Department of Defense Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Taking Classified Documents

 

A civilian electrical engineer for the Department of Defense pleaded guilty in federal court today to unauthorized removal and retention of classified material.

According to court documents, Gokhan Gun, 51, of Falls Church, Virginia, was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and is a dual citizen of Turkey and the United States. Through his employment, Gun possessed a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and received training on the proper handling and storage of classified information.

Beginning in May 2024, Gun, without permission, removed at least five classified documents from his Department of Defense workspace with the intent to retain them at his primary residence, which was not an approved facility for the storage of classified information.

On Aug. 9, 2024, Gun was scheduled to depart the United States on a morning flight to Mexico. However, FBI agents observed a ride share service arrive at the defendant’s residence and approached Gun. Agents observed inside Gun’s residence a backpack inside which they located a Top Secret document and a notebook with handwritten notes that mirrored a Top Secret report. In the dining room, agents located additional classified documents, one of which Gun printed on Aug. 7, 2024, just two days before his scheduled departure.

Gun is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 and faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Director in Charge Phillip E. Bates of the FBI Washington Field Office and Executive Director Lee M. Russ of Air Force Office of Special Investigations Office of Special Projects (AFOSI) made the announcement.

The FBI and AFOSI Office of Special Projects are investigating the case.

MAYOR ADAMS KICKS OFF PUBLIC REVIEW ON JAMAICA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN TO CREATE NEARLY 12,000 NEW HOMES, MAKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN INVESTMENTS TO AREA

Building on Two-Years of Extensive Community Discussions, Plan Will Include Significant Investments in Commercial Space to Create 7,000 Jobs, $300 Million in Sewer Improvements, and New Public Space 

  

Announcement Comes as Adams Administration Continues to Advance Bold, Transformational Housing Projects Across Five Boroughs  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today announced the start of the public review process for the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, a transformative proposal to deliver thousands of homes, thousands of jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to Jamaica, Queens. The proposal would update zoning to spur the creation of over 12,000 new homes — including approximately 4,000 permanently income-restricted affordable homes — to a 230-block area of this transit-accessible neighborhood. The plan also boosts commercial and industrial space, creating 7,000 jobs and new economic opportunities for residents. Beyond the zoning changes, the plan includes strategic investments, including $300 million for sewer improvements, transit access and open space, job training, and support for cultural institutions and faith-based organizations. Today’s announcement comes as the Adams administration continues to address the city’s housing crisis by advancing bold, transformational housing projects across the five boroughs. 

 

“A home is more than just four walls and a roof — it’s the foundation needed to achieve the American Dream and thrive in the greatest city on the globe. For the residents of Jamaica, we’re one step closer to making that dream a reality for generations to come,“ said Mayor Adams. “Jamaica is on the precipice of becoming a neighborhood of the future with good-paying jobs, affordable homes, and public spaces for families to enjoy. I applaud all the elected officials, community stakeholders, and everyday New Yorkers who made their voices heard to tailor this plan towards this community’s need. Jamaica’s best days still lie ahead and, together, we’ll build towards a better tomorrow.” 

 

"Jamaica is already an incredibly rich and diverse neighborhood, and we look forward to heralding its next chapter as we formally kick off the public review process for the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, which will deliver over 12,000 new homes and strengthen the local economy, as well as improving area infrastructure and quality of life,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing Economic Development and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. "I am grateful to the DCP team who has been leading this effort and hearing from the community for more than two years, as well as Councilmembers Williams and Gennaro and Speaker Adams for their ongoing support and partnership." 

 

“As we work to deliver more quality affordable housing in Jamaica, what turns units into homes — and homes into communities — are the resources that surround and support them. Mayor Adams’ infusion of over $300 million in sewer infrastructure, and addition of two new public plazas near core transportation infrastructure, lay the groundwork for growing neighborhoods,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeffrey Roth. “In partnership with the City Council, local residents and advocacy groups, we are ensuring that this holistic plan benefits new and existing residents in profound ways.” 

 

“It is simply not acceptable for a neighborhood with such extraordinary transit access to be constrained by a lack of housing and investment,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick. “This plan will change that by providing housing, economic opportunities, and infrastructure upgrades that will help the neighborhood grow and thrive into the future. We developed this plan through a robust, collaborative process, and I encourage community members to continue to stay engaged as public review gets underway.” 

 

"Jamaica is a community defined by not only its historical significance to our city, but its status as an economic powerhouse and a hub of culture and diversity. Everyone who lives, works, or plays here knows its limitless potential, which we fully believe the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will unlock," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "This zoning framework will unlock just that in the form of thousands of new homes, new jobs, and new opportunities for local families and visitors alike, and I'm excited by the prospect of this plan making its way through the land use review process. I encourage all Jamaica residents to stay engaged and be a part of this community conversation." 

 

Building More Affordable Housing 

 

Today’s milestone is a significant step towards building a more affordable Jamaica for working-class families. Currently, the neighborhood has no requirements for affordable housing, and restricts the ability of industrial businesses to grow and thrive. Thanks to two years of extensive community engagement, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is tailored to create new housing and economic opportunities in a thoughtful manner that best respects the character of different hubs and corridors of Jamaica. Altogether, the plan is expected to create over 12,000 new homes, with approximately 4,000 of them being permanently income-restricted affordable homes through the mapping of Mandatory Inclusionary Housing — the largest geographic area in New York City where this policy would apply to-date — and financing of affordable homes on public land. Utilizing programs from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Adams administration has committed to building a total of nearly 120 income-restricted homes across five city-owned sites along Guy R. Brewer Boulevard and Union Hall Street in Queens.  

 

Additional details on the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan include: 

 

•   Downtown Core: Along Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue, a transit-rich area served by the E, J, and Z trains, zoning would allow high-density mixed-use developments with permanently affordable housing, active ground floor retail, and community services. Further north, between Jamaica Avenue and Hillside Avenue, densities would slightly decrease.  

•  Transit Corridors: Along Hillside Avenue, western Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue, Sutphin Boulevard, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, and Merrick Boulevard, zoning would encourage mixed-use, mid-rise developments with locally-serving retail and community facilities.  

•   South Core: Located immediately to the south of Jamaica Station and the Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer subway station, mixed-use zoning would allow new housing in this area for the first time in over 60 years. It would also encourage commercial and light manufacturing near world-class transit resources. 

•   Industrial Growth Area: New growth manufacturing zoning would support new employment and local businesses. 

 

More Jobs, Better Public Spaces, and Investing in Infrastructure 

 

The proposal will also grow the local economy by creating over 2 million square feet of commercial and community facility space, which is anticipated to generate more than 7,000 new jobs. 

 

The Adams administration is also committing to several improvements to make sure Jamaica continues to be a thriving neighborhood where existing and new residents alike can live, work, and play. To expand capacity and facilitate the neighborhood’s growth, the plan will invest over $300 million in upgraded sanitary sewer infrastructure. This builds on infrastructure investment the Adams administration is continuing to make in Southeast Queens, including a $2.6 billion to install storm sewers and build a comprehensive drainage system in the area. 

 

Finally, for the public realm, the proposal also includes streetscape enhancements along Jamaica Avenue from the New York City Department of Transportation through Jamaica NOW. Other potential infrastructure improvements throughout Jamaica will be further discussed with the community throughout the public review process. 

 

Engaging with the Community 

 

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan reflects the priorities of local residents and stakeholders, incorporating feedback from a two-year public engagement process that included 40 in-person and virtual public meetings attended by hundreds of New Yorkers, as well as approximately 3,000 comments. This engagement process was guided by a steering committee with over 50 neighborhood stakeholders, including elected officials, Queens Community Board 12, and many local advocacy groups. DCP also collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Voice to Vision, an online tool that visualized how feedback gathered through community engagement shaped the plan’s vision and goals.  

 

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan now begins the roughly seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, which includes reviews by Community Boards 8 and 12 and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, followed by hearings and binding votes at the CPC and then the New York City Council. Alongside today’s certification, DCP has also published the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan booklet, which provides detailed information on the proposal and the planning process to-date. 

 

The Adams Administration’s Record on Housing 

 

This year, Mayor Adams has doubled down on his commitment to build more affordable housing across the five boroughs. Last month, Mayor Adams and the NYCEDC announced the next phase of an ambitious, bold new vision for Coney Island in Brooklyn that will deliver 1,500 new homes and invest in the reconstruction of the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk. Additionally, Mayor Adams and HPD celebrated a $82 million investment to put homeownership within reach for more New Yorkers by expanding the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program. Finally, the Adams administration has advanced several bold, forward-looking projects, including reimagining Gansevoort Square to build mixed-income housing, building 100 percent affordable housing at the Grand Concourse Library in the Bronx, advancing the 388 Hudson development in Manhattan to provide hundreds of critically-needed affordable housing units, and kicking off public review on the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan to create nearly 10,000 homes — all building on this year’s State of the City address. 

 

Since entering office, Mayor Adams had made historic investments toward creating affordable housing and ensuring more New Yorkers have a place to call home. DCP is advancing several robust neighborhood plans that, if adopted, would deliver more than 50,000 units over the next 15 years in Midtown South in Manhattan and in Long Island City and Jamaica in Queens. Yesterday, the CPC voted in favor of the Atlantic Avenue Neighborhood Plan. Last year, the City Council approved the Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan, which will create approximately 7,000 homes and 10,000 permanent jobs in the East Bronx.  

 

Moreover, last December, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing proposal in city history that will build 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. In June 2024, City Hall and the New York City Council agreed to an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invested $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed $24.5 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. Mayor Adams celebrated both back-to-back record breaking fiscal years and calendar years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. Last spring, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation. 

 

Further, the Adams administration is using every tool available to address the city's housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create accessory dwelling units that will not only help older adults afford to remain in the communities they call home but also help build generational wealth. 

 

Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently-needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary "floor-to-area ratio" cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.    

 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Announces Sale of $540 Million State of New York General Obligation Bonds

 

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the sale of New York State General Obligation (GO) Bonds totaling $539.6 million through competitive sale. Despite recent market volatility, strong investor interest in the state’s full-faith-and credit GO bonds resulted in favorable interest rates and produced savings for state taxpayers.

Specifically, three series of bonds were sold consisting of $365,255,000 of Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds, $8,485,000 of Series 2025B Taxable Bonds and $165,845,000 of Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds.

The net proceeds from the sale will finance projects authorized by voter-approved bond acts and refund certain bonds to reduce debt service costs. The refunding saves New York taxpayers a total of $4.4 million over the life of the bonds, or $3.6 million on a net present value basis. The refunding will also mitigate the risks from federal proposals to eliminate the subsidy on Build America Bonds, increasing the total savings to $19.2 million, or $16.4 million on a net present value basis. The bonds are scheduled to be delivered on March 26, 2025.

“These bonds, all of which have been approved by the voters, will pay for essential investments in transportation, education and environmental projects,” DiNapoli said. “The state’s GO credit continues to have significant investor interest thanks to the safety and rarity of the credit, translating into favorable pricing and refunding savings.”

The winning bids were as follows:

• Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds to Jefferies LLC with a true interest cost bid of 3.650%.
• Series 2025B Taxable Bonds to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association with a true interest cost bid of 4.255%.
• Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds to Jefferies LLC with a true interest cost bid of 2.730%.

The state received 7 bids for the $365.3 million of Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds. The net proceeds will finance projects authorized by the following bond acts: Pure Waters (1965), 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), and will refund $30.4 million of outstanding New York State General Obligation Bonds. The Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds will mature over nineteen years.

The state received a total of 8 bids for the $8.5 million of Series 2025B Taxable Bonds. The net proceeds will finance projects authorized by the following 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 state received a total of 9 bids for the $165.8 million of Series 2025C Tax-Exempt  Bonds. The net proceeds will refund $181.8 million of outstanding New York State General Obligation Bonds. The Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds will mature over ten years.

A summary of bids received for each series can be viewed here: https://osc.ny.gov/press/docs/bond-sale-summary-2025.

The Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds, the Series 2025B Taxable Bonds, and Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds are rated AA+ by S&P Global Ratings, Aa1 by Moody’s Ratings and AA+ by Fitch Ratings.