MAYOR MAMDANI, CTO GELOBTER AND FREDERICK O’REILLY HAYES PRIZE FOUNDATION HONOR FOURTH ANNUAL HAYES INNOVATION PRIZE WINNERS

 

Award recognizes innovative City workers who are delivering for all New Yorkers   

  

Awardees measured the impact of the City’s congestion pricing program, strengthened food oversight in homeless shelters, modernized cemetery management at Hart Island and provided 24/7 access to lifesaving overdose supplies   

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) Commissioner Lisa Gelobter and Jonathan Weiner, president of the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize Foundation, honored 12 public servants with the fourth annual NYC Hayes Innovation Prize for their cutting-edge efforts to reimagine government and deliver tangible results for New Yorkers. 

The winning projects — spanning eight City agencies — represent breakthroughs in affordability, government accessibility and public safety. Honorees were selected from 74 nominations across more than 30 agencies. Each winner received a $1,000 cash prize funded by the foundation. OTI and the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize Foundation co-sponsored the awards.  

“Delivering public goods requires public excellence, and the public servants we honor today embody that excellence — not as an abstract ideal, but as daily work in service of 8.5 million New Yorkers. Across our City government, workers are finding new ways to make this city more affordable, more accessible and more just. The recipients of the Hayes Innovation Prize show what it means to build a government that works for working people,” said Mayor Mamdani. “I’m proud to recognize their service and grateful for the care they bring to this city every day.”

“Public servants are the backbone of our city, and this award recognizes the innovative and substantial work they have accomplished to make a real difference in New Yorkers' lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “The recipients of the Hayes prize embody government excellence, and what is possible when public servants go above and beyond for the people they serve. Today, we celebrate their example.”

“There is no challenge too big for New York City’s amazing public servants,” said CTO and OTI Commissioner Lisa Gelobter. “Thanks to their bold vision and leadership, this year’s Hayes Prize winners achieved remarkable results that made our city more affordable, our government run better and our streets safer for New Yorkers. In addition, our honorees deserve acclaim for raising the bar for government excellence and inspiring their colleagues to pursue their own greatness. Congratulations to all of our Hayes Prize winners!”

“Great work in public service is seriously under-recognized in our society,” said Jonathan Weiner, President, Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize Foundation. “The Fred Hayes Prize Foundation congratulates this year’s Prize winners for their remarkable work relatively early in their careers in our City’s service and is enormously pleased to recognize their efforts.   We welcome them into the distinguished company of those who have been awarded the Prize going back to 2005.  Like these former Prize winners, their projects have been innovative and marked by talented and deep use of analytics. Named after Fred Hayes, the City’s brilliant budget director in the Lindsay administration, the Prize Foundation is solely supported by those who have worked with Fred and are delighted to see first-rate commitments to public service in succeeding generations.”

OTI and the Hayes Prize Foundation launched the Hayes Innovation Prize in March 2023 to recognize excellence in public service. To date, 68 public servants have received the award. For the second consecutive year, winners were recognized in two categories: Innovation and IT Leadership. A distinguished panel of past recipients of the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize, which started in 2005, and recipients of the  Technology & Innovation Award selected this year’s winners. 

This year’s prize winners are (in alphabetical order): 

INNOVATION 

Roxanne Anderson of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), who implemented the City’s first Public Health Vending Machines (PHVMs) that provide 24/7 access to lifesaving harm reduction supplies conveniently and anonymously to address the overdose crisis meet the goals outlined in the mental health plan for NYC. Since June 2023, the City’s first four PHVMs have been utilized over 42,000 times and dispensed 4,500 nalaxone kits, in addition to other harm reduction and health and wellness resources.

Pavel Ilin of the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, who spearheaded the complete rebuild and launch of the new My File NYC, a digital platform that gives  New Yorkers a safe and secure place to store their vital documents and share them when applying for City services. My File is currently in use by families applying for shelter through the Department of Homeless Services’ Family Intake Center – Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH). My File will be introduced to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Set Aside Housing program later this year.

Shawn Inshan and Mallory Rutigliano of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who pioneered a first-of-its-toolkit with a Resiliency Exposure Inventory and Resiliency Exposure Forecast designed to understand whether communities, infrastructure and environments are sufficiently protected from climate risks. This initiative serves the City’s Broader Climate Budgeting effort, which includes climate considerations across investment decisions, and is already being used to assist with policy and project planning with the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, the Parks Department and the Economic Development Corporation. 

Joel Owhe of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), who led the development of the FDNY Job Safety Analysis (JSA) application, a groundbreaking internal tool that digitized and standardized the process for documenting, reviewing and analyzing safety practices across training operations. Joel transformed a once paper-heavy and reactive system into an agile, digital platform that enhances the department’s ability to train, evaluate and safeguard its members. 

Caleb Wendling and Julia Klauss of OMB, who expanded the flood insurance coverage of overlooked City-owned buildings with a pathbreaking approach — using mapping software, Python scripts and direct outreach — to create a new and fully comprehensive list of all City assets. Their work has helped double the number of City-owned buildings covered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from 212 at the start of 2024 to more than 430, with hundreds more expected.

Kenyatta (Kym) Williams of the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), who managed the Cemetery Management and Tracking System — a modern, integrated platform to manage burial records, plot mapping and public access for burial operations at Hart Island, the City’s municipal cemetery and the final resting place for more than 1 million New Yorkers. As a result, families can now more accurately search burial records dating back to the 1970s, visualize the burial site on a digital map, schedule visits online and receive automated confirmations and reminders — features that did not exist before. 

Matthew Yarri of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), who developed a real-time performance dashboard and data analytics framework for New York City’s congestion pricing program — one of the City’s most transformative transportation initiatives in a generation. Matthew’s dashboard equipped MTA leadership with the systemwide insights — not just MTA operations, but cars, buses, bridges and tunnels — needed to monitor impacts, communicate results and build public trust from day one as traffic patterns began to shift. 

IT LEADERSHIP

Claire Boyd of the Department of Finance (DOF), who transformed the Property Modeling Group’s technical capabilities at DOF to enhance efficiency, analytical rigor and long-term sustainability across operations. In addition to expanding the scope and effectiveness of DOF’s core IT capabilities, Claire’s leadership strengthened the City’s capacity for fair, data-driven property tax assessment. 

Elan Carmel of the Department of Social Services (DSS), who directed the execution of a citywide initiative to strengthen oversight of food and nutrition services within Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters. Working closely with the Office of the Medical Director and DHS Food Services, Elan designed and implemented a new module within the Building Compliance System that digitizes the process for tracking food ordered, received, discarded and evaluated for quality — improving the dining experience for shelter residents by ensuring meals meet quality standards and client expectations.

Mike Kutzma of the MTA, who led the design and implementation of the MTA Data Lake Program, a suite of infrastructure and applications that serve to enable analytics at scale across the MTA. The platform that Mike and his team built was responsible for the MTA’s ability to provide accurate, next-day reporting on the new congestion pricing program within days of the program’s launch. 

The finalists for this year’s awards include:   

• Janelle Blount and Raja Pathuri of HPD  
• Chris Gettings and Emily Torem of DOHMH  
• Ayesha McHugh of NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA)  
• Momina Min of NYC Public Schools  
• Theodore Mullally of DOHMH  
• Dana Nelson of NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM)  
• Matthew O’Malley of Department of Small Business Services (SBS)  
• Jayabalaji Rubalingam of the MTA  
• Bharti Sharma of NYC Health + Hospitals  
• Courtney Yu of NYCHA  
• Khusro Zafar and Brunnell Velazquez of the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC)  

“Public health is too often described as 'invisible,' including innovative programs like our public health vending machines that put essential health supplies like naloxone kits directly in the hands of New Yorkers with no questions asked,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “Mission-driven staff like Roxanne are the backbone of the lifesaving work happening every day at the NYC Health Department as we continue our efforts to reduce overdose deaths across New York City. This prize is well-earned and helps make the work of public health heroes, like Roxanne, more visible to the people we serve.”

“Building a government that works for the people of New York City takes public servants who are undaunted by the serious challenges before them. This year's Hayes Prize winners have shown that creative approaches, new technology, and dedication to the work can lead to transformative outcomes that make life better for New Yorkers,” said DSS Commissioner Erin Dalton. “Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, especially Kym and Elan who have done so much to improve DSS services by leveraging technology to improve data collection and client experience. I look forward to building on this incredible progress and exploring how we can continue to enhance services with new technologies."

“The Hayes Innovation Prize recognizes Claire Boyd's leadership in tackling a key Department of Finance challenge: improving access to data for property valuation models used to assess over 1.2 million New York City properties annually,” said Department of Finance Commissioner Richard Lee. “Through her leadership, Claire streamlined data sharing across siloed systems using tools that are more efficient, transparent and reliable, while enhancing our ability to evaluate model accuracy across property types. These advancements are dramatically improving how we deliver fair, data-driven property tax assessments for New Yorkers. Together with her fellow honorees, Claire’s work highlights a broader commitment to innovation across this administration — one rooted in practical solutions and a strong sense of public service. Celebrating the achievements of these city employees is important, as it underscores how new ideas in government can meaningfully enhance the services people rely on every day. Congratulations to Claire and all of this year’s honorees on this well-earned recognition.”

“The FDNY congratulates Firefighter Joel Owhe on this well-deserved recognition from the Hayes Prize Foundation,” said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. “His work reflects the innovative thinking that makes the FDNY stronger every day. His application has improved a critical safety process within our department, helping us better evaluate training operations and protect our members.”

“We are thrilled that Pavel is being recognized for his leadership on the launch of the newest version of My File NYC,” said Carson Hicks, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity. “Pavel’s work is modernizing how New Yorkers can prove eligibility for City benefits and services, streamlining internal agency operations and strengthening collaboration across agencies to better serve New Yorkers.”

About the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Foundation

The Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize Foundation is supported by private donations from former city employees and officials, many of whom worked for or with Frederick O'Reilly Hayes, the city's budget director in the late 1960s. Fred was a visionary who encouraged innovation, analysis, and commitment to the excellent management and delivery of public services. He was also dedicated to recruiting and mentoring young talent in city government.  

ICE Asks Governor Spanberger and Fairfax Sanctuary Politicians to Not Release Criminal Illegal Alien Who Stabbed Man to Death in Fairfax

 

This incident comes just one month after Stephanie Minter was stabbed to death by another criminal illegal alien at a bus stop in Fredericksburg

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer requesting Fairfax County sanctuary politicians not to release Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy—a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala—who Fairfax County Police Department arrested on second degree murder charges in Fairfax County, Virginia.

On March 30, 2026, detectives arrested Chavarria Muy in connection to a fatal stabbing of a man the day prior. According to local reports, officers found a man with multiple stab wounds inside a home in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy

Chavarria Muy is illegally in the U.S. and entered at an unknown place and time.

“Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged with second degree murder after repeatedly stabbing a man to death in Fairfax County. ICE is calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia's sanctuary politicians to not release this murderer back into our communities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This incident comes just one month after an innocent woman was murdered by another criminal illegal alien at a bus stop in Spanberger’s state. Open-border policies yet again have caused another preventable tragedy.”

This incident comes one month after another tragedy where ICE lodged a detainer requesting that Virginia not release a career criminal illegal alien with more than 30 arrests who was charged for fatally stabbing a woman in the neck at a bus stop in Fredericksburg.

Fairfax County has a history of refusing to honor immigration detainers. In late 2025, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador killed a man just a day after a Fairfax County jail failed to honor an immigration detainer ICE had placed on him.

Governor Spanberger signed an executive order that prohibits local and state law enforcement from working with ICE. The executive order repeals the prior order from her Republican predecessor, Governor Glenn Youngkin, which allowed local and state law enforcement to work with ICE.

Homeland Security Task Force: Waterbury Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

 

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced that ENRIQUE DELLVALLE-PEREZ, 39, of Waterbury, has been charged by indictment with drug distribution and firearm offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Dellvalle-Perez was distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in and around Waterbury.  On September 25, 2025, a court-authorized search of Dellvalle-Perez’s residence on Bucks Hill Road in Waterbury revealed more than four kilograms of cocaine, a loaded Glock 27 semi-automatic pistol, and other items.  Dellvalle-Perez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on that date.

It is further alleged that Dellvalle-Perez’s criminal history includes state felony drug convictions.

On March 24, 2026, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Dellvalle-Perez with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Dellavalle is currently released on a $150,000 bond.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.  The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.  Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.  In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children.  The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

This investigation includes members of the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, which is composed of participants from the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, and the New Haven, Waterbury, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, Middletown, and Shelton Police Departments.  

Former Board Chairman and Executive Director of Healthcare Non-Profit Indicted for Embezzlement, Bribery, and Kickback Schemes

 

Defendants Allegedly Abused Their Positions to Obtain More Than $1.3 Million in Stolen Funds and Kickbacks from Vendors

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Jean Ronald Tirelus and Roberto Samedy for embezzling more than $1.3 million from a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization that provided home care services and operated homeless shelters in New York City.  Tirelus was the former chairman of the organization’s board of directors, and Samedy was the executive director of the organization. In addition, the indictment charged Tirelus, Samedy, Edouardo St. Fort and Miguel Jorge for their roles in a related scheme in which Tirelus and Samedy steered business to companies controlled by St. Fort and Jorge in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. Tirelus and Samedy were each charged with wire fraud, embezzlement, and bribery-related offenses, and conspiracy to commit the same, as well as money laundering conspiracy.  St. Fort and Jorge were charged with federal program bribery and related charges.  Tirelus, Samedy and Jorge are being arraigned this afternoon before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.  St. Fort was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts and will be arraigned in Eastern District of New York at a later date.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christpher Ryan, Acting Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the arrests and indictment.

“As alleged, the defendants used their leadership positions to loot public funds from an organization devoted to serving vulnerable New Yorkers,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Rooting out corruption is a priority for our Office, and we will hold accountable anyone who exploits charitable trust for private gain.”

“As charged, these defendants devised a scheme that siphoned more than $1.3 million from a publicly-funded nonprofit that provided home health care services and received City homeless shelter contracts.  Two of the defendants were leaders at the nonprofit who capitalized on the City’s urgent need for homeless shelter providers by allegedly steering business to favored vendors in exchange for bribes and kickbacks, according to the indictment.  Those who exploit the City’s need for homeless shelters endanger the very programs meant to help unhoused people.  I thank the City Department of Social Services for originally referring issues related to this nonprofit to DOI; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Easten District of New York and the FBI for their partnership on this investigation and their commitment to protect precious tax dollars,” stated Acting DOI Commissioner Ryan.

As set forth in court filings, the charges arise from an investigation of a Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization that provided home care services to elderly New Yorkers and individuals with acute medical needs and also operated homeless shelters (the Public Interest Organization, which operated two charitable entities known as Nonprofit #1 and Nonprofit #2).  The Public Interest Organization received millions of dollars in Medicaid payments and has been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from New York City.

As a result of their leadership positions at the Public Interest Organization, Tirelus and Samedy exercised significant control over its operations and finances. Between August 2020 and January 2024, Tirelus and Samedy exploited their positions, stealing more than $1.3 million from the Public Interest Organization through several forms of embezzlement and fraud.  For example, in May 2023, Tirelus and Samedy fraudulently induced the board of directors to authorize an $800,000 payment that went to a shell company controlled by Tirelus.  Tirelus and Samedy falsely advised the board of directors that the Public Interest Organization had been approached by a bank regarding a joint venture to invest in affordable housing.  After the board approved a proposal authorizing the Public Interest Organization to invest, Tirelus and Samedy caused Nonprofit #1 to wire $800,000 to a bank account controlled by Tirelus, who diverted the funds to the benefit of himself and Samedy.

Separately, St. Fort and Jorge controlled several vendor companies that provided private security services, facilities maintenance, and furniture to homeless shelters operated by the Public Interest Organization.  Between February 2023 and January 2024, Tirelus and Samedy steered millions of dollars of the Public Interest Organization’s business towards the companies controlled by St. Fort and Jorge in return for bribes and kickbacks.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, Tirelus and Samedy each face up to 20 years in prison, and St. Fort and Jorge face each face up to 10 years in prison.

Federal Judge Revokes Naturalization of Married Couple Who Conspired to Steal Medical Trade Secrets and Share Them with China

 

On March 30, Judge James E. Simmons Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California entered an order revoking the naturalized U.S. citizenship of husband and wife Li Chen and Yu Zhou, finding they illegally procured their naturalization. Chen and Zhou each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which the court determined constituted crimes involving moral turpitude that prevented them from having the good moral character necessary to naturalize. The court additionally found that both Chen and Zhou were ineligible to naturalize because they committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on their moral character for which there were no extenuating circumstances.

“Gaining citizenship after committing serious crimes against the American people is an unacceptable abuse of our immigration system,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “These latest denaturalizations illustrate this Department of Justice's focus on ensuring that citizenship remains a privilege to obtain, not a right to abuse.”

“Naturalization is not a right — it’s a privilege given by the generous people of this nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Divison. “When the generosity of America’s immigration process is abused, our system works to correct such abuse. Full stop.” 

Chen, a Chinese national, entered the United States in 2007 on an H-1B Specialty Occupation visa sponsored by Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH). In 2011, after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker as an alien of extraordinary ability, Chen adjusted her immigration status to permanent resident. Zhou, also a Chinese national, entered the United States in 2005 as an exchange visitor. In 2008, Zhou arrived in the United States again on an H-1B Specialty Occupation visa sponsored by NCH, and he adjusted his immigration status to permanent resident in 2011 as the derivative spouse of his wife, Chen. Chen naturalized in 2016, and Zhou naturalized in 2017.

In 2019, both Chen and Zhou were arrested for criminal conduct involving the theft of medical trade secrets used in the course of their employment as NCH research scientists focused on exosome isolation. Each indictment alleged that the couple personally benefitted from their theft and sale of NCH trade secrets by establishing their own company and by acquiring shares in another company that utilized the stolen trade secrets. In addition, both Chen and Zhou received funding from the People’s Republic of China’s State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs. In total, Defendants jointly received nearly $1.5 million in transactions resulting from their exchange of exosome isolation intellectual property. Chen was subsequently sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and Zhou was sentenced to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release, with over $2.6 million in restitution ordered to be paid jointly and severally between them.

The court held that the couple’s wire fraud — and thus their conspiracy to commit wire fraud — constituted a crime involving moral turpitude that warranted the revocation of Defendants’ naturalization. The court additionally determined that, given the lack of any extenuating circumstances, Zhou and Chen’s crimes of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit trade secret theft constituted unlawful acts that reflected adversely on their moral character, and therefore these crimes represented a separate basis to revoke their U.S. citizenship.

These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the ICE Office of the Principle Legal Advisor (OPLA). The cases were litigated by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation. The underlying criminal cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

CEO Of Credit Monitoring Company Pleads Guilty In Connection With Nationwide Online Marketing Scheme

The Scam Fraudulently Induced Over 2.7 Million Unique Visits to Its Websites and Succeeded in Enrolling Approximately 169,000 Customers in Costly Credit Monitoring Services Under False Pretenses, Resulting in At Least $6.8 Million in Consumer Losses 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the guilty plea of MICHAEL BROWN for his operation of a nationwide online marketing scheme to make money by posting fake advertisements for rental properties across the United States on a classified advertisements website.  The purpose of the scheme was to fraudulently induce potential renters to enter their credit card information on credit monitoring websites owned by BROWN and pay for a credit report under false pretenses, including by automatically enrolling the customers in a paid monthly membership for credit monitoring services. BROWN pled guilty on Monday, March 30, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.  

“Many Americans rely on online websites to safely and securely search for housing,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “For years, Michael Brown perpetrated an online scam by tricking ordinary Americans looking for housing, including here in New York, into paying for services they did not need and did not want.  The defendant’s company made millions from over 160,000 victims.  Mass online fraudsters try to hide by hitting each victim for a small amount.  As demonstrated in this case, that will not work.” 

According to the charging documents and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: 

BROWN owned and operated Credit Bureau Center, LLC, formerly known as MyScore LLC (“MyScore”), a company that provided credit reports and credit monitoring services via the websites eFreeScore.com, FreeCreditNation.com, and CreditUpdates.com, among other sites (collectively, the “MyScore Websites”).  In order to drive potential customers to the MyScore Websites, BROWN employed the use of affiliate marketers.  In affiliate marketing, a seller of goods or services such as MyScore uses other firms or individuals known as “affiliates” to market the seller’s goods or services by attracting customers to the seller’s websites.

From at least in or about 2014 through at least on or about January 10, 2017, BROWN and his affiliate marketers engaged in a nationwide online marketing scheme to post fake advertisements for rental properties across the United States on a classified advertisements website (the “Advertising Website”).  The purpose of the scheme was to fraudulently induce prospective renters to enter their credit card information on the MyScore Websites and pay for a credit report under false pretenses in order to automatically enroll them in paying for a monthly membership for credit monitoring services.

The advertisements used in the scheme typically contained photos of the supposed rental properties and showcased properties in desirable locations for below-market prices in order to attract interest.  The advertisements were posted for rental properties in metropolitan areas across the United States, including, among other locations, New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In actuality, the rental properties did not exist as advertised or were not actually available for rent through the posts on the Advertising Website.  The advertisements also did not disclose the specific address of the rental properties but instead contained a contact email address inviting prospective renters to contact the property owner if they were interested in the rental property.

When prospective renters inquired about the rental properties posted on the Advertising Website by responding to the advertisements, they received a form email purporting to be from the property owner requiring the prospective renter to obtain a copy of their credit report, and referring the prospective renter to one of the MyScore Websites to obtain a credit report, before scheduling a tour of the property.  The form email typically described purported features of the advertised property and falsely informed the prospective renter, in substance and in part, that he or she was the second person to respond to the advertisement, that the first responder no longer needed the property, and that the property owner was ready to lease the property to the prospective renter with flexible terms and had just completed all new renovations. 

Once a prospective renter clicked on the hyperlink in the form email from the purported property owner to obtain a copy of their credit report, the prospective renter was directed to the “landing page” of one of the MyScore Websites.  The landing page of the MyScore Websites typically featured a large banner that stated, in substance and in part, “Get Your Free Credit Score and Report” with significantly smaller text referencing an unspecified “7-day trial” and a “Monthly membership of $29.94 automatically charged after trial.” In order to get the credit report, prospective renters were required to enter identifying information and credit card information through a series of webpages.  Once the prospective renter entered credit card information, the prospective renter was charged $1.00 and was automatically enrolled in a monthly membership for credit monitoring services with recurring charges of typically $29.94 per month until the membership was canceled.

When prospective renters responded to the purported property owner asking to schedule a tour of the advertised property now that they had a copy of their credit report, there was typically no response, as the property was not actually available for rent as advertised and the scheme had succeeded in fraudulently generating a monthly membership subscription for MyScore.  Many prospective renters who obtained a credit report from the MyScore Websites as a result of the scheme did not realize that they had been automatically enrolled in MyScore’s membership until they discovered the monthly charges on their credit card statements.  Some prospective renters also had difficulties canceling the membership when they contacted MyScore’s customer service department.

BROWN continued to execute the scheme through at least on or about January 10, 2017, despite numerous complaints during the course of the scheme from customers and consumer organizations about the fraudulent nature of the rental advertisements on the Advertising Website, the automatic enrollment of customers in MyScore’s monthly membership with recurring charges without their knowledge, and the difficulties in cancelling the monthly membership. 

In total, the scheme caused over approximately 2.7 million unique visits to the MyScore Websites and generated at least $6.8 million in revenue from at least 169,000 customers who were automatically enrolled in MyScore’s monthly membership for credit monitoring services through the scheme.

If you believe you may be a victim of the conduct described in this press release, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or use the online tips page: https://tips.fbi.gov.

BROWN, 41, of Indian Trail, North Carolina, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, for a total maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  BROWN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Failla on September 1, 2026. 

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the Federal Trade Commission for their assistance with the case.

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Issues Notification of Investigative Findings Regarding Investigation into the Death of Damon Louther

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) is today issuing a Notification of Investigative Findings regarding the investigation into the death of Damon Louther, who died on May 13, 2025 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Brooklyn. Upon completion of the investigation into Mr. Louther’s death, OSI has concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of deadly physical force was justified under the law. A final Investigation Report will follow.

About the Incident

On the afternoon of May 13, NYPD officers responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic dispute at an apartment in Brooklyn. Upon arrival, officers encountered Mr. Louther in the hallway holding a large knife. Mr. Louther advanced toward the officers with the knife and said “you’re gonna have to put a bullet in me.” One officer deployed his Taser, striking Mr. Louther, but Mr. Louther pulled the Taser prongs from his body and continued advancing toward the officers. The second officer fired his gun, striking Mr. Louther. Mr. Louther was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.

Incident Video

The incident was captured on officers’ body-worn cameras (BWC)

Still from officer’s BWC

Knife recovered during crime scene investigation

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

In cases where the evidence and legal analysis are clear and the investigation is complete, OSI may issue a Notification of Investigative Findings announcing the conclusion of the investigation. In such cases, OSI will issue the final Investigation Report, as required by law, at a later date.

SIX ALLEGED MEMBERS OF THE “SLATTERY” GANG INDICTED FOR MURDER OF 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN 2022

Defendants Allegedly Were Targeting Victim’s Brother for Disrespecting Another Murder Victim  

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that five men and a woman alleged to be members of the “Slattery” aka “Slaughtery” street gang have been indicted on second-degree Murder, Manslaughter, Attempted Murder and other related charges in the killing of a 14-year-old boy in a hail of bullets meant for his older brother. 

District Attorney Clark said, “These defendants, who were teens at the time of the incident, allegedly fired nine shots at a 16-year-old boy purportedly because he disrespected a boy killed a few months earlier, in social media postings. Instead, the target’s younger brother was killed in this vicious cycle of gun violence. His tragic death was also mocked on social media. We must change the mindset of youth to value every human life.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Yaselis Feliz (aka ‘Yaya’), 20, Diondre Martin (aka ‘Dread’, aka ‘Rasta’), 22, Juan Gomez (aka ‘Bando’), 23, David Marte (aka ‘Polo’), 20, Ethan Lopez (aka ‘E Dot’), 19, and Christian Cruz (aka ‘Flaco’), 22, were charged with second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, Attempted Murder in the second-degree, Attempted Assault in the first-degree, four counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, second-degree Robbery, first-degree Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, second-degree Conspiracy and fourth-degree Conspiracy. 

Feliz was arraigned on March 27, 2026, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Grace Park. She was remanded and is due back in court on April 20, 2026. David Marte was arraigned on March 26, 2026, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Grace Park. He was remanded and is due back in court on April 1, 2026. Christian Cruz was arraigned on March 27, 2026, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goldsmith. He was remanded. He is due back in court on June 18, 2026. Lopez and Gomez are currently incarcerated on other matters and will be arraigned at a later date. Martin has not yet been apprehended.

According to the investigation, at approximately 9:13 p.m. on November 30, 2022, on Morris Avenue, the defendants, acting in concert with one another, allegedly fired nine shots from two semi-automatic pistols at Supreme Shabazz, then 16 years old, as he was walking with his brother, Prince, 14. Prince was struck in the chest. He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

According to the investigation, the defendants fled in a vehicle that was allegedly carjacked five days prior. While driving away from the scene of the shooting the defendants allegedly recorded a cell phone video of themselves bragging about the shooting and declaring defendant Diondre Martin to be a “top shooter.” Then, Yaselis Feliz allegedly sent via text message a screenshot of the Citizen App alert about Prince’s shooting to Christian Cruz, and Cruz allegedly texted the co-defendants that they shot the wrong person.

The investigation determined that this shooting occurred on the birthday of Calvin Aaron, who was killed in rival gang territory in Manhattan on July 1, 2022.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Brandon Ravelo of the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Unit for his work in the case. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.