection of leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper products. It is also the first program designed as a service for “mass market” use by all New Yorkers.

The Adams administration developed an effective, cost-effective pilot plan for curbside composting that began in Queens on October 3, 2022. This program — designed to be the easiest-to-use, most efficient curbside composting program ever — exceeded expectations in Queens as it diverted three times the material at less than a third of the cost on average per district compared to old programs. This model will now be expanded citywide.

“Today, we are going where no one has gone before. By the end of 2024, every New York City resident will have access to clean, convenient, curbside compost pickup from the Department of Sanitation,” said Mayor Adams. “For more than two decades, past administrations have been working to achieve citywide composting — and today, I’m proud to announce we are getting it done. By reducing the food waste that we put into trash bags, our streets will look better, smell better, and best of all, will be dealing a blow to New York City’s number one enemy: rats.”  

“For decades, New York City has been one of the nation’s largest takeout food offenders, sending billions of tons of food out of state, hundreds of miles away to be dumped in landfills,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Building on the commonsense approach used in the Queens organics pilot, today we are announcing the reversal of this costly and carbon producing activity. Instead of creating more landfill, our food scraps will be separated, contained from rats, and turned into renewable energy, biosolids, and compost.”

"When I started at DSNY nine months ago, Mayor Adams asked me for the best kind of curbside composting program — one people would actually use," said DSNY Commissioner Tisch. "The program we rolled out in Queens last year worked — eight districts in Queens diverted more material than Park Slope, and Jamaica and St. Albans diverted more material than the entire old seven district legacy program combined! I'll never forget the first time we looked at the numbers and said, ‘YAHTZEE: This is the model that can actually serve the entire city.’"

Full details on the 12.7 million pounds of compostable material diverted from landfill in the first three months of the Queens pilot program are available on DSNY’s website.

The new program is built on a number of efficiencies that drive costs down, including the use of dual-bin trucks and a right-sizing of the workforce to reduce overtime. The leaf-and-yard-waste-first approach was designed based on an analysis of successful programs in other cities, including Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto. 

Unlike past composting programs, there will be no sign-up required for this new program. Residents will simply set out anything from their kitchen or their garden in a separate bin on their recycling day and DSNY will pick up those materials to turn them into usable compost or clean, renewable energy. While DSNY will make its own Brown Bins available, this program also includes the flexibility for New Yorkers to use ANY bin of 55 gallons or less with a secure lid.

Service will begin on the following timeline:

• March 27, 2023: Service restarts in Queens following a brief winter pause and becomes year-round. There will be no further seasonal breaks in any borough.
• October 2, 2023: Service begins in Brooklyn.
• March 25, 2024: Service begins in Staten Island and the Bronx.
• October 7, 2024: Service comes to Manhattan, marking the first citywide curbside composting program ever.

As Manhattan will receive service last, Mayor Adams also announced that the borough will receive an additional 150 Smart Composting Bins this spring to help residents separate their compostable material. These orange bins are an example of a successful pilot scaling broadly. From an initial group of 25 in Astoria, Mayor Adams previously announced a plan to place 100 bins across all five boroughs, which, based on popularity, was later expanded to 250, in every part of the city. As of today, those bins have all been installed and are accessible 24 hours per day via a newly-designed app for iOS and Android called NYC Compost. The additional Manhattan bins announced today will bring the total number bins to 400.

New Smart Composting Bin service covers a number of traditionally underserved communities, including Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Castle Hill, Harlem, Highbridge, the North Shore of Staten Island, Parkchester, the area around Queensbridge Houses, and Washington Heights. Across these communities, the bins have been greeted by enthusiastic usage and have diverted pristine compostable material from landfill. The additional 150 bins announced today will be placed in central business districts and residential sections of Manhattan.

Today’s announcement additionally comes on the heels of historic investments in other DSNY sustainability efforts by the Adams administration, nearly $31 million in further funding in Fiscal Year 2023 since last April. This funding includes investments in a number of exciting programs — not just curbside composting and the Smart Composting Bins, but a previously-announced expansion of school composting to every New York City public school by next school year, a comprehensive waste characterization study, and expanded funding for community composting.

Finally, today's announcement includes a plan to thank the people of Queens for their role in making curbside composting a success. This spring, all Queens residents will be able to pick up 40-pound bags of New York City compost for use in their yards and gardens. A full schedule of giveback events will be mailed to Queens residents and posted on DSNY’s website. The department will conduct more compost giveback events in every borough as the program proceeds, where the material that residents put out for composting is given back to them the following year as usable soil.

“The expansion of the city’s compost program into all boroughs will lead to a higher quality of life for New Yorkers and pave the way to achieve zero waste by 2030. This Queens pilot proved that we can divert our compostable materials, and we look forward to a successful municipal composting program that is consistent and universal,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

"We asked and they listened!" said Julie Tighe, president, New York League of Conservation Voters. "The New York League of Conservation Voters is thrilled that Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch have announced the rollout of a citywide curbside composting program. There's more work to do to get all New Yorkers to compost their food waste, but yesterday's announcement is a major step toward reaching zero waste. And the proof is positive: In just three months in Queens, curbside composting kept 12.7 million pounds of yard and food waste out of our landfills. Expanding this program citywide means less greenhouse gasses escaping into the atmosphere and less garbage on the street – good news for the environment, bad news for the rats."