June 14, 2025 - Day 1
*Unofficial as of Close of Polls 30,553
June 15, 2025 - Day 2
*Unofficial as of Close of Polls 66,361
The NYPD is releasing body-worn camera footage from an officer-involved shooting that occurred on May 13, 2025, within the confines of Police Service Area 2 in the 73rd Precinct.
The video includes available evidence leading up to the incident as well as during the incident. The NYPD is releasing this video for clear viewing of the totality of the incident.
All NYPD patrol officers are equipped with body-worn cameras, which provide transparency into police activity and serve as an independent account of interactions between the NYPD and the citizens they serve.
New York State Supreme Court Judge Mary Rosado granted a preliminary injunction to further halt Mayor Eric Adams’ administration from implementing Executive Order 50 that would facilitate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reopening an ICE center on Rikers Island. The decision comes after Judge Rosado previously issued an interim Temporary Restraining Order on April 21 prohibiting the execution and negotiation of any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) related to the executive order. Judge Rosado then extended the TRO on April 25. In response to the court’s ruling, Speaker Adrienne Adams issued the following statement.
“This court decision to grant a preliminary injunction against Mayor Adams’ illegal executive order represents another victory to protect public safety in New York City and New Yorkers’ Constitutional rights from Trump’s extreme overreach. Over the past months, we’ve witnessed the Trump administration repeatedly disregard the U.S. Constitution, disappearing residents within our country without due process and wrongfully arresting local government officials. New Yorkers are counting on our city to protect their civil rights, and yet, Mayor Adams has attempted to betray this obligation by handing power over our city to Trump’s ICE because he is compromised. This attempted corrupt bargain to allow ICE to set up a center on Rikers would only make our city, and all New Yorkers, less safe. Our courts have recognized the dire threat it poses, and today’s decision marks the third time the court has ruled against Mayor Adams’ illegal executive order to conspire with Trump. The Council will continue to use our power and resources to protect New Yorkers from the Trump administration’s harmful agenda.”
Defendant Dao Yin Allegedly Reported Fake Campaign Donations to Defraud New York State of $162,800 in Public Matching Funds
In federal court in Brooklyn, a criminal complaint was unsealed charging Dao Yin, a Queens resident and former 2024 New York State Assembly candidate, with wire fraud in connection with his scheme to defraud New York State’s public campaign finance system by reporting false campaign contributions—including forged signatures of purported contributors—to secure matching funds. Yin was arrested arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation, announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant, a former candidate for public office, submitted forged campaign contribution cards from members of the very community he hoped to represent, to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars in public matching funds that he was not entitled to receive,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will protect the integrity of elections and pursue candidates for elected office who violate campaign finance laws.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York State Public Campaign Finance Board (PCFB) for its assistance.
“Through lies and deceit, the defendant allegedly stole over $160,000 in taxpayer dollars to fund his campaign for elected office,” stated Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. “Fraud and public corruption threaten the integrity of our elections and will not be tolerated. The Criminal Division remains committed to aggressively prosecuting frauds that undermine U.S. interests and waste public funds.”
“Dao Yin allegedly fabricated support to be unlawfully awarded more than $150,000 to further his election campaign. Yin also allegedly abused his position to defraud a matching funds program that could have been used to support other candidates for state office. The FBI remains committed to investigating any individual who implements deceitful tactics to find a seat in public office,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
“As charged, this former candidate for the New York State Assembly manipulated the campaign finance system through fraudulent campaign contributions in order to claim matching funds that he was not eligible to receive,” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber. “DOI and our law enforcement partners in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI remain committed to protecting the integrity of the campaign finance system and public dollars.”
The New York State Public Campaign Finance Program
The PCFB oversees and administers the New York State Public Campaign Finance Program (the Program), which provides candidates running for statewide or state legislative office the ability to qualify for and receive public matching funds based on small donations from residents in applicable districts.
To participate in the Program, a candidate must register an authorized committee with the PCFB, be in a covered election for a covered office, meet threshold requirements for the number of matchable contributions received, and total monetary contributions received, and adhere to all other program requirements such as making periodic disclosures to the PCFB. Contributions between $5 and $250 are generally eligible for public matching funds provided they meet certain criteria. For a State Assembly race, the candidate generally must have raised a minimum of $6,000 in matchable contributions and have a minimum of 75 matchable donations. For cash contributions to qualify for matching funds, the candidate’s authorized committee is required to submit contribution cards that, among other information, list each contributor’s name, residential address, and date of contribution. The contribution card also must be signed by the contributor.
The Fraudulent Scheme
As alleged in the complaint, the defendant registered his campaign committee, Dao Yin for New York 2024 (the Committee), with the PCFB so that it could receive funds through the Program. The defendant served as the treasurer of the Committee.
To qualify for public matching funds, the defendant submitted fraudulent contribution cards through the Committee to the PCFB that listed the names and purported to bear the signatures of individuals he falsely claimed had donated to the Committee. By doing so, the defendant obtained approximately $162,800 in public matching funds from the Program.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in challenging the Trump administration’s illegal attempts to halt billions of dollars of funding for foreign assistance programs at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department. In an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Global Health Council v. Trump, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the president does not have the power to unilaterally refuse to spend funds that were already appropriated by Congress. Allowing the president to override Congress’s power to control spending would be devastating for states like New York, which have already been cut off from hundreds of millions of dollars that support critical research, public health, and agricultural programs due to the administration’s cuts to foreign aid.
“Every year, our foreign aid programs bring together America’s small businesses, farmers, and top researchers to help save hundreds of thousands of lives across the globe,” said Attorney General James. “USAID has made our country and the world safer and more prosperous for decades, and this administration does not have the power to gut it on a whim. I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general in defending USAID and all those who work every day to support its lifesaving mission.”
For over 60 years, USAID has administered essential foreign aid across the globe, running programs to promote public health, disaster recovery, economic development, education, and democracy in over 100 countries. In February 2025, the Trump administration began suspending thousands of USAID grants, effectively halting nearly all of its programs and jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of lives in some of the most vulnerable countries on the planet. The billions of dollars suspended from USAID included funding for food aid for children struggling with malnutrition, shelter for thousands of families displaced by war, and public health programs that protect people from AIDS and malaria.
As Attorney General James and the coalition assert in the brief, USAID provides critical funding for research programs in states nationwide. Farmers, small businesses, and nonprofits, including those in New York, receive USAID funds to help support its aid programs. In addition, universities in New York receive USAID funds to conduct critical research on public health, vaccines, and agriculture to support humanitarian and foreign assistance across the globe. As Attorney General James and the coalition note, the administration’s cuts have halted more than $550 million in research grants and contracts in states.
Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the Constitution clearly grants Congress, not the president, the power to control federal spending. The administration does not have the authority to halt funding that Congress appropriated simply because the president disagrees with it. In addition, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that allowing the executive branch to withhold funding on a whim would cause chaos for states, which receive over $1 trillion in federal funds every year for Medicaid, infrastructure repairs, education, law enforcement, and other essential services.
Attorney General James and the coalition urge the court to uphold the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s preliminary injunction order halting the administration’s withholding of USAID funds.
Joining Attorney General James in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
A Massachusetts man and a former attorney pleaded guilty to evading his taxes.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: until 2020, Paul Anthony Conte, of Upton, Massachusetts, was an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar. From approximately January 2003 through at least 2020, through several companies, Conte earned income by offering services as a taxation, investments, and real estate specialist.
Yet, from at least 2016 through 2020, Conte did not file any tax returns either for himself or his companies. Conte also attempted to conceal his income from the IRS by using his business bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses, including purchasing auto parts, guns, jewelry, and powersports vehicles. Conte further concealed his income by transferring funds from his business entities to his wife, and then using his wife’s bank accounts, in which Conte was not a signatory until 2020, to pay his personal expenses.
Conte is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney for Criminal Matters Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty pleas of JESUS ZAPATA, a/k/a “Jeezy,” a/k/a “Hendrix,” and BRAYAN LLORET, a/k/a “E.T.,” in connection with their leadership of the violent gang Own Every Dollar (“OED”). ZAPATA and LLORET pled guilty today to several charges, including racketeering conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
“Jesus Zapata and Brayan Lloret were two of the top leaders of the deadly Manhattan-based Own Every Dollar gang,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “These convictions highlight the commitment of our Office to taking down the street gangs that terrorize New Yorkers, and to ensuring that all gang members —from foot soldiers to bosses—face justice.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
ZAPATA and LLORET are senior leaders of the violent OED gang, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. ZAPATA is the former “Duarte,” or top leader, of the gang. ZAPATA and LLORET are being held responsible for committing or ordering a number of violent acts on Rikers Island, including three slashings in 2021.
ZAPATA and LLORET are the 21st and 22nd members or associates of OED to be convicted in this case. The defendants in the case have been convicted for their roles in five murders and more than 10 attempted murders, which occurred in Manhattan, the Bronx, and state and federal prisons.
ZAPATA, 35, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
LLORET, 27, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The maximum potential sentences 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. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Alexandra S. Messiter, and Ashley C. Nicolas are in charge of the prosecution.
Dear East Bronx History Forum Member,
The East Bronx History Forum is pleased to announce it will be holding its 196th meeting on Wednesday, June 18th at 7:30 pm in the lower level of St. Clare of Assisi Church, located at 1027 Rhinelander Avenue. Parking is free and just north of the entrance on Paulding Avenue.
This will be our 15th annual Bronx Road Show. We are asking our East Bronx History Forum members and the general public to be historians and search their basements, attics and family collections for items from their Bronx collections or family history. They will be asked to make these items available to exhibit and to discuss how the item was acquired, its age and its connection to Bronx history. Examples include an object, documents, newspaper articles and photographs for display.
This will be our last meeting of the season. We will be returning on Wednesday September, 17th. We are looking to a fun and interesting evening where our members are the presenters, displaying items that are part of their family which has a Bronx connection. Please contact us from the email address on the front page of our website so we can have a good estimate of participants.
As always, connect with us during the summer months at our website BronxNYC.com and follow us on our Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Vimeo pages for news, events or updates.
