Dear Neighbor,
Thank you for joining us for another week in review.
Yesterday, we proudly released our Birthing Center Report calling for the establishment of a dedicated birthing center in the Bronx to combat the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality in our borough. This is a crucial step toward ensuring that all Bronx mothers have access to critical pre-and post-natal care. We must do more to protect the health of our families, and this report is a call to action for all of us to work together to create change. You can read the full report here on our website.
I also want to personally invite you to our 2025 State of the Borough Address on Thursday, March 20th, at 5 PM, at Lehman College's Lovinger Theater (250 Bedford Park Blvd). This will be an opportunity to reflect on our progress, discuss our future goals, and hear directly from me about the exciting initiatives we have planned to continue making the Bronx a better place for everyone. Click here to register.
Lastly, if you are interested in having a voice in shaping our community, the deadline to apply for a seat on your community board has been extended to March 12th. This is an excellent chance to get involved and help make meaningful decisions for our neighborhoods. Click this link for more information
As always, if you need support from our office, you can call 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.
In partnership,
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson
IN THE COMMUNITY
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We joined with doulas, midwives, and health advocates to renew our call to tackle the maternal health crisis in the Bronx, which has disproportionately impacted Black and Latina women.
The alarming maternal mortality and morbidity rates in our borough demand action.
Bronx Mothers Cannot and Will Not Wait.
We released our comprehensive Birthing Center Report today, which highlights key recommendations to expand birthing care options.
The most urgent need: a Bronx-based birthing center.
It’s time we put the health and well-being of our mothers and families first and get this done!
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Our banks play a crucial role in the economic success of our borough and the well-being of our residents.
They are not just places to manage finances—they serve as community hubs, where relationships are built, resources are shared, and local businesses can thrive.
I am proud to see institutions like Ponce Bank embody this vision, transforming their branches into vibrant, community-centric destinations that attract new customers and strengthen the ties between the financial sector and the neighborhoods they serve.
I want to thank Ponce Bank for being a true partner and good neighbor, especially as they continue to support our borough through their resilience and commitment to helping local residents and businesses grow.
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We proudly celebrated the ribbon-cutting of Commonpoint, a vital new resource for Bronx families! This 37,000-square-foot facility, now in the former Madison Boys and Girls Club space, will provide essential services like afterschool programs, workforce training, health and wellness initiatives, and mental health support.
Commonpoint is bridging the gap left by the closure of this recreational space and ensuring our residents have the tools they need to thrive. We are proud to welcome this incredible investment in our community and remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the Bronx!
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New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its report on the death of Yi Qin Chen, who died on November 14, 2023, after a motor vehicle incident involving an off-duty peace officer with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Police on November 13, 2023. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of security camera footage, review of the involved officer’s recorded interview, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the involved DSNY officer committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges are not warranted in this case.
On November 13, 2023 at 9:29 p.m., an off-duty DSNY officer was driving his personal vehicle southwest-bound on Eleventh Avenue in Brooklyn. Eleventh Avenue is a two-lane, two-direction street running northeast to southwest. 64th Street is a one-way street with southeast traffic that crosses Eleventh Avenue. There are overhead traffic signals and pedestrian crosswalk signals at the intersection of Eleventh Avenue and 64th Street. As the officer approached the intersection of Eleventh Avenue and 64th Street, he had a green light and turned left. Ms. Chen was walking southwest on the sidewalk of Eleventh Avenue with a steady “walk” signal. As she approached the intersection, Ms. Chen entered the crosswalk, where the off-duty officer struck her with his vehicle.
In New York, proving criminally negligent homicide requires proving beyond a reasonable doubt that a person failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that death would occur; that the failure to perceive the risk was a gross deviation from a reasonable person’s standard of care; and that the person engaged in blameworthy conduct. In this case, the officer was driving in the correct lane and had a green light as he approached the intersection of Eleventh Avenue and 64th Street. The officer slowed down his vehicle as he made the left-hand turn, traveling at a speed of no more than 10 MPH.
The officer was administered a preliminary breath test (PBT) within an hour of the collision, and there is no evidence to suggest that he was impaired by drugs or alcohol or that he was otherwise distracted at the time of the crash.
In this case, though the collision caused Ms. Chen’s death, the evidence did not provide reason to believe that the officer’s conduct was a gross deviation from the standard that would have been observed by a reasonable person in the same circumstances, or that the officer consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death. Therefore, OSI concluded that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released a statement applauding the First Department’s decision unanimously affirming the dismissal of Wong et al v. NYCERS, a case that challenged the decision by three of New York City’s public pension funds (the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York, New York City Employees’ Retirement System, and New York City Board of Education Retirement System) to divest from publicly traded fossil fuel reserve owners.
“The climate crisis remains one of the greatest threats to the global economy. This ruling is another important victory for fiduciaries tasked with safeguarding pension assets and allows us to continue our important work to align our investment strategies with the evolving economic risks and opportunities posed by climate change. I applaud the court’s decision. These dangerous and misguided attempts by anti-ESG forces threaten the long-term financial security of pensioners for generations to come and seek to prevent pension system trustees from assessing the very real risks of climate change to their investment portfolios,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
The court affirmed the New York County Supreme Court’s dismissal for lack of standing, finding that the plaintiffs (less than a handful of plan members) had no injury, that their theories of possible harm are speculative, and that courts should not intervene in the discretionary investment decisions of politically accountable trustees.
The three Systems voted to divest from publicly traded fossil fuel reserve owners in 2021, following an extensive fiduciary process that assessed portfolio exposure to fossil fuel stranded asset risk, industry decline, and other financial risks stemming from climate change. The Systems completed divestment under Lander’s leadership in 2022 and subsequently adopted net zero implementation plans, which provide a path for decarbonization across their investment portfolios and the global economy.
I spoke with Ontario Premier Doug Ford to express my significant concerns with his plan to hike electricity costs by 25 percent, which could have a major impact on families in New York. The Premier reiterated to me that he is not interested in hurting New Yorkers, and I am pleased to see he has decided to suspend this proposal.
“Here’s the problem: there’s no end in sight to this chaos. President Trump’s trade war is already sending the financial markets into a tailspin and tanking the 401(k) accounts of middle-class New Yorkers. He’s injecting pointless uncertainty into our economy and refusing to rule out a recession. It’s time for President Trump to rescind the tariffs and put our economy back on stable footing.”
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the details of the upcoming New York state General Obligation bond issue totaling $541.1 million. A competitive sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds is scheduled for March 18. The state expects to sell $347.8 million of new money for transportation, education and environmental purposes and, depending on market conditions, $193.3 million to refund a portion of certain outstanding General Obligation bonds to reduce the state’s debt service costs.
The net proceeds of $377.9 million of the Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds will provide new money to finance projects authorized by the following voter-approved bond acts: Pure Waters, Environmental Quality (1972), Environmental Quality (1986), Clean Water/Clean Air (1996), Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation (2005), Smart Schools (2014), and Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs (2022). The Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds will mature over nineteen years.
The net proceeds of $8.5 million of the Series 2025B Taxable Bonds will provide new money to finance projects authorized by the following voter-approved bond acts: Clean Water/Clean Air (1996), Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation (2005), and Smart Schools (2014). The Series 2025B Taxable Bonds will mature over one year.
The net proceeds of $212 million of the Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Refunding Bonds will provide monies to refund $209.1 million of outstanding New York state General Obligation Bonds. The Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Refunding Bonds will mature over fifteen years.
The bonds are expected to be awarded pursuant to electronic competitive bidding to be held via BiDCOMP on behalf of the Comptroller of the State of New York on March 18, 2025, as set forth in the Notice of Sale published in The Bond Buyer on March 11. The bonds will be dated as of the date of delivery, expected to be March 26, 2025.
The State of New York reserves its right to change, amend or cancel this scheduled sale of General Obligation Bonds.
A copy of the Preliminary Official Statement is available.
THOUSANDS OF NEW YORKERS BEHIND RAJKUMAR’S PLAN
RALLIES IN MANHATTAN AND ALBANY TO DEMAND PASSAGE OF HER BILL TO BRING CALM TO OUR STREETS
On Wednesday, March 12, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar will host rallies in New York City and Albany where grassroots advocates will join forces for a day of action for her bill Priscilla’s Law (A339A) requiring license plates for e-bikes. The campaign commences at 8:00am at 633 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. Activists will then immediately converge on Albany for a second rally at 12:00pm at the Million Dollar Staircase the same day. Joining Assemblywoman Rajkumar will be members of the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, a grassroots coalition of pedestrians and cyclists united in their quest to tame reckless e-bikes.
A groundswell of unstoppable momentum is emerging to pass Rajkumar’s bill and add license plates to e-bikes, which for the first time will provide true accountability and enforcement of traffic laws. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo prominently featured e-bike license plates in his mayoral campaign kickoff, making it a cornerstone of his policy platform. Mayor Eric Adams endorsed the policy. A City Council bill has gained traction, but only through Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s bill can New York put the full force of the State DMV behind the license plate solution.
Street safety champions heaped praise on the Assemblywoman’s bill.
City Councilman Robert Holden, sponsor of the Council bill, said, “All politicians need to wake up and pass Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s bill A339 enacting Priscilla’s Law to hold reckless e-bikes accountable. We need the State DMV to issue license plates for e-bikes, which can only happen with the Assemblywoman’s bill. When e-bike users know that there are consequences for their actions, they will think twice before ignoring any and all traffic laws, leaving a trail of injured and maimed pedestrians in their wake. We must pass Priscilla’s Law immediately: every day we wait is more innocent people hit or killed and more blood on Albany’s hands. Thank you to Assemblywoman Rajkumar, a rare leader in Albany who listens to New Yorkers and takes action when we demand an end to the e-bike chaos.”
Assemblywoman Rajkumar said, “I am here to bring safety and hope to millions of New Yorkers living in constant fear of e-bikes. My common sense bill Priscilla’s Law is a declaration that enough is enough: New Yorkers want and deserve law and order on our streets. When we pass my game-changing bill, and every e-bike bears a license plate, we will usher in a new era free of e-bikes blasting through red lights, going opposite traffic, riding on the sidewalk, and narrowly avoiding pedestrians and cyclists at every turn. With the unwavering support of my grassroots partners in EVSA, this is the year we pass Priscilla’s Law (A339) and slam the brakes on reckless e-bikes. It is time to reclaim our streets and ensure a safer future for everyone!”
Assemblywoman Rajkumar authored Priscilla’s Law in response to the ubiquitous pleas from New Yorkers to stop reckless e-bikes, which travel at motor vehicles speeds while flouting traffic laws, almost grazing pedestrians and other cyclists. People lay bare their constant fear of being hit amidst nonstop near-misses. E-bikes are responsible for over 7,000 injuries per year, with seemingly every New Yorker having a story of a close call. Untraceable e-vehicles have also become the getaway vehicle of choice for people committing crimes. The Assemblywoman named the bill in honor of Priscilla Loke, an educator at Chinatown Head Start who was fatally struck by an e-bike rider running a red light.
Laser-focused on ending the crisis, Assemblywoman Rajkumar energized the EVSA coalition to tackle the issue full force. She helped arrange an audience for them with Mayor Adams, and rallied with EVSA at City Hall, the Upper West Side, and the Capitol in Albany. Every time, rapturous crowds unite in unyielding enthusiasm for Priscilla’s Law.
At the dual rallies Wednesday, EVSA members will demand Albany pass Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s bill in the annual budget. Some speakers will share their harrowing stories of e-bike collisions that left them disabled or killed their loved ones; others, their living in fear of becoming the next victim. All will stand united in their unwavering commitment to seeing the bill cross the finish line and become law.
In passing Rajkumar’s bill, New York would join places around the world that require e-bike license plates or serial numbers, including Germany and many cities in China. The data prove that e-bike license plates translate to safety. A study in Ningbo, China, which is larger than New York City, found that e-bikes with license plates were almost three times less likely to be in an accident than unregistered ones, and a majority of unregistered e-bikes experienced accidents.
The bill is part of Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s comprehensive package of e-bike safety bills. She authored A350 to require insurance and inspection of e-bikes, including inspection of batteries to root out reconditioned aftermarket batteries that caused 277 fires last year. Rajkumar also introduced A3417 to create similar requirements for other electric and gas-powered vehicles.
The Assemblywoman’s newest bill in her arsenal, the Safe Delivery Act (A3932), prohibits delivery app algorithms from rewarding reckless e-bike use. Rajkumar’s bill remedies the biggest driver of e-bike recklessness: delivery workers under intense pressure to deliver faster at all costs. The bill came in response to a CUNY study concluding delivery app algorithms effectively reward e-bike recklessness, incentivizing speed and more deliveries per shift without regard for safety. Under the Safe Delivery Act, app companies must allow a delivery window of at least one hour more than the time projected to complete the delivery while traveling at 15 mph and observing all traffic laws.
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); Leslie R. Backschies, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging EDWIN CARRASQUILLO, a/k/a “Malo”; HECTOR HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Hec”; JOSE HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Nene,” a/k/a “Little”; NATHANIEL MANNING, a/k/a “Tio”; DAMEL MARCUS, a/k/a “Shank”; EDWARDO MORENO, a/k/a “AR”; JERMAINE SAMUELS, a/k/a “Maine”; CHRISTIAN SERRANO, a/k/a “Chris”; JOHNNIE CAPELES a/k/a “Jon Boy”; JAMIL BANKS a/k/a “Mel”; EMILIO BARRERA, a/k/a “Colombia,” a/k/a “E”; JASON RIVERA, a/k/a “Colombo”; HECTOR CEREZO, a/k/a “Red”; JOSUE VARGAS, a/k/a “Leo”; JUAN KUANG, a/k/a “Jo Jo,” a/k/a “Jay,” a/k/a “Blanco”; STEVEN SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Swizz”; VICTOR MENDENG, a/k/a “Cali”; ANGEL VILLAFANE, YADIRA REYNOSO, a/k/a “Yadi”; ERIKA DAWSON; ARIYAN LABELLA, a/k/a “Ari”; DELILAH CARRIEL; ROSEMARIE SANCHEZ, a/k/a “Rosie”; JOHANA ALCANTARA; JUAN CALDERON, a/k/a “Jazzo,” a/k/a “Juanito”; KAREEM SMITH, a/k/a “K”; and CHRISTOPHER MEADOWS with participating in a racketeering enterprise, committing multiple violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including murder, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, distributing narcotics, and carrying and using firearms in connection with an armed drug trafficking operation based on Valentine Avenue in the Bronx, New York for well over three decades from 1993 to the present. CARASQUILLO and ALCANTARA are also charged with the June 25, 2020, murder of Jozei Hullex.
CARRASQUILLO, HECTOR HERNANDEZ, JOSE HERNANDEZ, MANNING, MARCUS, MORENO, BANKS, RIVERA, CEREZO, VARGAS, KUANG, SANTIAGO, MENDENG, VILLAFANE, CARRIEL, SANCHEZ, ALCANTARA, CALDERON, and MEADOWS were previously taken into custody on related charges. SAMUELS, SERRANO, CAPELES, REYNOSO, DAWSON, LABELLA, and SMITH were arrested either yesterday evening or earlier today. BARRERA is still at large. All seven of the defendants arrested yesterday or today are expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Today, we have filed charges against twenty-eight alleged members of a violent drug trafficking gang that held an entire neighborhood of this city hostage for over three decades. On a daily basis, this street crew, including those arrested today, allegedly distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack along several blocks on Valentine Avenue, creating an open-air drug market in the middle of a Bronx neighborhood. And to protect their territory, they allegedly carried guns, extorted people with substance abuse issues through violence, and attacked rivals and anyone else attempting to weaken their control on their block. This violence resulted in multiple shootings, as well as the murder of Jozei Hullex. It is a brutal reality that has lasted for far too long. It ends now. The streets of this great city belong to its people, and the career prosecutors of this Office will not stop until our streets are returned to the law-abiding people of New York City and their families.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “Today’s indictment against the Valentine Avenue Crew and its members, shows the commitment the Drug Enforcement Administration and our law enforcement partners have when targeting drug trafficking organizations and individuals who routinely use threats, violence, extortion, robbery, and murder in order to run their criminal enterprise and flood our neighborhoods with illicit and synthetic drugs. The DEA remains committed to ensuring our citizens and communities remain healthy and safe.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backschies said: “For over three decades, these 28 Valentine Avenue Crew members allegedly protected their illicit narcotics distribution scheme and the enterprise’s dangerous reputation through violent gunfights and murder. Their alleged commandeering of a Bronx neighborhood allowed criminality and violence to flourish, threatening the lives of innocent residents. The FBI remains committed to dismantling all criminal organizations that utilize our city as their personal playground to promote illegal racketeering operations and endanger our communities.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “The Valentine Avenue Crew created immense fear within their community for decades, fueling our streets with senseless gun violence, polluting our sidewalks with deadly poisons, and costing lives through their ruthless gang behavior. These indictments send a clear message: this era of lawlessness ends today. The NYPD remains steadfast in its mission to remove illegal firearms from the hands of criminals—having already seized over 1,000 firearms this year alone—and to dismantle the illicit drug trade they are so often associated with. I commend the relentless NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners in the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their unwavering commitment to placing members of organized networks such as these behind bars.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
CARRASQUILLO, HECTOR HERNANDEZ, JOSE HERNANDEZ, MANNING, MARCUS, MORENO, SAMUELS, SERRANO, CAPELES, BANKS, BARRERA, RIVERA, CEREZO, VARGAS, KUANG, SANTIAGO, MENDENG, VILLAFANE, REYNOSO, DAWSON, LABELLA, CARRIEL, SANCHEZ, ALCANTARA, CALDERON, SMITH, and MEADOWS are charged for their involvement in an armed drug trafficking organization (the “Valentine Avenue Crew”) that took over the block of Valentine Avenue between East 194th Street and East 196th Street in the Bronx (the “Block”) and its surrounding neighborhood.
Since the mid-1990s, for multiple decades, the members and associates of the Valentine Avenue Crew, including the defendants, operated as a drug trafficking gang that was organized in a hierarchal structure and that took over and controlled the Block, working in shifts throughout the day and night to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base, in a form commonly known as “crack.” These drugs were often manufactured and packaged elsewhere and then delivered to the Block, where members and associates of the Valentine Avenue Crew, many of whom were typically armed with firearms and other weapons, sold them to a large base of end-user customers. In control of the sidewalks and the street of the Block, as well as the public spaces of multiple buildings along the Block, the Valentine Avenue Crew and its members and associates, including the defendants, worked freely, creating an open market for drugs, in which they extorted payments, including in-kind sexual acts, from customers through violence and the threat of violence. The members and associates of the Valentine Avenue Crew, including the defendants, also used violence—including multiple shootings—to compete with rival drug traffickers and within the Valentine Avenue Crew itself, principally to maintain dominance over the drug trade on the Block and control of the Valentine Avenue Crew.
On or about June 25, 2020, CARRASQUILLO, one of the leaders of the Valentine Avenue Crew, and ALCANTARA used fentanyl to poison and murder Jozei Hullex, a disfavored member of the Valentine Avenue Crew.
On or about June 25, 2020, CARRASQUILLO, HECTOR HERNANDEZ, JOSE HERNANDEZ, MANNING, MARCUS, and SAMUELS participated in a shootout for control of the Valentine Avenue Crew and in turn the Block.
On or about September 22, 2020, CARRASQUILLO and CEREZO participated in shooting at a rival gang member.
On or about January 1, 2021, CARRASQUILLO, MARCUS, MORENO, and SAMUELS used a chain and one or more firearms to assault a disfavored member of the Valentine Avenue Crew, who was seriously injured and hospitalized following the attack.
In addition, VILLAFANE remains charged for his commission of two non-fatal shootings in Manhattan in July 2020 and January 2021. Specifically, in or about July 2020, VILLAFANE paid a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) to lure a victim to a location in Manhattan where VILLAFANE attempted to murder the victim over a drug debt, resulting in personal injury to the victim. Additionally, on or about January 8, 2021, VILLAFANE committed another non-fatal shooting in Manhattan.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, FBI, and NYPD. Today’s operation was conducted by the Trident Task Force, a joint task force of the DEA and FBI, among other federal, state, and local law-enforcement authorities, which is working on this case together with the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Herman, Timothy Ly, and Thomas John Wright are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
