QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR MURDERING BRONX WOMAN WITH HER CHILDREN NEARBY

Victim Was Stabbed 15 Times 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a Queens man has been indicted for second-degree Murder and additional charges for fatally stabbing a woman in her Highbridge apartment. 

District Attorney Clark said “The defendant, who was a friend of the victim, allegedly attacked her during a dispute, stabbing her multiple times with her three young children in the apartment. This was a brutal crime for which the defendant now faces justice.” 

District Attorney Clark said Lamont Wilson, 46, of 101st Street, Queens, was indicted on second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. He was arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. He was remanded and is due back in court on May 13, 2025. 

According to the investigation, on December 6, 2024, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Wilson went to an apartment in 1479 Macombs Road where Britney Webb, 38 lived with her three children, and Wilson got into an argument with Webb. She locked herself and her 5-year-old daughter in a bedroom while her other children were asleep in another room. Wilson burst through the door and allegedly stabbed Webb with a knife 15 times. Wilson fled and was arrested in a nearby building.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Patrick Flatley of the Bronx Homicide Squad and Detective Jeckson Dorville of the 44th Precinct for their work on the investigation.

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

Governor Hochul Announces Safer Streets as Gun Violence in Communities Participating in the State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative Declined to Lowest Level on Record

New York State Began Tracking This Data in Communities Outside of New York City in 2006

Shooting Incidents with Injury Decreased 28 Percent in 2024 compared to 2023, and 238 Fewer Individuals Were Harmed by Gunfire

Governor’s FY26 Executive Budget Includes $370 Million to Continue the State’s Multifaceted Approach to Reducing Shootings and Saving Lives

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that gun violence in communities participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative declined to its lowest level on record last year. New York State began tracking this data in communities outside of New York City in 2006. Shooting incidents with injury declined 28 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, and the number of individuals injured declined 25 percent, with 238 fewer people harmed by gunfire. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 26 Executive Budget includes $370 million to continue the state’s multifaceted approach to reducing shootings and saving lives. That funding supports local and state law enforcement initiatives, youth employment programs, and nonprofit organizations that serve and support individuals and families and strengthen communities.

“New Yorkers are safer than they were yesterday – and that’s because of the tireless efforts of our communities, law enforcement, and partners,” Governor Hochul said. “Gun violence has dropped by 28 percent, meaning 238 fewer people wounded by gunfire in our neighborhoods. But we’re not stopping here. My administration is doubling down on its commitment to reducing violence, supporting our youth, and strengthening our communities – ensuring that all New Yorkers can live in safety and peace."

The 28 percent decline reflects 588 shooting incidents with injury reported last year by the 28 police departments participating in GIVE compared to 817 in 2023, and the number of shooting victims decreased by 25 percent (725 v. 963). When the state first began tracking this data in 2006, 17 police departments received funding to reduce shootings and violent crime: Those agencies reported 896 shooting incidents with injury and 1,007 individuals who sustained gunshot wounds. GIVE jurisdictions account for roughly 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms and 85 percent of violent crime reported outside New York City.

The following police departments reported particularly significant declines in shooting incidents with injury in 2024 compared to 2023: Niagara, 52 percent; Rochester, 34 percent; Syracuse, 30 percent; and Yonkers, 47 percent. Shooting incidents with injury, shooting victims and shooting homicide data for each of the 28 GIVE agencies are available on the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website. In addition to the collective decrease in gun violence in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported a seven percent (903 v. 974) decrease in shooting incidents in 2024 compared to 2023.

Preliminary index crime reported by police agencies outside of New York City showed an eight percent decrease from January through September 2024 vs. 2023, the most current data available. There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: four violent (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and three property (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft). Data reported by the NYPD show a three percent reduction in crime in the five boroughs.

The $370 million investment to reduce and prevent gun violence and strengthen communities disproportionately impacted by crime includes, but is not limited to, the following programs and initiatives administered by DCJS:

• $50 million through the Law Enforcement Technology grant program, which provides funding so police departments and sheriffs’ offices can purchase new equipment and technology to modernize their operations and more effectively solve and prevent crime.
• $36 million for GIVE, which funds the 28 police departments and district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in 21 counties outside of New York City.
• $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach Program, which operates in 14 communities across the state: Albany, the Bronx, Buffalo, Hempstead, Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Wyandanch, and Yonkers. The program uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by the violence.
• $18 million in continued support for the state’s unique, nationally recognized Crime Analysis Center Network, and $13 million in new funding to establish the New York State Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters, a strategic information, technical assistance and training hub for 11 Centers in the state’s network, and enhance existing partnerships and expand information sharing with the New York State Intelligence Center operated by the State Police, the locally run Nassau County Lead Development Center, and the State’s Joint Security Operations Center, which focuses on protecting the State from cyber threats.
• $20 million for Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower) in 10 communities to support mentoring, mental health services, restorative practices, trust building, employment and education support and youth development activities, among other programs and services that address trauma resulting from long-term exposure to violence, build resilience and strengthen youth, families and neighborhoods.

The New York State Police, the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and the state Office of Victim Services also will receive funding through that $370 million allocation.

That funding does not include other public safety initiatives outlined in the FY26 Executive Budget Briefing Book, including $35 million for the next round of the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grants to increase safety and security of organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission; or investments that expand support for victims and survivors of crime, including doubling funding for rape crisis centers to $12.8 million.

 

Former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Bribery, Foreign Agent, And Obstruction Offenses

 

Two New Jersey Businessmen Who Paid Bribes Also Sentenced to 97 Months and Seven Years in Prison

Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former U.S. Senator ROBERT MENENDEZ, WAEL HANA, a/k/a “Will Hana,” and FRED DAIBES, were sentenced to 11 years, more than eight years, and seven years in prison, respectively, for bribery, foreign agent, and obstruction of justice offenses.  MENENDEZ, HANA, and DAIBES were convicted on July 16, 2024, following a nine-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein, who imposed the sentences.  

U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “The sentences imposed result from an egregious abuse of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the federal government.  Robert Menendez was trusted to represent the United States and the State of New Jersey, but instead he used his position to help his co-conspirators and a foreign government, in exchange for bribes like cash, gold, and a luxury car.  The sentences imposed send a clear message that attempts at any level of government to corrupt the nation’s foreign policy and the rule of law will be met with just punishment.” 

According to the Superseding Indictment (“Indictment”), the evidence at trial, and public filings:[1]

MENENDEZ, at the time the Indictment was unsealed, was the senior U.S. Senator from New Jersey and the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (“SFRC”).  Shortly after MENENDEZ began dating his now-wife Nadine Menendez, then known as Nadine Arslanian (“Nadine Menendez”), in 2018, Nadine introduced MENENDEZ to her long-time friend HANA, who is originally from Egypt.  HANA lived in New Jersey, and maintained close connections with Egyptian officials.  HANA was also a business associate of DAIBES, a New Jersey real estate developer and long-time donor to MENENDEZ, and Jose Uribe, who worked in the New Jersey insurance and trucking business.

Between 2018 and 2022, MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bribes from HANA, DAIBES, and Uribe.  These bribes included gold, cash, a luxury convertible, payments toward Nadine Menendez’s home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job for Nadine Menendez, home furnishings, and other things of value.  In June 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) executed a court-authorized search warrant at the New Jersey home of MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez.  During that search, the FBI found many of the fruits of this bribery scheme. Over $480,000 in cash — much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe — was discovered in the home.  Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints of MENENDEZ or DAIBES.  Agents also found home furnishings provided by HANA and DAIBES, the luxury vehicle paid for by Uribe parked in the garage, as well as over one hundred thousand dollars’ worth of gold bars in the home, which were provided by either HANA or DAIBES. 

In exchange for these and other things of value, MENENDEZ agreed and promised to use his power and influence as a Senator to seek to protect HANA’s, Uribe’s, and DAIBES’s interests and to benefit foreign countries.  Through this corrupt relationship, MENENDEZ agreed to take a series of official acts. First, MENENDEZ took actions to benefit the Government of Egypt and HANA, including by improperly seeking to pressure an official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) in an attempt to protect a business monopoly granted to HANA by Egypt, and by secretly representing the interests of Egypt by, among other things, ghostwriting a letter for Egypt to be provided to his own Senate colleagues and providing non-public information and assistance to Egypt.  Second, MENENDEZ took actions seeking to disrupt a criminal investigation undertaken by the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General (“NJAG”) related to Uribe and his associates.  Third, MENENDEZ recommended that the President nominate a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey whom MENENDEZ believed he could influence to disrupt a federal criminal prosecution undertaken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey (“USAO-DNJ”) of DAIBES, and took actions to assist DAIBES by acting for the benefit of the Government of Qatar.  Finally, MENENDEZ conspired and endeavored to obstruct justice in connection with the federal investigation into this scheme.

Promised Actions to Benefit Egypt and Pressure the USDA

Shortly after she began dating MENENDEZ in 2018, Nadine Menendez worked with HANA to introduce Egyptian government officials to MENENDEZ.  Those introductions helped establish a corrupt agreement in which HANA, with assistance from DAIBES, provided bribes to MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez in exchange for MENENDEZ’s agreed and promised actions to benefit Egypt and HANA, among others. 

As part of the scheme, MENENDEZ, among other things, provided sensitive, non-public U.S. government information to Egyptian officials and otherwise took steps to secretly aid the Government of Egypt. For example, in or about May 2018, MENENDEZ provided Egyptian officials with non-public information regarding the number and nationality of persons then serving at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Although this information was not classified, it was deemed highly sensitive because it could pose significant operational security concerns if disclosed to a foreign government or made public.  Without telling his professional staff or the State Department that he was doing so, on or about May 7, 2018, MENENDEZ texted that sensitive, non-public embassy information to his then-girlfriend Nadine Menendez, who forwarded the message to HANA, who forwarded it to an Egyptian government official.  Later that same month, MENENDEZ ghost-wrote a letter on behalf of Egypt to other U.S. Senators advocating for them to release a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt.  MENENDEZ sent this ghost-written letter to Nadine Menendez, who forwarded it to HANA, who sent it to Egyptian officials. 

At various times between 2018 and 2022, MENENDEZ also conveyed to Egyptian officials, through Nadine Menendez, HANA, and/or DAIBES, that he would approve or remove holds on foreign military financing and sales of military equipment to Egypt in connection with his leadership role on the SFRC.  For example, in or about July 2018, following meetings between MENENDEZ and Egyptian officials, which were arranged and attended by Nadine Menendez and HANA, MENENDEZ texted Nadine Menendez that she should tell HANA that MENENDEZ was going to sign off on an almost hundred-million-dollar weapons sale to Egypt.  Nadine Menendez forwarded this text to HANA, who forwarded it to two Egyptian officials, one of whom replied with a “thumbs up” emoji. 

In exchange for MENENDEZ’s agreement to take these and other actions, HANA promised Nadine Menendez payments, including from IS EG Halal Certified, Inc. (“IS EG Halal”), a New Jersey company that HANA operated with financial support and backing from DAIBES.  IS EG Halal had no revenue until the spring of 2019, when the Government of Egypt granted IS EG Halal a monopoly on the certification of U.S. food exports to Egypt as compliant with halal standards, despite the fact that neither HANA nor his company had any experience with halal certification.  The monopoly generated revenue for HANA, through which he paid Nadine Menendez as promised.

Because the monopoly harmed U.S. interests, including revoking the ability of multiple U.S. companies to certify meat and resulting in increased costs for U.S. meat suppliers, in or about April and May 2019, the USDA and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo contacted the Government of Egypt and sought reconsideration of its grant of monopoly rights to IS EG Halal.  After being briefed on the USDA’s objections to IS EG Halal’s monopoly by HANA and Nadine Menendez, on May 23, 2019, MENENDEZ called a high-level USDA official, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (“Official-1”), and insisted that the USDA stop opposing IS EG Halal’s status as the sole halal certifier.  When Official-1 attempted to explain why the monopoly was detrimental to U.S. interests, MENENDEZ reiterated his demand that the USDA stop interfering with IS EG Halal’s monopoly.  Official-1 did not accede to MENENDEZ’s demand, and sought to reassure his staff against the pressure MENENDEZ attempted to apply, but IS EG Halal nevertheless kept its monopoly.

After financially benefitting from IS EG Halal’s monopoly, HANA, at times with the assistance of DAIBES, provided payments and other things of value in furtherance of the scheme.  For example, in or about July 2019, after the mortgage company for the residence of Nadine Menendez initiated foreclosure proceedings, HANA caused IS EG Halal to pay approximately $23,000 to bring the mortgage current.  HANA did so after a series of discussions with Nadine Menendez, as well as Uribe and DAIBES, about various options for bringing the mortgage current.  Later in 2019, HANA and DAIBES caused IS EG Halal to issue three $10,000 checks to a “consulting” company MENENDEZ helped Nadine Menendez create as supposed payment for a low-or-no-show job.  As the scheme continued, including through the additional actions described below, MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez received additional bribes, including gold and cash.

Promised Actions Seeking to Disrupt the NJAG Criminal Case

Also in 2019, HANA and Uribe offered to help buy a new Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000 for MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez.  In exchange, MENENDEZ agreed and sought to interfere in the NJAG’s criminal insurance fraud prosecution of an associate of Uribe and a related investigation involving an employee of Uribe.  On multiple occasions in 2019, Uribe, HANA, and/or Nadine Menendez briefed MENENDEZ regarding the NJAG’s insurance fraud prosecution and investigation.  Following those briefings, and in exchange for the promise of the luxury convertible, MENENDEZ contacted the then-New Jersey Attorney General (“Official-2”) at least twice.  During those communications, MENENDEZ attempted to pressure Official-2 to resolve the prosecution more favorably to Uribe’s associate. Official-2 considered MENENDEZ’s actions inappropriate, did not agree to intervene, and did not pass on that MENENDEZ had contacted him in order to insulate his staff against any outside influence from MENENDEZ.  Ultimately, in the regular course, the prosecution was resolved with a plea allowing for no jail time for Uribe’s associate and the investigation never resulted in any charges against Uribe’s employee. 

In exchange for MENENDEZ’s agreed and promised actions, Uribe provided Nadine Menendez with $15,000 cash for the down payment on the luxury convertible in April 2019. Thereafter, Uribe made monthly payments to Mercedes-Benz for the convertible between 2019 and June 2022.  Uribe only stopped making those monthly payments after the FBI approached MENENDEZ, Nadine Menendez, and Uribe in connection with this investigation.

Promised Actions Seeking to Disrupt the USAO-DNJ Criminal Case and to Benefit DAIBES and the Government of Qatar

In October 2018, the USAO-DNJ charged DAIBES with federal criminal charges for obtaining loans under false pretenses from a New Jersey-based bank he founded.  Between December 2020 and 2022, MENENDEZ agreed and promised to attempt to influence the pending federal prosecution of DAIBES in exchange for cash, furniture, and gold bars that DAIBES provided to MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez.  In furtherance of this aspect of the scheme, MENENDEZ recommended that the then-President nominate an individual (“Official-3”) as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey whom MENENDEZ believed he could influence with respect to DAIBES’s case. MENENDEZ requested a political advisor contact Official-3 in an attempt to influence the outcome of DAIBES’s case.

MENENDEZ’s political advisor did not contact Official-3 regarding DAIBES’s case, and USAO-DNJ did not treat the case any differently as a result of MENENDEZ’s actions.  The parties to DAIBES’s case agreed to resolve the case with a plea agreement that provided for a probationary sentence.  In exchange for MENENDEZ’s participation in the bribery scheme, DAIBES provided MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez with multiple things of value, including two one-kilogram gold bars.

In addition, in exchange for some of the gold and other things of value from DAIBES, MENENDEZ knew that DAIBES also expected MENENDEZ to take action to benefit the Government of Qatar, and thereby benefit DAIBES, who was seeking millions of dollars in investment from a fund with ties to the Government of Qatar.  Among other things, MENENDEZ made multiple public statements supporting the Government of Qatar and provided DAIBES with these statements so that DAIBES could share them with Qataris officials connected to an investment fund with which DAIBES was looking to do business.  For example, on or about August 20, 2021, MENENDEZ used an encrypted messaging application to send DAIBES the text of a press release in which MENENDEZ praised the Government of Qatar, and several minutes later texted DAIBES, “You might want to send to them.  I am just about to release.” 

Obstruction of Justice and Attempts to Cover-Up the Scheme

In or about 2022, following service of subpoenas issued by a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of New York on MENENDEZ, Nadine Menendez, Uribe, and IS EG Halal, Nadine Menendez met with Uribe.  At that meeting, Nadine Menendez and Uribe agreed that if law enforcement asked about the payments Uribe had made for the Mercedes-Benz convertible, they would falsely say those payments had been a loan.  Later, in or about December 2022, MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez sought to return both the bribe money that HANA had caused IS EG Halal to pay to the mortgage company in July 2019 to avoid foreclosure on Nadine Menendez’s home and the payments Uribe made for the convertible, and, in doing so, MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez falsely characterized the return of the bribe money as repayments for loans in documents that were produced to the grand jury.  The next year, in September 2023, in an attempt to avoid charges being brought, MENENDEZ caused his then-counsel to give a presentation at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan falsely stating that MENENDEZ had been unaware of the mortgage and car payments until receipt of the subpoenas in 2022, and that these payments from HANA and Uribe were loans, even though MENENDEZ knew such statements to be false.

A chart containing the names of the defendants, the charges they were convicted of, and the sentences they received is set forth below.

Uribe, 57, of Clifton, New Jersey, previously pled guilty pursuant to a cooperation agreement to conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, obstruction of justice, tax evasion, and wire fraud.  Sentencing for Uribe is scheduled for April 24, 2025.

Charges remain pending against Nadine Menendez, who is presumed innocent and is scheduled to go to trial on March 18, 2025. 

Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.  Ms. Sassoon also thanked the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for its invaluable assistance on the investigation and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section for its support of the case.

Defendant	Age	Convictions	Sentence
ROBERT MENENDEZ	71	Conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, two counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, two counts of bribery, three counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of extortion under color of official right, conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent, public official acting as foreign agent, and obstruction of justice.[2]	11 years; $922,188.10 forfeiture
WAEL HANA, a/k/a “Will Hana”	41	Conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, bribery, two counts of honest services wire fraud, and conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent.[3]	97 months in prison; $1,250,000 fine; $125,000 forfeiture
FRED DAIBES	67	Conspiracy to commit bribery while released on bail, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud while released on bail, conspiracy to obstruct justice, two counts of bribery while released on bail, two counts of honest services wire fraud while released on bail.	7 years in prison; $1,750,000 fine

[1] With respect to Nadine Menendez, against whom charges remain pending, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact should be treated as an allegation.

[2] The Court ruled that MENENDEZ’s conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent charge was subsumed by the bribery conspiracy count, and did not impose a separate sentence for it.

[3] As with MENENDEZ, the Court ruled that HANA’s conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent charge was subsumed by the bribery conspiracy count, and did not impose a separate sentence for it.

MAYOR ADAMS AND COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ CELEBRATE DOT CREWS FILLING ADMINISTRATION’S 500,000TH POTHOLE, INVESTMENTS IN STREET REPAVING AND RECORD-SETTING POTHOLE RESOLUTION TIMES

 

With Administration’s Strong, Sustained Investment in Street Repaving, Potholes Are Now Forming at Less Than Half the Average of Previous Two Administrations Combined 

 

New Pothole Complaints to 311 Are Addressed in Under Two Days on Average, More Than a Day Faster Than Average During de Blasio Administration and More Than Twice as Fast as During Bloomberg Administration 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today celebrated the filling of administration’s 500,000th pothole in Prospect Heights and highlighted the record-setting speed at which the city has filled potholes over the last three years. New pothole complaints to 311 are closed in an average of approximately 1.8 days — more than a full day faster than the de Blasio administration’s average of 3.4 days and more than twice as fast as Bloomberg administration’s average of 4.4 days. In the three years of the Adams administration, the city has received and resolved 88,466 pothole complaints made to 311; by this same point in the de Blasio administration, the city had to resolve 147,640 complaints. This decrease in potholes comes as a result of the Adams administration’s sustained commitment to better and more regular repaving. DOT has repaved an average of nearly 1,200 miles of lane miles in each fiscal year of the Adams administration.

“When hard-working New Yorkers pay their taxes, they expect their government to deliver for them,” said Mayor Adams. “And whether it’s generational projects like Willets Point or the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, or the fundamentals like picking up the trash and filling potholes, we’re doing all that, better than ever. We’re filling potholes more than twice as fast as the average time of the two previous administrations combined — and thanks to our commitment to paving, there are significantly fewer potholes forming in the first place. However, cold weather potholes do sometimes happen. That is why we are so grateful to the crews working hard to make sure they get filled fast. If you see them out in the field, give them room to do their important work.” 

“When a driver or cyclist hits a pothole, it is not only a cause for frustration, but it can also be a safety hazard,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “I am proud that pothole requests are on the decline thanks to smart investments we have made in better and more regular paving. Mayor Adams has given our incredible roadways crews the necessary resources to keep our roadways much smoother and safer.”

Potholes are generally caused by water and rock salt seeping into asphalt and are worsened during New York City winters by several factors, including high traffic, ice, snow, and other precipitation. Freeze-and-thaw weather patterns can further exacerbate these conditions, increasing the likelihood of potholes. During pothole season — which generally runs from December through June — DOT dispatches 25 to 75 separate pothole crews daily. The crews work in all five boroughs, responding to 311 complaints and requests from local stakeholders.

DOT produces asphalt at its two plants for both resurfacing roads and filling potholes. While the average pothole uses only a few pounds of asphalt, a completely repaved lane-mile uses 1,000 tons. This fall, DOT announced that it is testing a new asphalt mix containing 50 percent recycled pavement. The new mix will reduce fossil fuel use, save money, and cut down on the amount of used roadway pavement sent to landfills. Nationally, most asphalt mixes are made of 20 percent recycled materials.

New Yorkers who see potholes are urged to report them to 311 or online.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A YOUNG GIRL OVER FIVE YEARS

 

Jury Found Defendant Guilty of Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child and Rape

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to a total of 30 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting a female relative beginning when she was 11 years old. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant has caused immeasurable harm to the victim and now, this sentence ensures that he will not hurt anyone else. Hopefully, this long-awaited measure of justice will help the victim along her path to recovery.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Marcus Rogers, 54, of Clay Avenue, Bronx, was sentenced on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 by Supreme Court Justice Laurence Busching to 25 years to life in prison for Predatory Sexual Assault of a Child, five years in prison and 10 years post release supervision for second-degree Rape, to run consecutively; and four years in prison and 10 years post release supervision each for third-degree Rape and for third-degree Criminal Sexual Act, and 364 days for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, those sentences to run concurrently. The defendant was convicted of the charges by a jury on November 26, 2024, after a three-month trial. 

According to the investigation and trial, beginning in September 2010 through November 2015, Rogers engaged in sexual acts with a female family member starting when she was 11 years old through the age of 16. The assaults occurred both at the child’s home and at the defendant’s residence. She disclosed the sexual abuse to her mother after the defendant threatened physical violence against her and a friend. Rogers was arrested on November 18, 2015. A trial was delayed due to the defendant’s malingering for years before he was found fit to stand trial in July 2024.

District Attorney Clark thanked retired NYPD Detective Won Jin Noh of the Bronx Special Victims Squad. 

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander Responds to Reversal of Memo on Trump Federal Aid Freeze

 

In light of the White House rescinding its memo on federal aid, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the following statement:

“Due to the swift response from non-profits and state attorneys general – led by our fearless, no-nonsense New York State Attorney General Letitia James, the Trump Administration appears to have rescinded their memo to freeze federal aid, which would have harmed millions of families and jeopardized the Constitutional balance of power.

“Given ongoing uncertainty, I am grateful that A.G. James is pushing forward in court. We cannot trust the Trump White House to live up to its word, provide clear and honest information, or have the best interests of the American people at heart.

“Yesterday’s memo put twisted ideology first and nearly shattered the foundation that government keeps its financial promises. New York City cannot sit idly by as this Administration continues in its stated efforts to block funding to our public schools, housing, hospitals, law enforcement, and disaster response.

“New York City will continue to stand up to bullies trying to take away our lunch money.”

New Jersey Man Convicted for Conspiring to Traffic Fentanyl-Related Substances and Launder Money

 

A federal jury in Newark convicted a New Jersey man on Jan. 27 for conspiring to traffic fentanyl-related substances and launder money.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from approximately January 2014 through September 2020, William Panzera, 51, of North Haledon, and other members of a drug trafficking organization, agreed to import and distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl analogues, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylone, and ketamine. Co-conspirators ordered controlled substances and analogues from a source in China and paid those sources hundreds of thousands of dollars via wire transfer and cryptocurrency. The conspirators distributed the substances throughout New Jersey in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. Eight other defendants have pleaded guilty in the case.

The jury convicted Panzera of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of furanyl fentanyl and 100 grams or more of 4 fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl and conspiracy to commit international promotional money laundering. Panzera faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million for the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for the money laundering conspiracy charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey, and Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark made the announcement.

HSI Newark is investigating the case. HSI Philadelphia, the FBI Newark Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office provided valuable assistance.

Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit Chief Stephen Sola of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of the MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit supported the investigation.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Attorney General James Warns Businesses Against Price Gouging of Eggs and Poultry Amid Bird Flu Outbreak

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued an alert warning businesses against price gouging of eggs and poultry amid a national bird flu outbreak. The bird flu has affected poultry and dairy farms across the country, causing shortages and driving up prices. New York’s price gouging statute prevents businesses from taking advantage of consumers by selling essential goods or services at an excessively higher price during market disruptions resulting from emergencies like the bird flu outbreak. Attorney General James urges New Yorkers who see significantly increased prices on eggs or poultry to report the issue to her office. 

“Eggs are an essential grocery staple in households across the state, and New Yorkers should not pay ludicrous amounts just to feed their families,” said Attorney General James. “The bird flu is affecting poultry farms and causing a national shortage, but this should not be an excuse for businesses to dramatically raise prices. My office is monitoring the situation, and I am urging New Yorkers to report excessive prices to my office.” 

In 2021, Attorney General James secured a settlement with one of the country’s largest producers and wholesalers of eggs, Hillandale Farms Corporation, for illegally price gouging eggs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the settlement, Attorney General James delivered 1.2 million eggs to New Yorkers.

New York law prohibits businesses from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to health, safety, or welfare for an unconscionably excessive price during emergencies. The price gouging statute covers New York vendors, retailers, and suppliers, and includes essential goods and services that are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or the general public. These goods and services include food, water, medicine, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel lodging, and transportation options. 

When reporting price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), consumers should:

• Report the specific increased prices, dates, and places that they saw the increased prices; and,
• Provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available.

Price gouging violations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.