MAYOR MAMDANI JOINS DCWP AND NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS TO PROMOTE FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES FOR NEW YORKERS

 

In-person and virtual tax preparation services are available in various languages across the city and at NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth sites 

 

Efforts this year will be paired with an expanded crackdown on deceptive practices in the tax preparer industry, ensuring New Yorkers across the city are protected 

Today, Mayor Mamdani joined the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth to kick off the 2026 tax season by announcing free, in-person and virtual tax preparation services for New Yorkers as part of DCWP’s NYC Free Tax Prep initiative. Last year 110,000 returns were completed through NYC Free Tax Prep, saving New Yorkers an average of $346 in tax preparation fees per return and approximately $38.2 million citywide. This year, the administration is focused on pairing the free tax preparation program with compliance in the paid tax preparer industry to protect all New Yorkers from unfair fees, sketchy loan products, and other deceptive corporate activity. This will include a citywide sweep of paid tax preparer locations to ensure they are following the law, as well as compliance notices warning paid tax preparers of the City’s ban on illegal overcharging and hidden fees. 

 

“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to jump through hoops or pay outrageous fees just to file their taxes,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “Through NYC Free Tax Prep, our administration is working across agencies to deliver exactly that—helping New Yorkers file for free, receive the tax refunds they’re owed, and avoid hidden fees and tax scams.”  

 

The NYC Free Tax Prep program is available to anyone who lives or works in New York City and who earns $97,000 or less annually and files as a family, or those who earn $68,000 or less annually and file as an individual or couple without a dependent – making half of all New Yorkers eligible for the program. Services are available now at over 140 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites around the city. Volunteer providers are equipped to connect filers with assistance for their questions about managing student loan debt. New Yorkers can call 311 or visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep and use DCWP’s interactive map to search for the most convenient free tax site near them, including at NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth sites. 

 

“To New Yorkers: protect your budget and skip pricey paid tax preparation if you can. Our knowledgeable preparers will ensure you get your full refund and all credits you may be eligible for, like the recently enhanced Empire State Child Tax Credit,” said DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. “This tax season, DCWP is ramping up efforts to protect New Yorkers from sketchy tax scams. And, as student loan borrowers face unprecedented confusion due to harmful policies at the federal level, NYC Free Tax Prep has never been more important.” 

NYC Free Tax Prep services include: 

 

•   In-Person Tax Preparation: At in-person tax prep sites, knowledgeable Internal Revenue Service (IRS) certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) volunteer preparers help filers complete an accurate tax return. More than 140 sites across all 5 boroughs will be open throughout the season.  

 

•   Drop-Off Service: With drop-off service, filers can drop off their tax documents and pick up the completed return later.  

 

•   Virtual Tax Preparation: Virtual Tax Preparation is an online service where an IRS-certified VITA or TCE volunteer preparer will video conference with filers to help prepare their tax return using a secure digital system. Filers can submit photos or scans of tax documents to the preparer, confirm their identity, and complete their return by video call with a preparer. Filers will need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone; a stable internet connection; and the ability to download secure video conference software.  

 

•   Assisted Self-Preparation: Assisted Self-Preparation allows filers to complete their tax return online on their own, and an IRS-certified VITA/TCE volunteer preparer will be available by phone or email to answer questions. Filers will need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone; a stable internet connection; an email address; and their 2024 adjusted gross income or self-select PIN.  

 

The IRS began accepting tax returns on January 26 and will accept returns through April 15, 2026, though many NYC Free Tax Prep sites remain open year-round to assist late filers, help with prior-year returns, and support small business owners and self-employed filers with quarterly and annual tax filing requirements. This year taxpayers face fewer no-cost filing options following the elimination of the IRS Direct File program, making access to trusted and accurate free tax assistance more critical than ever.  

 

Select NYC Health + Hospitals sites offer support in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese Russian and Urdu, and virtual tax preparation is available in Spanish as well. When a site does not have on-site language capacity, preparers will use an IRS-approved Over-the-Phone Interpreter (OPI) service, to support the appointment and any language needs. 

 

NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed New Yorkers: 

 

NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed Filers provides free tax preparation services tailored to the needs of gig workers, freelancers and small business owners who often face barriers to filing taxes and managing financial recordkeeping. In addition to providing annual and quarterly estimated tax filling preparation assistance, workshops and one-on-one consultations help the growing number of New Yorkers who perform gig and freelance work to learn the basics of tax filing and recordkeeping best practices as self-employed filers. 

 

To be eligible for tax preparation services for self-employed filers, New Yorkers must have business expenses of $250,000 or below. New Yorkers can find a site with these specially trained tax preparers by selecting “Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance” on the NYC Free Tax Prep Map site finder. 

 

Paid Tax Preparers: 

 

Consumers should also be on alert for predatory tax preparers that overcharge, charge hidden fees, or file their return without permission. Beware of preparers promising a “rapid refund” or “fast cash” that hide the fact that a Refund Anticipation Loan is a loan. To that end, DCWP is issuing compliance notices to tax preparers across the city this month, warning them to adhere to New York City consumer protection laws that ban overcharging or charging hidden fees. 

 

The City encourages eligible filers to file for free with NYC Free Tax Prep, but consumers who use a paid tax preparer should ask the preparer for the Consumer Bill of Rights Regarding Tax Preparers (additional languages available) and read it carefully before having their taxes prepared. 

New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Honorees Announced - Women in Business Luncheon 2026

 

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John Zaccaro - FREE Tax Prep Services--Book Your Appointment TODAY!

Friends & Neighbors, 

I am proud to continue to offer FREE tax prep services to our community for residents who file individually and earn less than $60,000 per year or families earning less than $85,000 per year.

Those who participate will be paired with a qualified licensed tax preparer to help with your filing and answer questions.

Spots are filling up fast! To make an appointment please call my community office at 718-409-0109.

Yours Truly, 

John Zaccaro, Jr. 

 

Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Firearms and Narcotics Offenses

 

Corderrius Terrelle McShane, 38, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This substantial prison sentence is a reflection of the incredible threat this violent drug trafficker posed to our community by flooding our streets with fentanyl, a devastatingly deadly drug that President Donald J. Trump recently designated as a weapon of mass destruction. This successful federal prosecution is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi when they launched Operation Take Back America to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice to eliminate the threats posed by drug traffickers and violent felons like this defendant. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe streets and drug-free communities, and that is exactly what my office will continue to deliver.”

Court documents showed the defendant sold approximately 55 grams of fentanyl in November 2024. Also, that same month, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle the defendant was driving, during which officers located over 230 grams of fentanyl and a loaded firearm. The defendant has prior felony convictions for possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, resisting law enforcement with violence, possession of cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.

Two Year Prison Sentence for Woman Who Laundered Over $20M Dollars

 

A New York woman was sentenced to two years in prison for her involvement in a Chinese money laundering scheme. 

According to court documents, Rui Fang Yu, 40, of New York City, laundered over $20 million in proceeds from drug trafficking. Yu accepted large amounts of cash from co-conspirators involved in the laundering of drug proceeds, including from the sale of heroin and cocaine by a drug trafficking organization in the United States linked to a Mexican cartel. Yu used her position as an accountant at an airline ticket consolidator in Flushing, Queens, to launder these proceeds through her employer’s bank accounts. This complex scheme used trade-based money laundering to conceal drug proceeds through business transactions ostensibly made to purchase airline tickets. Ultimately, Yu and the co-conspirators facilitated the laundering of these funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators in the United States and China.

In August 2025, Yu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Wang and Robert Pollack for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

“Today’s court ruling allowing work on Sunrise Wind to resume is a big win for New York workers, families, and our future. It puts union workers back on the job, keeps billions in private investment in New York, and delivers the clean, reliable power our grid needs, especially as extreme weather becomes more frequent. Sunrise Wind alone will power more than 600,000 homes on Long Island.

“The Trump administration tried to shut down this fully permitted project under a bogus claim of national security. But energy independence is national security.

“Under my administration, New York will remain a national clean energy leader and continue fighting to protect these projects and good-paying jobs against a hostile federal government.”

 

ICE Arrests Previously Deported Criminal Illegal Alien with Rap Sheet Including Strangulation, Rape, and Drug Crimes Released by New York Sanctuary Policies

 

New York ignored ICE’s detainer AND criminal warrant and released this monster back onto New York City streets four separate times

ICE officers arrested Gerardo Miguel-Mora, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who was charged with strangulation, rape, sexual assault, burglary, grand larceny, and drug possession in New York City on January 30, 2026. ICE officers were forced to arrest this public safety threat at large because New York City’s sanctuary policies released him back onto the streets instead of safely transferring him into ICE custody. Despite twelve separate phone calls confirming the criminal arrest warrant, sanctuary politicians refused to honor the ICE detainer and the federal arrest warrant and released Miguel-Mora from custody on January 7 directly onto the streets of New York.

This criminal was released multiple times. His criminal history includes:

• Between July 23 and August 14, 2011, Miguel-Mora was arrested and charged with rape, strangulation, assault, forcible touching, burglary, and disorderly conduct.
• On January 12, 2012, the New York State Supreme Court convicted Miguel-Mora of burglary, and sentenced him to a term of 42 months, with 10 years post-release supervision.
• On April 30, 2023, the New York Police Department arrested and charged Miguel-Mora with false personation and grand larceny.
• On May 23, 2024, NYPD arrested and charged Miguel-Mora with grand larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. NYPD released Miguel-Mora the next day, before an immigration detainer could be lodged.
• On August 16, 2024, NYPD again arrested Miguel-Mora for larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. NYPD released Miguel-Mora the next day before ICE could lodge an immigration detainer.
• On March 25, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a criminal warrant for Miguel-Mora for illegal reentry and illegal reentry as an aggravated felon.
• On January 7, the NYPD arrested Miguel-Mora and charged him with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Later that day, ICE New York City lodged an immigration detainer against Miguel-Mora with Manhattan Central Booking and submitted the USDC SDNY criminal warrant to Manhattan Central Booking.
• NYPD again arrested Miguel-Mora on January 28 and charged him with larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Once again, NYPD released Miguel-Mora on January 29, despite an ICE detainer and a federal arrest warrant.

Miguel-Mora illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location, without being admitted, inspected, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal on July 20, 2012. ICE arrested Miguel-Mora and removed him to Mexico on September 14, 2012. He chose to commit another felony and illegally entered the United States at an unknown time and location.

“These are the types of public safety threats New York Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani are releasing from their jails onto the streets to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We need local law enforcement to cooperate with us to get these heinous criminals out of our neighborhoods. 7 of the 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. We are once again calling on Governor Hochul to commit to turning the more than 7,000 heinous criminals in New York’s custody over to ICE.” 

Since January 20, New York’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 6,947 criminal illegal aliens. The crimes of these aliens include 29 homicides, 2,509 assaults, 199 burglaries, 305 robberies, 392 dangerous drugs offenses, 300 weapons offenses, and 207 sexual predatory offenses.

There are currently 7,113 aliens in the custody of a New York jurisdiction with an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses.

Mexican National Without Legal Immigration Status Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sex Offense Against a Minor

 

Defendant Used a Social Media Platform to Manipulate and Threaten a Victim into Creating and Sending Sexually Explicit Images

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Luis Velez was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. Velez has no legal status in the United States and will be deported after serving his term of imprisonment.  Velez pleaded guilty in July 2024.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

“The defendant preyed on children, manipulating and threatening them into creating sexually explicit images for his own sexual gratification,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Our Office is committed to holding accountable such sexual predators and I urge parents and caregivers to discuss with their children the dangers of communicating online with strangers and anyone else who may exploit them.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Boston Police Department for their work on the case.

“Luis Velez repeatedly forced multiple minors to create and send sexually explicit images by threatening to harm their families. Velez preyed upon his victims’ fear to satisfy his perverted desires. The FBI will continue to defend our city’s children from sexual predators, especially those residing unlawfully in this country,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

As set forth in court filings, in 2022, Velez—a 26-year-old man at the time of the charged conduct without legal immigration status in the United States—posed as a 14-year-old boy and began communicating with an 11-year-old girl (Jane Doe 1) through Instagram.  At Velez’s insistence, Jane Doe 1 electronically sent sexually explicit images of herself to Velez, and then Velez threatened to hurt Jane Doe 1’s family if she did not send additional sexually explicit images.  Velez communicated with various other minors on Instagram, at times posing as a girl and at other times as a boy in order to obtain—as he had done with Jane Doe 1—sexually explicit images from these minors.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.