Secretary Noem Announces New Deputy Director of ICE

 

Today, Secretary Kristi Noem announced the new Deputy Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mr. Charles Wall.

"Effective immediately, Charles Wall will serve as the Deputy Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement," said Secretary Noem. "For the last year, Mr. Wall served as ICE’s Principal Legal Advisor, playing a key role in helping us deliver historic results in arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. Mr. Wall has served as an ICE attorney for 14 years and is a forward leaning, strategic thinker who understands the importance of prioritizing the removal of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from our country. I look forward to working with him in his new role to make America safe again."

Mr. Wall served as ICE's Principal Legal Advisor where he oversaw a staff of over 3,500 attorneys and support personnel who represent DHS in removal proceedings and provide accurate, timely, and complete legal advice and counsel to the agency’s senior officials and workforce.

He has served at ICE since 2012. Prior to his tenure as ICE's Principal Legal Advisor, Mr. Wall served as the agency's Deputy Chief Counsel for New Orleans and the Assistant Chief Counsel in Louisiana.

Prior to joining ICE, Mr. Wall served as a prosecutor and Senior Assistant District Attorney at the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office from 2009 to 2012. In this role, Mr. Wall and his team were responsible for securing countless major felony convictions against dangerous and violent criminals.

Mr. Wall holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of New Orleans and a Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School.

Two Individuals Plead Guilty to $68M Adult Day Care Fraud Scheme

 

Two defendants pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud Medicaid by paying health care kickbacks for services that were not provided at two Brooklyn social adult day cares and a home health care company.

“The defendants were large-scale recruiters who bribed patients with laundered cash and billed Medicaid over $68 million for services that were not provided,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty pleas demonstrate the Department’s longstanding commitment to rooting out fraud in government health care programs by aggressively prosecuting those who steal from taxpayer-funded programs.”

“As demonstrated by today’s guilty pleas, our Office will hold accountable corrupt individuals who steer patients to health care providers in exchange for illicit kickbacks,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. of the Eastern District of New York. “We will continue to investigate and aggressively prosecute fraud schemes that steal from taxpayer funds from federal health care programs.”

“These defendants orchestrated an egregious scheme involving illegal kickbacks to steer Medicaid claims and to receive payment for services not rendered,” said Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Extensive fraudulent operations like this jeopardize the availability of federal health care program funds intended to support millions of beneficiaries. HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who prioritize greed over patient care.” 

“These defendants placed profit over people and public well-being and stole $68 million in welfare funds meant for those who need it most,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Their guilty pleas today reflect that they knew exactly what crimes they were committing — they were cheating the system and, in turn, hurting vulnerable Americans. I commend HSI New York and our law enforcement partners for their unrelenting focus on dismantling and disrupting financial fraud schemes that exploit the American public and hurt our economy.”

According to court documents, Manal Wasef, 46, and Elaine Antao, 46, both of Brooklyn, were marketers and recruiters for two social adult day cares: Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc., as well as Responsible Care Staffing Inc., a home health care fiscal intermediary. Between approximately October 2017 and July 2024, in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes, Wasef and Antao referred Medicaid recipients to the social adult day cares and the home health company. The defendants also paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients for social adult day care services and home health care services that were billed to Medicaid but were not provided or that were induced by kickbacks and bribes. Wasef and Antao used multiple business entities to launder the fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes. In connection with their guilty pleas, Wasef and Antao agreed to collectively forfeit approximately $1 million. Wasef and Antao are the sixth and seventh individuals, respectively, to plead guilty in this case.

Wasef and Antao pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Antao is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20 and Wasef is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HHS-OIG, HSI, and the NYPD are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Castiglione for the Eastern District of New York is handling forfeiture matters.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Attorney General James Sues Former CEO of Emergent BioSolutions for Insider Trading

 

Former CEO Robert Kramer Sold His Company Shares and Received More Than $10.1 Million before Contamination Issues with the Production of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Became Public

Emergent to Pay $900,000 in Penalties for Approving Kramer’s Trading Plan

New York Attorney General Letitia James today sued Robert G. Kramer, the former CEO of health care contractor Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. (Emergent), for insider trading, and announced a settlement with Emergent for approving Kramer’s illegal trading plan. In 2020, Emergent entered into $261 million in contracts with AstraZeneca PLC (AstraZeneca) to manufacture a large-scale commercial supply of its COVID-19 vaccine. Emergent later encountered manufacturing issues at its plant and discovered that large amounts of the AstraZeneca vaccines it produced were contaminated and unusable. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that amid these contamination issues, Kramer executed a plan to sell his company shares and received more than $10 million before the contamination issues were made public, in violation of New York’s Martin Act. As a result of a settlement with OAG, Emergent will pay $900,000 in penalties and improve its executive trading policies. Attorney General James is seeking damages, disgorgement, and costs from Kramer. 

“Corporate executives who use insider information to illegally trade company stocks and make a profit betray the public’s trust,” said Attorney General James. “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Kramer illegally profited millions by selling his company shares, while knowing that Emergent faced issues producing the AstraZeneca vaccine for millions of people. Kramer’s actions were illegal and unethical, and we are holding him accountable.”

Emergent is a biopharmaceutical company that contracts with pharmaceutical companies and the federal government to provide vaccines and other health care services. In the summer of 2020, Emergent announced two contracts with AstraZeneca worth a combined $261 million to manufacture a large-scale commercial supply of their COVID-19 vaccine. After the announcement, Emergent’s stock price rose 43.6 percent from $94.99 to $136.49. Starting in September and early October, Emergent experienced manufacturing difficulties and noticed contamination issues in its production of the vaccine.

The lawsuit alleges that Kramer knew about the manufacturing and contamination issues and executed a trading plan before those issues were made public. The OAG’s investigation found that on October 6, 2020, an executive vice president responsible for manufacturing operations provided Kramer with a copy of a PowerPoint presentation that included slides about aborted, contaminated batches of the vaccine. On October 13, 2020, Emergent concluded that multiple batches of vaccines were likely to be lost due to contamination. A day later, Kramer asked his investment advisor to implement a stock trading plan, which would allow him to sell some of his Emergent stock at set dates and prices. Company executives often use good-faith trading plans under Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rule 10b5-1 to trade on a pre-arranged schedule. However, neither federal nor New York law permits such plans to be used to evade insider trading laws.

The contamination problem continued and remained unresolved through November 2020 and threatened Emergent’s ability to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine in time with the expected production schedule outlined in its contracts. The lawsuit alleges that in early November 2020 SEC filings and analyst calls, Emergent discussed the importance of the Emergent-AstraZeneca contract, but omitted the serious unresolved contamination issues with the vaccine. On November 13, 2020, Emergent approved Kramer’s trading plan, which he then executed, all while the company was amid a manufacturing crisis. Kramer received more than $10.1 million as a result of his sale of stock, which took place in January and February 2021 as outlined in his trading plan. Shortly after Kramer completed his sales on February 8, 2021, the market price of Emergent stock began to decline consistently, and has not recovered since. In April 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered a permanent halt to Emergent’s production of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

New York’s Martin Act forbids the trading of stock by company insiders who are in possession of material non-public information. 

Today’s settlement requires Emergent to pay $900,000 in penalties and improve its executive trading policies. Attorney General James is seeking damages, disgorgement of all ill-gotten gains, and costs from Kramer for violating state securities laws.

Governor Hochul Announces More Than $265 Million for Water Quality and Climate Resiliency Projects Across the State

$211 Million in Water Quality Improvement Grants for 175 Projects Protecting Drinking Water, Updating Water Infrastructure, Reducing Contributors to Harmful Algal Blooms

$55 Million in Resilient Watersheds Grants for 24 Climate Resiliency Projects To Alleviate Flooding and Safeguard New Yorkers from Severe Weather

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $265 million in grants to support projects that will help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure access to clean water. The funding complements the historic environmental investments announced earlier this week in the 2026 State of the State, building upon the record support for New York’s premier grant programs that fund critical water infrastructure, protect drinking water and safeguard communities.

“Every New Yorker deserves clean water, which has been a top priority of mine since taking office,”  Governor Hochul said. “These grants continue our critical investments to update aging water infrastructure across the state. They will also help our local governments enhance resiliency against flooding caused by severe weather, again demonstrating our commitment to a safe, affordable, and sustainable future for all New Yorkers.” 

Today’s announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs administered by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund and other sources. The programs help protect New York State communities and water quality, while reinforcing the State’s support for municipalities by making these critical projects more affordable and minimizing the financial burden on local taxpayers. 

More than $209 million was awarded to 131 projects through DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program.  WQIP grants fund projects that directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency or protect a drinking water source. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

A total of $2.9 million is being awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 System Mapping Grant (NPG) to fund projects that help pay for the initial planning of water quality improvement projects such as replacing undersized culvert, green infrastructure, and State permit-required storm sewer mapping in urban areas. NPG projects reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers, and streams and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

Governor Hochul also announced $55 million in new grant funding for 24 climate resiliency projects in 15 communities across New York State. EFC, in coordination with DEC, administers the Resilient Watersheds Grants (RWG) program funded through the Bond Act. RWG projects were selected to reflect the diverse, statewide issues that New Yorkers are facing and include stream and floodplain restoration, removal of dams, culverts and other barriers, culvert replacements and property buyouts. The RWG program builds on the success of DEC’s Resilient NY, which delivers state-of-the-art studies of flood-prone, high-risk watersheds across the State. All awarded projects were recommended actions by Resilient NY studies or a comparable flood study.  A full list of grant awards can be found here.

RWG awards include two projects in Yonkers, where an announcement was made with State and local partners. The City of Yonkers will receive two grants totaling more than $6.66 million for culvert replacement and streambank stabilization along Troublesome Brook near the Scarsdale Road and Manhattan Avenue crossings. The announcement also celebrated two WQIP grants in the Lower Westchester area: the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Sleepy Hollow Local Development Corporation will receive $600,000 to construct a salt storage facility and protect water quality in the Hudson River and groundwater. Save the Sound, Inc., will receive $2 million for dam removal and critical habitat restoration along the Bronx River. 

26 People Charged in Alleged Bribery and Point-Shaving Scheme to Fix NCAA, CBA Men’s Basketball Games

 

At a news conference this morning, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced charges against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.

U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs.

“The stakes here are far higher than anything on a bet slip. The criminal charges we have filed allege the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It’s also yet another blow to public confidence in the integrity of sport, which rests on the fundamental principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rules of competition. When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”

“Over the past two years, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office led an investigation into a point-shaving and sports-bribery conspiracy resulting in the indictments announced today,” said FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey. “This case reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the American people and the institutions they trust. I am proud of the outstanding work of the FBI teams involved in the case. To those who choose corruption and betrayal: we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will hold you accountable.”

“Today’s arrests and charges would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our agents, analysts, and professional staff whose expertise, persistence, and commitment to justice over the past two years were the driving force behind this investigation,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Let this be a clear warning to professional and collegiate athletes, and to anyone who seeks to manipulate them — there is nowhere to hide — the short-term gain will never be worth the long-term loss.”

As alleged in an indictment and other filings unsealed this morning, the scheme was led by “fixers” Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Marves Fairley, 40, of Carson, Mississippi; Shane Hennen, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Antonio Blakeney, 29, of Kissimmee, Florida; Roderick Winkler, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alberto Laureano, 24, of Bronx, New York.

The indictment alleges that, beginning in or about September 2022, a group of individuals, including defendants Fairley and Hennen, worked together to recruit and bribe players to help influence or “fix” Chinese Basketball Association (“CBA”) men’s basketball games through point shaving. The fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, bribed CBA players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team.

During the 2022-2023 CBA season, the indictment further alleges, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, recruited defendant Blakeney, then a player on the CBA’s Jiangsu Dragons (“Jiangsu”) and one of the league’s leading scorers, for their point-shaving scheme. Blakeney agreed to participate in the scheme and then recruited other players from his team to join the scheme, working together with the fixers to influence the outcome of Jiangsu games.

In or about April 2023, at the conclusion of the CBA regular season, the indictment alleges that defendant Fairley left a package containing nearly $200,000 in cash, representing bribe payments and proceeds from the scheme, in Blakeney’s storage unit in Florida.

The indictment further alleges that, after profiting on the fixed CBA games, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, along with Blakeney, turned their attention to fixing NCAA men’s basketball games. The three men enlisted additional participants, including defendants Smith, Winkler, and Laureano, to help them operate this scheme and recruit NCAA players who would accept bribes to influence games.

As alleged, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men’s basketball seasons, the fixers, including defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney agreed to recruit NCAA players who would help ensure that their team failed to cover the spread of the first half of a game or an entire game. The fixers would then place wagers on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme.

Defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney approached and communicated with NCAA basketball players, in person and through social media, text message communications, and cellular telephone calls, the indictment alleges, with the fixers offering the players bribe payments, usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, to participate in the scheme.

The indictment alleges that the fixers specifically targeted college players for whom the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement, or exceed, the student-athletes’ legitimate opportunities for “Name-Image-Likeness” compensation. The fixers also generally targeted for their scheme players on teams that were underdogs in games and sought to have them fail to cover the spreads in those games. Many of these players accepted the offers and agreed to help fix specific games so that the fixers would win their wagers.

The indictment alleges that the defendant fixers engaged in a point-shaving scheme involving, in total, more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games. To capitalize on this scheme, the fixers made wagers totaling millions of dollars, generating substantial proceeds for the fixers and the players who collectively received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe payments for fixing their teams’ basketball games. When the fixers were successful with their wagers on fixed games, the indictment further alleges, defendant Smith and other co-schemers traveled to NCAA campuses and made cash bribe payments to the players who had agreed to participate in the point-shaving scheme.

If convicted on a bribery in sporting contests charge, the maximum possible sentence a defendant would face is five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud brings a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.

Anyone who believes they may have information about these crimes and would like to report the information is asked to call FBI Philadelphia at 215-418-4000 and reference “NCAA point-shaving.”

Mr. Metcalf also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation.

The charges and allegations contained in the charging documents are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Office of the New York State Comptroller Dinapoli - Update: Our Work for New Yorkers in 2025

Watch Year In Review Highlights

Read 2025 Year In Review

In 2025, my office delivered strong, independent oversight during a year marked by economic uncertainty and shifting federal priorities. As Washington policy changes raised concerns about funding for essential services, we released more than 400 reports and audits focused on protecting New Yorkers’ access to health care, education, child care, housing, and vital safety-net programs like SNAP and Medicaid. 

Through investigations into public corruption and pension fraud, and strong partnerships with law enforcement across the state, our work has supported 381 arrests and recovered $105.6 million for taxpayers. And despite domestic and global volatility, the $273.1 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund remained one of the nation’s strongest public pension funds in the nation, safeguarding the retirement security of 1.2 million members, retirees, and beneficiaries.

We also made important progress returning lost money to its rightful owners. In 2025 alone, $580 million in unclaimed funds was returned with the help of a new program that expediates payments of up to $250—without the need to file a claim.

As we embark on a new year, I remain committed to providing the independent oversight, accountability, and transparency New Yorkers expect and deserve, and look forward to working together to create a better future for our great state.

Sincerely,

Thomas P. DiNapoli
New York State Comptroller

Senator Nathalia Fernandez, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, Advocates call for the passage of S.54A/A.101A

 

Senator Nathalia Fernandez and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz joined fellow legislators, survivors, advocates, and faith leaders alongside the Justice Without Exclusion Coalition to highlight gaps in accountability within New York’s sexual assault laws, as new data show declining rape convictions despite consistently high rates of reported assault.

The coalition renewed calls for passage of S.54-A / A.101-A, legislation that would end the voluntary intoxication exclusion in New York law. Under current statute, lack of consent is recognized only when intoxication is involuntary, such as when a survivor is unknowingly drugged. Survivors who were similarly incapacitated but voluntarily ingested an intoxicating substance are excluded from legal protection, often forcing prosecutors to drop or downgrade charges and leaving survivors without a path to justice.

Participants emphasized that New York cannot continue to tolerate a gap in the law that denies survivors accountability. With support from a strong majority of the Legislature, law enforcement officials, and community advocates, speakers underscored the urgency of advancing this critical legislation to the Governor’s desk.

S.54-A / A.101-A modernizes New York’s sex crimes law by focusing on a survivor’s ability to consent rather than how intoxication occurred. The bill clarifies that intoxication can never be used as a shield for predatory behavior when a reasonable person would have known the survivor was incapacitated.

“Consent must be granted knowingly, willingly, and affirmatively. Anything less is not consent, and our laws must reflect that reality. S.54A/A.101-A ends the voluntary intoxication exclusion that has allowed predators to exploit intoxication as an invitation for sexual assault. This legislation has brought together a broad coalition of supporters, including 91 Assemblymembers, 22 Senators, law enforcement at both the city and state level, survivors, and advocates from across New York who agree that protection for survivors should never be conditional. The path forward is clear. It is time to pass this bill through both chambers of the Legislature and send it to the Governor’s desk so New York can finally end the voluntary intoxication exclusion and strengthen justice for survivors,” said New York State Senate Sponsor, Nathalia Fernandez.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “It is unconscionable that in 2026 here in New York whether or not a perpetrator is held accountable for committing sexual assault against a victim who is intoxicated hinges on how that person became intoxicated, whether from their own hand or from someone who unbeknownst to the victim administered them a drug, intoxicant, or other substance leaving them incapable of expressing a lack of consent. It is time to pass my bill A.101 to ensure that survivors get the justice they deserve by holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable when they commit such heinous acts.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., said: “For years, our state’s laws have failed to adequately protect New Yorkers who are too intoxicated to reasonably consent to sex. It is long past time that New York addresses its voluntary intoxication loophole that creates an unjustly high bar to hold perpetrators of rape accountable. I thank the advocates and legislators, especially State Senator Nathalia Fernandez and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who proudly stand with survivors and continue to push for this important legislation.”

Advocates emphasized that the legislation does not alter evidentiary standards or lower the burden of proof. Instead, it ensures that New York law reflects a fundamental principle: consent must be freely given, knowingly, and clearly, and responsibility must rest with the perpetrator, not the survivor.

S.54-A / A.101-A has passed the New York State Senate multiple times and is supported by district attorneys, survivors, advocates, and legal experts who argue that ending the voluntary intoxication exclusion is essential to restoring credibility, consistency, and fairness in the prosecution of sexual assault cases.

NEW ERA OF ACCOUNTABILITY: MAMDANI ADMINISTRATION’S DCWP SUES MOTOCLICK AND CEO, WARNS DELIVERY APPS TO COMPLY WITH WORKER PROTECTIONS

 

Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Commissioner Sam Levine to announce worker protection enforcement blitz alongside Deputy Mayor Julie Su, Worker's Justice Project, and Los Deliveristas Unidos. 

TODAY a case was filed on behalf of the City of New York in New York State Supreme Court against predatory delivery app Motoclick for egregiously violating the city’s Delivery Worker Laws. Motoclick, which operates a restaurant-facing delivery service, blatantly ignored the Minimum Pay Rate and stole directly from workers’ paychecks, with shocking tactics that include charging workers a $10 fee for canceled orders and deducting the entire cost of refunded orders from workers’ pay – sometimes claiming that workers owed the company money. DCWP estimates that Motoclick and CEO Juan Pablo Salinas Salek owe workers millions in stolen pay and damages and seeks to shut the company down completely.  

  

Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine, and advocates from Worker’s Justice Project and Los Deliveristas Unidos to announce the lawsuit. 

  

Commissioner Levine also today launched a compliance blitz, sending notices to Instacart, DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber, and others warning them to adhere to new Delivery Worker Laws taking effect on January 26. This includes Local Laws 107 and 108, related to tipping protections; Local Law 113 related to delivery worker pay transparency; and Local Laws 123 and 124, related to expanding the minimum pay rate to more delivery workers, timely and weekly payment rights, and improved bathroom access for delivery workers. As a report DCWP released earlier this week revealed, DoorDash and Uber engineered design tricks in their interfaces to lower workers’ tip earnings by $550 million.  

  

These actions come as Commissioner Levine ramps up efforts to crack down on predatory delivery apps, reverse worker losses through aggressive enforcement of the Delivery Worker Laws, and hold companies and individuals accountable for ripping off the hardworking, majority immigrant deliveristas who keep New Yorkers fed. 

 

“Deliveristas make millions of New Yorkers’ day-to-day lives easier only for their own to be difficult. Today, however, marks the end of a chapter of thankless exploitation,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “Our Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is already cracking down on everything from baseless violations of the law to deceptive tricks that hurt our delivery workers — and showing what a government that puts working people first can accomplish every day.” 

 

"We know affordability is not just about the cost of goods — it’s about the dignity of work. That’s why we have to make sure our deliveristas have safety on the job, a minimum wage for their work, and tips that go directly to their pockets,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “Today’s lawsuit against Motoclick is not just an action against one company, it’s a warning to every app-based company from this Administration. You cannot treat workers like they are expendable and get away with it. We will seek full back pay and damages. We will seek full accountability." 

 

“Motoclick and its CEO tricked New Yorkers into working for their platform with false promises and then stole their tips and earnings – sometimes even driving workers into debt.,” said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. “We are seeking to shutdown this company and other predatory apps should be on notice. If you scam your workers, we will hold you and your executives accountable.” 

  

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) is the nation’s leading municipal enforcement agency charged with delivering New Yorkers economic justice and an affordable city. DCWP leverages its authority to deliver real economic relief to New Yorkers and protect them from predatory, deceptive, and unfair practices that violate their consumer and workers’ rights. This includes pioneering cutting-edge protections, such as the City’s Consumer Protection Law, Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek Law, and Delivery Worker Laws, including the Minimum Pay Rate for delivery workers. While licensing more than 45,000 businesses in over 45 industries, we also ensure fair competition and a level playing field for responsible small businesses that are integral to New York City’s vibrant communities. DCWP also provides essential services, such as free tax preparation and financial counseling to ensure New Yorkers keep more of what they earn and can plan for their futures. Across our mission, DCWP is committed to making New York City a fairer, more affordable place to live. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp, sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.