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Thursday, October 5, 2023
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Sign Up: Virtual Town Hall on October 6
Sign Up: Virtual Town Hall on Friday, October 6
On Friday, October 6, 2023 at 5:30 pm ET, the Congresswoman will be holding her monthly town hall virtually. She will take questions from her constituents.
We’ll also be streaming our town hall live on Facebook, YouTube, and X.
Spanish interpretation will be available.
To send a question ahead of time, please email aoc.townhall@mail.house.gov or call 718-662-5970 with your name, neighborhood and question.
Ahead of Busy Travel Season, Governor Hochul Announces That AirTrain JFK Will Accept Payments Via OMNY Starting on Tuesday, October 10th
New Fare Payment System Will Accept Contactless Debit/Credit Cards, Digital Wallets and OMNY Cards
AirTrain Remains Free for Travel Between Terminals
Governor Kathy Hochul, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that AirTrain JFK will begin accepting fare payments using the MTA’s OMNY “Tap and Go” contactless payment readers starting Tuesday, October 10th. OMNY will be available at select gates in both the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations, where an $8.25 one-way fare is required to enter or exit the system, and the AirTrain remains free for travel between airport terminals.
“We are making it easier than ever for travelers to take the train to JFK, and for visitors to our great city to use one of its most essential services – the MTA,” Governor Hochul said. “As we continue to rollout OMNY throughout the system, I encourage everyone to take advantage of this service and travel safely.”
The new fare payment system will accept contactless debit/credit cards, digital wallets and OMNY cards. Fare gates that accept MetroCards will remain available and an option for customers. The initial installation of OMNY at the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations represents the first phase of the integration process. The number of OMNY-equipped gates will steadily increase over the next 15 months. By the end of 2024, the OMNY “Tap and Go” contactless readers will be fully integrated into all fare gates.
Cash customers or those who do not have a contactless payment method may purchase all currently available MetroCard products at MetroCard vending machines, Hudson News or Metro News, then use MetroCard fare gates. Existing 30-day unlimited cards and discounted 10-trip cards for groups or frequent riders of AirTrain JFK are available through the AirTrain MetroCard that can be purchased at the stations’ MetroCard vending machines or at the news retailers on site.
Reduced-Fare customers who cannot use their Reduced-Fare MetroCard to swipe at AirTrain JFK gates can tap with the contactless payment device linked to their Reduced-Fare bank card or OMNY card at the AirTrain JFK’s OMNY readers and pay the full AirTrain fare.
AirTrain JFK stations are operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week with customer service agents available on site for assistance. OMNY market share of paid subway rides continue to be at or above 45 percent.
Customers have tapped into the transit system over a billion times, with the billionth tap occurring on July 26. In the latest Spring 2023 Customers Count Survey, OMNY posted 79% fare payment satisfaction rate. Customers have tapped into all 472 subway stations and boarded 204 local bus routes and 31 express buses. OMNY has processed bank cards from each of the 195 countries that issues them.
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
MAYOR ADAMS VISITS JEWEL STREETS NEIGHBORHOOD TO EVALUATE FLOODING IMPACTS AND RESILIENCY INFRASTRUCTURE
Neighborhood Suffered from Chronic Flooding, Disinvestment for Decades
Infrastructure Improvements Completed in March 2023 Helped Alleviate Flooding as Much as 10 Times Faster Last Week Than After Hurricane Ida
Adams Administration Has Expanded Drainage Capacity, Launched “Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan” to Upgrade Resiliency Infrastructure and Create Affordable Housing
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today visited the Jewel Streets neighborhood — also known as “The Hole” — in Queens and Brooklyn to evaluate flooding impacts and resiliency infrastructure following extreme rainfall this past Friday. Joined by Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo CarriĆ³n Jr, Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson, and the New York City Department of Transportation, Mayor Adams inspected new sewer infrastructure installed by DEP between September 2022 and March 2023 that helped alleviate street flooding from Friday’s storm in a matter of hours instead of weeks, as was the case after a similar volume of rain fell during Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Following Mayor Adams’ visit, HPD and DEP tonight are hosting a community workshop as part of the Adams administration’s Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan process to discuss climate risks, including flooding, as well as the future of a vacant, city-owned site on Stanley Avenue that could become home to affordable housing, community amenities, and open space. The workshop will take place at P.S. 218 between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The Jewel Streets is a 12-block neighborhood that straddles East New York in Brooklyn and Lindenwood in Queens. Because the neighborhood is a low-lying area without comprehensive stormwater and sanitary sewer infrastructure, residents experience year-round flooding, even on sunny days.
“For decades, the Jewel Streets neighborhood has been abandoned, left to suffer chronic flooding, even on sunny days. We have been clear that that is no longer the case in this administration,” said Mayor Adams. “Our administration was ahead of last week’s flooding with critical, initial investments to improve infrastructure and clear the streets as much as 10 times more quickly than after Hurricane Ida. But this is just the beginning: We’re investing $75 million in a comprehensive plan to improve quality of life for residents of the Jewel Streets with resilient infrastructure, affordable housing, and new economic opportunities.”
“The harsh impacts of flooding were especially acute here, but sadly and more importantly, flooding in general is part of residents’ daily experience. That is unacceptable,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “While DEP’s installation of a sewer line last year did help minimize the recovery time, it’s clearer than ever that we need a robust and resilient design done in a timely manner for this community. Continuing with tonight’s community meeting, we are advancing the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan process and improving quality of life for the members of this community.”
“At DEP, we are both implementing short-term solutions and advancing long-term infrastructure investments to make communities like the Jewel Streets neighborhood more resilient. Friday’s severe rainstorm was the direct result of climate change, but thanks to the upgrades made to the area’s drainage network in March, the streets are not experiencing the prolonged flooding that frequently occurred at problematic intersections,” said Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Aggarwala. “New York City is investing billions of dollars to better manage extreme weather, and our engineers will continue to work with residents and partner agencies to inform our citywide strategies to address intense rainfall events.”
“Time and time again, we say that New Yorkers deserve better, but past administrations fell short in the Jewel Streets,” said HPD Commissioner CarriĆ³n. “When we talk about investing in the Jewel Streets, what we’re really talking about is treating Black and Brown New Yorkers with dignity and respect. I stand here today, along with Mayor Adams, to change that now. Today marks a step forward and a renewed commitment to deliver infrastructure solutions, build more affordable housing, and create a better, safer, and more resilient quality of life for the Jewel Streets community.”
“Last week’s storm showed us once again why it is critical to undo the legacy of disinvestment from underserved communities,” said MOCEJ Executive Director Hutchinson. “New York City has the most ambitious climate agenda in the United States, and we cannot meet our goals without bringing everyone along. We look forward to working with residents and our agency partners to creatively think of infrastructure solutions that will address flooding issues like we saw on Friday and into the future.”
Mayor Eric Adams (center), HPD Commissioner Adolfo CarriĆ³n Jr. (right), DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala (left), and MOCEJ Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson (far left) discuss street flooding alleviation in the Jewel Streets neighborhood in Brooklyn and Queens. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
New York City Department of Environmental Protection workers constructing drainage upgrades in the Jewel Streets neighborhood in October 2022. Credit: New York City Department of Environmental Protection
From September 2022 to March 2023, DEP completed infrastructure upgrades to the storm sewer system, increasing drainage capacity and helping to better manage stormwater. New storm sewers and catch basins at problematic intersections identified by the community and DEP engineers significantly reduced chronic flooding caused by the area’s low elevation, which creates a bowl that previously collected rainwater.
As a result of that initial investment, street flooding caused by the approximately seven inches of rain that fell on Jewel Streets during last week’s storm eased within hours and dissipated completely within two days. In contrast, Hurricane Ida also deposited approximately seven inches of rain on the neighborhood, but street flooding and ponding lingered for weeks.
In June 2023, Mayor Adams kicked off the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan, an effort to deliver much-needed quality of life improvements — including infrastructure improvements to alleviate flooding as well as new affordable housing — to the area. Backed by more than $75 million in initial funding, the Adams administration’s planning process aims to bring resiliency measures to this chronically flood-prone area, improve street infrastructure and pedestrian safety, and create new, affordable housing and economic opportunity for residents of this community that has long suffered from flooding and been deprived of public investment.
The Adams administration has kicked off a holistic community planning process where residents will be able to weigh in on a series of tools to address flooding, including a bluebelt and a drainage pond to divert rainwater from sewers; green infrastructure, like rain gardens to provide additional capacity to absorb rainwater; upgraded sewers with expanded capacity to serve as the first line of defense against flooding from rain events; and additional supportive tools, such as raised streets. Community members will also have an opportunity to share perspectives on ways the city can make streetscape upgrades to improve safety and connectivity to nearby neighborhoods, create affordable housing on city-owned land, stimulate the creation of good jobs and community amenities, and develop a long-term land use and zoning plan.
27 Defendants Charged With Federal Crimes Targeting The United States Postal Service
Multi-Agency Initiative Increased Federal Enforcement Against Perpetrators of Mail-Related Robberies, Frauds, and Thefts
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging ROBERT DIAZ with robbing two United States Postal Service (“USPS”) carriers of postal keys and, along with Matthew Modafferi, the Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the USPS, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), also announced that 26 additional defendants have been charged in the past six months with federal crimes targeting the USPS and involving property stolen from the USPS as part of a multi-agency initiative to increase federal enforcement against perpetrators of mail-related robberies, frauds, and thefts.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “My Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the safety of USPS employees and the integrity of the United States mail. The indictment against Robert Diaz and the many others who have been charged with mail-related crimes over the past several months should send a clear message that criminally targeting the U.S. mail is a serious federal offense and will not be tolerated.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “As Postal Inspectors our primary mission is the protection of our people, the postal employees who serve the public dutifully each day. We will bring a laser-sharp focus to any investigation of violent criminals and individuals who target our employees, and whose members by doing so seek to steal from the public. The charges against these individuals prove the resolve of Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners to pursue these organizations with every resource at our disposal, and to ultimately see that justice is served.”
USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi said: “We appreciate the outstanding effort by both our Law Enforcement partners and the Department of Justice. The vast majority of Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would not violate the public’s trust in this manner. An employee who decides otherwise, however, will be aggressively investigated by OIG Special Agents. These cases serve as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between the USPS OIG, our federal and state law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute Postal Service employees and their co-conspirators involved in criminal activity.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: "The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that the United States Postal Service is not targeted for nefarious activity by criminal actors.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “The charges announced today allege crimes that targeted and, in some cases, betrayed our mail delivery system to prey on innocent victims. Fortunately, our NYPD investigators and law enforcement partners worked in tandem to disrupt this conduct and bring these defendants to justice. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to stamp out mail-related crimes and protect the integrity of a service relied upon by millions of New Yorkers.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, Complaints, and other public filings:[1]
On June 28, 2022, and July 8, 2022, ROBERT DIAZ robbed postal carriers and stole arrow keys belonging to the USPS. Today, an Indictment was unsealed charging DIAZ with two counts of robbery of a postal carrier and two counts of postal key theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
From January 19, 2022, through April 19, 2023, AUBREY FRAZER, an employee of the USPS, stole mail from a USPS facility in Manhattan. He was charged on June 6, 2023, with mail theft by a postal service employee, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
From May through October 2022, ANDY ARIEL SANTANA cashed more than $100,000 of stolen and fraudulently altered postal money orders in the Bronx. He was charged on August 14, 2023, with money order fraud and receipt of stolen mail, which carry a total maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
From October 24, 2022, through April 15, 2023, SHERROD MURPHY and RAYSHAWN NIBLACK participated in a mail theft scheme targeting relay and panel boxes in the Bronx. They were charged on April 24, 2023, with conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, which carries maximum sentence of five years in prison.
From January through August 2023, ERIC BROWN purchased stolen checks and other items worth more than $200,000 that had been unlawfully removed from the mail by a postal employee. He was charged on September 28, 2023, with conspiracy to commit mail theft, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
On June 15, 2023, KHAYYAM ALEXANDER, SAHEED DUPREE, and DIAMANTE PERRY used a stolen postal key to steal mail from one or more collection boxes in the vicinity of 73rd Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. They were charged that same day with one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On June 21, 2023, JOSE MATOS possessed more than $60,000 of checks that were stolen from the United States mail and a distribution quantity of crack cocaine. He was charged the following day with receipt of stolen mail and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, which carry a total maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
On June 26, 2023, LYDELL YANCEY possessed stolen mail and a stolen postal key and was apprehended after being near a collection box in the vicinity of 79th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. He was charged that same day with conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On July 6, 2023, DEANDRE JACKSON, QUAMEL PIERCE, and RAHEEM WALLACE possessed stolen mail and a stolen postal key and were apprehended being near a collection box in the vicinity of York Avenue and 72nd Street in Manhattan. They were charged that same day with conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On July 10, 2023, MICHAEL EDWARDS and CARLOS MERCADO used a stolen postal key to steal mail in the vicinity of 74th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. They were charged that same day with conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and MERCADO was also charged with attempted assault of an officer engaged in official duties, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On July 25, 2023, JONATHAN CARBUCCIA, JUAN CARBUCCIA, and MANUEL PEREZ stole mail from a collection box in the vicinity of 68th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. They were charged that same day with conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On August 1 and 8, 2023, CHRISTIAN CEBOLLERO, an employee of the USPS, stole checks and other items from a USPS facility in Manhattan. On August 8, 2023, he was charged with two counts of mail theft by a postal service employee, which carry a total maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
On August 14, 2023, EMMANUEL HERNANDEZ stole mail from a collection box in the vicinity of 79th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. He was charged that same day with one count of mail theft, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
On August 18, 2023, JOHN BURBANO used a stolen postal key to steal mail from collection boxes in the vicinity of 68th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. He was charged that same day with postal key theft and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
On August 23, 2023, JEREMY PINALES DIAZ stole mail from a collection box in the vicinity of 33rd Street and Madison Avenue. He was charged that same day with mail theft, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
On September 18, 2023, JAYVAUGN VALENTINE and BRIAN GUTIERREZ used a stolen postal key to steal mail from a collection box in the vicinity of 68th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. They were charged the same day with conspiracy to commit postal key theft and mail theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On September 26, 2023, DONTE GOULBOURNE and ARMANDO KENNETH BENIQUEZ were apprehended in the Bronx after they used a stolen postal key to steal mail. They were charged that same day with conspiracy to commit mail theft and postal key theft, postal key theft, and mail theft, which carry a total maximum sentence of 20 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 will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS, USPS-OIG, FBI, NYPD, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The cases are being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett, Katherine Cheng, Connie Dang, Lisa Daniels, Jackie Delligatti, Jerry J. Fang, Justin Horton, William Kinder, Henry Ross, Chelsea Scism, and Adam Sowlati are in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Complaints and Indictment 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 Complaints and Indictment and the description of the Complaints and Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.