Mayor Mamdani Joins Bergen Bike Bus to Announce Safety Improvements for Families Biking to School in Brooklyn

City to develop street redesign featuring “bike boulevard” along Bergen Street and Dean Street 

Photo Credit: NYC DOT

On National Bike and Roll to School Day, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn rode with students and families from the Bergen Bike Bus to announce plans for a street safety redesign along the Bergen and Dean Street corridors from Court Street to East New York Avenue in Brooklyn.

The 10-mile east-west routes are key cycling corridors and home to the city’s most popular “bike bus,” a weekly caravan of parents and students traveling to school together.

The redesign will include a bike boulevard, a street design that prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access. These corridors are designed to reduce traffic, calm speeds and create safer, more comfortable routes for riders of all ages.

“Bike boulevards give families the peace of mind they need to start the day right: by enjoying a safe, easy ride to school,” said Mayor Mamdani. “From protected bike lanes to safer crossings, these redesigns make our streets work for people and encourage our youngest neighbors to grow into lifelong riders. It was such a joy to ride with the families of the Bergen Bike Bus, who have for years strapped on their helmets and pulled out their bikes to show the need for better cycling infrastructure. Now, we’re building a city that meets that vision.”

“Streets that are the envy of the world are safe for people of all ages and abilities. Biking is a healthy and fun way for children to get exercise, and with the right street design, more students can feel safe and empowered to bike to school without the requirement of a large caravan of parents to protect them,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Flynn. “We are so grateful for the parents, volunteers and caregivers of the Bergen Bike Bus and look forward to developing safer Bergen and Dean streets that will benefit all New Yorkers using these corridors each day.”

“On this National Bike & Roll to School Day we, the Bergen Bike Bus, are overjoyed by Mayor Mamdani’s announcement. Thank you to the City leaders for hearing our weekly pleas, for riding along with us and for working to give kids the recognition they deserve as citizens and street users of NYC,” said the Bergen Bike Bus. “Biking to school is an active and fun way to start the day. Biking to school can be safe not just on a bike bus, but every day. Bergen is a bike route in name, and now DOT can begin to transform it into a true Bike Boulevard, where kids, parents and all road users feel comfortable and safe. Thank you to the kids, families and team of volunteer marshals who bring joy to Brooklyn every week and who demonstrate that biking to school benefits everyone, and thank you to the City leaders for supporting this version of free buses!”

Bike boulevards vary by neighborhood and may include protected bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, traffic-calming measures and pedestrian improvements. Protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users by 18.1% and for pedestrians by 29.2%.

The project will be implemented in phases. The City plans to release a design proposal later this year, with the first phase targeted for installation in 2027. NYC DOT has also launched a new online feedback portal to begin public engagement.

The redesign will be coordinated with several ongoing planning efforts, including the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP), the Flatbush Avenue busway, the Grand Army Plaza-Prospect Heights Public Realm Plan and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign.

The announcement is part of the Mamdani administration’s initiatives during National Bike Month. Earlier this week, NYC DOT launched a feedback portal for the City’s secure bike parking program and released the 2026 Bike Map.

Two U.S. Nationals Sentenced for Facilitating Fraudulent Remote Information Technology Worker Schemes to Generate Revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

These Represent the 7th and 8th Sentences of U.S.-Based “Laptop Farmers” Secured in last 5 Months as part of Ongoing Efforts to Disrupt North Korea’s Illicit Revenue Generation 

The Justice Department today announced the sentencings in separate cases of two U.S. nationals, Matthew Issac Knoot, of Nashville, Tennessee, and Erick Ntekereze Prince, of New York, for their roles in facilitating Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) remote information technology (IT) workers. Knoot was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Prince was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Both men received and hosted laptop computers at their residences that victim U.S. companies shipped to IT workers they had hired and who the victim companies believed were located at the defendants’ residences.

Knoot and Prince also installed remote desktop applications on laptops that enabled their co-conspirators to work from locations overseas while appearing to the victim companies to be working from the defendants’ residences. In total, the defendants’ separate fraudulent schemes generated more than $1.2 million in revenue for the DPRK and impacted nearly 70 victim companies in the United States.

“These sentences hold accountable U.S nationals who enabled North Korea’s illicit efforts to infiltrate U.S. networks and profit on the back of U.S. companies,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “These defendants helped North Korean ‘IT workers’ masquerade as legitimate employees, compromising U.S. corporate networks and helping generate revenue for a heavily sanctioned and rogue regime. The National Security Division will continue to pursue those who, through deception and cyber-enabled fraud, threaten our national security.”

“These kind of foreign-based attacks on American businesses will not be tolerated and those involved will be held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This case demonstrates our coordinated effort with federal law enforcement to protect businesses in Tennessee and across the country.”

“This scheme shows how national security threats now enter through ordinary business systems,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants helped North Korean IT workers pose as legitimate employees, gain access to American companies, and generate money for a sanctioned regime. These were not paperwork violations. They were deliberate acts that exposed U.S. businesses, compromised trust, and supported one of the world’s most dangerous adversaries. These sentences send a clear message: if you help foreign actors infiltrate American companies for profit, you will face federal prison and lose the money you made.”

“The FBI and our partners will continue to disrupt North Korea’s ability to circumvent sanctions and fund its totalitarian regime,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “These cases should leave no doubt that Americans who choose to facilitate these schemes will be identified and held accountable. Hosting laptops for DPRK IT workers is a federal crime which directly impacts our national security, and these sentences should serve as a warning to anyone considering it.”

Southern District of Florida: U.S. v. Erick Ntekereze Prince

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles for the Southern District of Florida sentenced Prince to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Prince was also ordered to forfeit $89,000, which is the amount the DPRK IT workers paid him for his assistance with the scheme.

According to court documents, Prince enabled at least three DPRK IT workers to obtain remote employment at U.S. companies from approximately June 2020 through August 2024. In furtherance of the scheme, Prince used his company Taggcar Inc. to fraudulently supply “certified” IT workers to victim U.S. companies, knowing that the IT workers were located outside the United States and using false and stolen identities to gain employment. In addition, Prince hosted victim U.S. company-provided laptops at New York residences and installed remote access software on those laptops without authorization so that the DPRK IT workers could create the false appearance that they were remote working from Prince’s residence.

On Jan. 21, 2025, Prince, U.S. national Emanuel Ashtor, Mexican national Pedro Ernesto Alonso de los Reyes, and North Korean nationals Jin Sung-il and Pak Jin-Song were charged by indictment alleging their participation in a criminal scheme that obtained work for North Korean IT workers from more than 64 U.S. companies. The victim companies paid the DPRK IT workers associated in this case more than $943,069 in salary payments, the vast majority of which were sent to the IT workers overseas. Prince’s and his conspirators’ actions also caused the victim companies more than $1 million in costs associated with auditing and remediating their devices, systems, and networks. Ashtor is awaiting trial, de los Reyes is in custody in The Netherlands awaiting extradition, and the Sung-il and Jin-Song are fugitives.

The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cronin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. of NSD’s National Security Cyber Section prosecuted the case.

Today’s announcement represents the Department’s latest actions to combat North Korean IT worker schemes as part of a joint NSD and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January 2025, June 2025, November 2025, and April 2026.

As described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024, January 2025, and July 2025, North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere.  North Korean IT workers leverage these third parties, which include U.S.-based individuals, to gain fraudulent employment and access to U.S. company networks to generate this revenue.

Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs.

The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion.

Middle District of Tennessee: U.S. v. Matthew Isaac Knoot

On May 1, the U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson for the Middle District of Tennessee sentenced Knoot to 18 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Knoot was also ordered to pay $15,100 in restitution to the victim companies, and to forfeit an additional $15,100, which is the amount the DPRK IT workers paid him for his assistance with the scheme.

According to court documents, Knoot ran a laptop farm from his Nashville residences between approximately July 2022 and August 2023. The victim companies shipped laptops addressed to “Andrew M.” to Knoot’s residences. Following receipt of the laptops, and without authorization, Knoot logged on to the laptops, downloaded and installed unauthorized remote desktop applications, and accessed the victim companies’ networks. The remote desktop applications enabled a North Korean IT worker to work from locations in China, while appearing to the victim companies that “Andrew M.” was working from Knoot’s residences in Nashville.

On Aug. 7, 2024, Knoot was charged by indictment alleging his participation in a criminal scheme that obtained work for North Korean IT workers from at least four U.S. companies. The victim companies paid the DPRK IT workers associated with Knoot’s laptop farm more than $250,000 for their work between approximately July 2022 and August 2023. Most, if not all, of this sum was falsely reported to the IRS and Social Security Administration in the name of the actual U.S. person, Andrew M., whose identity the conspirators had stolen. Knoot’s and his conspirators’ actions also caused the victim companies more than $500,000 in costs associated with auditing and remediating their devices, systems, and networks. Knoot and the DPRK IT workers conspired to receive payments from the victim companies and transfer those funds to Knoot and to accounts outside of the United States, including accounts associated with North Korean and Chinese individuals. Knoot’s role in this scheme ended when the FBI executed a court-authorized search of his home on Aug. 8, 2023, after which Knoot made multiple false and misleading statements and destroyed evidence to obstruct the investigation.

The FBI Nashville Field Office investigated the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia Jr. of the National Security Division (NSD)’s National Security Cyber Section prosecuted the case, with significant assistance from Paralegal Specialist Shelby Duty.

Attorney General James Stops Forged Temporary License Plate Scheme Operating in Brooklyn

Tyheem Evans Used Instagram to Sell Forged Temporary License Plates to Customers in New York and Nationwide

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrest and sentencing of Tyheem Evans, 28, of Brooklyn, for selling more than 50 forged temporary license plates to customers throughout New York and in other states. An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) found that Evans used Instagram to advertise and sell forged temporary license plates to customers, claiming these plates were valid in every state. Evans’ scheme lasted over a year and defrauded at least 52 customers across multiple states. Evans pleaded guilty today in Kings County Criminal Court to one felony count for creating and selling forged license plates.

“Tyheem Evans defrauded drivers and the DMV with a petty scheme to line his own pockets while making our roads less safe,” said Attorney General James. “I thank our partners in law enforcement and the DMV for their invaluable assistance in this case and their work ensuring all those who violate the law are held accountable. I encourage all New Yorkers seeking license plates to follow the legal process and register with the DMV.”

“This defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for using social media to advertise and sell forged temporary license plates for a fee to more than four dozen customers,” said DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata. “Forged temporary license plates undercut safety on our roads by creating ‘ghost cars’ that render drivers untraceable and can also disguise other offenses such as the failure to properly register a car with the Department of Motor Vehicles. I thank the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles for their partnership on this investigation and their commitment to protecting drivers from the serious impact of fraud.”

“I want to commend the work of our DMV investigators and the collaboration with the Attorney General’s office and other law enforcement to bring this dangerous scheme to a halt,” said DMV Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt. “It has been a top priority of Governor Hochul’s administration to crack down on efforts to stop those who would use fake plates to get out of paying their fair share for registering vehicles or for the tolls that go to cover the cost of maintaining New York’s roads, not to mention those who have made use of fake plates in the process of committing a crime. We will find you and you will be held responsible for your actions.”

The investigation revealed that between April 2022 and September 2023, Evans used an Instagram page he controlled, @DMVTemps, to advertise and sell 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day temporary license plates, which he claimed were valid in any state. Evans charged up to $210 per license plate and sold more than 50 forged temporary license plates for states including California, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia, among others.

Fraudulent temporary license plates create “ghost cars” that can evade tolls and tickets and render a driver untraceable in the event of a crash or a crime. These plates also obscure the fact that a car has not been lawfully registered with the DMV and may not be fully insured.

Evans utilized direct messaging on Instagram to collect information from customers on their cars, including make, model, year, color, and VIN. He then directed customers to send money to him via Zelle. Once Evans received the funds, he used his personal email account to send the forged temporary license plates as PDF attachments to his customers. 

Evans pleaded guilty today before Judge Jane Tully to one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree (a class D felony). Evans was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge and 100 hours of community service.

The OAG thanks the DOI and DMV for their partnership in the investigation and prosecution of this case. 

The investigation was handled by DOI Deputy Inspector General Jordan Buff with DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for the New York City Department of Transportation, under the supervision of Inspector General Kathryn Spota, Associate Commissioner Robert Galindo, Acting Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Audrey Feldman, and Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives Christopher Ryan, with assistance from DOI’s NYPD Detective Squad. DMV Senior Investigator Carina Bonora also assisted in the investigation. 

‘Master Agreements’ Used for Billions in Spending with Little Transparency

Comptroller Urges Clearer Picture of Spending on Contracts Amid Budget Constraints 

Comptroller Mark Levine today issued a new report examining the effectiveness and transparency of “Master Agreements” deployed over the last four years to swiftly purchase goods and services. Agencies employ “Master Agreements” when there is an anticipated need in the future, but don’t yet know how much or how often they’ll need to make purchases. The findings illustrate a greater need to reform New York City’s “Master Agreements,” which have been found to often stretch past their estimated values.  

“New Yorkers must be able to trust that government is on their side, wisely spending tax dollars and delivering services quickly and effectively. The City’s ability to make vital purchases faster should not come at the cost of transparency for how taxpayer dollars are being spent,” said New York City Comptroller Mark Levine. “Without a clear record of what the City is buying, waste flourishes. We are hard at work to restore New Yorkers trust in government while fighting to have a clear, accurate accounting of our spending at a moment of budget strain.”  

“Master Agreements” allow agencies to have an “on-call” relationship with awarded vendors under pre-arranged contractual terms, allowing them to speed up what is otherwise a lengthy procurement process. Once “Master Agreements” are established, actual purchases are made via Delivery Orders, but the systems tracking those records often lack key details such as the quantity of units purchased. 

A review of the City’s master agreements found:  

• Billions Spent Across Tens of Thousands of Delivery Orders. From Fiscal Years 2022 to 2025, City agencies made an average of 28,057 Delivery Orders annually, equaling more than $8.8 billion over that four-year period. That yearly average was well over the 12,900 new contracts the City signed in FY2025, illustrating the volume of purchases made under these agreements.  

• Inaccurate Estimates, Limited Information.  A deeper dive of completed “Master Agreements” since 2015 found one-third far exceeded their estimates, while another third of them were significantly underspent. Together over this ten-year period, “Master Agreements” overspent what they expected goods and services would cost by $1.6 billion – meaning the City may have missed opportunities to ensure the best possible price. Checkbook NYC users can see the cost of Delivery Orders made under “Master Agreements,” but often not what exactly the City is buying, the quantity, from whom, or the manufacturer.  

• Less Oversight on Fast-Tracked Procurement. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) also has the ability to enter specific types of “Master Agreements” called “Accelerated Procurement” contracts to speed up the bidding process. For context, the City entered 346 of these contracts worth more than $625 million since FY22. These contracts are exempt from public hearing requirements and don’t have to be registered with the Comptroller’s Office – depriving them of the same level of oversight as most City contracts.  

• Opportunities for Streamlined, Modernized Systems. Only a handful of Delivery Orders are made through tools that function similarly to online shopping portals for items the city needs. Placing more Delivery Orders through these systems would improve the City’s ability to better capture greater details on what is actually being purchased.  

The Comptroller’s Office offered four key recommendations to balance transparency with the nimbleness required for Master Agreement transactions: 

• Develop a Centralized System for Managing All ‘Master Agreement’ Purchases. Bringing together “Master Agreement” purchases under a centralized system for all “Master Agreement” transactions would provide greater transparency by automating the capture of all key details for these purchases. Having such a system generate Delivery Orders would also take a significant burden off agency staff, who in many cases must manually create each record.  

• Combined Effort on Data Transparency. The Mayor and Comptroller should jointly ensure that data flowing between PASSPort and the City’s Financial Management System be upgraded to capture all transaction details. The public would therefore be able to see order quantities, unit prices, and other key details on Checkbook NYC.  

• Better Estimations for ‘Master Agreement’ Needs. Because agencies such as DCAS rely on tools like optional agency surveys, decisionmakers often struggle to estimate future demand – in turn making it harder for them to negotiate the best price for taxpayers. Improving access to complete and centralized data on the City’s “Master Agreement” purchases would help agencies like DCAS or the Office of Technology and Innovation to develop more accurate needs forecasts. 

• Identify Cost Savings Opportunities. As the City seeks to identify savings and efficiencies in its budget, the Mayor’s Office should examine the high share of “Master Agreements” to better understand where or how the City may have overpaid for goods and services. Better oversight and planning can potentially drive down those costs, as well as help the City renegotiate better rates.  

You can click here to read the full report: https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/the-monty-hall-contracts-unchecked-spending-across-the-citys-master-agreements 

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND MULTIPLE TIMES

 

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Attempted Murder; Bullets Remain Lodged in Victim’s Body 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a Bronx man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for Attempted Murder second-degree for shooting his ex-girlfriend multiple times on a Bronx street. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant approached his ex-girlfriend outside her building and pulled out a firearm and shot her in the back as she fled. He then shot her in the face as she lay on the ground. I hope this sentence will give the victim some peace as she continues to move forward with her life after surviving this vicious crime.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Charles Murray, 41, of Hamden Place, the Bronx, was sentenced on April 30, 2026 to 15 years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Audrey Stone. Murray pleaded guilty to Attempted Murder seconddegree on March 20, 2026.

According to the investigation, at approximately 3:54 p.m. on February 6, 2024, the defendant approached his former girlfriend, Laura Vega in front of her apartment building. He questioned her about another man, then took a gun from his coat pocket, and as Ms. Vega proceeded to run Murray shot her in the back and neck. After the victim fell to the ground Murray stood over her and shot her in the face. She was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals Lincoln. While she has recovered from the shooting, bullets are still lodged within her body.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Sean Kelly of the Bronx Warrants Squad for his work in the investigation. 

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $22 Million Affordable and Supportive Housing Development in Ulster County

Silver Gardens Brings 57 Modern Apartments For Seniors Near Downtown Highland

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of Silver Gardens, a 57-unit affordable senior housing development in the Hamlet of Highland, Town of Lloyd, Ulster County. The $22 million project includes 29 supportive units and is located near parks, public transportation, retail and healthcare — providing a place for seniors to live affordably and close to the essentials they need to live independently. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has created or preserved more than 9,200 affordable homes in the Hudson Valley, including 1,200 in Ulster County. Silver Gardens continues this effort and is part of Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

“My administration is committed to creating more affordable, modern, livable communities for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “Not only is Silver Gardens providing affordable homes, it’s also offering a supportive community where older residents have access to the services and amenities they need to live full, independent lives. Our thanks to RUPCO and all of our partners for bringing this important project to fruition.”

All apartments at Silver Gardens are reserved for residents aged 62 and older and are affordable to households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. There are 29 units reserved for eligible tenants in need of on-site support services, including those struggling with homelessness. Support services include self-advocacy support, socialization activities, educational training and transportation coordination with public transit or medical transportation providers.

Silver Gardens’ central location gives residents convenient access to everyday essentials including transportation, recreation, work opportunities and health services. It is adjacent to Franny Reese State Park and close to Highland’s downtown area, bus service, a supermarket and a shopping center.

The all-electric building features a geothermal heating and cooling system, as well as ENERGY STAR appliances. The project received 2020 Enterprise Green Communities Plus certification. The development includes fully accessible and adaptable apartments. There are six units to accommodate residents with mobility impairments and three units to accommodate residents with sensory disabilities.

The developer is RUPCO with Girondini LLC as co-developer. RUPCO is also providing the on-site support services.

Silver Gardens is supported by HCR’s Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, which generated $10.5 million in equity, $5 million from its Senior Housing Program, and $1.7 million from its Federal Housing Trust Fund. The development also benefits from more than $425,000 in Clean Energy Initiative funding, a partnership between HCR and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Community Preservation Corporation provided $1.4 million in permanent financing, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York’s Affordable Housing Program provided $1.4 million, and Ulster County provided $600,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Operating expenses for the supportive apartments will be subsidized through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award administered by the New York State Department of Health.

 Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and livable for all New Yorkers. Since FY23, the Governor has worked to increase housing supply to make housing more affordable by launching a $25 billion five-year comprehensive Housing Plan, enacted the most significant housing deal in decades and implemented new protections for renters and homeowners. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, HCR has created new programs that jumpstart development of affordable and mixed-income homes — for both renters and homebuyers. These include the Pro-Housing Community Program, which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. More than 410 communities throughout the state have been certified Pro-Housing, including the Town of Lloyd.

As part of Governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State, the Governor proposed her “Let Them Build” agenda, a series of landmark reforms to speed up housing and infrastructure development and lower costs. This initiative will spur a series of common-sense reforms to New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and executive actions to expedite critical categories of projects that have been consistently found to not have significant environmental impacts, but for too long have been caught up in red tape and subject to lengthy delays.

The FY27 Executive Budget completes the Governor’s current five-year Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 81,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved to date. The Executive Budget also invests $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes.

Mayor Mamdani, HPD Announce Largest-Ever Penalty Against Negligent Bronx Landlords

Court judgements include $31 million in penalties, appointment of Chief Restructuring Officer to ensure repairs are made   

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Dina Levy announced the City has secured a record $31 million in penalties against the owners of Robert Fulton Terrace and Fordham Towers in the Bronx – the largest penalty ever obtained by HPD.

The City also secured the appointment of an independent Chief Restructuring Officer as part of the court judgements, froze over $900,000 from the owners’ bank accounts, and negotiated to release those funds to the Chief Restructuring Officer to make sure critical repairs are completed for residents across nearly 500 apartments.

The Mamdani administration is also calling on the Federal National Mortgage Association, Fannie Mae, which has initiated foreclosure proceedings on the buildings, to work with HPD and tenants to identify a preservation buyer who will serve as a responsible, long-term steward of these homes. Originally built as stable, middle-income housing, the buildings have fallen into neglect.

“For years, tenants at Robert Fulton Terrace and Fordham Towers have been forced to live with vermin infestations, chronic elevator outages and a lack of heat and hot water – while their landlords met their suffering with silence. Today, that neglect is finally met with consequences,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This administration secured the largest penalty in HPD’s history because no landlord is above the law. But penalties alone are not enough. We are taking control of the situation to make sure repairs are made and conditions are permanently improved. Every New Yorker deserve safe, dignified housing.”

“Every tenant in New York City has the right to a safe and well-maintained home — but for the residents of Robert Fulton Terrace and Fordham Towers, that right has been out of reach for too long. Our administration will use every tool at our disposal to deliver repairs and better management for the tenants of these buildings,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “I’m inspired by the organized tenants and grateful to the teams at HPD, the Legal Aid Society and Our Bronx for fighting for accountability and improvements.”

“In the Mamdani administration, the Mayor of New York City is on tenants’ side. This judgement is not just a step forward for the tenants of these buildings — it is a sign of a new era of leadership, where the City works hand-in-hand with organized tenants to deliver a fairer city for all New Yorkers,” said Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in a long and difficult history for these buildings and these tenants,” said Dina Levy, HPD Commissioner. “This is a story I know well: I organized tenants here back in 2009, when they were first coming out of Mitchell-Lama. Since then, tenants have been subject to decades of mistreatment, but that comes to an end today: Thanks to aggressive litigation by HPD’s Anti-Harassment Unit, we now have a record $31m judgement against the owners. That gives us leverage in bankruptcy proceedings, which we’ll use to deliver better outcomes for residents.”

Tenants in these buildings have reported years of neglect, including persistent elevator outages, lack of heat and hot water, vermin infestation, and hundreds of unresolved violations. The owners, Karan Singh and Rajmattie Persaud, have been included on the Public Advocate’s Worst Landlords List.

The litigation, first filed in 2024, was brought by the Anti-Harassment Unit within HPD’s Housing Litigation Division.

Permits Filed for 2095 Tillotson Avenue in Eastchester, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a four-story residential building at 2095 Tillotson Avenue in Eastchester, The Bronx. Located at the intersection of Hunter Avenue and Tillotson Avenue, the corner lot is near the Baychester Avenue subway station, served by the 5 train. Tucker Shane is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 40-foot-tall development will yield 33,751 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 34 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 992 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have eight open parking spaces.

Nikolai Katz is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.