Former President And Former Financial Advisor Of Law Enforcement Union Convicted Of Defrauding Union’s Annuity Fund

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction of KENNETH WYNDER Jr., a former New York State Trooper and the president of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (“LEEBA”), a labor union for law enforcement officers employed by the City of New York (the “City”), and ANDREW BROWN, a/k/a “Drew Brown,” the former financial advisor for LEEBA, for defrauding union members by misappropriating money from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund.  WYNDER was also convicted of personal income tax evasion and conspiring to evade federal taxes, including payroll taxes owed by LEEBA and its employees.  Steven Whittick, LEEBA’s former treasurer and a former police officer for New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit tax evasion and making false statements to law enforcement.  WYNDER and BROWN were convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel and are scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2023, by Judge Castel.    

According to the Indictment, Superseding Indictment, the underlying complaints filed in this case, as well as other publicly available information, prior court filings, and evidence presented during the trial in Manhattan federal court:

Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association and the Annuity Fund

LEEBA is a labor union that has acted as the collective bargaining representative principally for law enforce­ment personnel at various City agencies and has entered into agreements on behalf of those law enforcement employees, including agreements for insurance and retirement benefits.  The City agencies whose employees LEEBA represented included, at various times, DEP, the Department of Sanitation (“Sanitation”), and the Department of Transporta­tion (“Transportation”).  

The Annuity Fund is a LEEBA fund that received monthly contributions from the City for the benefit of LEEBA’s members and maintained separate accounts for each fund member.  These accounts were functionally similar to employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement accounts.  WYNDER was a Trustee of the Annuity Fund and signatory to agreements that governed the fund, and BROWN was a Plan Administrator and Financial Advisor of the Annuity Fund.  Under the relevant agreements and plans, the money in the Annuity Fund could be used for no purpose other than funding individual members’ retirement accounts and defraying reasonable administra­tive expenses of the Annuity Fund itself.

WYNDER

WYNDER, a former New York State Trooper, is the founder and former President of LEEBA and a former member of LEEBA’s board of directors.  WYNDER also formerly served as the Fund Administrator of the Annuity Fund and as a member of the board of trustees of the Annuity Fund, pursuant to which he owed a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the Annuity Fund and its account holders.  WYNDER also was on the board of trustees of the LEEBA Welfare Fund (the “Welfare Fund,” and collectively with the Annuity Fund, the “LEEBA Funds”), which provided supplemental insurance benefits to its members.  While occupying those positions, WYNDER centralized and controlled major decision-making authority for LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds, often acting without the proper approval of their respective boards of directors or trustees.  WYNDER’s de facto dominance of LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds enabled him to make decisions in his own self-interest and contrary to the interests of the Annuity Fund and individual members.

BROWN

BROWN, the founder of a Westchester-based financial services company, is the former Benefits Administrator and insurance broker for LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds.  As a LEEBA Annuity Fund Plan Administrator and Financial Advisor, BROWN helped manage the investments in the Annuity Fund, receiving a commission for his services, and had a responsibi­lity to act in the best interest of LEEBA’s members.

            WYNDER’s and BROWN’s Fraud Scheme

From at least in or about 2012 up to and including 2020, WYNDER and BROWN participated in a scheme to steal, embezzle, and misappropriate money from the Annuity Fund and individual members’ retirement accounts.  Specifically, WYNDER and BROWN made hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers from the Annuity Fund to LEEBA’s operating account, which WYNDER controlled, and WYNDER regularly used the funds, once transferred from the Annuity Fund, to enrich himself at union members’ expense, including through unauthorized and excessive checks to himself and cash withdrawals for his own benefit and to pay insurance benefits for which BROWN received commissions.  In addition, WYNDER caused the union to pay for various personal expenses such as the purchase of a Lexus automobile, travel expenses to Dallas to watch a Dallas Cowboys football game, and a sailing trip, all paid for by the union, and none of which were contemporaneously reported to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), as required.         

To accomplish this fraudulent scheme, WYNDER and BROWN, acting in their capacity as the Annuity Fund’s Plan Administrators, repeatedly made false and misleading statements to a third-party retirement plan manager that served as the custodian for the Annuity Fund and the retirement accounts of individual union members, including through emails and faxes that WYNDER and BROWN used to withdraw increasingly large sums of money from the Annuity Fund, effectively causing such withdrawals to be made from the retirement accounts of individual members.  From in or about 2014 through in or about 2019, WYNDER and BROWN caused the withdrawal of more than $500,000 from the individual retirement accounts that constitute the Annuity Fund, thereby wiping out the entire balance of certain members’ accounts.  Without these improper withdrawals from the Annuity Fund, the LEEBA operating account would have been insolvent and would have had insufficient funds to pay for WYNDER’s excessive checks to himself and cash withdrawals and the personal expenses he caused to be charged to that account, as well as to pay for benefits for which BROWN made commissions as an insurance broker.

In addition, throughout the duration of this scheme, WYNDER and BROWN repeatedly made and approved false and misleading statements to LEEBA’s members and prospective members about how they were purportedly using and protecting their retirement accounts and the LEEBA Annuity Fund.  WYNDER further concealed the scheme by causing LEEBA to fail to timely file mandatory reports and financial disclosures with the City and public reports to the Annuity Fund’s members and by making false statements to the Annuity Fund’s auditors and accountants.

            WYNDER’s Tax Evasion

From at least in or about 2015 through 2019 WYNDER participated in a conspiracy with LEEBA’s then-Treasurer, Steven Whittick, to cause LEEBA to make payments to WYNDER and Whittick, by check and in cash, and to conceal those payments from the IRS.  WYNDER further conspired to ensure that such payments were made outside of LEEBA’s payroll processor.  WYNDER then concealed these payments from the IRS — including off-the-books payments of more than $400,000 — in order to evade his own personal income taxes and to evade the payroll taxes that were owed by LEEBA and certain LEEBA employees.

WYNDER, 59, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and BROWN, 55, of Putnam Valley, New York, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy of commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.  WYNDER was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and four counts of tax evasion, each of which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

On November 17, 2021, Whittick was sentenced to 28 months in prison for conspiring to commit tax evasion and making false statements and was ordered to pay $179,766.80 in restitution to the IRS.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards, and IRS-Criminal Investigations.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance.

Governor Hochul Kicks Off Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Listening Tour

 

First Stop Today in Buffalo for Statewide Series of In-Person and Virtual Listening Sessions

Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act was the Largest Environmental Ballot Measure Nationwide in 2022 and is the Largest Bond Act in New York State History

New York City and Virtual Listening Session Dates Announced

 Governor Kathy Hochul today launched the educational listening tour for the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act in Buffalo. The educational listening tour is part of the State's commitment to a collaborative and transparent process in the delivery of Bond Act funds. The tour provides an opportunity for the public and potential funding applicants to learn more about the Bond Act, and for the community to weigh in on the draft eligibility guidelines being developed to identify potential projects. The Bond Act was the largest environmental measure on the ballot nationwide in 2022, and marks the largest Bond Act in New York history and first since 1996.

"The Environmental Bond Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fund projects across New York that will protect clean water, create good-paying jobs, protect our beautiful open spaces and promote environmental justice," Governor Hochul said. "This listening tour will connect communities with State agency experts to begin this collaborative and transparent process and lay the groundwork to deliver essential funding across the state."

The session featured presentations on the Bond Act and the opportunity for one-on-one discussion with representatives of New York State agencies and authorities.

The next stops on the listening tour include:

• Central New York: June 8, from 1 to 3 p.m., State University of New York Cortland, Corey Union Function Room
• NEW! Virtual Meetings: June 26, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and July 26, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• North Country: July 14, 1 to 3 p.m., North Country Community College, Sparks Athletic Complex Alumni Gymnasium
• Capital Region: July 20, 1 to 3 p.m., University at Albany, Campus Center Auditorium
• NEW! Brooklyn: August 9, 6 to 8 p.m. Brooklyn College
• Lower Hudson: August 15, 1 to 3 p.m., Westchester County Center, Little Theater
• NEW! Bronx: August 22, 6 to 8 p.m., La Central YMCA gymnasium
• Long Island: August 24, 1 to 3 p.m., Suffolk County Community College, Suffolk Credit Union Arena

To register for any of these sessions, visit www.ny.gov/bondact.

Overwhelmingly approved by voters last fall, the Bond Act prioritizes investments in environmental justice, climate change mitigation, shoreline restoration, flood resilience, water quality, open space land conservation, recreational resources and green jobs.

The landmark Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act is the largest environmental bond in state history and the first in New York since 1996. The Bond Act will make $4.2 billion available for environmental and community projects that also support job creation and a substantial investment in the Clean Green Schools initiative that will serve more than 1,000 under-resourced public schools. Recognizing that vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by negative environmental and climate change impacts, 40 percent of Bond Act benefits will be directed toward disadvantaged communities.

Specifically, the Environmental Bond Act authorizes:

• $1.5 billion for climate change mitigation;
• $1.1 billion for restoration and flood risk reduction;
• $650 million for water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure;
• $650 million for open space land conservation and recreation; and
• $300 million for other projects not specifically allocated in the Act.

State agencies, local governments and partners will be able to access Environmental Bond Act funding over a multi-year process. An inter-agency working group is currently identifying needs for environmental funding across the state and developing program logistics for Bond Act implementation.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Basil Seggos said, "DEC is excited to join Governor Hochul for today's opening listening session to help foster a better understanding of the opportunities provided by the historic Bond Act and hear from the public firsthand about projects of interest in their communities. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul and our agency partners to share information about the Bond Act across the state and lay the foundation for a successful implementation of this transformative effort."

ADAMS ADMINISTRATION, LABOR, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS, ADVOCATES UNITE BEHIND ALBANY HOUSING PUSH

 

Groups Warn Failure to Act Before End of Session Will Deepen Affordability, Migrant Crises

Senior officials from New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration today united with labor unions, civil rights leaders, and housing advocates to urge immediate legislative action in Albany to address New York’s dual housing affordability and migrant crises.

Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer and Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz were joined by members of 32BJ SEIU, Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York, and Laborers Local 79 as well as NAACP New York State Conference President Hazel Dukes and a coalition of elected officials — including New York State Senators Andrew Gounardes and Luis Sepúlveda as well as New York State Assemblymembers Alex Bores, Kenny Burgos, Brian Cunningham, Eddie Gibbs, Jenifer Rajkumar, and Tony Simone — to call for measures to be passed by the end of the current legislative session that will increase affordable housing production and allow for struggling New Yorkers and those in the city’s shelter system to find permanent housing.

 

Between the city’s different systems offering shelter to both long-time unhoused New Yorkers and asylum seekers, there are currently more than 95,000 individuals, including more than 45,000 who have come to New York over the last 13 months seeking asylum from other countries — a number that is only projected to keep growing. Yet, since the expiration of 421-a — the city’s main incentive program for building new affordable housing — in June 2022, New York City has seen a significant decline in new housing creation. New housing applications for the first four months of 2023 would produce just 3,365 total homes, less than half of the number seen in an average year. Rents in parts of the city have also exceeded pre-pandemic highs, further squeezing those at risk of eviction as housing supply dwindles.

 

“Our administration won a critical victory for affordable housing and working people with emergency rent relief for NYCHA residents in this year’s state budget — but there is so much more we can and must do to create the affordable housing New Yorkers so desperately need,” said Mayor Adams. “For the last several months and going back to last year, our administration has put forward serious plans to tackle the city’s severe housing shortage. In close partnership with Governor Hochul, our legislative partners, community and labor leaders, and advocates, we will continue to go to bat for working-class New Yorkers in Albany to make these commonsense changes and create much-needed affordable housing.”

 

“We are in a perfect storm of housing crises that threatens to devastate the people of our city and state unless immediate action is taken this year,” said Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer. “We cannot wait another year for legislators to come back to Albany. We must pass this common-sense agenda now so that we have the tools to build and prosper.”

 

“From new housing supply in core Manhattan to protecting tenants across all five boroughs, New York City has a robust legislative agenda on the table to tackle the housing crisis,” said Chief Housing Officer Katz. “We have just over a week left in Albany to bring these solutions home. Working with labor leaders, tenants, advocates, and elected officials, we must ensure that all New Yorkers have a safe and affordable place to live.”

 

The Adams administration laid out a clear agenda for action on housing this year, including tax incentives that would facilitate construction of new affordable housing, regulatory changes that would make it easier to convert unused office space to housing, and the elimination of a zoning cap that prevents the city from adding housing in midtown Manhattan. The production of more housing also complements the administration’s agenda to protect tenants, including increased funding to combat discrimination based on source of income, improving access to housing vouchers for individuals experiencing homelessness, and securing relief for thousands of New York City Housing Authority residents who fell behind in rent during the pandemic. 

 

“We’ve said it many times, but it bears repeating: We are in a housing crisis,” said Manny Pastreich, president, 32BJ SEIU. “Our state needs to take action now without any further delay. There can be no long-term solutions that don’t involve building more housing. This is a large-scale problem, but to begin to tackle it, we need to enact the policies that are right in front of us now. Extending the completion deadline for 421-a projects, converting empty commercial office buildings to residential housing, and raising the FAR cap are common-sense measures that our legislature should pass before this session is over.”

 

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Building Wealth & Navigating Financial Literacy Reception

 

When: Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 5:00pm Where: Fokkus Room & Cocin 138 West Fordham Road Bronx, NY 10468 Registration: This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Join The Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Councilmember Pierina Sanchez - District 14, and NYC Department of Small Business Services for an evening on financial literacy and tips on how you can make smart decisions to benefit your bottom line. The evening will feature food, drinks, and conversation as well as a deep dive into financial decision making, business advice, and how emerging professionals can build wealth with strong financial planning. Panelists include: Quincy Luzunaris Founder | President at Kredit Koncepts kreditkoncepts.com Quincy has been educating people on the concepts of credit repair, credit building and financial freedom for over 13 years. His store front is located on Castle Hill. He currently spends a lot of time working with local bronx schools teaching kids about financial literacy and financial freedom.   Chris Munoz Founder | President at Level Up Enterprises Is a community leader and financial educator. Through his online ecosystem built on the discord platform he has over 2500 members and 50k+ social media following. He teaches financial literacy through educating others on how to participate in the stock market and other investment opportunities via technology. - Also Works for Microsoft, creates trading bots and business automations. (Digital entrepreneur)    Miguel Matos Founder | Founder of Tax Focused Collab The importance of financial literacy in navigating one of the complex tax environments NYC. Miguel is an expert on tax strategies & small business compliance issues. John Cerini Founder | Bronx Tax Man Corporation John has an extensive background in the financial world as an Insurance Broker, Tax Preparer and Real Estate Broker and a Notary Public. John offers Auto, Home and Life Insurance through Capital Shield Agency. Capital Shield is licensed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida. Through Capital Shield, John represents great insurance companies such as Travelers, Progressive, Stillwater, Kingstone and more. John has over 30 years’ experience and will highlight the importance of financial literacy in navigating one of the complex tax environments NYC expert on tax strategies & small business compliance issues.

Register - Click Here

For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!

United States Sues Poultry Distributor To New York City Food Carts And Its Owners For Selling Uninspected And Misbranded Poultry Products

 

Defendants Admit Conduct and Enter Into Consent Decree Prohibiting Future Violations

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Paul Kiecker, the Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA-FSIS”), announced that the United States has sued N and M Food Wholesale Supply, Inc. (“N&M”) and its owners AHMED OMAR, ELSAYED HALIM, and ASHRAF MOUSA (collectively, the “Defendants”) for repeatedly preparing and selling uninspected or misbranded poultry products in violation of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (“PPIA”).  The U.S. has simultaneously entered into a consent decree, approved by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, which requires the Defendants to comply with the PPIA and complete mandatory training and imposes significant civil penalties for any future violations.

USDA-FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker said: “Every individual deserves the assurance that the food they purchase is properly inspected and safe to eat.  FSIS remains committed to public health and we will take swift action to protect American consumers.”

The PPIA protects public health by imposing requirements on food suppliers regarding the inspection, processing, labeling, and packaging of poultry and poultry products.  These requirements give consumers confidence in the safety of poultry products that they purchase and allow public health officials to trace food safety problems to their source.

According to the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:

The Defendants repeatedly violated the PPIA by offering for sale over 900 pounds of misbranded poultry that had not been federally inspected.  On multiple occasions, the Defendants prepared marinated chicken kebab skewers in a processing room in N&M’s warehouse without federal inspection.  These products were prepared for sale to N&M’s wholesale customers, including food cart owners, who sell the chicken to consumers.  Despite repeated warnings from USDA-FSIS, N&M continued to offer uninspected poultry products for sale and violate the law.  For example, in May 2021, N&M — which does not have a grant of federal inspection to process poultry products — purchased approximately 280 pounds of chicken leg meat and cut and marinated the chicken in its warehouse before returning it to its original packaging.  N&M then offered this uninspected and misbranded product for sale to wholesale customers.  

In this consent decree, the Defendants admit and accept responsibility for having repeatedly sold or offered for sale non-federally inspected and misbranded poultry products to wholesale customers, in violation of the PPIA.  Among other instances, on or about November 12, 2018, August 26, 2020, February 10, 2021, and May 24, 2021, the Defendants processed, sold, and/or offered for sale non-federally inspected poultry products.  Defendants further admit and accept responsibility for the fact that, on at least one occasion, the poultry product was also misbranded and falsely marked as federally inspected.

Pursuant to the consent decree, the Defendants are enjoined from selling or transporting any uninspected poultry products that are required to be inspected and passed by USDA, selling any mislabeled poultry products, preparing or processing poultry or poultry products in unsanitary conditions, not keeping records regarding poultry or poultry product business transactions, and engaging in any other conduct that would violate the PPIA.  The Defendants are subject to additional actions, including civil monetary penalties and other relief, if they violate the provisions of the consent decree.

Mr. Williams thanked the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its efforts on this matter.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE PUSHES FOR RIKERS REFORMS AFTER CALLING FOR FEDERAL RECEIVERSHIP

 

After calling for Rikers to be put under federal receivership, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams furthered his call for reforms on Rikers Island in a statement to the Committees on Criminal Justice and Oversight and Investigations as part of a joint hearing today. The hearing was focused primarily on the Department of Correction’s transportation of detained individuals to Court. a longstanding issue on the island which has contributed to the crisis conditions which now require further federal intervention to protect people on both sides of the bars.

Public Advocate Williams called for receivership after an alarming report from the Rikers federal monitor on Friday revealed recent incidents of harm in the city’s jails and a resistance to transparency from the administration. These were the latest in a long series of incidents for a crisis that dates back and administrations. 

“I don’t celebrate this step, which I know would bring its own challenges, but it is clear that when it comes to protecting people on both sides of the bars and correcting the crisis conditions on Rikers, after over a year of purported reforms, this administration has earned neither the trust nor the confidence it shows in this area,” said the Public Advocate in his making call. “They did not create the longstanding issues on Rikers, but despite any efforts they have undertaken, patterns of abuse, neglect, secrecy and misinformation have continued.”

As part of addressing the crisis conditions on Rikers, where the large majority of detainees are held pre-trial, the Public Advocate pushed for measures to help ensure more detainees are able to attend their court appearances and move through the judicial process. 

“As we strive to close Rikers, the Department of Correction must improve the rate of court production,” said the Public Advocate. “Delays and postponed hearings and trials further burden our judicial system and force people to remain incarcerated longer than necessary as they wait for new court dates.”

He made clear that increasing the rate of court production is essential to the ultimate goal of closing Rikers, arguing that “Court delays have significantly led to rapid population growth at Rikers, complicating the planned closing of the jail…the majority of people in the jails on Rikers Island have not been convicted of any crime, and these long stays are unacceptable, and violates their Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial.” 

The Public Advocate’s full statement to the committee is below, and his statement calling for receivership is here. 

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS

TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS

MAY 30, 2023 

Good afternoon, 

My name is Jumaane D. Williams, and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I would like to thank Chairs Rivera and Brewer and the members of the Committees on Criminal Justice and Oversight and Investigations for holding this hearing. 

Access to the courts is a vital necessity to those incarcerated in our city’s jail yet recent statistics from the Mayor’s Management Report indicate that more than a quarter of people incarcerated in NYC jails are either not getting to court on time or failing to show up for their court appearances. It is the highest rate of failure on record since the data became publicly available in 1999 and a departure from just two years ago when the rate of court transportation was 94.6 percent. 

As we strive to close Rikers, the Department of Correction (DOC) must improve the rate of court production. Delays and postponed hearings and trials further burden our judicial system and force people to remain incarcerated longer than necessary as they wait for new court dates. Furthermore, court delays have significantly led to rapid population growth at Rikers, complicating the planned closing of the jail. The city forecasts that the jail population will increase to 7,000 by next year, but the four proposed borough-based replacement jails together cannot house more than 3,300 people. Last year, those incarcerated on Rikers Island awaiting the conclusion of their cases spent an average of 115 days locked up, four times the national average. According to a list of the longest-serving detainees in city custody obtained by THE CITY last year, several men have been on Rikers Island and in other city Department of Correction jails for years, with one person housed there for more than a decade. It is important to reiterate that the majority of people in the jails on Rikers Island have not been convicted of any crime, and these long stays are unacceptable, and violates their Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial.

Court delays can be attributed to understaffing and chronic misuse of sick leave. Though DOC has made improvements in its overall absence rate, the recent Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report for the first four months of Fiscal 2023 indicates DOC still had the highest absence rate out of all city agencies at 17.4 percent, a decrease from FY 2022’s total absence rate of 26.58 percent. In addition to delayed transportation of detainees for court hearings and trials, unlimited sick leave has also opened the door for exploitation and abuse, leaving jails understaffed and officers vulnerable to violence. This chronic lack of staffing has also led to an overuse of emergency lockdowns; during a lockdown, there is no movement on or off Rikers Island, meaning that the people incarcerated there cannot leave the jail to go to court.

There is also a lack of adequate space to hold people transported from jail in the courthouses, and inadequate staff to escort people from holding cells to the courtroom itself. For those who have a scheduled court appearance, the day starts early: as there are no longer jails close to the courthouses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, detainees are typically woken at 4:00 am to be shackled and bussed to the courthouse. Even with the early start, many are still late to their hearings. This causes a domino effect of delayed hearings. 

The dangerous and inhumane conditions that exist at Rikers Island take a significant toll on detainees, exacerbating physical and mental health struggles. More than half of the population at Rikers has a mental health diagnosis, with 16 percent having a serious mental illness. Ensuring that people spend as little time as possible in these conditions means processing their cases in a timely fashion. We call on the Department of Corrections and the Adams administration to rectify this issue and create a criminal justice system that is truly just. Thank you.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES MARIA-TORRES SPRINGER TO TAKE ON EXPANDED PORTFOLIO AS DEPUTY MAYOR FOR HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE

 

Deputy Mayor and Former Housing Commissioner Torres-Springer Will Lead Adams Administration’s Housing Agenda Upon Departure of Chief Housing Officer

 

Will Now Also Oversee New York City Housing Authority, Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Housing Development Corporation, and Housing Recovery Office in Addition to Current Agency Portfolio

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer will serve in a newly expanded role as deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce. In her expanded role, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer will drive the city’s efforts to preserve and improve the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), move New Yorkers experiencing homelessness into stable housing, and advance Mayor Adams’ moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes for New Yorkers over the next decade.

 

Since January 2022, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer has helped lead the Adams administration’s work to accelerate the creation of much-needed housing in her oversight of the New York City Department of City Planning and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). She was one of the chief architects of Mayor Adams’ “Get Stuff Built” plan to speed up housing construction as a co-chair of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Task Force; the “City of Yes” citywide zoning text amendments to support small businesses, create new housing, and promote sustainability; the transformation of Willets Point with 2,500 affordable homes; and the administration’s community planning efforts in the East Bronx, Central Brooklyn, the North Shore of Staten Island, Midtown South, and Jamaica.

 

“In a year and half with this administration and throughout her career in public service, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer has shown clearly that she is ready to take bold action to tackle the city’s affordable housing crisis,” said Mayor Adams. “She has a proven record of creating affordable housing and economic opportunity for New Yorkers, and her leadership of our economic recovery efforts has delivered real results. She is the right person at the right time to create and preserve the safe, high-quality, affordable housing New Yorkers so desperately need, and I congratulate her on this expanded role that will allow her to serve even more New Yorkers.”

 

“Having grown up in Section 8 housing, I know firsthand that safe and affordable housing is about more than mere brick and mortar — it’s about creating opportunity and improving lives,” said Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, we came in with a bold agenda to change the paradigm for how we grow equitably as a city. I am incredibly humbled to further serve New Yorkers as we strive to provide stable housing for our neighbors, protect our existing affordable and public housing, and identify new ways to make housing affordable for all New Yorkers at this critical moment in our city’s history. I want to thank Jessica Katz for her tireless efforts and Mayor Adams for entrusting me to carry this critical work forward.”

 

“Maria Torres-Springer has been one of the primary drivers of our administration’s efforts to build more of the housing New Yorkers so desperately need and build it faster in every corner of our city,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “She has a long record of delivering results at the highest levels of city government and of partnering with impacted communities to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are being met. There could not be a better choice to continue the work started by the chief housing officer and her team, and I am excited to continue working with Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer to keep this city affordable for working- and middle-class families in all five boroughs.”

 

“Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer has a proven record of results delivering new housing for New Yorkers and helping to make this city more affordable,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “She has been a tremendous partner and a pivotal member of the leadership team since day one of this administration, and I am excited to work with her to protect NYCHA tenants, prevent New Yorkers from experiencing homelessness and housing instability, and speed up the production of new homes in all five boroughs.”

 

“Over the last 17 months, I have been thrilled and delighted to work closely with Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer to advance new housing developments and other critical community investments,” said Chief Advisor Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin. “Maria is a visionary with the experience, the creativity, and the compassion that we need to tackle the housing crisis head on and to deliver on Mayor Adams’ vision for a stronger and more affordable New York City.”

 

“Having worked with Maria for years, I’m thrilled to see her continue the important work of solving our city’s housing crisis as deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “Maria is committed to ensuring New Yorkers have safe, stable, and affordable homes, and she will keep tenants and our neighbors experiencing homelessness centered in these conversations at City Hall.”

 

About Maria Torres-Springer

 

Maria Torres-Springer has served as the deputy mayor for economic and workforce development since January 2022, spearheading the Adams administration’s efforts to strengthen and diversify the city’s economy, invest in emerging industries, bolster small businesses, connect New Yorkers to family-sustaining jobs, and expand access to arts and culture. As deputy mayor, she has overseen “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery” and the city’s strong jobs recovery, efforts to support small businesses with the “Small Business Forward” executive order, commercial district recovery and the “New” New York panel’s “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan, and transformational projects in Willets Point and on Governors Island.

 

She was previously vice president of U.S. programs at the Ford Foundation, where she oversaw the foundation’s domestic grantmaking and made historic investments in support of racial equity, workers’ rights, voting rights, and arts and culture across the country.

 

Torres-Springer has a long track record of public service in New York City, having led three city agencies with over 3,000 employees and approximately $2 billion in annual operating budgets, addressing some of the city’s most significant public policy challenges. As commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, she oversaw the financing of approximately 60,000 affordable homes — the most over any two-year period in the agency’s history. She also helped develop comprehensive plans for investments in Inwood, Downtown Far Rockaway, Jerome Avenue, and other neighborhoods; advanced initiatives to promote innovations in design and construction; and launched several new programs to protect tenants’ rights. She has served as board chair of the New York City Housing Development Corporation and as a board member of the New York City Housing Authority.

 

As the first woman to serve as president of NYCEDC, she led the implementation of the citywide NYC Ferry service and oversaw major investments in key sectors of the city’s economy. Working closely with community leaders, she also spearheaded several neighborhood revitalization plans across the city.

 

As commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, she prioritized efforts to raise wages and support women- and immigrant-owned businesses. She also launched Women Entrepreneurs NYC and worked to prepare New Yorkers for 21^st-century jobs through the Tech to Talent Pipeline program.

 

Torres-Springer earned a bachelor’s degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

 

Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer will continue to report to First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

 

“I had the pleasure of working with Maria for many years and saw firsthand what an effective and passionate leader she is,” said Alicia Glen, former deputy mayor of housing and economic development. “And with housing issues more front and center in New York City than ever, I commend Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of having someone who has a deep understanding of the relationship between affordability and economic development to be charged with delivering practical solutions and moving forward a pro-growth agenda.”

 

“Getting things done in government is hard, which is why reducing bureaucratic friction is so important. Putting agencies that need to work together under a single deputy mayor makes complete sense,” said Dan Doctoroff, former deputy mayor for economic development; and co-chair, “New” New York panel. “That’s why having Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, with her deep and valuable experience, lead housing is a great decision and represents a significant move by Mayor Adams.”