Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

“The reporting coming out of the Salmon River Central School District is highly disturbing and raises serious questions regarding the safety of children at this school. As a mom, I know firsthand the trust parents place in our schools, and the teachers and administrators who work with our children. School should be a place where every child is safe, respected and supported. These allegations are alarming and entirely unacceptable and the State’s independent education department must take swift action to investigate and rectify this situation.”

 

Housing Lottery Launches for 2721 Colden Avenue in Allerton, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 2721 Colden Avenue, an eight-story mixed-use building in Allerton, The Bronx. Designed by OCV Architects and developed by J. Pilla Group under the 2712 Radcliff Yates Reality LLC, the structure yields 43 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 13 units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $59,315 to $140,000. 

Amenities include gated access, recycling center, package lockers, virtual doorman, and elevator. Residences are equipped with air conditioning, intercoms, smart controls for heating and cooling, energy-efficient appliances, and name-brand kitchen countertops and finishes.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are two studios with a monthly rent of $1,546 for incomes ranging from $59,315 to $103,680; eight one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,620 for incomes ranging from $64,046 to $116,640; and three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,881 for incomes ranging from $77,829 to $140,000. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove, hot water, and heat.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than January 14, 2026.

NYC COUNCIL PASSES PUBLIC ADVOCATE’S BILLS TO PREVENT STREET FLOODING, SUPPORT STREET VENDORS

 

At their final meeting of the term, the New York City Council voted last night to pass two bills from New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. The first will help to prevent street and subway flooding by improving catch basin maintenance. The second, part of a package of street vendor reforms, will establish a division of street vendor assistance. 

Intro 403-A requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to unclog catch basins within eight days of an inspection or complaint and that the agency reports catch basin clearance data each year. The bill also requires the DEP to inspect catch basins in accordance with a multi-tiered inspection schedule – based on data collected under a previous law from the Public Advocate – and to evaluate this schedule at least once every 3 years. 

Catch basins are a type of storm drain that serve a critical function in reducing the likelihood of inland flooding citywide. They serve as a component of storm drains and play a key role in keeping New York City’s streets free of flooding, but they require frequent attention and upkeep.

Over time, they can become clogged as leaves and litter pile up inside and out, leaving water with nowhere to go. With the climate crisis making extreme weather the new normal, there’s real risk of dangerous flooding – above and below ground.

“Across this city, clogged catch basins have led to mass flooding in the streets,” said Public Advocate Williams. “It's an issue that not only inconveniences neighborhoods, but can cause significant damage and danger. This bill will help clear the backlog of complaints and ensure things flow smoothly, keeping our streets safe and our subways dry.”

Intro 408-A  creates a Division of Street Vendor Assistance. The new unit, housed within the Department of Small Business Services, will provide training, outreach, and education to all food vendors and general vendors regarding entrepreneurship and compliance with all applicable local laws, rules, and regulations. This would give street vendors access to many of the same tools afforded to other small businesses.

“Street vendors are New York City’s smallest businesses, and provide some of the most affordable options for New Yorkers facing an increasingly unaffordable city – yet they don’t have the support from the city they need to survive," said Public Advocate Williams on the vote. “In speaking with vendors about the barriers they face, it’s clear we can do more, and an office dedicated to street vendor assistance will help these entrepreneurs navigate obstacles to licensing, inconsistency in enforcement, and regulations that make it near-impossible to operate in a successful and sustained way.”

Street vending continues to be an economic anchor for many New Yorkers, as it is a particularly important cornerstone for many immigrants, people of color, and military veterans to successfully operate the city’s smallest businesses. With over 20,000 street vendors operating in the city, change needs to be made to ensure NYC’s smallest businesses can thrive rather than face an unsafe system that too often criminalizes this economic engine of our city rather than advance the opportunity and diversity it presents.

The bills now go to the Mayor’s desk for signature. 

Ukrainian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Use Nefilim Ransomware to Attack Companies in the United States and Other Countries

A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud for his role in a series of international ransomware attacks.

According to court documents, Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, 35, of Barcelona, Spain, conspired with others to deploy the Nefilim ransomware against victim computer networks in the United States and other countries, causing significant damage to victim computer systems. As part of the scheme, the conspirators generated a unique ransomware executable file for each victim, along with a corresponding decryption key and customized ransom note. If a victim paid the ransom demand, the perpetrators provided the decryption key, enabling the victim to decrypt files locked by the ransomware.

In June 2021, Nefilim administrators gave Stryzhak access to the Nefilim ransomware code in exchange for 20 percent of his ransom proceeds. Stryzhak operated the ransomware through his account on the online Nefilim platform, known as the “panel.” Shortly after gaining access, Stryzhak asked a co‑conspirator whether he should choose a different username than one he used in other criminal activity, in case the panel “gets hacked into by the feds.”

Nefilim administrators preferred to target companies located in the United States, Canada, or Australia with annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Stryzhak and others researched potential victims after gaining unauthorized access to their networks, including by using online databases to obtain information about the companies’ net worth, size, and contact information. In or about July 2021, a Nefilim administrator encouraged Stryzhak to target companies in those countries with more than $200 million dollars in annual revenue. 

As part of the extortion scheme, the conspirators threatened that unless victims agreed to pay the ransom, the stolen data would be published on publicly accessible “Corporate Leaks” websites maintained by Nefilim administrators.

Stryzhak was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and extradited to the United States on April 30.

Stryzhak pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud related to computers in connection with his Nefilim ransomware activities. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2026. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program has offered a reward of up to $11 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction or location of Stryzhak’s charged co-conspirator, Volodymyr Tymoshchuk. Anyone with information about Tymoshchuk should contact the FBI via phone at +1-917-242-1407, by email at TymoTips@fbi.gov, by contacting your local field office, if in the United States, or by contacting the nearest U.S. Embassy, if located overseas. More information about the TOC reward offer is located on the State Department website.

The FBI Springfield Field Office in Illinois is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Brian Z. Mund of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin and Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth of the Eastern District of New York. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s New York Field Office, and Spanish law enforcement authorities provided substantial assistance in this case.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

Jose Cesari, Leader Of Sophisticated Armed Beer Theft Enterprise, Sentenced To 63 Months In Prison

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that JOSE CESARI, a/k/a “Cry,” was sentenced to 63 months in prison for conspiring to commit—and committing—theft from interstate or foreign shipments.  Between approximately 2022 and 2024, CESARI led the “Beer Theft Enterprise,” a Bronx-based criminal organization focused on breaking into railyards and beverage distribution facilities throughout the Northeast and stealing beer—primarily Corona and Modelo, shipped from Mexico—to bring back to the Bronx to sell.  CESARI pled guilty in July 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who imposed this sentence. 

“Jose Cesari led an armed crew that repeatedly targeted railyards and warehouses, stealing massive quantities of beer and treating it like easy money,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “He took part in more than three dozen thefts and recruited others into the scheme.  No more.  This sentence should send a message to anyone who thinks about stealing from businesses in the Southern District of New York: the women and men of this Office take these crimes seriously, and we will not tolerate them.” 

According to the allegations in the Indictment and statements made in public court filings and proceedings:

Between July 2022 and April 2024, the Beer Theft Enterprise carried out dozens of beer thefts, which cumulatively resulted in losses to certain railroad and beverage distribution companies of at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.  During at least one of those thefts, the crew carried a gun.  In a typical theft, the Beer Theft Enterprise operated during the night.  The members of the Beer Theft Enterprise working on a particular night usually assembled in the Bronx before traveling to that night’s target railyard or beverage distribution facility.  Normally, the group brought at least one U-Haul box truck to the target railyard or warehouse to be filled with cases of stolen beer.  Once they arrived at their target location, members of the Beer Theft Enterprise typically broke into the railyard or warehouse, breached the railcar or area containing Corona or Modelo beer, and transported that beer—often hundreds of cases—to their waiting vehicles.  The Beer Theft Enterprise then took the stolen beer back to the Bronx, where it was inspected and made available for sale.  After assisting in a beer theft, each of the participating members of the Beer Theft Enterprise was typically paid hundreds of dollars for the night’s work. 

As the leader of the Beer Theft Enterprise, CESARI participated in more than three dozen beer thefts in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, and recruited other members to the group.  CESARI acted brazenly and without regard for the law.  For example, as shown in the image recovered from CESARI’s phone below, CESARI had his picture taken in the midst of one particular beer theft, scaling a railcar filled with Corona beer and holding a yellow angle grinder: 

CESARI played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the Beer Theft Enterprise.  CESARI regularly used his Instagram account to recruit new members.  For instance, CESARI advertised on social media that he could provide a “police scanner” from the “precinct of your choice with the purchase of train method” and promised recruits “100k in ten days sorry not a month.”

CESARI also frequently bragged about how much money he made from his beer heists.  For example, as shown in the image below, CESARI posted to his Instagram account an image of himself in a Corona t-shirt, and boasted that, while some people “got rich off of corona virus [virus emoji],” he “got rich off coronas [train emoji],” referring to the Corona beer that he had stolen:

In addition to the prison term, CESARI, 29, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to forfeit $473,710.52 in proceeds from his participation in the Beer Theft Enterprise and make restitution in the amount of $518,710.52.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Port Authority Police Department, and the CSX Railroad Police Department. 

DHS Calls on Fairfax County Politicians to Honor ICE Detainer for Criminal Illegal Alien Previously Released Because of Their Sanctuary Policies Who Went on to Commit Murder the Next Day

 

In 2022, the Biden administration dismissed his immigration proceedings and marked him as a non-enforcement priority

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vehemently condemns Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies after Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, brutally murdered a resident inside his home in Reston, Virginia, just ONE DAY after sanctuary politicians REFUSED to honor the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest detainer and RELEASED him from jail. 

Following his arrest for assault and brandishing a firearm, ICE immediately lodged an arrest detainer on September 14, 2025. Fairfax sanctuary politicians REFUSED to honor it and instead RELEASED this criminal illegal alien back into Virginia neighborhoods.

This serial criminal has prior arrests for aggravated assault of a police officer, larceny, and disorderly conduct.

He illegally entered the United States September 18, 2016, with his mother near Hidalgo, Texas. Morales-Ortez was released into the country by the Obama administration. In 2022, the Biden administration dismissed his immigration proceedings and marked him as a non-enforcement priority.

On December 17, 2025, police responded to a residence in Reston, Virginia after Morales-Ortez allegedly shot and killed a man inside. According to local reports, he fled the scene and caused a several hours-long manhunt placing nearby schools into lockdown. Morales-Ortez was eventually apprehended and charged with second-degree murder and firearms charges.

“There is blood on the hands of Fairfax County politicians for pushing policies that released this illegal alien from jail and onto the streets of Virginia. Fairfax County refused to honor ICE’s detainer and release him into their custody. Just hours after being released from jail, he committed murder in cold blood. Sanctuary policies have deadly consequences. We pray for the victim and his family,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

DHS law enforcement is protecting American communities every day from another senseless tragedy like this taking place in another town, to another family. Victims of illegal alien crime may receive support from the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office by contacting 1-855-488-6423.

Just Cause Law Has Reduced Arbitrary Firings as NYC Fast Food Industry Continues to Grow, Comptroller Lander’s Report Finds

 

Despite warnings that the 2021 Local Law would lead to a decrease in fast food jobs and establishments, both have increased since its implementation

In a new report, Open for Business: More Jobs, Restaurants, and Protections under New York City’s Fast Food Just Cause law, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander found that the city’s fast food industry grew in the years following the enactment of the NYC’s Just Cause law for fast food workers (Local Laws 1 and 2 of 2021) as it simultaneously reduced arbitrary firings and strengthened anti-retaliation protections in the industry.

“From Starbucks to Cava, the Fast Food Just Cause Law has protected workers across New York City from being fired unjustly and without recourse,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “The data in this report also proves that job security and fair wages are also good for business, as the fast food industry has continued to grow since the laws implementation. It is imperative that the City build on this success by passing universal just cause legislation, enacting deactivation protections for app-based workers, and meaningfully supporting union organizing, in order to extend just cause protections to all New Yorkers.”

Since the Law took effect in Q3 2021, NYC’s fast-food industry has grown by 1%, rising from 8,269 to 8,385 establishments by late 2024. This 0.2% average quarterly growth rate exceeds the gains seen in the eighteen months prior to the Law’s implementation and aligns with pre-pandemic trends.

Fast food employment in New York City has also seen significant gains. Between Q3 2021 and Q4 2024, the sector’s workforce grew by 18%, increasing from 64,617 to 76,291 employees. This average quarterly growth of 1.7% outpaces the expansion seen both in the eighteen months prior to the Law’s implementation and during the three years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic.

More importantly, the Just Cause Law has had a positive impact on the working conditions of employees in New York City’s fast food industry. Qualitative evidence from enforcement cases conducted by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) demonstrates that enforcement of the Just Cause Law has enabled fast food workers to speak out about issues in the workplace, manage emergencies in their personal lives, be protected from discipline when placed in situations outside of their control, and access other protections without retaliation.

Given the positive impact of the Fast Food Just Cause Law, Comptroller Lander’s report urges the City to take action to expand just cause protections across New York City’s labor market, including:

• Pass legislation the Secure Jobs Act (Introduction 0909-2024), a bill introduced by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, to make just cause the universal standard for all employees in New York City.
• Enact legislation that establishes deactivation protections for app-delivery workers and for-hire vehicle workers, (Introduction 1332-2025, sponsored by Council Member Justin Brannan, and Introduction 0276-2024 sponsored by Council Member Shekar Krishnan, respectively), and fully fund its enforcement. 
• Support worker organizing by using a variety of tools – such as procurement, licensing, investments, and information sharing – to empower and inform New Yorkers’ efforts to join a union and collectively bargain. 

MS-13 Members Sentenced For Racketeering and Murder for Killing and Stabbing Five Victims, Including a 16-Year Old Girl

 

Wilson Arturo Constanza-Galdomez, also known as Humilde, also known as Marco Saravia, 26, of El Salvador, Edis Omar Valenzuela-Rodriguez, also known as Little Felon, 24, of Honduras, and Jonathan Pesquera-Puerto, also known as Truney, 24, of Honduras were each sentenced to life in prison for their convictions at trial of Racketeering (RICO) Conspiracy involving murder and Racketeering Murder, all related to their association with La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

“These defendants committed brutal violence — including murdering and stabbing young women and girls — to fuel their respective climbs up the MS-13 organization,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These acts, often carried out with machetes, spread fear and terror throughout the community.  As today’s life sentences reflect, the Criminal Division will be relentless in its pursuit of MS-13 leaders, members and associates, to restore a sense of safety and security to neighborhoods throughout the United States.”

“These ruthless individuals displayed a total lack of humanity and regard for life, including murdering a 16-year-old girl, all to advance their standing within a transnational criminal organization,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Now they’ll spend the rest of their lives behind bars where they belong. We, along with our law-enforcement partners, are committed to dismantling the MS-13 gang, and other lawless organizations, and holding criminals accountable who thrive on committing murders and terrorizing our communities.”

"The horrific acts of violence carried out by these MS-13 members are indefensible and demonstrates a complete disregard for human life," said Acting Assistant Director Rebecca Day of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to relentlessly pursue members and associates of MS-13 and obtain justice for the victims of their crimes."

This case targeted the violent activities of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization that operates throughout Central America and the United States. MS-13 members are organized into “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region, including Maryland. The defendants, all MS-13 members and associates, were required to commit acts of violence to increase their status and rank within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. In Baltimore City and Baltimore County, MS-13 maintained a rivalry with the 18th Street Gang, among others.

The investigation led to the conviction of six MS-13 members, including the three trial defendants. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on April 25, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 assaulted a man whom they suspected of being a rival gang member by repeatedly striking him with machetes, resulting in significant injuries to the victim’s face and arm. Afterward, those involved reported the incident to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador to gain credit and increase their status.

On May 29, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, Pesquera-Puerto, and other members and associates of MS-13 lured a 16-year-old girl, whom they suspected of associating with rival gang members, to an area near Loch Raven Reservoir in Cockeysville, Maryland. There, they struck her with a machete and stabbed her multiple times, murdering her. They then reported it to MS-13 leadership.

On June 5, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez and other MS-13 members and associates lured another female, whom they suspected was a rival gang member that cooperated with law enforcement, to an area near the CSX Bayview Train Yard in Baltimore, Maryland. There, the gang stabbed her 143 times, killing her and leaving her body near the train tracks. They again reported the murder to MS-13 leadership.

On June 6, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Pesquera-Puerto, and other MS-13 members and associates confronted a man, who had had prior disputes with the gang, and his girlfriend, who was the sister of one of the prior murder victims. Constanza-Galdomez and other members and associates ordered younger MS-13 members to bring the female victim to the same train tracks where her sister had been murdered. There, the younger members stabbed her over 70 times. All three defendants stabbed the male victim multiple times. Both victims survived the attacks.

The FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Grace Bowen and Christopher Taylor of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Wallner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.