Permits Filed For 2758 Kingsbridge Terrace In Kingsbridge, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a six-story mixed-use building at 2758 Kingsbridge Terrace in Kingsbridge, The Bronx. Located between Perot Street and West Kingsbridge Road, the lot is near the 231st Street subway station, serviced by the 1 train. Steve Zervoudis of Galaxy Gen. Contracting Corp. is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 55-foot-tall development will yield 30,783 square feet, with 28,473 square feet designated for residential space and 2,310 square feet for community facility space. The building will have 38 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 749 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a 47-foot-long rear yard, 12 open parking spaces, and seven enclosed parking spaces.

P. Georgopoulos Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed in August 2022 for the 2.5-story structure on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Havana Cafe Presents Tracy Morgan

Bronx Chamber of Commerce members will receive  admission to the VIP cocktail reception from 6:30  to 7:30 PM, where you can enjoy wine, beer, and  hors d’oeuvres before the show.

Reserve Your Spot - Click Here

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES ALLOCATION OF NEW OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO STATEN ISLAND TO EXPAND LIFESAVING CARE

 

With $12 Million in New Funding Over Next Four Years, City Will Invest in Staten Island-Based Organizations to Support Addiction Treatment and Prevention

 

Delivers on Mayor Adams’ Promise to Ensure Staten Island Receives Resources to Combat Opioid Epidemic

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced an additional $12 million to combat the opioid epidemic as part of funds secured by New York Attorney General Letitia James from settlements reached in her numerous lawsuits against different manufacturers and distributors of opioids. The funds will go exclusively to Staten Island-based organizations that provide a range of intervention services, including treatment, outreach, and harm reduction, as well as to housing and employment assistance. Over the coming months, the city will work closely with stakeholders and local leaders to ensure funds are distributed fairly, equitably, and efficiently to organizations across the borough, delivering on Mayor Adams’ promise to help Staten Island residents combat the opioid epidemic.

 

“The opioid epidemic is a crisis that impacts every corner of our city, tearing apart too many families and too many communities,” said Mayor Adams. “With this additional funding for Staten Island, we will confront this crisis head-on by expanding treatment to increasing support for social services to help our communities recover and thrive. These efforts will save countless lives. I thank Attorney General James for her partnership and support in fighting to end the opioid crisis in New York.”

 

“The opioid epidemic has ravaged families and communities on Staten Island and across all of New York,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Today’s disbursement of funds from my office’s $2.6 billion opioid settlements will go directly towards treatment, prevention, and education efforts on Staten Island and to help New Yorkers recover and heal. I thank Mayor Adams for delivering on his promise to help Staten Island tackle the opioid epidemic and ensure our communities have the care they need and deserve.”

 

“The opioid overdose epidemic remains one of the biggest public health crises of our time,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “The investments announced today will bring resources and support to those struggling with substance use issues through outreach, harm reduction, housing, employment assistance, and other services provided through local organizations on Staten Island. We look forward to working with stakeholders in the coming months and years to see these funds achieve the greatest impact possible.”

 

“As overdose deaths continue to break records, we must do everything we can to support our communities,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Expanding both the volume and accessibility of services for people most at risk of an overdose is an important component of improving the health of our city. I look forward to working with providers on the ground to expand these critical services for Staten Island.”

 

“Staten Island faces a high proportion of overdose deaths, and we are working to get everyone their fair share," said DOHMH Executive Deputy Commissioner Deepa Avula. “As both a resident and public health official, I'm glad to support this additional funding to help meet this important need for the borough.”

 

Last year alone, 3,026 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose, a 12 percent increase from 2021, with Staten Island accounting for 5 percent of all overdose deaths citywide and the city’s second highest overdose rate. Neighborhoods such as Port Richmond and Stapleton-St. George reported overdose rates far above the citywide average, with the sixth and 13^th highest rates in the city.

 

These investments will help New York City expand and build upon initiatives that save lives and provide access to treatment and other services, including the Adams administration’s mental health agenda, which outlines how the city will expand access to high-quality harm reduction services and sets a goal of reducing overdose deaths by 15 percent by 2025; as well as the city’s plan to extend the average lifespan of New Yorkers through HealthyNYC, which seeks to reduce overdose deaths by 25 percent by 2030. New York City had the deadliest year on record for overdose deaths in 2022, with racial and geographic disparities continuing to worsen — reflecting trends of the national crisis.

 

“These long-awaited funds will provide Staten Islanders with much-needed programs to combat the opioid crisis that has disproportionately affected our borough,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. “We thank Mayor Adams and DOHMH Commissioner Vasan for their insight and deep sense of equity.”

“A New Yorker dies every 2 hours from an overdose. Our mayor, Eric Adams, has just announced a significant commitment of resources to battle the Opioid/Overdose epidemic and we are very grateful,” said Joseph Conte, PhD, CPHQ, executive director, Staten Island Performing Provider System. “Staten Island families and providers know that we can count on Mayor Adams, Commissioner Vasan, and Dr. Katz to support our efforts to end this scourge. The SI PPS has reduced overdose deaths by 80% with our Hotspotting Program and look forward to sharing the protocol with other organizations.”

"The Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness and members of the TYSA coalition appreciate Mayor Adams' response to our collective plea for dedicated funds to support the borough’s substance use disorder needs," said Adrienne Abbate, executive director, Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness. "The opioid epidemic has been devastating to our community and to have settlement funds bypass the borough was inequitable and unacceptable. We hope this announcement is the first part of an ongoing commitment from the city to properly fund services across the continuum including prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery utilizing opioid settlement fund dollars.”

“We are blessed to have the commitment of Mayor Adam to include Staten Island in the distribution of Opioid Settlement Funds," said Rev. Dr. Terry Troia, president and CEO, Project Hospitality.  "The most impoverished communities on our island bear the burden of fentanyl overdoses, experience early and unnecessary deaths and do not have the ability to access lifesaving harm reduction and treatment services.  The mayor has made good on his promise to make right the exclusion of Staten Island.  Mayor Adams' actions today will save the lives of Staten Islanders. For that we are deeply grateful.”

Brooklyn Woman Indicted for Grand Larceny For Stealing Approximately $157,000 in Section 8 Subsidies

 

Defendant Allegedly Used Another Person’s Social Security Number to Conceal Income, Employment from NYCHA While Collecting Rent Assistance for Crown Heights Home

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber, today announced that a Brooklyn woman has been indicted for grand larceny for allegedly obtaining more than $157,000 in Section 8 rent subsidies to which she was not entitled. As part of the alleged decade-long fraud, the defendant used another person’s Social Security number to conceal her employment and income from the New York City Housing Authority while collecting rent assistance vouchers for a two-bedroom apartment in Crown Heights. 

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “For over a decade – and at a time when affordable housing in Brooklyn is increasingly scarce – this defendant allegedly lied about her income and employment to obtain thousands of dollars annually in rent subsidies to which she was not entitled. In doing so, she stole precious resources intended to help low-income New Yorkers find housing, and we will now seek to hold her accountable for that. I want to thank DOI and the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General for their assistance in this case.”  

Commissioner Strauber said, “For over a decade, this defendant made false statements about her employment and income to NYCHA in order to obtain more than $155,000 in Section 8 benefits she was not entitled to and provided NYCHA with someone else’s Social Security number to avoid detection, according to the charges. Theft of housing benefits diverts these important public resources from New Yorkers who are in need, and who qualify for them. I thank NYCHA and the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Social Security Administration for their assistance in this investigation; and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for its partnership in protecting New York City’s affordable housing.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Luzmila Corbin, 56, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. She was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Riviezzo on an indictment in which she is charged with first-degree identity theft, second-degree grand larceny, first-degree falsifying business records and 17 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. She was released without bail and ordered to return to court on February 7, 2024. 

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the defendant started receiving rental-assistance vouchers, known as Section 8, in February 2001. The defendant used the vouchers to rent a two-bedroom apartment on Rochester Avenue in Crown Heights. From 2009 to 2021, it is alleged the defendant claimed to be unemployed in her annual Affidavit of Income submitted to the New York City Housing Authority. In reality, however, the defendant was allegedly working as a food services aide at New York City Health and Hospitals where she made $34,000 to $59,000 a year.  

Furthermore, according to the investigation, the defendant allegedly used another person’s Social Security Number to prevent NYCHA from verifying her income. As a result of the fraud, in 2022, for example, the defendant paid only $212 of the apartment’s monthly rent of $1,654. The remaining balance was subsidized by NYCHA based on the defendant’s misrepresentation of her household income and assets. According to the investigation, between November 2010 and June 2022, NYCHA overpaid $157,493 in rent subsidies on the defendant’s behalf.

 An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Bronx Man Sentenced To 47 Months In Prison For Committing Shooting In Broad Daylight

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DUJOHN WILLETTE was sentenced to 47 months in prison in connection with a shootout he engaged in on September 27, 2021, that resulted in a 14-year-old being shot in the ankle.  WILLETTE previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, who also imposed today’s sentence, to one count of possessing ammunition after conviction for a felony. 

 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In September 2021, Dujohn Willette engaged in a shootout in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded street in the Bronx.  Residents of the Bronx were endangered that day, and a 14-year-old was injured.  Willette is a repeat offender, having been prosecuted by our Office twice before for illegally possessing firearms.  As today’s sentence demonstrates, our Office is committed to keeping New York City safe by vigorously prosecuting perpetrators of gun violence.” 

 

According to the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:

At approximately 2:32 p.m. on September 27, 2021, WILLETTE was riding his moped on the sidewalk of East 228th Street in the Bronx.  As WILLETTE approached the corner of East 228th Street and White Plains Road, he rode past a group of men, jumped off his moped, and, while running backwards, fired a gun.  In total, WILLETTE and another shooter shot at each other seven times.  Below are two photographs showing WILLETTE firing his weapon:

In the crossfire, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the ankle. 

Before this conviction, WILLETTE had three prior felony convictions for illegally possessing firearms and had twice before been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. 

In addition to his prison term, WILLETTE, 35, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Bosnia and Herzegovina National Arrested for Aiding Escape of Russian Defendant

 

Accomplice to Artem Uss – Fugitive Charged in Major U.S. Sanctions Evasion and Dual-Use Technologies Smuggling Case – Arrested for Alleged Assistance in Prison Escape

A two-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging Vladimir Jovancic, 52, a Bosnia and Herzegovina national who resides in Serbia, with obstructing justice and assisting escape from custody. Jovancic was arrested on Dec. 4 in the Republic of Croatia. In a related operation, Italian authorities separately arrested a second suspect in Italy on Dec. 4.

As alleged, Jovancic is one of several individuals who helped Artem Uss, a defendant in United States. v. Orekhov et al., flee from Italy to Russia following an Italian court ruling that Uss would be extradited to the United States to face charges. Uss is charged with heading a global scheme to smuggle millions of dollars in sensitive military and dual-use technologies and oil from Venezuela to sanctioned Russian oligarchs and companies.

“The defendant allegedly helped a Kremlin crony jump bail in order to evade justice — but now finds himself captured by the long arm of U.S. law enforcement,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This case demonstrates the reach of the Department of Justice and further exposes the criminal networks propping up the Russian regime as it wages its unlawful and unprovoked war in Ukraine.”   

“As alleged, this defendant brazenly helped Artem Uss escape justice on an indictment charging Uss for his actions in fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine, evading sanctions and enabling oligarchs,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “I want to thank our partners in Italy for their valuable assistance and support. We will continue to work together to make sure everyone involved in this flagrant scheme to obstruct justice is held accountable.” 

“The defendant’s flagrant disregard for the rule of law has not gone unanswered. This indictment and arrest demonstrate the FBI’s continued focus on holding accountable those who assist criminals attempting to evade U.S. law, regardless of where they may try to hide,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to aggressively investigate, pursue, and prosecute those who facilitate corrupt practices that place our nation and our institutions at risk.”

“Today’s actions are a warning to anyone who is thinking about unlawfully aiding sanctioned Russian elites and their enablers,” said Co-Director of Task Force KleptoCapture David Lim.  “If you break our laws, we will use every available tool and leverage our strong international partnerships to pursue you until you are brought to justice.”   

Concurrent with this law enforcement action, the State Department announced a reward offe of up to $7 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Artem Aleksandrovich Uss.

As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, Uss is the son of Alexander Uss, the governor of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Krai region and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. Uss has ownership interests in several Russian companies in Krasnoyarsk Krai and elsewhere, as well as a senior position with a subsidiary of Rosneft, a sanctioned Russian state-controlled oil conglomerate. Uss also had several significant holdings in Italy, including a luxury hotel in Sardinia, a vineyard and other real estate.

Uss and his business partner, Yury Orekhov, allegedly orchestrated a transnational fraud, smuggling and money laundering operation under the umbrella of Nord-Deutsche Industrieanlagenbau GmbH (NDA GmbH), a privately-held industrial equipment and commodity trading company located in Hamburg, Germany. Uss and Orekhov each owned 50% of NDA GmbH. Using NDA GmbH as a front company, Uss and Orekhov sourced and purchased sensitive military and dual-use technologies from U.S. manufacturers, including advanced semiconductors and microprocessors used in fighter aircraft, missile systems, smart munitions, radar, satellites and other space-based military applications. These items were shipped to Russian end users, including sanctioned companies that serviced Russia’s defense sector. Some of the types of electronic components obtained through the criminal scheme have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized on the battlefield in Ukraine. Uss and Orekhov also used NDA GmbH as a front to smuggle hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela to Russian and Chinese purchasers, including a Russian aluminum company controlled by a sanctioned oligarch and the world’s largest oil refining, gas and petrochemical conglomerate based in Beijing, People’s Republic of China.

Uss was apprehended in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 17, 2022, pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States. Following his arrest, and over the objection of both Italian and U.S. prosecutors, Uss was released on bail to home detention at his Milan residence with electronic monitoring. On March 21, the Italian court approved Uss’ extradition to the United States. The next day, Uss escaped from home detention and fled Italy, ultimately arriving in Russia, with the assistance of several individuals, including Vladimir Jovancic.

The investigation into Uss’ escape revealed that, in or about January 2023, Jovancic and other individuals affiliated with a Serbian organized crime group were recruited by Uss to help him flee to Russia in the event extradition was granted. Jovancic met Uss’ wife at a hotel in Milan, Italy, where they planned for Jovancic to deliver groceries to Uss’ residence in Milan as a pretext so that Jovancic’s presence would not raise suspicion if an escape was necessary. Uss’ wife also provided Jovancic with a cell phone and a 10,000-euro deposit for his services. Jovancic was later provided with a keycard to directly access Uss’ residence.

On the day of Uss’ escape, following the Italian court’s decision, Jovancic and several other co-conspirators went to Uss’ residence. Once there, Jovancic escorted Uss into a car and provided Uss with bolt cutters. Uss used the bolt cutters to remove his electronic ankle monitor and throw the monitoring device out the window. Jovancic and his co-conspirators then drove Uss across the border in Slovenia. Over the next several days, Jovancic and his co-conspirators shuttled Uss through Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before crossing into Serbia, where Uss paid Jovancic an additional 40,000 euro before boarding a plane to Russia.

If convicted, Jovancic faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement New York Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The Justice Department thanks the Croatian authorities and the Italian authorities for their critical collaboration, specifically, the Milan Prosecutor’s Office (Procura della Repubblica presso il Tribunale di Milano), the Carabinieri and the Ministry of Justice.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell for the Eastern District of New York is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in Queens

 

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of Courtney Gordon, who died on December 3, 2023 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

In the early morning hours of December 3, officers with the NYPD responded to a reported assault in progress at a residence on Beach 22nd Street in Far Rockaway. When officers arrived, they encountered Mr. Gordon outside the residence and attempted to engage him verbally. Mr. Gordon charged at two officers and injured them with a knife, and an officer opened fire in response. Mr. Gordon was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The injured officers are expected to recover. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

The announcement of an investigation is not an indication of misconduct. These are preliminary facts and subject to change.

Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Congestion Pricing Rally

Governor Hochul: “I'm so proud of what we've done here. We'll keep our subway strong for the next generation. Less traffic, cleaner air, faster buses… And the rest of America will realize that we are fighting to save our planet, we're fighting to save our kids, we're fighting for our riders, and we are fighting for the greatest city on the planet, the City of New York!”

Hochul: “This is going to be transformative. We'll have the resources to invest in our system, a 110-year-old system, so it's positioned for the next 110 years because of the courage here today. That's what we're fighting for. But also, people deserve a quality of life here – it should be walkable, people should be able to take the train and be able to walk to their jobs.”   

From time to time, leaders are called upon to envision a better future, be bold in the implementation and execution, and be undaunted by the opposition. That's how you secure progress. That's what today is all about. And I am so proud to be here because everyone here knows that this city is worth fighting for.

We can save this city, because people love New York City, but it's facing some hard times. And because so many people love New York City, the streets are impassable, and the air quality has declined. So, I know, because of the courage of people here behind me, and elected leaders and people like Janno Lieber, the head of the MTA. Let's give him a round of applause.

And Carl Weisbrod and the Traffic Mobility Review Board. That's courage, that's courage. I thank them. And all of our partners in elected government, state government, city government, borough presidents, city council, and all of our advocates. You made this happen, and Betsy, you are my hero. You have done an amazing job on behalf of the riders, and I thank you.

But I have a few questions for you. Anybody sick and tired of gridlock in New York City? Anybody think we deserve better transit, especially those who live and work here? Anyone think that people with disabilities deserve to have more accessibility when they travel through this city? Anybody want cleaner air for our kids and for future generations? Well then you love congestion pricing, right?

Well, this is a great day and I know that not only for the people here but also our first responders, ambulances, firefighters, emergency personnel who are often stymied and delayed in getting to where they need to go. My friends, this is going to be transformative.

We'll have the resources to invest in our system, a 110-year-old system, so it's positioned for the next 110 years because of the courage here today. That's what we're fighting for. But also, people deserve a quality of life here – it should be walkable, people should be able to take the train and be able to walk to their jobs and never need a vehicle again because this is New York.

And I'm so proud of what we've done here. We'll keep our subway strong for the next generation. Less traffic, cleaner air, faster buses. I love faster buses. I like the buses going faster. And all these disability mobility [improvements]. But also, here's what the money can go for. Here's what the money can go for. What about the idea of the Interborough Express being funded with this money to be able to work in Queens and get to your job in Brooklyn or vice versa? We can get that done. What about ending the transit desert in East Harlem and finishing off the Second Avenue Subway? That's what we can do as well.

You know, cities all around the world have tried this, but nobody else in the United States of America. This is when we demonstrate leadership. We show we do it here. We overcome the opposition. We make it be successful. And the rest of America will realize that we are fighting to save our planet, we're fighting to save our kids, we're fighting for our riders, and we are fighting for the greatest city on the planet, the City of New York! Thank you everybody.