Attorney General Coalition Wins Temporary Restraining Order Protecting Youth Mental Health Services

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from terminating federal funding supporting school-based mental health programs and providers:

“For the second time, we stopped this administration from illegally stripping mental health care away from students who need it most. This order protects the counselors, social workers, and psychologists that schools across New York rely on to keep kids safe and supported. Children’s mental health should never be subject to political games. My office will keep fighting to make sure every student has access to the care they need and that Congress guaranteed.”

Attorney General James and a coalition of 14 other attorneys general sued the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month after the administration attempted to terminate grants that help schools hire mental health professionals, despite a permanent injunction entered in 2025, which blocked the policy underlying these terminations. Today’s order temporarily preserves New York’s access to millions of dollars in funding for in-school mental health services.

Mayor Mamdani Announces New Savings Targets

 

Each agency tasked with identifying 2.5% in savings for FY27, FY28 and the outyears  

 

Mayor asks City workers to help identify savings, streamline processes and improve government operations 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today directed City agencies to identify 2.5% in savings for Fiscal Years (FY) 2027 and 2028, as well as the outyears, as part of the administration’s ongoing effort to streamline service delivery, improve government operations and ensure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.

To help meet those targets, the administration will launch a Workforce Savings and Efficiency Survey. This voluntary survey will invite City employees to identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve efficiency and make government work better for New Yorkers. Each submission will be reviewed by the agency’s Chief Savings Officer to inform future savings plans.

“Budget season may have just ended, but our work to build a government that delivers more for New Yorkers is never finished. Every dollar we save by making government work better is a dollar we can put toward services New Yorkers rely on,” said Mayor Mamdani. “By setting these ambitious savings targets early, we’re giving agencies ample time to thoughtfully review their operations, eliminate inefficiencies and strengthen the important work they do without compromising service. And because no one understands how our government can improve better than the dedicated public servants who keep it running, we’re asking them to help lead that effort.”

Today’s announcement builds on the Mamdani administration’s broader effort to make City government more effective, accountable and responsive. Within his first month in office, Mayor Mamdani signed an executive order directing every agency to appoint a Chief Savings Officer (CSO), whose work identified $1.77 billion in savings.

In May, Mayor Mamdani appointed the Commission of Government Efficiency (COGE), which released 5 ballot proposals designed to make government work better, faster and more efficiently for New Yorkers. The Mayor also announced Overhauling Procedures and Expanding Navigation (OPEN), a package of more than 50 regulatory reforms to reduce paperwork and bureaucratic burdens for the City’s roughly 180,000 small businesses; advanced the SPEED (Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development) report to cut red tape for housing construction; and launched Public Interest Technology, deploying teams of technologists to solve public challenges through modern, in-house digital solutions. 

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) - Join us Thursday July 30th for the opening of Magenta Lounge: “Persona / Non Persona"

 

Join us July 30th at 6pm

RSVP for Opening Reception & Artist Talk 

BRAC is pleased to present Magenta Lounge: “Persona / Non Persona” a dynamic group exhibition by the queer art collective, Magenta Lounge, curated by its founder James Horner.

The exhibition brings together the work of eleven LGBTQ+ artists whose paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos, and multidisciplinary works reflect on queer identity, self-discovery, and the beauty of individuality. Through diverse creative practices, the artists explore the complexities of personal expression, belonging, and the ongoing process of self-recognition.

Growing up can be challenging for anyone. Our sense of self is shaped by childhood experiences, emerging sexuality, memories, and the dynamics of family and community. For those who are gay, lesbian, transgender, or other queer identities – this journey often includes additional obstacles – including struggles for visibility, fear of rejection, body image concerns, religious pressures, addiction, and conflicts with societal expectations. Together, the artworks in this exhibition offer nuanced reflections on these experiences, illuminating both the difficulties and the resilience that accompany the formation of queer identity.

Magenta Lounge is a queer art collective started by artist James Horner. Besides art exhibitions and special projects, the collective produces zines and posters, extending their practice beyond gallery walls and into accessible, community-oriented formats. Magenta Lounge channels today’s LGBTQ+ opinions on sexuality, politics, icons, tenderness, humor, and defiance – with a commitment to visibility, collaboration, and queer-led creative production. 

James Horner is a visual storyteller whose figurative works draw from queer culture, environmental psychology, and the emotional dynamics of social spaces. Horner's characters inhabit worlds that are humorous, muscular, intimate, and destabilizing. His work has been exhibited at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art and the Bronx Museum, and he is a current participant in the Bronx River Art Center Artist Studio program and a board member and artist member of the Amos Eno Gallery.

For more information, Visit jameshornerart.com or IG @jamesandthelovelies

Featured Artists include:

Tom Acevedo, Melanie Brewster, Marco Caridad, Ross Collab, James Horner, Kyle Quinn, Christopher Squier, Nathan Storey, Patrick Webb, Aaron Wilder, Michael Young

The exhibition will run from July 30 to August 30, 2026.

The opening reception will be held on July 30 from 6 - 8pm

Artist Talk will be August 13th from 6 - 8pm.

Gallery Hours:

Tuesday-Friday: 3-6pm

Saturday and Sunday: 12-5pm

Ghanaian National Sentenced To 85 Months In Prison For Stealing More Than $10 Million Via Romance Scams

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that DERRICK VAN YEBOAH, a/k/a “Van,” was sentenced to 85 months in prison for his role in an international criminal organization that stole more than $100 million from victims via romance scams and business email compromises.  On March 5, 2026, VAN YEBOAH pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who imposed today’s sentence.  

“Romance scammers do not simply steal money—they weaponize trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Van Yeboah and his co-conspirators exploited trust, loneliness, and legitimate business relationships to steal more than $100 million.  Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these calculated frauds and our commitment to pursuing international criminal organizations that target Americans.” 

According to the charging documents and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:

VAN YEBOAH was a member of a criminal organization primarily based in Ghana that committed romance scams and business email compromises against individuals and businesses located across the United States.  Many of the conspiracy’s victims were vulnerable older men and women who were tricked into believing that they were in online romantic relationships with persons who were, in fact, fake identities assumed by members of the conspiracy.  Once members of the conspiracy had gained the trust of their victims, they deceived those victims into sending their money to the enterprise or into helping them launder funds from other victims.  The conspirators also committed business email compromises to trick and deceive businesses into wiring funds to the enterprise.  In total, the conspiracy stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims.  After stealing the money, the  fraud proceeds were then laundered to West Africa.

VAN YEBOAH personally perpetrated many of the romance scams by impersonating fake romantic partners in communications with victims.  For example, in 2019 and 2020, VAN YEBOAH assumed fake identities to engage in romance scams with an Ohio woman and a Delaware woman and induced them into transferring approximately $4.2 million to accounts belonging to members of the conspiracy.  Similarly, in 2024, VAN YEBOAH assumed a fake identity to engage in a romance scam with a North Carolina man and induced him into transferring approximately $123,000 to accounts belonging to members of the conspiracy by claiming that he needed funds for both a parent’s funeral and to recover gold and diamonds from Italy.

VAN YEBOAH is being held responsible for more than $10 million he stole from victims via his romance scams.

In addition to the prison term, VAN YEBOAH, 41, of Ghana, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $10,149,429.17 in forfeiture.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the International Cooperation Unit of the Office of the Attorney-General of Ghana to secure VAN YEOBAH’s August 7, 2025, extradition to the United States.  Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, and Ghana’s National Intelligence Bureau all provided significant assistance to ensure VAN YEOBAH’s extradition.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.

Ukrainian-Israeli Citizen Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fake Brokerage Scheme

Yaroslav Shilkloper, 50, a dual citizen of Ukraine and Israel, was sentenced today to four years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy that utilized a sophisticated phony brokerage-business to scam U.S. citizens out of millions of dollars. Shilkloper was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and $1.43 million in restitution to his victims.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Shilkloper and his co-conspirators defrauded victims in the United States of more than $3 million dollars by promising high rates of return on investments made through their “K6 Investing,” “Neotron Holding LTD.,” and “Goldex Technology” companies. As part of the scheme, the defendant provided access to a digital platform that allowed victims to see what they believed were real-time investment performance data. The victims’ money, however, was never invested, but instead diverted and laundered through a series of bank accounts in Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, and elsewhere, all controlled by Shilkloper and his co-conspirators. When victims attempted to withdraw their money, they were prevented from doing so, threatened with legal action, or manipulated into sending more money to the fraud ring. 

Shilkloper is the first of three defendants charged in the case to be sentenced. He was extradited from Poland after being arrested there in 2023. Today’s U.S. forfeiture order adds to the $2.8 million already previously returned to the victims as a result of forfeiture proceedings against Shilkloper and co-conspirators in the Republic of Georgia.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.

The HSI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case. 

Mayor Mamdani Opens 51 Safe Overnight Locations Ahead of Heavy Rain and Flash Flood Threat

 

City executing full emergency response, clearing catch basins, inspecting flood-prone neighborhoods and contacting residents in basement apartments  

 

Specialized emergency teams, including Downed Tree Task Force and Tow Truck Task Force, on standby 

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) today urged New Yorkers to prepare for waves of heavy rain expected Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Ahead of potential life-threatening flash flooding overnight, the City is opening 51 safe overnight locations at New York City Public Schools across the five boroughs. The locations will open at 8 p.m. Tuesday and remain available while dangerous conditions persist. New Yorkers can find the nearest safe overnight location by calling 311 or visiting on.nyc.gov/SafeLocations. Service animals and pets are welcome.

The City is urging New Yorkers to take the following precautions:

• Limit travel during periods of heavy rain. If you must travel, use caution and never walk or drive through floodwaters. Take public transit whenever possible.  
• If you live in a basement apartment, ground-floor home or another area that has flooded before, make a plan now. Know where you will go if your home begins to flood, whether that’s a neighbor’s apartment on a higher floor, a nearby public building or the home of a friend or family member. Safe overnight locations are available in every borough by calling 311 or visiting on.nyc.gov/SafeLocations. Sign up for basement alerts at on.nyc.gov/basements. 
• Prepare a Go Bag with medications, a flashlight, batteries, a portable phone charger, important documents in waterproof bags and other essentials. 
• During high winds, stay indoors whenever possible, avoid downed power lines and trees and secure outdoor furniture, trash bins and other loose items.  
• Call 911 if you are in immediate danger or trapped by rising water. 
• Sign up for Notify NYC emergency alerts by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692. 
• Report downed trees, blocked catch basins and other non-emergency hazards to 311. 
• Visit http://nyc.gov/beready for emergency preparedness guidance. 

“Keeping New Yorkers safe begins before the storm arrives. Tonight’s forecast calls for dangerous conditions, especially for New Yorkers living in a basement apartments and neighborhoods that have flooded before,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Our City has been preparing across all five boroughs by clearing catch basins, inspecting flood-prone streets and opening 51 safe overnight locations where people can spend the night out of harm’s way. I urge New Yorkers to take this storm seriously: make a plan, sign up for emergency alerts and check in on your neighbors.”

“Tonight’s storm will not impact every neighborhood the same way, but any community that experiences repeated rounds of heavy rain could see dangerous, life-threatening flash flooding,” said NYCEM Commissioner Christina Farrell. “Conditions can change quickly overnight, so now is the time to make a plan. If you live in a flood-prone area or are concerned about your safety, take advantage of one of the City's Safe Locations during severe weather.”

“Student and family safety is always our top priority, and we are proud to open our schools in partnership with the Mamdani administration and NYC Emergency Management to ensure our school communities have the resources they need during tonight’s severe weather,” said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “We encourage any family who feels unsafe to take advantage of these safe locations. We will continue to closely monitor conditions overnight and will communicate promptly with families and staff about any impact to summer operations.”

The NWS has issued a Flood Watch for New York City from 2 p.m. Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday. Forecasts call for 1.5 to 4 inches of rain citywide, with localized totals up to 5 inches. Rainfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour during the heaviest periods, increasing the risk of flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas and locations with poor drainage.

New Yorkers should continue to monitor weather conditions and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions overnight. Sign up for Notify NYC alerts by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 or visiting nyc.gov/notifynyc. For more preparedness guidance, visit nyc.gov/beready.

D.A. Bragg Announces Prison Sentence In Upper East Side Apartment Rape

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the sentencing of DONOVAN MURPHY, 30, to a total of 34 years in state prison with 20 years post-release supervision for entering a woman’s Upper East Side apartment while she slept and raping her when she awoke to find him in her bed. On April 6, 2026, MURPHY was convicted by a New York State Supreme Court jury of two counts of Rape in the First Degree, one count of Burglary in the First Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony, one count of Burglary in the First Degree, one count of Robbery in the Second Degree, one count of Assault in the Second Degree, and one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree. MURPHY will also be required to complete New York State Sex Offender Registration and abide by a full and final order of protection in favor of the victim.

“Today’s sentence holds Donovan Murphy accountable for this horrific attack on a nurse while she was sleeping in her own apartment,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Although this case has reached its conclusion, the survivor’s recovery continues, and I hope she is able to heal from the lasting physical and emotional impact of this crime. We will continue to support survivors of rape and sexual violence and vigorously prosecute these matters. ”

At approximately 4:00 a.m., MURPHY entered a woman’s Upper East Side apartment. He stole several bank cards from her wallet and climbed into her bed. When she awoke and saw a man she did not know, she screamed and fell to the floor after a wave of dizziness. MURPHY grabbed her from behind and punched her repeatedly in the face, causing a 5-centimeter, muscle-deep laceration to her mouth and fracturing her facial bones. He then sexually assaulted and raped her. He left and used her bank cards to purchase a taxi ride and items at a pharmacy in the Bronx.

MURPHY was arrested on October 2, 2024, following a police investigation.

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD’s Manhattan Special Victims Squad – particularly Detectives Cesar Alvarez and Alfred Ortiz – and Warrants Squad.

Former Executive Director and Former Employee of Queens Defenders Legal Services Non-Profit Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Funds

 

Defendants Lori Zeno and Rashad Ruhani Stole Over $400,000 for Personal Vacations, Luxury Shopping, and a Penthouse Apartment

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lori Zeno, the former executive director of Queens Defenders, a nonprofit legal services organization, and Rashad Ruhani, a former employee of the Organization, were sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner for their roles in a scheme to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from Queens Defenders. Judge Kovner sentenced Zeno to 43 months’ imprisonment and Ruhani to 57 months’ imprisonment.  The defendants were also ordered to pay $656,349.57 in restitution to Queens Defenders and forfeiture money judgments of $187,014.24 (Zeno) and $102,534.27 (Ruhani).

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the sentences. 

“Lori Zeno brazenly betrayed and abused her position of trust as the director of a nonprofit organization, while Rashad Ruhani worked hand in hand with her to steal funds intended to provide legal services and other critical resources to disadvantaged members of the community,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Instead of upholding the law and serving those in need, the defendants greedily served themselves by spending those funds on luxury goods, lavish travel, and other personal indulgences.  Today’s sentences serve as a reminder that our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who steal public funds and thereby deprive our communities of essential services.” 

“Rather than honoring their responsibility to the community and safeguarding the resources entrusted to them, Lori Zeno and Rashad Ruhani chose to embezzle non-profit funds for their own interests. Their actions deprived people who needed and deserved legal support. Today’s sentencing reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of the services non-profits provide,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

“Providing indigent New Yorkers with access to quality legal services is essential to ensuring a justice system governed by the rule of law and respect for constitutional rights. Lori Zeno and Rashad Ruhani betrayed their responsibility to help indigent New Yorkers through the City-funded legal services organization that Zeno co-founded and where Ruhani worked. Instead, they chose to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization, spending lavishly on themselves, including on a penthouse apartment, a vacation to Bali, and extravagant purchases at luxury retailers. Today, they stand convicted and face the consequences of their crimes. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for working with us to hold accountable anyone who misuses City funds and compromises vital services to New Yorkers.” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata.

As set forth in court filings, Zeno co-founded and served as the executive director of Queens Defenders, which provided legal services and community support services to indigent residents of Queens, New York.  Zeno hired Ruhani to work for Queens Defenders in October 2023. 

Between June 2024 and January 2025, Zeno and Ruhani engaged in a corrupt scheme to embezzle funds from Queens Defenders, diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars for their own personal benefit, including spending these stolen funds on foreign travel, expensive meals, luxury shopping, and rent for a penthouse apartment (the Penthouse Apartment). Zeno and Ruhani made extravagant purchases with the Queens Defenders’ credit cards, spending over $10,000 on a vacation to Bali; $1,700 at a luxury resort in Santa Monica, California; $3,300 for an 85-inch smart television to be installed at the Penthouse Apartment; thousands of dollars in food deliveries to the Penthouse Apartment; and thousands of dollars at luxury retailers such as Ralph Lauren and Neiman Marcus.  In one instance, Zeno and Ruhani charged over $4,000 to a Queens Defenders credit card to buy a Louis Vuitton designer handbag. As part of the conspiracy, Zeno and Ruhani repeatedly lied to the Queens Defenders, falsely characterizing personal expenses as business expenses to obtain approval for the expenditures.  To pay for the Penthouse Apartment, Zeno and Ruhani fraudulently obtained reimbursements from Queens Defenders for over $39,000 in rent by submitting lease documents that were altered to conceal Zeno’s involvement.  Zeno also secured lucrative positions at Queens Defenders for relatives and associates of Ruhani who did little or no substantive work, including hiring a woman married to Ruhani as the director of a non-existent “health and wellness” program with a salary of $60,000.  As a result of Zeno and Ruhani’s misuse of its funds, Queens Defenders lost its city contract to provide criminal defense services to low‑income New Yorkers.