Permits Filed for 257 East 201st Street in Bedford Park, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for an eight-story residential building at 257 East 201st Street in Bedford Park, The Bronx. Located between Briggs Avenue and Valentine Avenue, the interior lot is near the Bedford Park Boulevard subway station, served by the B and D trains. Geraldo Zefi of Geri Z Development LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 74-foot-tall development will yield 27,696 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 44 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 629 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a 32-foot-long rear yard.

Badaly Architects is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed this month for the two-family residential building on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Prosecution is Part of Homeland Security Task Force Effort to Combat Transnational Criminal Organizations

An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his top leadership role in distributing methamphetamine in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

In October 2024, Raymundo Bernal Saucedo (“Bernal”), 33, pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting.  He was sentenced on March 11, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada E. Brown.

“This sentence demonstrates that those who traffic dangerous quantities of methamphetamine into North Texas will be held accountable,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our federal, state, and local partners remain committed to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting our communities from this poison.”

“We are dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks in the Northern District of Texas through our indispensable partnership with Homeland Security Task Force agents,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The lengthy sentence in this case is directly attributable to their diligent efforts, and we will continue to pursue the full measure of justice against those who traffic this poison in our communities.”

“The Dallas Homeland Security Task Force remains focused on targeting transnational criminal organizations. The collaborative effort of the HSTF resulted in a significant sentence and the reduction of narcotics on our streets, said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in our communities.”

According to court records, Homeland Security Task Force Group One agents began investigating Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area distribution cells affiliated with Michoacán, Mexico-based brokers, who arranged for an Arlington, Texas-area distribution cell to deliver two kilograms of methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source.  After the controlled purchase, surveillance, and the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit, agents seized 77 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine along with multiple firearms and a drug ledger.

Court records reflect that agents identified Bernal, a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States, as the individual overseeing this local distribution cell, whose members were not only involved the distribution of bulk methamphetamine, but also included the conversion of liquid methamphetamine into its finished distributable form.  Bernal, himself, was actively involved in the conversion process acquiring pots, chemicals, buckets, and filler in addition to “cooking” the methamphetamine, and two weapons were recovered from his residence, which Bernal admitted in plea documents were used in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense.  According to court records, this investigation led to multiple federal wiretaps of Bernal’s and his coconspirators’ telephones.  In addition to Bernal’s involvement in the conversion and distribution of methamphetamine in the Dallas area, investigators also learned that Bernal was responsible for smuggling contraband into jail facilities in Tennessee.  All told, Bernal was held responsible for 1,946,000 kilograms of methamphetamine calculated as converted drug weight. 

Join Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr.'s Annual Easter Egg Hunt

 

Friends & Neighbors, 

 

Spring has sprung and it’s time to get out those Easter baskets, fancy hats, and pastel colors. It’s time for our annual Pelham Parkway Easter Egg Hunt!

 

This year, we’re thrilled to bring you an afternoon filled with music, games, face painter, popcorn, and of course, lots of Easter eggs. Here are the details: 

 

WHEN: Saturday, March 28, 2026

WHERE: Pelham Parkway Greenway (across from Peace Plaza)

TIME: 11:00AM - 2:00PM

 

Events like these are what makes our community so special. Come out, enjoy the afternoon, and spend time with old and new friends. 

 

Looking forward to seeing everyone then! 

 

In Gratitude, 

John Zaccaro, Jr.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson JOIN US: Irish Heritage Month Celebration

 

Consumer Products Business CEO And Consultant Plead Guilty To Creating False Books And Records

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CHRISTOPHER B. FERGUSON and BRIAN MCFADDEN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon to falsification of books, records, and accounts for causing the submission of falsified records from Edison Nation, Inc.—a publicly traded diversified consumer products business where FERGUSON was the CEO and chairman—in response to an inquiry from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).  FERGUSON pled guilty on January 28, 2026, and MCFADDEN pled guilty on March 16, 2026. 

“CEO Christopher Ferguson claimed his company had over $10 million in orders,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When FINRA, a self-regulatory organization important to ensuring the integrity of our securities markets, requested documentation to support that, he and consultant Brian McFadden caused the company to submit falsified documents.  There is no place for that conduct in our markets.” 

According to the charging instruments, plea agreements, and statements made in court:

FERGUSON and MCFADDEN caused there to be falsified records related to purchase orders purportedly received by Edison Nation, where FERGUSON was the CEO and MCFADDEN was a consultant.  Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Edison Nation expanded its business to include products such as hand sanitizer and face masks that were in high demand.  On April 16, 2020, Edison Nation issued a press release announcing that it had “received over $10 million in orders for the purchase of personal protective equipment.”

Although the defendants had discussed a $9 million hand sanitizer purchase with a potential buyer earlier that month, two days before the issuance of the above-mentioned press release, that buyer notified Edison Nation that it was unable to proceed with the transaction. As a result, when the press release was issued, Edison Nation did not, in fact, have “over $10 million in orders.”

On April 23, 2020, about a week after the press release was issued, FINRA requested copies of the purchase orders supporting the “$10 million in orders” referenced in the press release.  Thereafter, MCFADDEN asked a business associate at another company to create a $9 million backdated purchase order for hand sanitizer.  In response, that other company provided MCFADDEN with the requested purchase order, backdated to April 12, 2020—before the press release was issued.  That purchase order did not reflect a true order.

On April 28, 2020, the defendants knowingly caused the submission to FINRA of the backdated purchase order, along with a spreadsheet falsely listing the backdated purchase order as having been received on April 12, 2020.  Then, on May 6, 2020, the defendants knowingly caused the submission to FINRA of an email that contained false and misleading statements about the backdated purchase order.

FERGUSON, 57, of Fishers, Indiana, and MCFADDEN, 40, of Safety Harbor, Florida, pled guilty to one count of falsification of books, records, and accounts, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. 

Attorney General James Releases Statement on Appellate Victory Blocking Trump Funding Freeze

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit largely upheld a lower court order blocking the Trump administration’s illegal effort to categorically freeze trillions of dollars in essential federal funding to states: 

“This decision is a clear reminder that the president cannot treat congressionally-approved funding like a switch he can flip on and off. For more than a year, the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to freeze critical funding that states rely on to serve their communities, and once again the courts have rejected that unlawful power grab. 

“By attempting to cut off funding for health care, disaster response, public safety, and other essential services, the administration put millions of Americans at risk. This ruling is a victory for families and communities, and I will continue fighting to ensure New Yorkers receive the resources that Congress awarded.” 

In January 2025, Attorney General James led a coalition of 22 other attorneys general in suing to stop the implementation of a new federal policy that would have categorically withheld trillions of dollars in essential funding, impacting a vast array of important public services that states provide. In March 2025, Attorney General James won a preliminary injunction blocking the policy, and, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit largely affirmed that order. 

Activist Judge Orders Release of MS-13 Gang Member from ICE Custody

 

This criminal illegal alien was RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration in 2022

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released the following statement after an Obama-appointed judge ordered Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, a criminal illegal alien, released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Flores-Miguel is a Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member.

On January 20, 2026, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Flores-Miguel. During the arrest, he violently resisted by punching and kicking ICE law enforcement officers. He even grabbed the gun holster of an ICE officer. ICE took him into custody in Minnesota. Earlier this month, a judge ordered his release from ICE custody.  His criminal history in the U.S. includes rape, resisting an officer, and illegal re-entry. He was arrested in El Salvador for robbery.

“This activist, Obama-appointed judge RELEASED Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador and MS-13 gang member, from ICE custody,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This gang member was previously RELEASED by the Biden Administration in 2022. Releasing violent criminals is inexcusably reckless and now this criminal will be able to perpetrate more crimes against innocent Americans. President Trump is enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country. We are applying the law as written. If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”

Flores-Miguel entered the U.S. in September 2016 and was removed the same year in October. He entered the U.S. illegally again and was removed in March 2017. In October 2021, Flores-Miguel illegally entered the U.S. a third time and was released in June 2022. He was granted a final order of removal by a judge who found he could be removed to any country other than El Salvador. This case illustrates the importance of third country removals to get criminal illegal aliens out of the U.S.

SPRING BREAK UNDER SIEGE: Democrats’ Reckless DHS Shutdown is Forcing TSA Officers to Work Without Pay and Holding American Travelers Hostage

 

Just a few months after they orchestrated the longest shutdown in U.S. history, Democrats are once again hurting the hardworking men and women of the Department of Homeland Security

Due to the Democrat-led shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and other Transportation Security Administration (TSA) roles critical to national safety at our nation’s airports are going without pay for the third time in nearly six months.

The undue financial pressure has resulted in increased callouts and agents leaving the force, leading Americans to face at some airports more than three-hour security lines and miss flights. Despite this impact on American travelers, Democrats continue to recklessly keep DHS shut down.

“The Democrats’ reckless DHS shutdown is causing TSA officers to go without pay for the third time in nearly six months,” said Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary. “These political stunts are causing unneeded financial hardship for our TSA officers and their families. Now, 366 TSA officers have left the force. Because of this DHS shutdown, Americans are facing HOURS long waits at airports across the country. Democrats must reopen DHS now.”

These headlines only paint a small picture of the extreme impact the shutdown has on American travelers, TSOs, and national security:

• On Sunday, March 15 and Monday, March 16, callouts spiked over 50% in Houston and over 30% in New Orleans and Atlanta, resulting in fewer officers screening an ever-growing number of travelers.
• Callout rates have spiked nationwide, with the highest single-day airport callout rate reaching 55% at Houston Hobby International Airport (HOU) on March 14, 2026.
• Attrition has also surged, with 366 TSOs leaving the force. This loss compounds TSA’s ability to meet passenger demand, as each new TSO replacement requires 4-6 months to be trained and certified, leaving critical gaps in staffing.  

Democrats continue to play political games with the livelihoods of our TSA officers and their families. It’s time for them to end their shutdown and pay our TSA agents. TSA funding must be restored immediately.

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