MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO PRODUCTIVE NEW YORK STATE BUDGET AGREEMENT DELIVERING ON NYC’S PRIORITIES

 

Adams Administration’s Albany Agenda Once-Again Victorious as State Leaders Pass Mayor Adams’ Priorities on Affordability, Public Safety, Involuntary Commitments, Discovery Reform  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement in response to the $254 billion Fiscal Year 2026 state budget agreement reached by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York state Legislature: 

  

“Every day, we are delivering New Yorkers a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family as we drive down crime and build record levels of affordable housing. But we cannot do it alone, and that is why we have continued to advance proposals in Albany that have the support of New Yorkers, and that, year after year, have proven to be winners.  

  

“We were pleased that very early on in this process, there was support for many of our proposals; this includes, ‘Axe the Tax for the Working Class,’ which will eliminate and cut city personal income taxes for over half a million working-class New Yorkers and their dependents and put $63 million back into their pockets. At a time when our state faces a historic affordability crisis, we thank Governor Hochul for first putting this in her budget in January and for working with the Legislature to ensure its passage.  

  

“Our administration has been clear that public safety and justice are the pre-requisites to prosperity. And that’s why, for three years, our administration has publicly called for and urged the state to take action that will make it easier for the city to help those suffering from severe mental illness, even in cases when an individual does not recognize that they need assistance. I was one of the first — and loudest — voices to call for wider use of involuntary removals and commitments, when appropriate, to help people get help when they don’t recognize their own need for it. Now, while we’re not done, I am proud to announce that our advocacy has paid off.  While we are encouraged that Albany has taken a step in the right direction, our partners in the Legislature know there is much more that must be done to truly tackle the mental health crisis we all can see on the streets and on our subways. We plan to be back again throughout this legislative session, and next year, if necessary — for the fourth year in a row — advocating for further reforms that build on the progress on this issue because we know that’s what New Yorkers want and are desperately asking to be passed.  

  

“Our court system is a crucial piece of the public safety apparatus, but for too long, well-intentioned reforms got in the way of prosecutors’ ability to do their jobs. We have been clear that we must make changes to the criminal justice system to prevent repeat offenders from doing further harm to our communities. We have pushed — alongside the five district attorneys representing New York City — for discovery reform to preserve the best parts of the 2019 reforms while reducing undue burdens on our prosecutors. We are supportive of the measures taken to address these issues and are hopeful that they will result in a reduction of unnecessary dismissals, speed up criminal cases, and ensure greater protection for witnesses, while achieving swift and fair justice for all parties. We are hopeful that these updates will help keep recidivists from repeatedly endangering New Yorkers and support our mission of keeping our city safe.   

  

“We appreciate Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Heastie, and the Legislature for hearing us out and collaborating with us to ultimately reach consensus around our key priorities, and we look forward to working throughout the remainder of the legislative session to push additional priorities New Yorkers are counting on us to deliver for them.”   

  

NYS Office of the State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Statement on Passage of Final State Budget

 

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released the following statement on the passage of the final state budget: “After extended deliberation, the Governor and Legislature have finalized a state budget. Major policy changes in the budget that will be felt across the state include the most significant changes to the Foundation Aid formula since its inception, long-awaited relief to small businesses by paying off the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund loan, and reduced personal income tax rates for lower- and middle-income families starting in 2026. Other new funding initiatives include expanding access to community college for adult learners and preserving access to child care. The budget also fully funds the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $68.4 billion 2025-2029 capital plan, reflecting a major investment in transportation infrastructure in the New York City Metropolitan area. The budget includes significant state-funded increases in education, health and other spending, and authorizes an additional $23 billion in public authority backdoor borrowing. General aid for local governments is largely flat, despite growing signs of fiscal strain at the local level as pandemic aid has ended and costs continue to rise. Deep uncertainty surrounding tariffs, the economy and actions in Washington casts a long shadow on this budget. Market volatility and declining business and consumer confidence may upend the state’s revenue projections and increase the already sizeable outyear budget gaps. Actions by Congress may also have a large impact on the state’s finances in the months ahead, and may jeopardize many of the critical safety net programs that New Yorkers rely on and that have always been predominantly funded by the federal government. Federal changes being considered would shift significant costs for Medicaid, food benefits and other programs to states. While the state has a record $8.75 billion in its statutory reserves, these funds are needed to protect against economic and fiscal disruptions, and the state does not have the resources to backfill federal reductions on an ongoing basis. The time to develop a strategy and structural reforms is before a crisis, yet this budget includes no serious cost containment measures, particularly in Medicaid, where it is most needed. In these uncertain and disruptive times, the Legislature gave extraordinary powers to the Executive to make mid-year spending cuts in the event of budget imbalance. However, this provision creates further uncertainty for those that depend on state aid. The full financial and economic implications of this budget will be clearer when the Financial Plan is released, and close monitoring will be needed to ensure that the state is on a sustainable path and able to navigate the challenges ahead. My office will continue to carefully monitor economic conditions and the state’s cash position and release an analysis of the enacted budget in the coming weeks.”

Governor Hochul Signs FY 2026 Budget into Law

Governor Hochul: “This Budget is about you and your parents. And when I proposed my Budget back in January, I said, ‘Your family is my fight.’ And I wanted to make sure I could fight for your moms and dads to have more money back in their pockets.”

Hochul: “Everything's getting so much more expensive — your sneakers, your clothes, your backpacks, and it's been hard. It's hard for them to pay the bills, so I knew that if I could focus on families, help your parents… it's all going to add up to about $5,000.”

Earlier today, Governor Hochul signed the FY 2026 Budget into law.

 You're getting a real lesson in government. You are the first students, I'm going to guess in the history of the state, to ever be there for the signing of the New York State Budget. And I wanted you here because this Budget is about you and your parents. And when I proposed my Budget back in January, I said, “Your family is my fight.” And I wanted to make sure I could fight for your moms and dads to have more money back in their pockets.

Everything's getting so much more expensive — your sneakers, your, your clothes, your backpacks, and it's been hard. It's hard for them to pay the bills, so I knew that if I could focus on families, help your parents out — the inflation rebate will help thousands of families here in this area. Every child that's under the age of four. Anybody have little siblings under the age of four? Anybody? Okay, that's $1,000 for your family. Anybody over age four here? Yes, you all are. That's $500 for your parents, for each one of you and your siblings. Okay. Add it up. That's money back for your parents, but also covers the complete cost of school breakfast and lunches, so mom and dad don't have to pay for that. And also a tax cut for your parents. So it's all going to add up to about $5,000.

So when you go home today, as part of the Mother's Day present, say, “Mom, I just heard from the Governor say, ‘We're gonna get $5,000 back in our pockets.’” Does that sound like a nice gift? Yeah. All right. All right. You can help take credit for it because you're here to witness this signing.

But also this cell phone ban is so important for your health. The health of all the students that are coming behind you who should never even know you could have a cell phone in school. You are the first. You are the ones that went ahead of everybody else, and I want to thank your leadership for that as well. But every student in the state of New York, starting in September, will have the opportunity of having a distraction free school experience where they can learn and study instead of looking at memes, look at their math, and get things done in school and be more productive and it'll benefit them overall.

So I wanted to say I delivered on my promise. I'm going to continue keeping my promises. And you are here to witness this. So what we do is we have the bill that was passed by the Legislature late last night, says Senate, the Assembly, and now what is it looking for? The Governor's signature. And here we have the bill, and now is when you get to applaud the signing of the bill you're here to watch.

 

Attorney General James Secures Conviction of Former Mortgage Broker for Role in Queens Deed Theft Ring

 

AG James Wins Trial Against Stacie Saunders Who Helped Steal Three Homes from Vulnerable New Yorkers  

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that she won her case against former mortgage bank branch manager Stacie Saunders for her role in a Queens deed theft ring that stole homes in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens, owned by elderly or disabled New Yorkers or their estates. Saunders was part of a deed theft ring that fraudulently sold three homes without the knowledge and permission of the rightful property owners, yielding over $1 million from the sale proceeds. After a two-week trial, a jury in Queens found Saunders guilty of all charges. Saunders is the final defendant to be convicted in the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) investigation into the Queens deed theft ring led by Marcus Wilcher. All five defendants charged by OAG have since been convicted.

“Deed theft is a heartless crime that targets the most valuable assets in vulnerable communities,” said Attorney General James. “With the conviction of Stacie Saunders, my office is proud to have secured justice for the elderly New Yorkers that Saunders and her co-conspirators targeted with their predatory scheme. We will always work to combat deed theft and keep New Yorkers in their homes.”

Saunders, who was also a licensed real estate salesperson, is the last to be convicted in a deed theft ring that stole three homes in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens, and attempted to steal an additional home from an elderly homeowner in Jamaica in 2019. The ring included Wilcher, disbarred attorney Anyekache Hercules, Jerry Currin, and Dean Lloyd. Wilcher located homes in Jamaica and St. Albans in poor or run-down condition with absentee owners. Hercules created forged legal documents used to steal and sell the properties and Saunders then marketed the homes to investors at prices significantly below the market rate for quick sales. After an investor expressed interest in purchasing a home, Wilcher would secure personal information about the real owners, including Social Security numbers and birth dates, to create falsified driver’s licenses, social security cards, and bank cards. Wilcher then found people to impersonate the owners of the properties at contract signings and closings. Saunders arranged attorneys, collected closing documents, and scheduled the closings to fraudulently sell the homes. 

After the sales were finalized, the defendants opened bank accounts in the names of the homes’ real owners and used these bank accounts and other entities and LLCs they controlled to funnel more than $1 million in proceeds to themselves.

After a two-week trial, a jury in Queens convicted Saunders of 18 total counts, including:

• Three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony;
• Two counts of Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony;
• One count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony;
• Five counts of Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a class C felony;
• Two counts of Forgery in the Second Degree, a class D felony;
• Three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony; and
• Two counts of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony.

The maximum sentence on the top count is five to 15 years in prison, with the possibility of consecutive sentences. Saunders will be sentenced on June 11, 2025 by Judge Leigh Cheng.

In December 2022, Attorney General James announced the arrests and indictments of Wilcher, Saunders, Hercules, Currin, and Lloyd. Hercules, who was previously convicted of Grand Larceny in Kings County in 2018, pleaded guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and was sentenced to one and a half to three years in prison. Wilcher pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and sentenced to three to nine years in prison for the thefts of five homes in July 2024. Jerry Currin and Dean Lloyd pleaded guilty to felony counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree.

Second Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Over Four Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

 

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in the District of New Jersey to four years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance. 

According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2024, Frank Procopio, 54, of Philadelphia, engaged in the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area, and he and his co-conspirators worked in shifts to distribute the pills from a 24-hour restaurant.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased pills from one of Procopio’s co-conspirators. A surveillance team then observed the co-conspirator dividing the proceeds of the transaction with Procopio. The photograph below captured Procopio (on the left) after the transaction:

FBI surveillance photograph of Procopio with a co-conspirator counting money from a controlled buy of oxycodone pills

In November 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. In June 2024, Procopio’s brother and co-leader of the 10th and O Crew, Michael Procopio, was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and sentenced to six years in prison in April 2025.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Philadelphia Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New Jersey Field Division made the announcement.

The FBI, DEA, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Permits Filed for 282 East 164th Street in Concourse Village, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a six-story residential building at 282 East 164th Street in Concourse Village, The Bronx. Located between College Avenue and Morris Avenue, the lot is closest to the 161 Street-Yankee Stadium subway station, served by the 4 train. Meer Ahmed is listed as the owner behind the applications, and is also responsible for the adjacent development at 285 Bonner Place.

The proposed 56-foot-tall development will yield 28,430 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 45 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 631 square feet. The masonry-based structure will also have a cellar, a 26-foot-long rear yard, and 11 open parking spaces.

Badaly Architects 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.

VCJC News & Notes 5/9/25

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

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