Attorney General James, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General Protects Access to Affordable Road Repair Services in Western and Central New York

 

AG James Protects Competition Amid Merger of Asphalt Companies That Counties and Towns Rely on for Road Repairs

New York Attorney General Letitia James ensured that towns and counties in Western and Central New York will continue to have fair options for critical road repair services. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that a proposed merger of Colas Inc. (Colas) and Suit-Kote Corporation (Suit-Kote) would have unfairly reduced competition for road maintenance services, leaving many local governments with just one company to turn to when they need to conduct repairs to keep their roads safe. After DOJ terminated its review, which would have allowed the merger to proceed unconditionally, Attorney General James and Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday continued their investigations. As a result, Colas must sell one of its facilities in Pennsylvania and three former Suit-Kote facilities in New York to a qualified buyer to maintain competition.

“No one should be forced to pay unfair prices for safe, well-maintained roads,” said Attorney General James. “Protecting competition in this industry will ensure New Yorkers’ tax dollars are spent fairly and asphalt companies will continue to provide high-quality services to our towns and counties.”

“This action will protect critical roadway infrastructure in central and western Pennsylvania, and for our neighbors to the north, and preserve the government funds that pay for it,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. “Antitrust work is essential as it ensures transactions between companies do not harm families, local economies, and consumers.”

Colas and Suit-Kote are asphalt companies that both provide road repair services in New York and Pennsylvania. In New York, the majority of road mileage is comprised of county and local roads, which are maintained by county and local governments. Because county and municipal highway departments rarely have the specialized crews and equipment needed to perform the necessary road repairs, they often rely on “turnkey” service providers like Colas and Suit-Kote who both supply the asphalt and apply it to repair the roads.

The OAG’s investigation found that for several counties in Western and Central New York – including Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, and Wayne, and the municipalities included in their county’s contracts – Colas and Suit-Kote were often the only two regular bidders for turnkey road repair services. The proposed merger under Colas threatened to eliminate this competition, giving Colas the power to demand higher prices and eliminating its incentive to invest in higher quality services and innovation.

Under the settlement, Colas will be required to sell several of its locations to a single, competitive buyer. Colas must sell Suit-Kote’s regional headquarters in Jamestown, its manufacturing and storage facilities in Buffalo and Belmont, and a Colas facility in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The buyer will also have the option to purchase additional equipment from Colas, such as vehicles for transporting and applying asphalt. The locations Colas is required to sell include facilities that are strategically located to serve customers throughout Western and Central New York, with easy access to key suppliers and ample capacity to produce millions of gallons of asphalt emulsions each year. As a result, local and county governments in areas affected by the merger will continue to have competing options for road maintenance services.

Illegal Alien Admits to Illegally Voting in Federal Election in New Jersey

 

An illegal alien from Jamaica admitted to illegally voting in a federal election, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey announced.

Gaye Tyndale-Simpson, an illegal alien from Jamaica, pleaded guilty to one count of voting by an alien in a federal election before U.S. Magistrate Rukhsanah L. Singh in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Tyndale-Simpson, 55, is a citizen of Jamaica and has never been a citizen of the United States. In November 2024, Tyndale-Simpson voted in the general election that was held in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of the President.

The voting by an alien charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 6 months in prison and a $100,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Singh on Feb. 24, 2027.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Wood, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the investigation.

This case was brought under the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.

Secretary Mullin and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott Visit CBP Cargo Processing Facility in Arizona

 

United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott toured a cargo processing facility in Arizona, seeing firsthand how CBP keeps harmful contraband from entering the United States.

At the cargo inspection facility at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, CBP personnel inspect imported goods for illegal drugs, fraudulent labeling, and other national security threats. Among the items that were seen during the visit were baseball jerseys that were labeled as being manufactured in Mexico, but were actually manufactured in China.

“The hardworking men and women of CBP look at almost every package that comes in, so that dangerous drugs, counterfeit products, and other harmful contraband does not come into our country,” said Secretary Mullin. “The patriots at CBP understand these criminals’ patterns, how the traffickers and cartels try to get around the duties and customs, and the way they try to ship things into our country. That’s why experience matters.”

Secretary Mullin and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott (right) tour a CBP cargo inspection facility at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Secretary Mullin meets with CBP personnel in Phoenix, Arizona.

Secretary Mullin also oversaw several deportation flights out of Arizona, removing illegal aliens back to Mexico. Among those deported on Friday were pedophiles, violent assailants, drug traffickers, drunk drivers, burglars, and gang members.

Nigerian Man Sentenced To Eight Years For Hacking, Fraud, And Identity Theft Schemes

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced that CHUKWUEMEKA VICTOR AMACHUKWU, a/k/a “Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo,” a/k/a “So Kwan Leung,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to eight years in prison for his role in multiple fraud, hacking, and identity theft offenses. AMACHUKWU previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

“Chukwuemeka Amachukwu believed he was operating safely offshore when he targeted his victims, but he has now been held to account and now faces a serious sentence for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Amachukwu took part in sophisticated schemes to hack into U.S. businesses, steal and use stolen identity information of victims, and commit fraud. These crimes imposed significant harm on the victims and the public, and so it is only appropriate that the crimes also come with a significant sentence for the defendant.”

According to the Superseding Indictments, public court filings, and statements made in court:

Beginning in at least in or about 2019, AMACHUKWU, his co-conspirator Kinglsey Uchelue Utulu, and other Nigeria-based conspirators took part in a scheme to hack into U.S-based tax preparation businesses. The conspirators utilized spearphishing emails to obtain access to these business’s electronic systems. Once they had obtained access, the conspirators stole the tax and other identifying information for at least approximately 800 of the business’ customers. The conspirators hacked into several U.S. based tax businesses, located in New York, Texas, and other states. 

The conspirators obtained the stolen identity information of thousands of individuals. They used this information to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. The conspirators sought fraudulent refunds of at least approximately $8.4 million, of which they successfully obtained at least approximately $2.5 million. 

In addition to filing fraudulent tax returns, the conspirators used the stolen identities to file fraudulent claims with the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. The conspirators were able to obtain at least an additional approximately $819,000 in fraudulent payouts.

In addition, AMACHUKWU took part in a fraud scheme in which he offered U.S. victims investments in purportedly valuable standby letters of credit. In the course of this scheme, AMACHUKWU impersonated a wealthy overseas financier in order to fool his victims. In reality, these investments did not exist, and AMACHUKWU and his co-conspirators were able to pocket more than $7 million in fraudulent proceeds. 

In addition to the prison term, AMACHUKWU, 40, of Nigeria, was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in an amount of $3,647,629.39 and forfeiture in the amount of $10,846,634.39.

Mr. McDonald thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its outstanding work.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.

ALLERTON HOMEOWNERS & TENANTS ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY MEETING - OCTOBER 22ND 2026

Hello Neighbors,

Just a reminder about our meeting this Thursday.  Please join us for this informative presentation on the battery storage facility that will lease space on Boston Road.  

Come out and bring your questions.  Please share this and invite a neighbor.  

Remember, what affects one of us affects all of us.   

ALLERTON HOMEOWNERS & TENANTS ASSOCIATION 

ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 50 YEARS!

The Allerton Homeowners & Tenants Association invites residents to attend our 

October 22nd, 2026, 7 PM - Community Meeting. 

GUEST:

SPEAKER: MICHAEL PORTO

FROM: ORENDA INC. - 

TOPIC: BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY 

SITE: 2524 BOSTON RD.

WE WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSING THE PROPOSALS ON THE BACK OF THE BALLOT

BRING YOUR QUESTIONS & CONCERNS

Elected officials' representatives will be present with updates

DATE: THURSDAY, October 22, 2026 - Time: 7 PM

Location: Kings Harbor 

2000 East Gunhill Road 

Please use the back entrance around the corner on Ely Avenue

Follow us on Facebook

Together, let us advocate for the change we want to see in our community.

Email us: allertonhomeowners@gmail.com

Mamdani Administration Announces 1,200 Sidewalk Sheds Taken Down, Unveils New Designs to Brighten City Streets

 

Sidewalk sheds across the five boroughs have declined by roughly 15% since start of Mamdani administration 

 

Two innovative new designs now on display in Lower Manhattan prioritize light, visibility and pedestrian space 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg and Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Ahmed Tigani announced New York City has reduced the number of sidewalk sheds by approximately 1,200 since January, a decrease of more than 15% in 10 months. 

 

The administration is also advancing new rules to bring better-designed sidewalk sheds to streets across the five boroughs. The new designs will let more light reach sidewalks and storefronts, improve visibility and create a more welcoming pedestrian experience while maintaining essential safety protections.  

 

Two new designs by the architecture firm Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) are now on display outside DOB headquarters in Lower Manhattan. Earlier this summer, DOB showcased two additional designs by architecture firm Arup. On Thursday, TIME magazine named Arup's design one of its Best Inventions of 2026. 

 

“In the greatest city in the world, New Yorkers shouldn’t have to accept dark, obstructed sidewalks as a fact of life. We’re taking down sheds that don’t need to be there and building a better alternative for the ones that do. That means brighter sidewalks, clearer storefronts and better public spaces that work for the people who use them every day,” said Mayor Mamdani. 

 

“With fewer sheds on our streets and new, more attractive sheds going up soon, we’re making significant progress toward safer and more welcoming sidewalks and open spaces. The teams at DOB, Arup, PAU and public servants across the city are dedicated to creating more vibrant streetscapes, and New Yorkers are already seeing results,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. 

 

“Thanks to the leadership of the Mamdani Administration, significant progress is being made to return valuable sidewalk space back to New Yorkers,” said Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Enhanced oversight by DOB is helping to compel owners to start long-delayed building repairs, leading to the safe removal of hundreds of long-standing sidewalk sheds in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. At the same time, the city’s six new improved shed prototypes, created by our partners at PAU and Arup, are being recognized as a significant step forward in pedestrian-focused design. I encourage everyone to take a trip to our headquarters building in Lower Manhattan over the next several weeks to get a better understanding of how much better these new designs are compared to the old pipe-and-plywood sheds currently seen throughout the city.” 

 

The PAU and Arup designs are the result of a multiyear effort to rethink sidewalk sheds, improve the look and feel of city streets and prioritize pedestrians without compromising public safety. The designs are owned by the City of New York and may be freely copied to encourage adoption across the five boroughs. DOB expects to finalize agency rules making the new designs available for citywide use before the end of the year. 

     

The new Baseline Shed and Speed Shed models 

New sidewalk shed designs by PAU 

The two sheds now installed in Lower Manhattan are the “Baseline Shed” and the “Speed Shed,” both developed by a design team led by PAU. This marks the first time either design has been installed on a New York City sidewalk.  

• Baseline Shed: Available in heavy-duty and light-duty versions, the design features transparent polycarbonate decking and an innovative angled roof that lets in natural light, improves sightlines to ground-floor businesses and creates a more open sidewalk.  

• Speed Shed: Designed for lighter-duty use, this shed features an angled roof made with rockfall netting roof to catch debris while allowing light to reach the sidewalk. Detachable wheels allow the structure to be moved quickly between locations as needed. 

 

Stronger oversight and enforcement 

Following the passage of Local Laws 48 and 51 of 2025, DOB has strengthened oversight and enforcement requirements for sidewalk sheds, including more frequent permit renewals and stronger penalties for sheds left in place when no active work is taking place.  

 

DOB has also established new regulations to reduce the footprint of sheds on large “campuses,” including NYCHA properties and university campuses, limiting unnecessary coverage of open space far from buildings. 

QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON HATE CRIME CHARGE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE OUTSIDE JEWISH-OWNED BAGEL SHOP THAT DISPLAYED ISRAELI FLAGS

 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dawood Faisal was indicted for a hate crime for destroying property in May outside a kosher bagel store on Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows that displayed Israeli flags. Faisal allegedly knocked over multiple plant stands outside the shop on two separate occasions and, in one instance, hurled dirt at Israeli flags and the front of the store.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, Dawood Faisal, repeatedly targeted a Fresh Meadows business specifically because it is Jewish-owned and featured Israeli flags, and destroyed property as an expression of antisemitism. Bias crimes are an affront to our entire community and will not be tolerated.”

Faisal, 22, of Fresh Meadows, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree as a hate crime. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis ordered him to return to court November 12.

If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.

DA Katz said that, according to the indictment and investigation, on May 15, at approximately 6:18 p.m., Faisal knocked over nine metal plant stands outside Bagels & Co., a kosher shop on Union Turnpike where numerous Israeli flags and banners were on display. Dirt and plants spilled from the toppled containers onto the sidewalk. Faisal then picked up the debris and twice threw it at the shop.

On May 23, at approximately 1 a.m., Faisal returned to the Fresh Meadows shop. He pushed and kicked 11 metal plant stands causing plants and dirt to spill onto the sidewalk. After emptying each of the metal planters’ contents onto the sidewalk, Faisal attempted to kick over a large clay pot nearby without success then he manually uprooted the plants inside that vessel.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Patrick Lynaugh of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force in partnership with the District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Bureau.

Separately, Faisal was also arraigned on indictment charges in June of manslaughter, assault and other crimes for the death of 71-year-old Cara Trager in May. Faisal allegedly sped through two red lights on Francis Lewis Boulevard then collided with two cars, propelling one into a crosswalk where Trager and her husband were walking.

ISIS-Inspired Terrorist Sentenced for Attacking Guards While Serving Sentence for Separate NYC Terror Plot

 

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 28, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for offenses related to a 2020 attack on correctional officers at U.S. Penitentiary Allenwood. This sentence will run consecutive to the 40-year sentence he is currently serving for his role in plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack in New York City on behalf of ISIS.

“Bahnasawy, who is already serving a 40-year sentence in federal prison for plotting mass casualty attacks in New York City on behalf of ISIS, savagely attacked corrections officers once again on behalf of ISIS,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence will further ensure that Bahnasawy remains in prison, where he can do much less harm, for a very long time.”

“We will prosecute those who aid, attempt to aid, or commit violence on behalf of the pernicious ISIS ideology wherever they may be found,” said U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s sentence reflects our unwavering commitment to fight those who perpetrate violence in the name of ISIS even behind prison walls.”

“Although he was behind bars, this convicted terrorist committed a horrific attack on two corrections officers in the name of ISIS, which they fortunately survived,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Today’s sentencing shows that violent attacks by those who support the evil ideology of ISIS or other foreign terrorist organizations cannot be tolerated by our society. Fighting terrorism is a central part of the FBI’s mission to protect the American people, and the FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold these vicious criminals accountable.”

Bahnasawy was an inmate at USP Allenwood who, on Dec. 7, 2020, attacked two corrections officers using a weapon made from part of a steel desk in his cell. Bahnasawy stabbed one officer in the head and face, and, when a second responded to assist, Bahnasawy stabbed her in the hand. 

The first officer eventually lost his right eye as a result of the attack. When Bahnasawy was restrained, a note was found in his sock that read, “This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State.” A pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) was also found taped to the inside of a locker door in Bahnasawy’s prison cell. Bahnasawy pleaded guilty in November 2025 to multiple counts of assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and possession of contraband inside a prison as well as providing material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. 

At the time of the attacks at USP Allenwood, Bahnasawy was serving a 40-year sentence for his role in plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack in New York City on behalf of ISIS. Bahnasawy, a then-20-year-old Canadian citizen and resident, plotted with Talha Haroon and Russell Salic to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan in 2016, all in the name of ISIS.  

An undercover FBI agent (UC) infiltrated the co-conspirators’ terrorist plot, posing as an ISIS supporter prepared to join in the attacks. The FBI arrested Bahnasawy in May 2016 after he traveled from Canada to the New York City area in preparation for the attacks, and he has been in custody since that time.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office.