Statement from NYS DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar on EPA's Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plant Standards

 

New York State applauds President Joe Biden and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan for this significant regulatory action to protect public health and the environment from the harmful emissions and other byproducts of fossil-fueled power plants. New York’s stringent measures to eliminate coal-fired power plants and reduce pollution from all fossil-fueled power plants are already driving down emissions. New Yorkers will further benefit from the measures finalized by EPA today to improve air and water quality nationwide.

Instagram Influencer Known as “Jay Mazini” Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Overlapping Fraud Schemes

 

Defendant Capitalized on His Social Media Persona to Commit Fraud, Including a Scheme That Bilked the Muslim Community Out of Over $8 Million

In federal court in Brooklyn, Jebara Igbara, also known as “Jay Mazini,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Frederic Block to 84 months in prison for wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering arising out of multiple schemes that resulted in millions of dollars in loss to trusting investors.  Igbara pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2022.  As set forth in the information, up until March 2021, Igbara maintained a popular Instagram account under the name “Jay Mazini,” where he would post videos depicting, among other things, occasions during which he would hand out large amounts of cash to various individuals as gifts.  In reality, Igbara was perpetrating overlapping fraud schemes, scamming investors out of at least $8 million.  As part of his sentence, Igbara was ordered to pay $10 million in forfeiture. The amount of restitution will be determined at a later date.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the sentence. 

“The prosecution of Igbara unmasked him as a fraudster who used his social media popularity to con investors out of millions of dollars,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Shamefully, he targeted his own religious community, taking advantage of their trust in him so he could spend and gamble their hard-earned money. Hopefully today’s sentence will influence fraudsters, like this defendant, to think twice about the consequences before they victimize investors for their own benefit.”

“Igbara was a crypto con man.  He not only created a fake online presence to purport that he was a wealthy crypto investor, he used his Instagram persona as proof of success when convincing his unsuspecting victims to invest in his schemes.   He conned a New York Muslim community out of millions then simply spent it and gambled it away.  Igbara had no regard for the victims he affected with his scam, but today’s sentence means that this crypto swindler, along with his social media persona, will now spend years in prison for his criminal acts,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.

Igbara maintained a popular social media presence on Instagram, calling himself “Jay Manzini,” with nearly one million followers during the offense period of 2019 to 2021.  The defendant portrayed himself as a successful investor and businessman, and also posted material relating to his Muslim faith, portraying himself as religious. Igbara touted his purported wealth by posting videos on his Instagram account showing him handing out large sums of cash to shoppers waiting on the checkout line in grocery stores, individuals working in fast food restaurants and a woman he met at the airport who had lost her purse. 

Igbara perpetrated an investment fraud scheme via a company called Halal Capital LLC.  The scheme targeted members of the Muslim-American community in New York by soliciting their money for purported investments in stock, electronics resale and the sale of personal protective equipment.  In reality, Igbara was operating a Ponzi scheme, and misappropriated nearly all of the money for his personal expenses, luxury vehicles and gambling.  To raise money in order to pay his investors “returns,” and keep them on the hook, Igbara also perpetrated a second fraudulent scheme, wherein he posted on his Instagram and other social media accounts that he was willing to pay above-market prices for various cryptocurrencies.  He would then send his victims doctored images of wire transfer confirmations that purported to show he had sent money for the cryptocurrency as promised, when in reality, the payment was never sent, and Igbara was merely stealing the cryptocurrency sent by his victim.    

Joint Statement from Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Chair Justin Brannan on the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget

 

“The City has a responsibility to invest in the essential services that New Yorkers rely on and can help working- and middle-class families remain in our city. The Mayor’s Executive Budget begins to reverse a fraction of previous cuts that have proven harmful to our city’s stability and were unnecessary in the context of our resilient economy, but significant work remains ahead to ensure a city budget that advances the health, safety, and strength of our communities.

“As responsible stewards of our city’s fiscal health, the Council presented a Preliminary Budget Response that identified $6.15 billion in newly available resources for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Some of these funds can be used to produce a sound city budget by restoring and ensuring investments in education, cultural institutions, proven mental health and safety solutions, libraries, and many other vital services, yet the Executive Budget only realizes a portion of these resources leaving too many cuts in place. We are disappointed that critical support for key mental health services, programs to reduce recidivism, and libraries that our city desperately needs are not included in the Executive Budget. The Council’s budget response proposed $1.63 billion for the restoration of essential services and set aside nearly $3 billion to protect against fiscal risks and under-budgeted costs, while dedicating $500 million to the Rainy Day Fund and leaving an over $1 billion surplus as a safeguard. The Council’s balanced approach is one that can protect vital services and chart a path towards greater stability for our city and its neighborhoods, outlining the roadmap necessary between the Executive Budget and the Adopted Budget.

“The Council will closely review the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget through our public hearings and other efforts to examine its impact on City agencies and New Yorkers. We look forward to working together as a Council, alongside the Administration and all stakeholders in our city, to deliver a final budget that fulfills our obligations to all New Yorkers and supports their success.”

Permits Filed For 1356 Fulton Avenue In Morrisania, The Bronx

  

 

Permits have been filed for a nine-story residential building to be used for affordable senior housing at 1356 Fulton Avenue in Morrisania, The Bronx. Located between East 169th Street and East 170th Street, the lot is near the Freeman Street subway station, serviced by the 2 and 5 trains. Cornelia Narovici is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 95-foot-tall development will yield 101,539 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 152 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 668 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar, a 30-foot-long rear yard, 15 open parking spaces, and eight enclosed parking spaces.

Saky Yakas is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Governor Hochul Celebrates Long Island Rail Road’s 190th Anniversary

 

Under Governor Hochul’s Leadership LIRR Experienced Nation’s Largest Service Increase

Railroad Grows the Region, Enhances Safety, Service and Infrastructure

Governor Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) celebrated the 190th anniversary of the founding of MTA Long Island Rail Road on April 24, 1834. The LIRR is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, carrying more than 200,000 customers each weekday and last year in conjunction with the opening of Grand Central Madison and Main Line Third Track, it operated more than 77,000 more trains than it did the prior year, a service increase of 41 percent.

“The founding of the Long Island Rail Road on April 24, 1834 marked a new beginning of travel and regional connectivity.” Governor Hochul said. “It has delivered significant benefits to the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who rely on it every day and shows the importance of continuing to expand transit throughout our state.”

Out of the past 190 years, the last five have been some of the most monumental in the railroad’s history. Since 2018 the Long Island Rail Road has activated Positive Train Control, a system that provides an extra layer of safety to train operations, added a 13-mile long second track to the Ronkonkoma Branch, a 10-mile long Main Line Third Track between from Floral Park and Hicksville, built the first new full-service in 50 years at Elmont-UBS Arena and opened a new terminal at Grand Central Madison that brought LIRR service directly to Manhattan’s east side for the first time. Some features of these projects were new signal systems, electrical substation modifications and modern amenities. The Main Line Third Track was not only a major advance in service but a huge leap in safety with the elimination of eight street-level grade crossings and, modifications to seven rail bridges.

Penn Station, the LIRR’s terminal on the West Side received a massive upgrade starting in 2020 with the opening of an iconic new entrance to the LIRR Concourse at Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street. Construction crews then moved on to the rest of the concourse between 7th and 8th avenues, first removing the low hanging “headknocker” beams that had kept ceilings low since the reconstructed terminal opened more than 50 years ago. Removal of these headknockers allowed the LIRR to raise the ceilings to 18 feet high and the full project nearly doubled the width of the corridor, provided key accessibility upgrades, improved lighting and air flow, added intuitive wayfinding, enhanced retail and dining options and added an LED powered luminous ceiling.

The combination the Main Line Third Track and the opening of Grand Central Madison allowed the Long Island Rail Road to completely overhaul its schedules, adding 41 percent more service with more trains running during peak hours and better reverse commuting options to Long Island. Long Islanders now have the ability to travel from Montauk to Mount Kisco, Patchogue to Peekskill and Stony Brook to Stratford with only one ticket.

LIRR on-time performance was 94 percent in 2023, 95 percent in January, and 96 percent in February, even with ridership up 22 percent compared to February 2023. This number has continued to improve throughout 2024.

Moving Forward

Within the current Capital Program, MTA Construction & Development is moving forward with ADA upgrades at nine Long Island Rail Road stations. New elevators and upgrades are planned for Amityville, Copiague, Laurelton, Lindenhurst, Locust Manor, Massapequa Park and St. Albans. Earlier this month, the MTA announced it will move forward with upgrades to make Hollis Station accessible as well as improve accessibility at Babylon and Forest Hills. All LIRR stations are advancing in either construction or design for ADA accessibility.

The existing accessibility components at Auburndale and Valley Stream stations will also be upgraded, including new elevators between street and platform level, modification of canopies, new sidewalks and curb ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As workers continue to return to the office following the COVID pandemic the LIRR is focused on providing reliable service, improved safety onboard trains and in its facilities and reducing crowding on trains as ridership continues to grow. The LIRR is improving the customer experience so more people will take the Long Island Railroad. The LIRR is the cheapest, most convenient and comfortable way to get into and out of the city.

President Joseph R. Biden is Granting Clemency to 16 Individuals, Consisting of 11 Pardons and Five Commutations.

 

President Biden is pardoning the following 11 individuals:

Jason Hernandez – McKinney, Texas

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine/cocaine hydrochloride; distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school (three counts); establishing a place for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance (two counts); Eastern District of Texas

Sentence: 240 months in prison (as commuted on Dec. 19, 2013); eight years of supervised release; $3,500 fine (as amended by order of Feb. 29, 2016); Oct. 2, 1998

Beverly Denise Holcy, also known as Beverly Canty – Palatka, Florida

Offense: Knowingly, willfully, and intentionally distributing a quantity of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack”; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: 60 months in prison; four years of supervised release; $1,000 fine; June 22, 1994

Jeffrey Alan Lewis – Douglasville, Georgia

Offense: Use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony; Eastern District of Virginia

Sentence: Six months in prison; one year of supervise release; Feb. 17, 2006

Bobby Darrell Lowery – Jackson, Mississippi

Offense: Possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute; felon in possession of a firearm; Northern District of Mississippi

Sentence: 60 months in prison (as amended on Oct. 4, 2000, Sept. 21, 2001, Oct. 3, 2001, and Oct. 11, 2002); five years of supervised release; May 28, 1999

Jesse Mosley, also known as Jessie Mosley – Ponchatoula, Louisiana

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug offense; Eastern District of Louisiana

Sentence: 28 months in prison; five years of supervised release; June 20, 2001

Katrina Polk – Washington, D.C.

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine; Southern District of West Virginia

Sentence: One day in prison; four years of supervised release; July 5, 1988

Glenn Ray Royal Jr. – San Antonio, Texas

Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; Western District of Texas

Sentence: 30 months in prison; four years of supervised release; $500 fine; May 23, 1996

Alexis Sutton – New Haven, Connecticut

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin; District of Connecticut

Sentence: 48 months of probation; Feb. 25, 2014

Ricky Donnell Tyler, also known as Rick Tyler – Columbia, South Carolina

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (three counts); District of South Carolina

Sentence: Time served (as amended on Aug. 17, 1999, and June 15, 2007); five years of supervised release; Sept. 12, 1996

Stacy L. Wilder – Albany, New York

Offense: Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine base; Northern District of New York

Sentence: 70 months in prison; five years of supervised release; Jan. 7, 2003

Pilar Alejandra Yelicie-Rodriguez – Fairfax, Virginia

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Virginia

Sentence: 42 months in prison (as amended on May 11, 2007); three years of supervised release; Sept. 23, 2004

President Biden is commuting the sentences of the following five individuals:

Daequon Charles Davis – Johnson City, Tennessee

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine (Eastern District of Tennessee).

Sentence: 262 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (July 13, 2017).

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 120 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Jophaney Hyppolite – Miami

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams cocaine base; distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base (Middle District of Florida).

Sentence: Life in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Jan. 22, 2013).

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 360 months in prison, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Xavier Martez Parnell – Clarksville, Tennessee

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of cocaine base (Middle District of Tennessee).

Sentence: 300 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Sept. 18, 2012).

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 210 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Leshay Nicole Rhoton – Bristol, Tennessee

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine (Western District of Virginia).

Sentence: 240 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Sept. 5, 2013).

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 150 months in prison, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Margaret Ann Vandyke – Ellenville, New York

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (crack cocaine) (Northern District of New York).

Sentence: 60 months in prison; three years of supervised release (Jan. 19, 2022).

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on Aug. 22, leaving intact and in effect the three years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON THE FY25 EXECUTIVE BUDGET

"I’m glad that many of the administration’s previous, misguided cuts have been removed in this budget, though this seems to be less a result of good management now than of bad budgeting in the past. And still, many cuts remain, seemingly without fiscal justification, given the still-too-low projections from an administration which has already been mistaken.

“The administration’s conservative approach to budgeting seems more ideological than financial. Putting the first available money into additional NYPD officers shows a misunderstanding of true public safety – without commensurate, adequate increase for non-police response such as mental health– and a prioritization of headcount over accountability.  The reported removal of CCRB Chair Arva Rice, if true, is further proof of this troubling trend: The administration would rather reduce accountability and remove dissent than focus on properly funding oversight agencies like the CCRB or the Board of Correction. I urge the City Council to fight for funding where it will best serve our communities. Increasing enforcement at the expense of accountability will have a real and lasting cost to the safety of New Yorkers.” 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Local Sales Tax Collections Up 1.6% in First Quarter

 

Local government sales tax collections totaled $5.6 billion in the first calendar quarter (January-March) of 2024, an increase of 1.6%, or $87.3 million, compared to the same quarter last year, the lowest rate of growth since the first quarter in 2021, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. This growth was largely driven by New York City, with several upstate regions experiencing a year-over-year decline for the quarter.

“Local sales tax collections in the first quarter showed modest year-over-year growth, led by New York City and its resurgent hospitality industry,” DiNapoli said. “The numbers from the city signal a healthy tax base and a return to its pre-pandemic role as a major driver of sales tax growth in the state. Collections outside the city were relatively flat, resulting from a variety of economic influences.”

Tourism Strong Again in New York City

In the first quarter of 2024, New York City saw a 3.2%, or $79.4 million, increase in collections, accounting for nearly all statewide growth. The city’s first quarter collections represented over 45% of total statewide collections for the first time since 2019, after having dipped to 41%, on average, in 2020 and 2021.

New York City’s growth reflects a tourism industry that has nearly fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic, in terms of the number of visitors and the economic activity being generated. In addition, hotel occupancy has improved and both business travel and Broadway attendance are seeing increased activity.

Rest of State Remains Flat

First quarter collections for the counties and cities in the rest of the state, in aggregate, were virtually flat (-0.03%), year over year. This marked the first time that quarterly collections have not grown since the first quarter of 2021, though it was not unusual to see flat growth, or even declines, on a quarterly basis prior to the pandemic.

On a county-by-county basis, Westchester County had the strongest growth at 12.7%, followed by the counties of Sullivan (12.4%) and Allegany (7.3%). Yates County had the steepest decline at -7.1%, followed by Franklin County (-6.8%), as well as the counties of Erie and Delaware, at -6.4% each.

A majority of cities (12 of 18) outside of New York City that impose their own sales tax experienced year-over-year growth in the first quarter. Oswego had the strongest increase at 15.3%, followed by Glens Falls (8.4%) and Saratoga Springs (7.6%). Of the six cities that saw declines, Norwich experienced the steepest drop at -7.3%.

Report

First Quarter 2024 Local Sales Taxes

Data

Regional Table

Related Report

Local Sales Taxes for 2023