Brooklyn Man Convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Child

 

Defendant Groomed 13-Year-Old Girls He Met Online and Paid Them to Produce Sexually Explicit Videos and Photos

Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Dewitt John on both counts of a superseding indictment charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and accessing with intent to view child pornography.  The verdict was returned after a three-day trial before United States Circuit Judge Denny Chin, sitting in the Eastern District of New York by designation. When sentenced, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment. 
 
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.

“From behind his computer screen, Dewitt John preyed on vulnerable children online, exploiting their innocence for his own gratification and using cash payments to coerce minors as young as 13 into producing sexually explicit videos of themselves,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This conviction demonstrates our Office’s unwavering commitment to protecting children from online predators. We will continue working tirelessly to identify and hold accountable those who exploit the most vulnerable members of our community.”

“Dewitt John preyed on these children’s fear and innocence to force them to comply with his depraved demands.  These victims bravely faced their fears in court to testify against their abuser to ensure he can’t hurt anyone else.  May today’s guilty verdict serve as a warning to other predators that the FBI is determined to hold accountable those who sexually exploit vulnerable children,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

As proved at trial, in or about March 2024, John identified a 13-year-old girl who had posted photographs of herself on a Reddit forum and whose posts disclosed her age.  John offered to pay the girl for her for photographs and then initiated contact on Instagram.  John proceeded to groom the victim by sending her money through Cash App in exchange for sexually explicit videos of herself.  Despite the victim expressing discomfort and reluctance to comply, John continued to pressure and coerce her into producing the material.  During the course of this conduct, John sent the victim explicit and graphic messages describing the sexual acts he wanted her to perform.

As further demonstrated at trial, John also targeted a second 13-year-old minor victim through similar online methods, grooming her and inducing her to send him naked images of herself for his gratification. 
 
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Mayor Mamdani, HPD Kick Off Public Engagement Process for New Affordable Housing and Community Services in Bedford-Stuyvesant

 

“Fulton-Howard West” marks first public site engagement launched under the Mamdani administration

 

Project will deliver 100% affordable housing alongside new community and social service space    

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Dina Levy and Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Erin Dalton announced the launch of a public engagement process to transform a City-owned site in Bedford-Stuyvesant into a mixed-use development with 100% affordable housing and expanded social services.

The Fulton-Howard West site includes the Bedford-Stuyvesant Multi-Service Center (MSC) and adjacent vacant City-owned land on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. This spring and summer, HPD and the Human Resources Administration (HRA) will lead a robust community engagement process that will inform a future Request for Proposals to develop the site.

The new project will deliver hundreds of affordable homes, new community amenities and modernized space for the organizations currently operating out of the Multi-Service Center, which is in significant disrepair.

The development advances the goals of the administration’s Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) executive order, by using public lands to address both the City’s housing shortage and longstanding community infrastructure needs.

“New York City is facing a dire housing crisis, and we are using every tool available to build the affordable homes New Yorkers need. Fulton-Howard West shows what’s possible when we treat public land as a public good. This project will help longtime Bed-Stuy residents stay in their neighborhood while creating new space for the organizations and services that communities rely on every day. And as this process moves forward, neighbors will help shape what gets built here, from the housing to the public space to the services that will serve this community for decades to come,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“Building affordable housing on public land is a commonsense step to deliver a more affordable city. With the development of Fulton-Howard West, we’ll ensure the project is doing double duty: not just delivering much-needed housing but also providing important services from City agencies and our partners. With the LIFT Task Force and our work on public sites across the city, we’ll continue working to deliver even more vital, community-driven projects like this one,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.

“This building will not only be in Bed-Stuy, it will be for Bed-Stuy,” said Dina Levy, HPD Commissioner. “Starting today, we’ll be in the neighborhood at workshops and on the streets, engaging the community on what they want to see here. 100% percent affordable housing on public land with a dedicated community space designed for the residents that live here—that is the investment Bed-Stuy needs, and we are going to get it right.”

“In order to effectively address New York City’s housing crisis, we must use every resource at our disposal to develop more housing, and that starts with the land the city already controls. We are incredibly excited to be a part of this project which will not only bring much-needed, affordable housing to this city-owned site, but ensure that the wide array of services available at the MSC will continue uninterrupted during the development process,” said DSS First Deputy Commissioner Saratu Ghartey. “We will be working closely with all stakeholders at the MSC on a smooth transition and look forward to facilitating these critical services within this new, high-quality site.”

The future development site includes the Bedford-Stuyvesant MSC at 1958 Fulton Street, including the former P.S. 28 school building and adjacent track and open space, along with neighboring vacant City-owned land. The site was identified in the 2020 Bedford-Stuyvesant Housing Plan as a potential location for future affordable housing development.

Organizations currently operating at the MSC provide homelessness prevention services, education, arts and social justice programming and mentorship programs. Those services will remain in operation until construction begins, and the City has committed to ensuring continuity of services throughout the development process. The organizations will ultimately relocate into newly constructed space within the completed development.

The Fulton-Howard West engagement process is the first public site engagement initiative launched under the Mamdani administration and builds on broader efforts to accelerate affordable housing production on public land. On his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Orders 4 and 5, establishing the LIFT and Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development (SPEED) task forces.

The LIFT Task Force is charged with identifying City-owned sites suitable for housing development, while the SPEED Task Force is focused on reducing delays in housing production by reforming approval, financing and lease-up processes.

The administration has also proposed the City’s first-ever Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP) to shorten approval timelines for affordable housing developments and launched the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track program to accelerate affordable housing development on City-owned land. Together those initiatives are expected to reduce the predevelopment timeline for affordable housing projects by more than two years.   

New York Man Sentenced for Foreign Murder of a U.S. National in Bangladesh

Today, a Bronx man was sentenced in New York for the June 2021 murder of a U.S. national in Bangladesh.

Ganet Rozario, 54, a U.S. citizen from New York, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Rozario previously pleaded guilty to one count of foreign murder of a U.S. national.

According to court documents and statements read in court, Rozario used a shotgun to kill his uncle, Michael Rozario, in Bangladesh. Both men are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from Bangladesh. The men had been involved in a years-long property dispute over the family home located in Munshiganji, Bangladesh. During a visit to Bangladesh in 2021, both men were staying at the property.

On the evening of June 11, 2021, Ganet went outside the family home to smoke a cigarette near his uncle’s bedroom window. While outside, he overheard his uncle, who was inside the house, insulting him. Ganet became angry, went back into the house, retrieved a shotgun, and went back outside. After shouting words to the effect of “you will not see the sun tomorrow,” Ganet fired a single shot through an opaque window shutter striking Michael Rozario on his right stomach and abdomen area, killing him. Ganet returned to the United States in July 2023 and was indicted for the murder of his uncle in April 2024.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York made the announcement.

The FBI Los Angeles and New York Field Offices investigated this case.

Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance to the case. The Justice Department thanks the Government of Bangladesh for their cooperation. 

Bronx Man Serving Federal Sentence At Residential Reentry Center Charged With Hate Crime

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging SHORAI MOORE with one count of committing a hate crime in connection with his assault of a gay man on April 1, 2026.  MOORE was arrested this morning and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. 

“All New Yorkers deserve to live in their communities free from hate-fueled violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Hate undermines all that we hold dear in New York, including providing opportunity to all.  No one should be targeted because of their sexual orientation.  This Office, working with our state and federal law enforcement partners, will always protect New Yorkers from hateful, violent crimes.

“This alleged assault traumatized an innocent victim due to his sexual orientation,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “The FBI’s Hate Crimes Task Force is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities against violence driven by hate.”

“This defendant—who was already serving a federal sentence at a residential reentry facility—violently attacked a gay man based on the victim’s sexual orientation,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.  “Bias-motivated crimes tear at the fabric of society, and the NYPD will never tolerate hate of any kind in our city.  I thank our NYPD investigators, our partners at the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District for their work in this case, for their efforts to bring this criminal to justice.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and other public filings: 

On April 1, 2026, MOORE was serving a term of imprisonment for narcotics trafficking at a Federal Bureau of Prisons residential reentry center in the Bronx, New York.  On that day, MOORE, while standing outside a Bronx deli, yelled anti-gay slurs and statements, including that gay people should “get off the block,” before assaulting a gay victim with his fist, a recycling bin, and a plastic crate. 

MOORE, 31, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of committing a hate crime, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 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 defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Jones and Madison Reddick Smyser are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.   

Attorney General James Successfully Protects Critical Counterterrorism Funding

 

Trump Administration Drops Appeal After AG James Wins Lawsuit Blocking Unlawful Cuts to Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness Funds

New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured a final victory in her lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from unlawfully cutting critical public safety funding to New York and other states. Attorney General James and 11 other attorneys general sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on September 29 after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) abruptly cut funding from states that refused to support the administration’s mass deportation agenda. In December, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted Attorney General James’ motion for summary judgment, and today the Trump administration dropped its appeal, ending the case and preserving critical homeland security funding for New York.

“The Trump administration has finally abandoned its campaign to put New Yorkers in harm’s way by withholding critical counterterrorism and emergency preparedness funds,” said Attorney General James. “These funds help law enforcement protect our communities, prepare for emergencies, and defend essential infrastructure from threats. This is a major win for public safety, and I will always fight to ensure New York receives the resources we need to keep people safe.”

On September 27, without notice or explanation and just four days before the end of the federal fiscal year, DHS and FEMA significantly cut funding to states that were unwilling to divert law enforcement resources away from core public safety services to assist with federal immigration enforcement. FEMA then redistributed those funds to other states.

New York’s homeland security funding was cut by 79 percent, totaling more than $100 million. These funds support counterterrorism activities, border security measures along the Canadian border, and efforts to protect essential infrastructure, including power grids and water systems, throughout the state. The grant programs also direct tens of millions of dollars each year to the New York City Police Department and the New York City Fire Department for training and planning to protect high-risk areas of the city.

In December, the U.S. District Court ordered DHS to amend the Homeland Security Grant Program awards issued to the plaintiff states to reflect the funding levels it had previously committed to allocating before the last-minute cuts. After initially appealing that decision, DHS has now agreed to dismiss its appeal, ensuring that states will continue to receive full federal funding for these essential programs and bringing the litigation to a successful conclusion.

Joining Attorney General James in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governor of Pennsylvania.

Governor Hochul Announces Agreement on FY 2027 State Budget

Major Investments, Including Comprehensive Path to Universal Child Care, Will Make New York More Affordable for Families

Budget Reforms Will Mean Lower Auto Insurance Premiums for New Yorkers

Tackles Energy Costs With Sweeping Affordability Package, Including $1 Billion Energy Rebate To Provide Utility Relief to New Yorkers and New Ratepayer Protection Program To Guard Against Rate Increases and Spiraling Costs

Budget Includes Comprehensive Protections Against Unprecedented Escalation in Aggressive Federal Immigration Enforcement by ICE

Enacts Nation-Leading Online Protections and Privacy Requirements To Protect Children From Predators and AI Chatbots

Landmark Reforms Cut Red Tape To Build More Housing and Infrastructure Faster and More Affordably

First-In-Nation Law Will Crack Down on 3D Printed Ghost Guns

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced an agreement has been reached with legislative leaders on key priorities in the Fiscal Year 2027 New York State Budget.

“I promised a Budget that works for working people and expands opportunities for all New Yorkers and I was not going to back down from that fight,” Governor Hochul said. “Alongside my partners in the Legislature, today we are delivering on that promise. This Budget includes sweeping changes to lower costs, enhance public safety, protect our communities from federal overreach and invest in the future of New York families.”

Providing Universal Child Care

In this State Budget, Governor Hochul is putting New York State on a concrete path to universal, affordable child care, beginning with committing to investments that will support the delivery of affordable child care to up to 100,000 additional children.

The Governor's landmark investment will increase funding by $1.7 billion bringing the total FY27 investment to $4.5 billion for child care and pre-kindergarten services statewide.

These investments will:

• Make Pre-K truly universal statewide with funding to make high-quality Pre-K seats available for all four-year-olds in New York by the start of the 2028-29 school year and increasing State grants to existing programs to ensure high-quality care.
• Partner with New York City to launch the new 2-Care program and finally realize the promise of universal 3K access in New York City.
• Enhance the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help defray childcare expenses for 230,000 New York families by providing an average benefit of $576.
• Support the development of New York’s ‘First 3’ program, which will partner with counties to offer high-quality, affordable child care to children 0-3 regardless of income.
• Make historic investments in the Child Care Assistance Program, delivering high-quality, affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional young New Yorkers that is capped at $15 a week for most families.
• Support the child care workforce through early childhood educator preparation.

Alongside these commitments, the Governor will launch an Office of Child Care and Early Education to steer the implementation of high-quality, universal child care for New York families, and will work to enhance awareness of the Empire State Child Credit to ensure as many families as possible benefit from the Governor’s historic expansion of New York’s child tax credit, which increased the credit from $330 per child to $1,000 per child for children under four and $500 per child for children ages four through 16.

Lowering Auto Insurance Rates for Everyday New Yorkers

New Yorkers pay some of the highest car insurance rates in the nation, totaling just over $4,000 annually on average — nearly $1,500 above the national average. Car insurance rates are driven up by a combination of fraud, litigation, legal loopholes, and enforcement gaps, with staged crashes and associated insurance fraud inflating everyone’s premiums by as much as $300 per year on average according to some estimates.

The final Budget will put money back in New Yorkers pockets via a series of common-sense legislative reforms that will ensure bad actors and fraudsters cannot exploit the system and will hold insurers accountable to ensure that their savings are passed on to consumers.

The final State Budget will:

• Cap payouts for drivers engaging in criminal behavior at the time of the incident, including uninsured motorists, drunk drivers, and drivers in the act of committing a felony.
• Better define what actually constitutes a ‘serious injury’ so that damages for pain and suffering or emotional distress are reserved for those able to objectively demonstrate that they have suffered a serious injury.
• Ensure that if a driver is found to be mostly at fault for causing an accident, they cannot claim outsized payments for damages.
• Prevent insurance companies from exorbitantly raising rates by setting a legal threshold that prevents excess profits and returns savings to consumers.
• Create new regulatory safeguards to prevent insurance companies from raising rates without seeking express approval from the Department of Financial Services.
• Protect consumers by prohibiting insurance companies from setting rates based on extraneous, personal factors like homeownership status, occupation, education level or zip code.
• These measures come in addition to the Governor’s whole-of-government approach to combatting fraud by tasking DFS, DMV, DCJS and NYSP with a more proactive and coordinated approach to enforcement. 

Tackling Utility Costs

New Yorkers deserve reliable energy at a price they can afford, which is why the final State Budget includes a comprehensive energy affordability package designed to put money back into New Yorkers’ pockets and protect against future drivers of rate increases.

The final State Budget will include a one-time, $1 billion energy rebate to provide relief to New Yorkers dealing with rising energy costs.

The Budget also includes a Ratepayer Protection Plan comprised of a sweeping set of reforms to modernize the Public Service Law, demand strict fiscal discipline from utilities and empower the State to fight more effectively for lower bills. The Budget will:

• Tie executive pay directly to customer affordability.
• Require utilities to present a Budget constrained option that keeps their operating and capital costs below the rate of inflation when requesting a rate increase to ensure efficiency and affordability are prioritized.
• Ensure customers do not foot the bill for hidden costs like lobbying, political contributions and unnecessary executive travel.

The final State Budget also includes measures to:

• Invest millions more into the EmPower+ program, which has helped nearly 42,000 low- and moderate-income households across the state finance energy improvements, saving families about $600 per year on their utility bills.
• Modernize the way utility rate cases are reviewed to help keep prices manageable.
• Incentivize the use of smart technology to help reduce energy usage and bills.

This is in addition to other work the Governor has announced to drive down energy rates for consumers, such as her proposal to ensure large data centers pay their fair share for energy.

In addition, the final State Budget will enact common-sense changes to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that continues the state’s nation-leading commitment to clean energy and climate goals while at the same time prioritizing affordability.

Comprehensive Immigration Protections

Amid an unprecedented escalation in aggressive federal immigration enforcement by ICE, the final State Budget will include a comprehensive plan that will expand protections for New Yorkers, safeguard basic rights, and hold federal immigration officials accountable. The plan will:

• Prohibit local law enforcement from being deputized by ICE for federal civil immigration enforcement by eliminating 287(g) agreements, barring state and local police from acting as civil immigration agents, or using taxpayer-funded resources or personnel to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement and detention.
• Establish a state right to sue federal, state, and local officials, including ICE officers, for constitutional violations.
• Deny ICE permission from entering sensitive locations – including schools, libraries, health care facilities, polling locations, and homes – without a judicial warrant.
• Ban federal, state, and local law enforcement from wearing masks while on duty.
• Strictly prohibit the use of state, local or school civil resources—including employee time—for civil immigration enforcement activities.
• Ensure all students can access education without fear of ICE interference, codifying the right to a free public education regardless of immigration status.

Let Them Build

The final State Budget will include landmark reforms to cut red tape and speed up the building of critically needed housing and infrastructure projects that often face extensive delays and raise costs for New Yorkers. The Budget will include a series of common sense changes to modernize the fifty-year old State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to expedite critical projects that have been consistently found not to have any significant environmental impacts. By allowing projects that localities want to move forward that will not harm the environment to do so faster, these actions will make it easier and more affordable to deliver the new housing and infrastructure that New Yorkers need while we continue to preserve our environment and conserve New York’s natural resources.

The Budget will:

• Provide exemptions from duplicative environmental review for new housing that is desperately needed and does not result in significant environmental impacts. These exemptions will cut costs and speed construction. In New York City, qualifying housing in medium and high-density areas up to 500 units will be exempted, with projects up to 250 units exempted in the rest of the city. Outside of New York City, the exemptions would apply to qualifying housing of up to 300 units in urbanized areas, up to 100 units in non-urban areas, and up to 20 units in areas that have no zoning. Housing must be on previously disturbed land and connected to water and sewer systems upon occupancy.
• Add further SEQRA exemptions for categories of beneficial projects including clean water infrastructure, public parks and trails, green infrastructure, and public schools within New York City.
• Establish a clear, two-year timeline to complete an environmental impact statement, creating accountability and ensuring faster decisions for communities.
• Overhaul overcomplicated bureaucratic processes to make it easier for communities to build without impacting or impairing local laws and processes related to local zoning and other environmental permitting.

Safe By Design

Building on New York State’s work to protect our children from digital harms such as addictive algorithmic feeds on social media and the distractions of cell phones within schools, the Budget includes nation-leading legislation designed to protect children from online predators, scammers and harmful AI chatbots integrated on online platforms. These changes were motivated by extensive reports of incidents where children have been left vulnerable to grooming, child abuse, and exposure to violent and inappropriate content, including content that promotes suicide.

The Budget will enact substantial protections for children across a variety of online spaces and gaming platforms, including:

• Mandating platforms automatically apply privacy-protective settings for children by default, meaning non-connections cannot message kids, view their profile, or tag them in content.
• Requiring children’s location settings to be inaccessible by default to people they are not connected with.
• Requiring children under 13 receive parental approval for new connections on online gaming platforms.
• Disabling integrated AI chatbots for children.
• Instituting new financial protections relating to children’s expenditures on gaming websites, including parental limits on a child’s financial transactions.

Additional highlights of the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget include:

Investing in Public Safety

• Enacts a first-in-the-nation legislation requiring the development of regulations to ensure that every 3D printer sold in the State of New York includes technology that blocks it from printing a firearm, and strengthens criminal penalties for manufacturing ghost guns.
• Requires firearm manufacturers to design guns in a way that prevents quick and easy conversion into DIY illegal machine guns.
• Invests $352 million in gun violence prevention programs to continue successful efforts to drive down gun violence to their lowest levels in decades.
• Provides $77 million to assist the New York City Police Department in policing the subway system.
• $25 million to expand the MTA’s SCOUT program responding to severe mental illness in the subway system from 10 to 15 teams.
• Expands subway platform edge barriers to an additional 85 stations, on pace for 200 stations by the end of 2026.
• Requires dangerous drivers in New York City who receive 16 or more speed camera violations in a year to install intelligent speed limiter devices on their vehicles.
• Invests an additional $35 million for Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grants, bringing the Governor’s total commitment to over $131 million since taking office.
• Establishes buffer zones to protect places of worship so New Yorkers can practice religion, a guaranteed right, free of harassment.
• Prohibits nefarious drones near sensitive locations, including schools, and authorizing law enforcement to mitigate credible aerial threats, while creating additional pathways for the research and development of drone and counter-drone technology.

Reducing Costs and Putting Money in Your Pocket

• Eliminates New York State income tax on tipped wages up to $25,000 per year, ensuring more money stays in people’s pockets.
• Provides $395 million to ensure free breakfast and lunch for every K-12 student in New York, the second consecutive year for the highly successful Universal School Meals program.
• Makes a college degree more affordable and accessible by investing more than $65 million in the Opportunity Promise Scholarship to not only make community college free for adult students pursuing associate degrees in high-demand industries, but expand it to four-year public institutions that offer associates degrees in high-demand fields.
• An additional $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes.
• Provides $30 million in direct “tariff relief” for New York farmers to offset increased costs for equipment, fertilizer and supplies caused by federal tariffs.

Investing in Infrastructure and Local Communities

• Create the state’s first Pied-a-terre tax program, a targeted surcharge on high value second homes and investor-owned apartments worth $5 million and up in New York City, which will generate at least $500 million in tax revenue annually.
• Provide an additional $1 billion investment in climate priorities through the state’s Sustainable Futures Fund, with an emphasis on Environmental Justice programs.
• A record level five-year, $3.75 billion funding commitment to clean water infrastructure, spurring housing growth and economic development projects across the state.
• Nearly $40 billion in total school aid, a total increase of $10 billion since Governor Hochul took office, to continue to build on New York’s nation leading commitment to educating the next generation.
• Provides $1 billion in new funding for existing Safety Net Hospitals to carry out transformative capital projects that promote financial sustainability.
• Invests $500 million in additional support for distressed hospitals.
• Historic $1 billion in total aid to support municipalities outside of New York City, mitigating the need to increase local taxes.
• Continues the Governor’s “war on potholes” with $1.4 billion for maintaining and repairing New York State’s local roads and bridges.
• $6 million for NY Kicks to capitalize on the momentum from the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament by building soccer pitches and other lasting infrastructure for youth recreation in disadvantaged communities across the state.
• $10 million for the Saving Performing Arts and Cultural Experiences (NY SPACE) initiative which will provide grants to help nonprofit performing arts organizations acquire their venues.
• $75 million to advance major transit projects reimagining Jamaica Station and expanding the Second Avenue Subway tunnel westward across 125 St.
• $17.5 million to make Teen Mental Health First Aid training available to all 10th graders across New York State, a first-in-the-nation action.

With a conceptual agreement in place, the legislative houses are expected to pass bills that will fully enact these priorities in the coming days. Based on a preliminary assessment of the negotiated changes to the Executive proposal, the total Budget for FY 2027 is currently estimated at $268 billion. The FY 2027 Budget does not raise income or statewide business taxes and maintains the Governor’s powers to make future adjustments if actions by the federal government require.

Mayor Mamdani Invests $12 Million To Expand Peer-Led Substance-Use Recovery Services Across New York City

 

Funding Will Help Community Organizations Hire 500 Additional Peer Specialists and Expand Outreach Citywide   

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced a $12 million investment to expand access to life-saving recovery services for New Yorkers at risk of overdose. The funding will support the certification and employment of peer specialists — people with a history of substance-use disorder who help others in recovery — and strengthen direct outreach efforts across the five boroughs. Over four years, the investment is expected to create 500 new peer specialist positions through community-based organizations citywide.   

  

“Every New Yorker deserves access to care, dignity and support, no matter where they are in their recovery journey. This $12 million investment will help connect New Yorkers to life-saving services while creating hundreds of good-paying jobs rooted in lived experience and community trust,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Peer specialists understand what recovery looks like because they’ve lived it themselves, and their leadership will help more New Yorkers find care, stay connected and build stable futures. During Mental Health Awareness Month we are reminded that recovery is not linear and there is no wrong door to seek help.”   

  

“Every overdose is preventable, and the City must continue investing in the people and programs that save lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “This $12 million investment from the Opioid Settlement Fund will expand peer outreach and strengthen the recovery workforce across New York City. By helping more New Yorkers access care and support, this funding moves us closer to our HealthyNYC goal of reducing overdose deaths by 25% by 2030.” 

  

“Meeting people where they are in their recovery is how we build trust to support sustained engagement,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “This investment puts more resources in the hands of trusted messengers delivering the direct services New Yorkers with substance use disorder desperately need. This helps us save lives while growing career pathways for people who have experience with substance use themselves, turning their pain into purpose.”  

  

The City will fund recovery centers and peer-led outreach programs operated by Community Health Action of Staten Island, Exponents, Fortune Society, Odyssey House, Phoenix House, Let’s Talk Safety and Samaritan Daytop Village. The funding will support staffing, expand mobile outreach capabilities and strengthen workforce development opportunities for peer specialists.   

  

Peer specialists use their lived experience and professional training to help people access recovery resources, develop coping skills and navigate moments of crisis. Research shows peer-led behavioral health programs can increase engagement in care, strengthen trust and improve recovery outcomes. The investment will also support outreach vans, peer certification training and scholarships, and expand enrollment in recovery services.  

  

The announcement builds on the City’s broader HealthyNYC initiative, which aims to reduce overdose deaths by 25% by 2030 and increase life expectancy for New Yorkers. It also continues the City’s efforts to direct opioid settlement funds to community-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery programs.   

  

Previous investments have included expanded hours and services at OnPoint NYC, increased access to treatment, enhancements to the Health Department’s nonfatal overdose response program, and supporting harm reduction, and expanded harm reduction and recovery services on Staten Island.    

  

In fiscal year 2025, the City allocated $41 million in opioid settlement funds to support substance use services across City agencies.  

  

Overdose deaths continue to affect communities across New York City, though recent data show significant progress. New provisional data from January through September 2025 show overdose deaths remained stable following a major decline in 2024. The City recorded 2,192 overdose deaths in 2024, down from 3,056 deaths in 2023, marking the first substantial decline in nearly a decade. Rates remain highest among Black and Latino New Yorkers, residents of high-poverty neighborhoods, and adults ages 55 to 64.   

New Yorkers seeking mental health or substance use support can call or text 988 at any time to with trained counselors and access confidential referrals to services and resources.   

Interactive Historical Reenactment with President John Adams

 

Dear East Bronx History Forum Member,

If you haven't noticed our Facebook or Instagram page please join The Bronx County Historical Society, East Bronx History Forum and From The Bronx for a witty and revolutionary conversation with America’s second President, John Adams, played by George Baker. In this interactive historical reenactment, President Adams will speak about his life, the American struggle for liberty, and will touch on the period he spent as President living in Eastchester in 1797 to avoid a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia.

The event, part of our yearlong America 250: The Bronx programming, is free and open to the public. The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 7th at 7 pm at St. Clare of Assisi in the lower church at 1027 Rhinelander Avenue.

Dorothy Krynicki