MAYOR ADAMS MAKES MAJOR INVESTMENTS IN MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

 

Mayor Appoints Michael Garner as Chief Business Diversity Officer of Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises

 

 Signs Executive Order 26 to Eliminate Bias and Underutilization of Some Ethnic and Gender M/WBE Groups

 

Builds on Administration’s Newest OneNYC Goals to Increase Overall M/WBE Utilization Across Citywide Procurement Announced in State of the City

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today reaffirmed his commitment to the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise community by appointing Michael Garner as chief business diversity officer of the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE). In this role, Garner will support and elevate New York City’s M/WBEs by making the city a more equitable and inclusive business environment — a top priority of the Adams administration. Additionally, Mayor Adams today signed Executive Order 26, to help address the “disparity within the disparity” in the award of city procurement dollars to M/WBEs. Although studies demonstrate that M/WBEs are underutilized in city contracting, certain ethnic and gender groups of M/WBEs remain more disproportionately underutilized than others. Executive Order 26 focuses on increasing participation by Black American, Hispanic American, and Native-American M/WBEs and Asian-American WBEs — all groups that have been persistently and negatively impacted by procurement inequities.

 

“This administration has placed economic equity front and center as the city emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and recovers economically,” said Mayor Adams. “By signing Executive Order 26 to increase the number of underrepresented ethnic groups awarded city contracts and appointing Michael Garner as chief business diversity officer of the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises, we are reaffirming our administration’s commitment to expanding opportunities for our minority and women-owned business owners. These support systems will build equity, boost our recovery, and create new opportunities for M/WBEs citywide. This is how we ‘Get Stuff Done’ and fight inequality right here in our own city.”

 

“I am thrilled to welcome Michael Garner to this administration as the chief business diversity officer. Michael has a proven track-record of breaking through bureaucratic hurdles to ensure M/WBE contractors are given a seat at the table and, more importantly, are awarded contracts,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “With Michael’s appointment and the accompanying executive order, this administration is demonstrating that it is laser-focused on creating an equitable business environment.”

 

“Our minority and women-owned businesses are the backbone of our city, and they deserve a champion worthy of their crucial role in our economic recovery. Michael Garner is that champion,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “I’m very excited for Michael to join this administration, help guide and grow our M/WBE program, and advance the policies laid out in this executive order — zeroing in on increasing opportunities at every agency and tackling disparities within our M/WBE program.”

 

“I am both honored and excited to have been selected by Mayor Eric Adams as New York City’s first citywide chief business diversity officer,” said Citywide Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael J. Garner. “As this administration builds on the recent successes of the M/WBE program, we look forward to making New York City an even more inclusive and equitable economic ecosystem for all of our businesses, including the ones that have historically been under-represented in our city’s procurement environment. We know that a disparity remains, not only between non-M/WBEs and M/WBEs, but also among certain ethnic and gender categories within our pool of diverse New York City-certified businesses. I commend Mayor Adams for taking bold action to systematically address these disparities, and I plan to leverage my 30 years of building successful M/WBE programs across multiple organizations in support of our shared vision. A vision that is rooted in ensuring that New York’s economic recovery is an inclusive one, and in building the best M/WBE program in the Fortune 500 capital of the world.”

 

“The Adams administration has put Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises front-and-center in our economic recovery,” said New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “As the city’s first-ever chief business diversity officer, Michael’s vast experience and outstanding record of delivering for the people of New York will set our local businesses up to thrive. SBS is excited to get to work with Michael and all our city agency partners to ‘Get Stuff Done’ for our M/WBE community.”

 

“We hold steadfast to our city’s commitment to create a more inclusive and fair contracting environment for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises,” said Mayor’s Office of Contact Services Director Lisa Flores. “As we continue the important work of reforming the procurement process, we keep M/WBEs at the forefront of our vision to ensure our policies promote success. It’s no secret that I, along with my colleagues, believe M/WBEs are more than just the goods and services they provide — they represent New Yorkers and communities across the five boroughs. Our new chief business diversity officer, Michael Garner, has the experience and drive needed to prioritize the wellbeing of these businesses to ensure a bright future for all.” 

 

Mayor Adams also announced that mayoral agencies are directed to, whenever practicable, seek to award contracts for goods, services, and construction of up to $1 million to M/WBEs through a non-competitive method. By increasing the threshold limit of this directive from $500,000 to $1 million, the city has taken steps to ensure that M/WBEs will be able to more effectively compete for larger contracts, expanding their opportunities to work with the city. In Fiscal Year 2022, the city awarded $112 million in contracts to M/WBEs using the non-competitive methods — up from $75 million Fiscal Year 2019. That award amount is expected to rise dramatically in the upcoming years.

 

Through Executive Order 26:

• City agencies will be directed to use the non-competitive method to procure goods, services, and construction for amounts not exceeding $1 million, whenever practicable.
• City agencies will be directed to limit the initial pool of solicited vendors for goods, services, and construction for amounts not exceeding $500,000 to Black American M/WBEs, Hispanic American M/WBEs, Native American M/WBEs, and/or Asian American WBEs, whenever practicable.
• The chief business diversity officer, in consultation with MOCS and the New York City Department of Small Business Services, shall periodically review agency procurement data provided by MOCS and relevant research to (a) determine any changes in the ethnic or gender categories of M/WBEs to be classified as underutilized, (b) to identify meaningful progress towards addressing overall disparities in procurement across the city, and (c) to make any necessary adjustments to city policies based on such review.

The Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises was created to address historic disparities in city contracting and provide minority and women entrepreneurs increased opportunities to do business with New York City. The office is responsible for developing policy, enhancing coordination among city agencies, and providing oversight and accountability of the city’s M/WBE program.

 

“Michael Garner has developed an esteemed career during his tenure with the MTA, NYCHA and his community service throughout New York City,” said U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat. “I commend Mayor Adams on this most recent appointment tapping Mr. Garner as the chief business diversity officer of the Office of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE), and I look forward to continuing my collaboration with the Adams administration to ensure the inclusion and support of the Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprise community throughout our city.”

 

“New York’s rich diversity should be reflected in our economy, yet women and people of color remain underrepresented in who our city does business with,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Michael Garner brings a wealth of experience and relationships to breaking down barriers to doing business with the city for firms led by people of color and women, and I look forward to working with him in this new role. Together with the Adams administration, we are committed to expanding opportunities through city procurement and applaud the raising of the threshold for Noncompetitive Small Purchases.”

Governor Hochul Announces Expansion of Statewide Program to Help High-skilled Immigrants Find Jobs

 

$4.38 Million in Grant Funding Will Support Professional Training and Job Placements for High-Skilled Immigrants in New York

Expansion of Professional Pathways for High-Skilled Immigrants Program Builds on Governor Hochul's Commitment to Strengthening Workforce Development Programming for Immigrants

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the expansion of the New York State Professional Pathways for High-Skilled Immigrants Program to help new Americans find jobs that match their skills and experience. As part of the program's expansion, a total of $4.38 million in state-funded grants will be awarded to community-based providers to support professional training and job placement efforts for an increased number of high-skilled immigrants in New York. The grants will be awarded over three years and are administered by the New York State Office for New Americans. The expansion of the Professional Pathways program builds on Governor Hochul'scommitment to strengthening the state's workforce development programming for immigrants, which was first highlighted in the 2022 State of the State.

"For generations, the hard work and determination of immigrants who have come to New York to build a better life for themselves and their families has shaped our state into what it is today," Governor Hochul said. "By expanding the Professional Pathways for High-Skilled Immigrants program, we're strengthening our support for new Americans in our state and connecting immigrants with the tools they need to enter the workforce and pursue the New York Dream."

First launched in 2021, the NYS Professional Pathways program helps high-skilled immigrants overcome barriers to professional development by screening, training and/or re-credentialing candidates and identifying job placement opportunities for low-income immigrants in high-need regions across the state. The program is tailored specifically for fields that are currently in need of highly skilled workers in New York State, including architecture, engineering, information technology, education, social work, economics, business management and journalism.

The Professional Pathways program has already brought great success to many immigrants in New York State in its first year. As of January 31, 2023, according to the Professional Pathways Lead Agency Upwardly Global, 282 job seekers were accepted into the program and received U.S. job readiness training and coaching, and 88 job seekers had been placed in professional-level positions, with placements ongoing. Participants for this program must be work authorized in the United States.

Under these new, expanded grants administered by the Office for New Americans (ONA), Upwardly Global will be funded to continue serving as the Professional Pathways Lead Agency, providing program direction and statewide technical assistance to a network of ONA Job Coaches. In addition, other not-for-profit organizations will be funded to serve as ONA Job Coach agencies in different regions of the state, with Long Island added as a new region under this program expansion.

The Professional Pathways partners are as follows:

• Statewide Lead Agency: Upwardly Global
• ONA Job Coach - Brooklyn/Queens: Upwardly Global
• ONA Job Coach - Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island: Upwardly Global
• ONA Job Coach - Capital Region: U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
• ONA Job Coach - Central NY: InterFaith Works
• ONA Job Coach - Long Island: Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN)
• ONA Job Coach - Mohawk Valley: The Center
• ONA Job Coach - Western NY: International Institute of Buffalo

More information about the Professional Pathways program and how to apply is available here.

New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, "In New York, we recognize the importance of immigrants and everything they contribute to our state and country. Still, too many new Americans face countless obstacles that make it harder to build better lives for themselves and their families. Through the expansion of the Office for New Americans' Professional Pathways program, we are empowering and uplifting New York's immigrants and giving them the skills and resources they need to succeed and thrive in today's job market."

The New York State Office for New Americans, founded in 2012, is the nation's first statutorily created immigrant services office. ONA assists all new Americans with accessing and navigating a variety of free services and support through its statewide network of community-based providers.

For any immigrant in need of assistance, or to connect with ONA's programs, call the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636 9:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Friday. All calls are confidential. Assistance is available in over 200 languages. For more information, visit https://dos.ny.gov/office-new-americans or follow ONA on Twitter at @NYSNewAmericans or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYSNewAmericans.

Statement from NYC Comptroller Brad Lander on Tentative Labor Agreement Reached Between City and District Council 37

 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement on the tentative labor agreement announced today by City Hall and District Council 37: 

“Today’s agreement between the City of New York and District Council 37 brings welcome clarity about future labor costs as we enter budget season. My office looks forward to analyzing the implications of today’s agreement for the City’s budget as well as efforts to retain and hire staff in critical positions. 

“We are pleased to see that the agreement includes a path forward to expand remote and flexible work options for employees, as well as targeted salary adjustments for hard-to-recruit positions, both recommendations included in our office’s “Title Vacant” report in December on filling critical workforce vacancies in City government. 

“The majority of employees in the Comptroller’s Office have been successfully working on a hybrid schedule (three days a week in-person) for the past year, and we recently finalized new hybrid work policies in consultation with staff and union representatives. As agencies work to adjust to new hybrid work norms and set out thoughtful policies to advance both employee morale and efficient government service, we remain eager to work collaboratively to help City government work better.”

Seven Defendants Charged With Million-Dollar Identity Theft And Fraud Scheme

 

  Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”),  Francis J. Russo, the Director of the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") New York, announced the unsealing of a seven-count Complaint charging seven participants in an identity theft and fraud scheme, through which they are alleged to have stolen at least $1 million from victims’ bank accounts.  Six of the seven defendants were arrested in Georgia, Florida, and Illinois.  GILBERT HUERTAS, a/k/a “Bully,” and ANAYDA HUERTAS were presented in federal court in the Middle District of Florida.  CHRISTOPHER PEEPLES, a/k/a “Jerry Chen,” a/k/a “Reginald Griffin,” a/k/a “Charles Richardson,” a/k/a “Robert Wolff,” and MALCOLM REASONOVER, a/k/a “Uncle,” were presented in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois, and DEMETRIUS TORRY, a/k/a “Meechie,” will be presented in the Northern District of Illinois.  KHALIL BEY-MUHAMMAD will be presented in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia.  GERALD LEE, a/k/a “Pimp,” remains at large. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These defendants allegedly developed a sophisticated scheme to steal money from innocent victims’ bank accounts.  The defendants allegedly stole victims’ identities, hijacked their bank accounts and cellphones, brazenly impersonated them at bank branches throughout the country, and drained their accounts.  Thanks to our partners at USPIS, TIGTA, CBP, and HSI, the defendants’ alleged crimes have been brought to a halt.”

USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “Peeples allegedly led a crew that perpetrated a complex, multi-state fraudulent scheme that involved identity theft and bank account takeovers.  But today, Peeples and the alleged actions of his co-conspirators are leading them all straight to federal court.  These alleged criminals are charged with draining their victims’ accounts of a fortune.  In some cases, allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars at a time.  As part of the charged scheme, Peeples and his crew allegedly stole the identities of unknowing third parties, to hide their crimes behind the good names of their victims.  In total, they allegedly caused at least a $1 million loss, to first the individual victims, and then the banking industry.  We hope all the fraudsters out there are listening: if you plan to commit identity theft and bank fraud, Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners will use every resource at our disposal to investigate you and bring you to justice – and we are very good at it.”

TIGTA Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George said: “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to aggressively pursuing those individuals who use Internal Revenue Service systems to facilitate their fraudulent activity.  Fraudulent schemes such as this undermine the integrity of tax administration.  We would like to thank the United States Postal Inspection Service, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership in the pursuit of justice.”

CBP Director Francis J. Russo said: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud to have contributed to this ongoing investigation that resulted in the takedown of an elaborate conspiracy to defraud innocent victims.  CBP will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle nefarious criminal networks that seek to defraud innocent victims for illicit gain.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: "As technology has advanced and become part of our everyday lives, fraudsters too have evolved with the times.  Instances of internet based identity theft are on the rise and criminal organizations falsely operate under the impression that they are immune from prosecution.  These arrests should send a clear message that HSI and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to identify these fraud crews no matter where they may be located and aggressively pursue justice for innocent victims.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]

Since in or about 2020, law enforcement has been investigating a fraud crew (the “Crew”) led by CHRISTOPHER PEEPLES and whose members also include KHALIL BEY-MUHAMMAD, GERALD LEE, MALCOLM REASONOVER, DEMETRIUS TORRY, GILBERT HUERTAS, and ANAYDA HUERTAS.

From at least 2020 up to and including at least 2022, CHRISTOPHER PEEPLES, and/or KHALIL BEY-MUHAMMAD, purchased or otherwise obtained, through the Internet, personally identifiable and financial information belonging to victims of their scheme.  Such information would generally include victims’ names, dates of birth, home addresses, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank account information (sometimes including passwords), and phone numbers (the “Stolen Information”).

Once PEEPLES and/or BEY-MUHAMMAD obtained Stolen Information for a victim, they would provide that information to co-conspirators responsible for forging identification documents (the “ID Forgers”).  Using the Stolen Information, the ID Forgers would manufacture a counterfeit driver’s license and sometimes a secondary form of false identification (each a “Fake ID”) in the victim’s identity.  If the Fake ID was a form of photo identification, it would bear the photograph of one of the Crew’s members, typically LEE, REASONOVER, or ANAYDA HUERTAS.

In some cases, the Crew would take over the victim’s phone number through a “SIM swap” fraud — that is, by tricking the victim’s cellphone service provider to switch service for the victim’s cellphone number to a SIM card or cellphone controlled by the Crew.  Members of the Crew would either impersonate the victim and claim that the victim’s existing cellphone had been lost or would enlist the assistance of corrupt cellphone store employees who would agree to process the SIM swap in exchange for payment.  The purpose of the SIM swap was to take control of the victim’s cellphone number in order to gain access to the victim’s bank accounts — for example, to receive two-factor authentication or security text messages intended for the victim.

In some cases, the Crew would use the Stolen Information to log into victims’ online banking profiles, create new accounts in a victim’s name at the banks, and transfer funds from a victim’s existing accounts to the newly created accounts.  The purpose of doing so was to divide the victims’ funds among as many bank accounts as possible and steal those funds through smaller withdrawals, which would be less likely to attract scrutiny from individual bank tellers processing single withdrawals in a single account.

Following the preparatory steps described above, the Crew would fly to a city in the United States to fraudulently withdraw funds from victims’ accounts over a period of days.  During these trips, a Crew member (the “Runner”) would enter different bank locations impersonating a particular victim.  The Runner would bring Fake IDs in the victim’s identity (and bearing a photograph of the Runner).  At the teller window, the Runner would request a withdrawal, typically for less than $5,000 at a time to avoid triggering heightened bank scrutiny.  In cases in which the Crew also obtained a “SIM-swapped” cellphone, that cellphone could also be used to intercept and impersonate the victim in response to the bank’s identification verification procedures.  After a successful withdrawal, the Runner — and any Crew members participating in that trip — would drive to another bank branch location nearby to repeat the process until the victim’s bank accounts were substantially drained of funds.  On a given trip, the Crew typically targeted multiple different victims’ accounts and typically stole tens of thousands of dollars or more.

The Crew has stolen at least approximately $1 million from bank accounts belonging to victims.  

PEEPLES, 33, of Chicago, Illinois, BEY-MUHAMMAD, 25, of Oswego, Illinois, LEE, 64, of New York, New York, REASONOVER, 56, of Chicago, Illinois, TORRY, 33, of Chicago, Illinois, GILBERT HUERTAS, 28, of Tampa, Florida, and ANAYDA HUERTAS, 51, of Tampa, Florida, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one or more counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.  

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

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS, TIGTA, CBP, and Special Agents and Analysts of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Williams also thanked the HSI New York Darkweb and Cryptocurrency Task Force for their assistance in this matter.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Matthew R. Shahabian, and Justin Horton are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

MAYOR ADAMS AND DC 37 ANNOUNCE TENTATIVE CONTRACT AGREEMENT, PROVIDING FAIR WAGE INCREASES AND OTHER BENEFITS TO NEARLY 90,000 EMPLOYEES AND SECURING FAIR DEAL FOR NYC TAXPAYERS

 

Agreement Includes Three Percent Annual Raises, Child Care Trust Fund, Investment in Recruitment and Retention, and New Committee to Explore Flexible Work Options Including Remote Work 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city of New York has reached a tentative five-plus year contract agreement with District Council 37 (DC 37), the first major labor contract agreement reached under this administration. This agreement will cover nearly 90,000 municipal employees — or one-fourth of the city’s total unionized workforce.

The tentative agreement is retroactive, beginning on May 26, 2021, and expiring Nov. 6, 2026. It includes wage increases of 3 percent for each of the first four years of the contract, and 3.25 percent in the final year. The agreement also includes a lump sum ratification bonus for all DC 37 members, a major investment in a child care trust fund established and administered by DC 37, dedicated funding for improved retention and recruitment efforts, and a committee to explore flexible work options — including remote work. The parties have also agreed that as of July 1, 2023, every employee covered by this contract will earn at least $18 per hour — a rate which exceeds the minimum wage.

“I am a blue-collar mayor who has stood shoulder to shoulder with working people all my life — to fight for fairer wages, better benefits, and a better quality of life,” said Mayor Adams. “This is the first tentative agreement we have reached under this administration, and it is a great deal for workers and fair to city taxpayers. This wouldn’t have happened without the tireless efforts of our Office of Labor Relations commissioner, Renee Campion, the partnership of DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, and the dedicated members of this great union.”

“Our members held this city together during the pandemic — answering the call of duty during the darkest moments of the past decade,” said DC 37 Executive Director Henry A. Garrido. “Through this contract, we’ve secured long-overdue raises for city workers, protected their premium-free health benefits, and lifted the lowest wages to an $18 minimum. We made changes that will help the city be competitive in its retention and recruitment of workers, including the creation of a child care trust fund and flexible work schedules with telecommuting options. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished for our members, and we thank Mayor Adams and Commissioner Campion for negotiating a fair and reasonable contract.”

“Thank you to DC 37 Executive Director Garrido for working with the city on this important contract,” said New York City Office of Labor Relations Commissioner Renee Campion. “This contract shows the progress we can make when labor and management work together for the benefit of the city and our employees.”

The total cost of the tentative DC 37 agreement through Fiscal Year 2027 is $4.4 billion, which is offset by funding already in the city’s Labor Reserve, for a net budget impact of $2.9 billion through Fiscal Year 2027.

The tentative agreement includes:

• Flexible Work Committee: The city and DC 37 will establish a committee to discuss options to provide greater flexibility to employees and to enhance employee morale, including remote work, compressed and flexible work schedules, and improved transit benefits. The parties’ goal is to begin a pilot program that includes remote work no later than June 1, 2023.
• Child Care Trust Fund: DC 37 will establish a child care trust fund to provide support for its members with child care needs. As part of this agreement, the city will contribute $3 million per year to the fund.
• Equity Fund: The parties have set aside $70 million to make salary adjustments to help fill hard-to-recruit positions, and will work collaboratively to address those issues. The fund will be administered by a committee including city and DC 37 representatives.
• Pandemic Response Committee: The city and DC 37 will establish a joint committee to discuss issues related to pandemic response, to best prepare the city and its workers for the next pandemic.
• Ratification Bonus: Upon contract ratification by DC 37 membership, eligible members will receive a one-time bonus of $3,000.

DC 37 members will receive the following compounded and retroactive wage increases, representing a 16.21 percent increase across the life of the contract:

• May 26, 2021: 3.00%
• May 26, 2022: 3.00%
• May 26, 2023: 3.00%
• May 26, 2024: 3.00%
• May 26, 2025: 3.25%

The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by DC 37’s membership. 

Housing Lottery Launches For Twin Parks Terrace In Fordham Heights, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for Twin Parks Terrace, a 14-story mixed-use building at 373 East 183rd Street in Fordham Heights, The Bronx. Designed by Danois Architects and developed by NYC Housing Authority, the structure yields 181 residences and 11,000 square feet of retail space. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 135 units for residents at 40 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $22,012 to $132,400.

Twin Parks Terrace in Fordham Heights, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Twin Parks Terrace in Fordham Heights, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Twin Parks Terrace in Fordham Heights, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Twin Parks Terrace in Fordham Heights, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Amenities include recreation rooms, laundry facilities, recycling center, playground, children’s playroom, a bike storage area, and an on-site resident manager. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 40 percent of the AMI, there are 20 units with a monthly rent ranging from $567 to $978 for incomes ranging from $22,012 to $66,200. At 50 percent of the AMI, there are 28 units with a monthly rent ranging from $738 to $1,274 for incomes ranging from $27,875 to $82,750. At 70 percent of the AMI, there are 44 units with a monthly rent ranging from $1,080 to $1,865 for incomes ranging from $39,600 to $115,850. At 80 percent of the AMI, there are 43 units with a monthly rent ranging from $1,250 to $2,161 for incomes ranging from $45,429 to $132,400.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than April 11, 2023.

VCJC News & Notes 2/17/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 2/17/23 @ 5:15 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Kiddush co-sponsored by Ben Z Panush in memory of his father Cantor Chaim Panush AND Michael Arky in memory of his wife, Zina Arky Shabbos Ends Saturday 2/18/23 @ 6:19 pm Purim Greetings Purim Greetings will be put in the March Center Light.  The absolute deadline for your response is Tuesday, February 21.  For a donation of $21.00, we can include your name (only) along with others wishing our VCJC family, and your family, friends, and neighbors Chag Purim Sameach – may this Purim mark the beginning of great happiness, health, and prosperity to all!! You can subscribe online via PayPal via our donations page.  Just fill in the submission form and use the PayPal link to donate the $21 fee.  Office closed on Monday in observance of Presidents’ Day  Van Cortlandt Jewish Center 3880 Sedgwick Ave Bronx, NY 10463

Former High School Dean Charged With Murder

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Keechant Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that a grand jury in Manhattan federal court returned a Superseding Indictment charging ISRAEL GARCIA a/k/a “Shorty Rock,” the former leader of the Get Money Gunnaz set of the Young Gunnaz street gang (the “GMG YGz”) with murder in aid of racketeering and other charges in connection with the October 11, 2010, murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton.  GARCIA and 12 others had previously been charged in July 2021 with engaging in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics and with possessing firearms during that conspiracy in connection with their involvement with the GMG YGz.               

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As a former high school dean, Israel Garcia was trusted with guiding children towards a bright future, but we allege that Garcia himself was participating in the drug trafficking activity that a high school dean should be protecting his students from.  In addition, as alleged, the defendant shot and murdered Alfonso McClinton as part of the defendant’s gang membership and drug dealing.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to weed out violent gang activity from every corner of our community.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “This superseding indictment exemplifies law enforcement’s commitment to bringing justice to victims of violent crime.  I commend the dedicated agents, detectives, and prosecutors whose dogged work led to murder charges for Israel Garcia, one of the leaders of the Young Gunnaz.”

NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “The NYPD and our law enforcement partners ceaselessly pursue all violent criminals who terrorize our neighborhoods.  True to form, our officers were relentless in investigating this murder – despite it occurring more than a decade ago – to ensure that all of those allegedly involved are held responsible.  I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, and all who sought justice for this victim and his family.”

As alleged in the Indictment, court filings, and statements made in federal and New York state court:[1] 

For more than a decade, the defendant controlled the sale of narcotics in the vicinity of East 184th Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx as the leader of the GMG YGz.  As part of their narcotics operation, GMG YGz members carried firearms and engaged in back-and-forth shootings with neighboring, rival crews.  This violence resulted in, among other acts, the 2010 murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton (“McClinton”).  The State of New York arrested and prosecuted GMG YGz member Joseph (“Juice”) Johnson for the killing.[2]  Ballistics, video evidence, and eyewitness testimony, however, reveal that there was a second shooter involved in Mr. McClinton’s murder.  Today’s Indictment charges GARCIA with being that second shooter.

GARCIA, 32, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with (i) murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; (ii) narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; (iii) murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison; (iv) murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; (v) firearms use, carrying, and possession in connection with a drug trafficking crime, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed; (vi) witness tampering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and (vii) conspiracy to commit witness tampering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the DEA, the NYPD, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.  This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maggie Lynaugh, Micah Fergenson, Jacob Gutwillig, Matthew Hellman, and Kaylan Lasky are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

[2] Johnson was convicted at trial of second-degree murder in The People of the State of New York v. Joseph Johnson, Index Number 4311/2010.  On February 3, 2022, the verdict against Johnson was vacated.  Johnson subsequently pled guilty to manslaughter and is serving a 17-year sentence.