NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON COUNCIL BILL REQUIRING ADVICE AND CONSENT OF MAYORAL APPOINTEES

 

"I support the Council in their effort to increase oversight, transparency, and accountability by strengthening their role in providing advice and consent.

"This is not about blocking specific appointees or adding bureaucratic processes, but about ensuring a dialogue happens between the people elected to lead our city about the people appointed to run it.

"Our city is currently the outlier here – not only on federal and state levels, but in many municipalities, legislative approval of executive appointees is already the standard. If anything, adding additional leadership positions to this list, including police commissioner and education chancellor, those charged with the protection of our most vulnerable New Yorkers, would be valuable.

"New York has among the strongest mayoralties in the country, and we have seen the problems that system presents across many administrations. A genuine balance of power between the legislative and executive branches will improve government for all New Yorkers." 

MAYOR ADAMS SUBMITS FORMAL TESTIMONY OPPOSING CITY COUNCIL BILL REQUIRING ADVICE AND CONSENT ON 21

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today submitted his formal opposition to Intro. 908 — that would require advice and consent for 21 agency heads — to the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations. The testimony below was also submitted at today’s hearing:

“Speaker Adams, Chair Restler, and Members of the Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation.  I am submitting this testimony as mayor of the City of New York to express my concerns regarding Intro. 908, which would require the advice and consent of the City Council for 21 city commissioners.

“As you know, the mayor of New York City has had sole authority to appoint Commissioners and agency heads since 1884 — for 140 years — and for good reason. In March 1884, then Governor Grover Cleveland signed a bill into law placing the responsibility to appoint agency heads solely with the mayor. Governor Cleveland issued a signing statement emphasizing that the principles of good government required this change because New Yorkers are best served by vesting the power of appointment only in the mayor who is “elected by all of the people in the municipality,” not by dividing or sharing that power with legislators who are “responsible only to their constituents in their respective districts.” Cleveland further wrote: "If the chief executive of the city is to be held responsible for its order and good government, he should not be hampered by any interference with his selection of subordinate administrative officers…” and “[t]he plea should never be heard that a bad nomination had been made because it was the only one that could secure confirmation.”

“The real world impacts this legislation, if enacted, would have on every New Yorker across the five boroughs would be vast, and once you think about the proposal you are quick to conclude that it would be undoubtedly bad for New Yorkers.

“Any uncertainty or delay in appointing agency leadership creates the real possibility for harm from delayed service delivery. From emergency management to senior services, to health care continuity, to garbage collection and construction safety — this bill risks diminishing the city’s ability to manage and respond to the service needs that we all hear from the public every day. Right now, we regularly experience significant delays in scheduling confirmation hearings for the relatively small number of nominees to even be considered by the City Council. As we have seen many times, major events have challenged the city such that administrative and political delays could have major, negative impact on the delivery of service and confidence of New Yorkers in their government. You only need to look back to the prior administration when the Health commissioner resigned in the midst of the fight against COVID. Imagine taking several weeks or months for a new commissioner to take their place, and the impacts of that vacuum of leadership would have for the staff of the agency, and New Yorkers at-large.

“On top of those risks, the politicization of the appointment process can have many harmful implications for New York City’s professional governance. While the City is able to attract some of the best talent to lead our agencies, there are significant sacrifices those individuals make in order to serve New Yorkers, whether that is in the form of salary or work-life balance. Adding the uncertainty and potential for public spectacle of an “advice and consent” process to the list of sacrifices would seriously hamper the city’s ability to attract and retain good talent. We have a clear example of how this process can be corrupted by politics when we look to our nation’s capital and see a process that is weaponized and politicized to score cheap political points and is a disservice to the American people. This legislation would have the same effect on New Yorkers.

“Prior to 1884, the city experimented with a system where the city’s legislators — known as the Board of Aldermen – confirmed the mayor’s appointments. To put it plainly, the system proved to be bad government, primarily because it induced a lack of accountability. When there is no one clearly in charge, and therefore no one who can clearly shoulder blame, New Yorkers lose faith in government. This is precisely why the Aldermen system of confirming mayoral appointments was abandoned. In short, it was tried and failed, and the city moved decisively away from it in order to bring more accountability to city government and services.

“The mayor’s power to appoint agency heads has remained intact since 1884. In fact, multiple charter review commissions have reinforced that this mayoral authority is critical both to the mayor’s ability to govern and to the people’s ability to hold the mayor accountable at the polls. In 1975, for example, the Commission found: “It is the mayor whom the public holds accountable for city programs and services. With this responsibility must come authority to select those individuals who are to carry out executive policy.  The role of the city’s legislative bodies should be to evaluate and report on the performance of the mayor’s appointees.”

“There are only two exceptions in all of New York City government for which the City Council has advice and consent for non-board or commission agency head appointments — for Commissioner of the Department of Investigations and the Corporation Counsel. The charter commissions said that those exceptions were made because of the very unique nature of those positions. The DOI Commissioner is responsible for conducting investigations citywide, including “as directed by the mayor or the council.” Additionally, the Council’s recent charter commission distinguished the position of the Corporation Counsel, because that position represents not just the city agencies, but also the City Council and Comptroller. As such, for those two positions, exceptions were made in recognition of the uniqueness of the posts. 

“Lastly, the Council already has significant checks on the mayor’s power, including budget, land use, and oversight. The Council regularly holds oversight hearings, approves of the budgets, and legislates reporting requirements from city agencies. If there ever are shortcomings from any agency, the Council then holds those who have been appointed to do these jobs accountable. If for whatever reason the Council feels that information they are seeking is not being produced, they also have the authority to subpoena the administration to compel us to comply or face legal sanctions by a court. In other words, oversight from the Council already exists. Expanding that oversight to having final say on the mayor’s choice of who they want to lead agencies to carry out the polices that city voters elected them to carry out would be a disservice to New Yorkers for the reasons outlined throughout this testimony.

“I would ask that the Council reflect on the experience and judgment of past governors, mayors, Charter Revision Commissions, and others who have all come to the same conclusion: this proposal is misguided. I urge you to reject this proposal, if brought to a vote. I thank you for the opportunity to share my concerns with Intro. 908. I know that both the Administration and the Council have a shared commitment to good governance that is both reflective and responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers — one that is rooted in accountability and transparency to ensure public trust and to advance the public good.” 

Disbarred Attorney Pleads Guilty to Promoting $9.5M Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme

 

A disbarred California attorney pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims of more than $9.5 million.

According to court documents, David Kagel, 85, formerly of Beverly Hills, conspired to fraudulently induce victims to participate in a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. Kagel and his co-conspirators promoted investment programs that falsely guaranteed high-yield profits and promised to use artificial intelligence trading bots to trade victims’ investments in cryptocurrency markets. The Ponzi scheme promoter falsely told victims that Kagel, as the promoter’s attorney, held Bitcoin then equivalent to approximately $11 million in escrow that guaranteed victims’ investments against loss for any reason. To create a false sense of security and trust, Kagel provided letters to victims on his firm’s letterhead to fraudulently confirm the promoter’s false statements. Kagel admitted that he and his co-conspirators used victims’ funds for their own personal benefit. 

“David Kagel abused his position as an attorney to earn the trust of investors and to endorse false statements about a purported cryptocurrency investment that was, in fact, a scam. Kagel and his co-conspirators defrauded their victims out of millions of dollars and used the victims’ money to line their own pockets,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “When lawyers lend a veneer of legitimacy to fraudulent schemes, it can lead to devastating losses for victims. The Criminal Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue such fraudsters and hold them to account.”

“Kagel preyed on trusting individuals through a complex scheme to separate people from their hard-earned money,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS-CI is the best in the business at following the money to find the necessary evidence to bring charges against those who seek to prosper on the backs of their victims.”

Kagel pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit commodity fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

David Gilbert Saffron, 51, of Australia, and Vincent Anthony Mazzotta Jr., 52, of Los Angeles, were charged by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment in December 2023 for their roles in the same cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, and are awaiting trial that is scheduled to begin on Aug. 13. Saffron and Mazzotta allegedly promoted the investment programs under various names including Circle Society, Bitcoin Wealth Management, Omicron Trust, Mind Capital, and Cloud9Capital. Rather than investing victims’ funds in cryptocurrency, Saffron and Mazzotta allegedly misappropriated victims’ funds to pay for personal expenses including private chartered jet flights, luxury hotel accommodations, private mansion rentals, a personal chef, and private security guards.  

IRS-CI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Theodore Kneller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.

If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.

D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment Of Man For Fatally Stabbing His Ex-Girlfriend

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the indictment of CANDIDO RODRIGUEZ, 51, for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in her East Harlem apartment last month. RODRIGUEZ is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Murder in the Second Degree. [1] 

“As alleged, Candido Rodriguez brutally murdered Melanie Woods, his ex-girlfriend, in her apartment after waiting for her to return from walking her dog. I send my deepest condolences to Ms. Woods’s family and friends as they continue to mourn her loss,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Ms. Woods’s life was tragically cut short, and my Office will work to secure justice for her. If you or someone you know is being abused by a current or former partner, we urge you to call our helpline at 212-335-4308 where trained professionals can provide resources to help.” 

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on April 23, 2024, at approximately 6:15 a.m., RODRIGUEZ entered Ms. Woods’s East Harlem apartment building and waited for her to return from her daily, early morning dog walk. RODRIGUEZ was sitting on the stairs between floors outside of her apartment, where they used to live together. 

Ms. Woods returned at approximately 7:15 a.m. Shortly thereafter, RODRIGUEZ brutally murdered her inside her apartment, stabbing her nineteen times to the neck, torso, and leg. 

At approximately 8:05 a.m., RODRIGUEZ left the building and hailed a cab. 

Assistant D.A. Christopher Prevost (Deputy Chief of the Trial Division and Unit Chief of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit) is handling the prosecution of this case along with Assistant D.A. Marcella Lupski (Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit) under the supervision of Justin McNabney (Chief of the Special Victims Division). D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, specifically Detective Gerasimo Pyramides and Lieutenant Eloise Walter both of the 25th Precinct Detective Squad. 

[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

Honduras-Based Leader of Migrant Smuggling Organization Sentenced

 

The leader of a migrant smuggling organization was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in smuggling over 100 migrants from Honduras to the United States for profit.

“This sentencing again highlights the extraordinary work being done by our Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel who, day in and day out, are relentless in their mission to disrupt and dismantle dangerous smuggling operations and to secure our border,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “This sentencing is a testament to the partnership and collaboration this Administration has strengthened across the federal enterprise, and with our allies in countries such as Honduras and Mexico, to crack down on criminal organizations. We will continue our work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to attack the ruthless smuggling operations that prey on the vulnerable and cause so much death and trauma.”

“This sentencing is the latest example of the great work of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which we launched nearly three years ago to hold accountable the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling groups, and which has obtained more than 240 convictions to date,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant exploited vulnerable migrants for her own profit, risking their lives and our national security in the process. Together with our partners across the federal government, the Justice Department will continue our efforts to dismantle and disrupt human smuggling networks like those the defendant operated.”

“Cooperation and collaboration are key tools in protecting America from the reach of international human smuggling organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We thank Honduras for its willingness to extradite, the various local agencies who interdicted migrants and helped us make the connection to a larger organization, and all of the JTFA partners for dismantling a smuggling network.”

According to court documents, Maria Mendoza-Mendoza, also known as La Guera, 52, of Honduras, coordinated the movement of migrants from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border and to stash houses operated in Phoenix, Arizona, where the migrants would be detained until their smuggling fees were paid. The smuggling organization utilized funnel accounts to collect millions of dollars in smuggling fees. Mendoza-Mendoza exercised her authority within the organization to assess punitive sanctions—she threatened to “bleed out” a guide as punishment and demanded that a migrant whose family did not pay his smuggling fee be thrown “back in the desert.”

“Human smuggling is an insidious crime and one that this defendant participated in over 100 times—all for profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of HSI Arizona. “Human smugglers do nothing but prey on vulnerable people who at times pay with their lives while crossing the border. Smugglers endanger and exploit people by using dangerous networks that threaten the safety of our communities and our national security; HSI is committed to combatting this type of cross border crime along with our partner law enforcement agencies. Let this sentencing serve as a warning to other smugglers contemplating their continued participation—prison awaits you.”

Mendoza-Mendoza was indicted in January 2018 and extradited from Honduras to the United States in June 2023. Mendoza-Mendoza pleaded guilty on Jan. 24 to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit.

This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of JTFA, which was established by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The task force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. Since its creation in June 2021, JTFA has achieved significant results, including 305 arrests, including against leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators; 242 U.S. convictions; 175 U.S. defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; substantial seizures and forfeiture of assets and contraband, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs; multiple indictments and successful extradition requests against foreign leadership targets.

HSI Sells Office investigated the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector and numerous state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Honduras to secure the arrest and extradition of Mendoza-Mendoza. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted with the extradition efforts.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

Former FTX Executive Ryan Salame Sentenced To 90 Months In Prison

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RYAN SALAME was sentenced to 90 months in prison.  SALAME previously pled guilty to conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and defraud the Federal Election Commission and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who imposed the sentence.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ryan Salame agreed to advance the interests of FTX, Alameda Research, and his co-conspirators through an unlawful political influence campaign and through an unlicensed money transmitting business, which helped FTX grow faster and larger by operating outside of the law.  Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system.  This sentence underscores the substantial consequences for such offenses.” 

According to the filings and statements made during court proceedings:

RYAN SALAME was a high-ranking official at Alameda Research, the quantitative cryptocurrency trading firm founded by Samuel Bankman-Fried, from 2019 to 2021.  In or about October 2021, SALAME was named co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian affiliate FTX Digital Markets Ltd.

While working at Alameda Research and FTX, SALAME conspired with Bankman-Fried and other employees of FTX and Alameda Research to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, unlawfully using FTX, Alameda Research, and an entity called “North Dimension” to transmit FTX customer funds without a license.  The conspirators and others at Alameda Research and FTX also made false statements to U.S. banks in order to maintain their unlawful businesses.

Additionally, beginning in or around 2020, SALAME conspired with Bankman-Fried and FTX executive Nishad Singh to donate campaign contributions in a manner that obscured Bankman-Fried’s association with certain of the contributions.  These donations were made to improve Bankman-Fried’s personal standing in Washington, D.C., increase FTX’s profile, and curry favor with candidates that could help pass legislation favorable to FTX, Alameda, or Bankman-Fried’s personal agenda.  In total, SALAME and his co-conspirators made over 300 political contributions, totaling tens of millions of dollars, that were unlawful because they were made in the name of a straw donor or paid for with corporate funds and caused false information to be reported by campaigns and political action committees to the Federal Election Commission.

In addition to the prison term, SALAME, 30, of Potomac, Maryland, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Alleged Sinaloa Cartel Leader and Lead Assassin Extradited from Mexico to the United States on Drug Importation, Murder, Kidnapping, Firearms, and Money Laundering Charges

 

Alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader and lead sicario, or assassin, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as El Nini, 32, of Mexico, was extradited on May 25 from Mexico to the United States to face charges contained in two indictments. 

“El Nini joins the growing list of cartel leaders and associates extradited to the United States and held accountable in an American courtroom,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege El Nini was one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s lead sicarios, or assassins, and was responsible for the murder, torture, and kidnapping of rivals and witnesses who threatened the cartel’s criminal drug trafficking enterprise. This includes killing a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential source and killing others in retaliation for the confidential source’s cooperation. We also allege El Nini was a part of the Sinaloa Cartel’s production and sale of fentanyl, including in the United States. I am grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for their extraordinary efforts in apprehending and extraditing El Nini. The Justice Department will always be relentless in its pursuit of the cartels responsible for flooding our communities with fentanyl and other drugs.”

The first indictment, filed in the District of Columbia by the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), charges Pérez Salas with cocaine and methamphetamine importation, firearms offenses, and conspiracy to obstruct justice through murder. The second indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), charges Pérez Salas with leadership of a continuing criminal enterprise resulting in the deaths of numerous victims, including a confidential source for the DEA, fentanyl importation and trafficking, obstruction of justice by murdering an informant, kidnapping resulting in the deaths of eight people, including a minor boy, firearms, and money laundering offenses. 

Pérez Salas was arrested in Culiacan, Mexico, by Mexican authorities on Nov. 22, 2023. Pérez Salas was presented on the charges contained in the SDNY indictment today at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. 

According to court documents, the Sinaloa Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico and is responsible for a substantial portion of the fentanyl that is manufactured and imported for distribution in the United States. Fentanyl is a dangerous synthetic opioid that is more than 50 times more potent than heroin and is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. In recent years, the cartel has been led, in part, by the sons of the cartel’s notorious former leader, Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez—known collectively as the “Chapitos.” Like their father, the Chapitos have used violence and rely on a sophisticated security apparatus to maintain control and to protect themselves and their operations as they traffic massive quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, to the United States.

Pérez Salas is allegedly one of the senior leaders of the Chapitos’ security apparatus. Under Pérez Salas’ direction, armed enforcers for the Chapitos, known as sicarios, have allegedly used rampant violence to protect the Chapitos’ operations and to demolish unsupportive businesses, capture contested territory, intimidate civilians, and attack and murder law enforcement members who resist their efforts. In part under the direction of Pérez Salas, the sicarios allegedly regularly used military-grade firearms and explosives, including machineguns and rocket launchers, to kidnap, torture, and kill anyone who opposed the Chapitos.

According to court documents, Pérez Salas is allegedly a leader and commander of the “Ninis,” a violent group charged with providing security for the Chapitos. From at least 2012 until February 2021, Pérez Salas allegedly conspired to distribute and manufacture cocaine and methamphetamine for unlawful importation into the United States, used a firearm in furtherance of the alleged drug-trafficking offense, and killed, attempted to kill, threatened, and caused bodily injury to another to intimidate a government witness and informant.   

Pérez Salas has also allegedly committed brutal acts of violence to advance the Chapitos’ trafficking operations. For example, in or about 2017, Pérez Salas, with two of the Chapitos, allegedly captured, tortured, interrogated, and killed two Mexican federal law enforcement officers. In or about May 2017, Pérez Salas, with two of the Chapitos and others, allegedly captured three members of a rival drug cartel, Los Zetas, and tortured them before interrogating and killing them. Also, in or about 2017, Pérez Salas and others allegedly conspired to kill and retaliate against a witness and informant. And in or about 2022, Pérez Salas and another sicario allegedly tested the potency of their fentanyl on individuals.

In addition, Pérez Salas has allegedly participated in the negotiation and sale of fentanyl. More specifically, in or about the summer of 2022, Pérez Salas and other associates allegedly sold fentanyl (later seized by the DEA) in Los Angeles. Finally, in or about October 2023, Pérez Salas and other sicarios acting at his direction, allegedly kidnapped a confidential source and 10 other victims in Mexico—including a U.S. citizen—whom Pérez Salas believed worked for or were related to the confidential source. Pérez Salas and his sicarios allegedly killed eight of the kidnapped victims, including the confidential source, and a 13-year-old boy. Pérez Salas allegedly kidnapped and killed these victims in retaliation for the confidential source’s provision of information to law enforcement in connection with the investigation of Pérez Salas and his associates in the Southern District of New York. 

Pérez Salas is charged in the District of Columbia indictment with (i) conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; (ii) using, carrying, and possessing machineguns and destructive devices in connection with the cocaine and methamphetamine conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; and (iii) conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness and informant through murder, which carries a mandatory minimum of life in prison.

Pérez Salas is charged in the SDNY indictment with: (i) participating in a continuing criminal enterprise resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum of life in prison; (ii) conspiring to import fentanyl into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; (iii) conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; (iv) using, carrying, and possessing machineguns and destructive devices in connection with the continuing criminal enterprise and the fentanyl importation and trafficking conspiracies, which carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; (v) conspiring to use, carry, and possess machineguns and destructive devices in connection with the continuing criminal enterprise and the fentanyl importation and trafficking conspiracies, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (vi) conspiring to launder money, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (vii) obstruction of justice by retaliating against an informant through murder, which carries a mandatory minimum of life in prison; (viii) conspiring to obstruct justice by retaliating against an informant through murder, which carries a mandatory minimum of life in prison; (ix) kidnapping resulting in death, including of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum of life in prison; and (x) conspiring to commit kidnapping resulting in death, including of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. 

The DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from multiple DEA offices throughout Mexico, as well as the assistance of the U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice Program and U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition Pérez Salas. The Justice Department also thanks Mexican authorities for their role in securing the arrest and extradition of Pérez Salas.

NDDS Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich, Kate Naseef, Samantha Thompson, and Tara Arndt and SDNY Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Sarah L. Kushner, Alexander N. Li, David J. Robles, and Kyle A. Wirshba are prosecuting the case.

The case is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).

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

Governor Hochul Meets With Advocates to Highlight Mental Health Resources for Young People and Efforts to Address Harmful Impacts of Social Media

 

Governor’s Ongoing Investment Expands Access to Innovative Youth Mental Health First Aid Training To Help Parents and School Staff Support Young People Struggling With Mental Health and Substance Use Issues

Governor Continues Push for Nation-Leading Legislation To Combat Addictive Social Media Feeds and Protect Kids Online in Final Days of Legislative Session

Governor Kathy Hochul met with advocates from the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS) to highlight her ongoing investments in mental health resources for young New Yorkers, including expanded access to innovative youth and teen Mental Health First Aid training programs. The Governor reiterated her commitment to enacting nation-leading legislation addressing online safety and the harmful impacts of social media in the final weeks of the 2024 State Legislative Session.

“We are working closely with mental health advocates and service providers to ensure young New Yorkers have access to the support they need,” Governor Hochul said. “But even as we continue making progress, I know we still have more work to do. Meeting with advocates and families across the state has only reinforced my commitment to advance legislation to combat addictive social media feeds and protect kids online.”

Governor Hochul highlighted her investments to support Mental Health First Aid training programs offered by MHANYS and other organizations statewide to enable New Yorkers to assist friends, family or other community members who experience challenges with mental health or substance use. The State Office of Mental Health has provided $1.5 million to support the organization’s youth and teen Mental Health First Aid programs, which offer age-specific training to either adults or teens so they can support young people who may be facing challenges with mental health or addiction.

As part of her discussion with MHANYS leadership, the Governor also continued to hear about the challenges facing young people today due to excessive and unhealthy use of social media. The Governor is focused on advancing two pieces of legislation by the end of the legislative session in June, including the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act to restrict the addictive features of social media, and the New York Child Data Protection Act to restrict the collection of minors’ personal data by online sites.

This commitment is part of the Governor’s broader effort to address the youth mental health crisis and ensure that young people can get the care and resources they need.

Just as physical first aid training such as CPR helps to assist someone having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid enables New Yorkers to assist friends, family or other community members who experience challenges with mental health or substance use. Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches individuals how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18, while teen Mental Health First Aid focuses on teaching teens between the ages 15 and 18 on how to support a friend or classmate with this evidence-based curriculum.

The work with MHANYS has resulted in the certification of 42 new youth instructors for the youth Mental Health First Aid, with an additional 16 expected to be trained by the end of June and the ability to reach more than 5,000 adults with this curriculum. The organization will have also trained nearly 30 new instructors for the teen Mental Health First Aid curriculum.

OMH is also investing $200,000 to develop a pilot program to educate 48 trainers in Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education at up to a half dozen college campuses across New York State. These trainers will be able to teach this curriculum to roughly 4,300 others at these colleges, including students, staff and faculty.

Additionally, as part of Governor Hochul’s focus on youth mental health, OMH is developing social media resources for youth and caregivers to support young people and the adults in their lives in navigating this modern tool and its effects. These educational resources will include an evidence-based educational series around digital wellness tailored for caregivers, as well as resources for students that cover critical topics such as the risks of social media use, understanding privacy and protecting personal information, and reporting cyberbullying and online abuse and exploitation.

In the FY25 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul expanded mental health support for children across the state, fulfilling an agenda she outlined in her State of the State address in January. This new state investment provides $2 million to expand peer-to-peer mental wellness efforts among young people across the state, including training programs like Mental Health First Aid.

The Budget also provides $20 million in start-up funding for school-based mental health clinics and a rolling application process to expedite these awards, which were previously secured through the state procurement process. This initiative builds on the $5.1 million in state funding awarded in November to support 137 new school-based clinics –including 82 at high-needs schools –and bringing the total number to more than 1,200 statewide.