Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Your Friday Nights Just Got Better

 

Friday nights are for movies under the stars! 

Starlight Cinema returns to Van Cortlandt Park with four feel-good movies celebrating our favorite Four-Legged Friends. And, as always, it’s FREE!

Bring a blanket, grab some snacks, and settle in on the Parade Ground for a movie night the whole family can enjoy.

5:30 PM - Music inspired by the movie year, courtesy of local radio station WFUV

5:30 PM - Movie-themed crafts for kids (and kids at heart!)

7:00-ish - Movie begins at last light

Note that the movie will start closer to 7:30 pm this Friday to coincide with sunset. 

This fall's lineup:

September 18 - Best in Show (2000)

September 25 - Ratatouille (2007)

October 2 - Paddington 2 (2017)

Where: Van Cortlandt Park Parade Ground

So grab your crew, pack a picnic, and meet us in the park. We'll bring the movies, you bring the blanket and snacks!

Get the Details

See you under the stars!

Our Contact Information
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org

DEC ANNOUNCES 2026–27 EARLY BIG GAME HUNTING SEASONS IN SEPTEMBER

 

Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminded big game hunters that early hunting seasons for deer and bear begin in September in New York State.  

“New York State’s early big game hunting seasons provide more opportunity for hunters to contribute to effective management in areas of the state where additional harvest of antlerless deer and bear are necessary to keep populations in balance,” Director of DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Jacqueline Lendrum said. “Under DEC’s new big game hunting regulations, there has never been a greater opportunity for hunters to spend time afield in September.”  

An early bear season begins on September 12 and runs through September 27 in 11 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in the Southern Zone (WMUs, 3A, 3C, 3H, 3J, 3K, 3M, 3P, 3R, 4P, 4R, and 4W). Additionally, an early antlerless deer season begins on September 12 and runs through September 20 in 23 WMUs in the Southern Zone–including 10 new WMUs where the early antlerless deer season has been expanded (1C, 3M, 3P, 3R, 3S, 4J, 6P, 7F, 7J, 7H, 7R, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 8R, 8S, 9A, 9F, and 9G). Bear hunting seasons begin on September 19 and run through December 6 in the Northern Zone.  

Only antlerless deer (those without antlers or having antlers less than three inches long) may be harvested during the early antlerless deer season, and hunters may only use Deer Management Permits (DMPs) or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) tags. All WMUs that have an early antlerless deer season offer unlimited DMPs, which allow hunters who report an antlerless deer harvest on a DMP to receive a Bonus DMP for the same WMU. Hunters are encouraged to apply for DMPs in these WMUs ahead of the early antlerless deer season. Hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer will also receive a second antlered deer tag for the 2026–27 seasons through the new “Earn-a-2nd-Buck” program.  

In WMUs 3M, 3P, 3R, 6P, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7R, 8A, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 8R, 8S, 9A, 9F, and 9G, hunters may use firearms, crossbows, or vertical bows during the early antlerless deer season, but only vertical bows or crossbows can be used in WMUs 1C, 3S, 4J, and 8C. Hunters may use firearms, crossbows, or vertical bows in all WMUs enrolled in the early bear season. The use of rifles is prohibited in Rockland County (most of WMU 3R) during any season.  

Hunters using firearms, including muzzleloaders, during any season, must wear a solid or patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink hat, vest, or jacket while hunting. Legal hunting hours for deer and bear include the full period of ambient light from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Hunter Education Program

To purchase a hunting or trapping license, a hunter, bowhunter, or trapper education certificate is required. For over 75 years, DEC’s Hunter Education Program has taught future hunters and trappers how to be safe, responsible, and ethical. Courses are available in-person or online. All in-person courses are free and taught by DEC-certified instructors. Demand for in-person courses is high in late summer and early fall, so it is important to sign up early. For more information and to find a course near you, visit DEC’s website.

Hunters can ensure that hunting remains a safety activity by following the cardinal safety rules: (1) treat every firearm as if it were loaded; (2) control the muzzle, keep it pointed in a safe direction; (3) identify your target and what lies beyond; and (4) Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.

Hunters should refer to the 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide and DEC’s Deer and Bear Hunting Seasons and Regulations webpages for more information about deer and bear hunting in New York State. 

The Dinowitz Dispatch - September 11 2026

 

New York City Council Member

ERIC DINOWITZ

Proudly serving the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Norwood, Van Cortlandt Village, Spuyten Duyvil, Wakefield, and Woodlawn.

11th Council District, Bronx · 277 West 231st, Bronx, NY 10463 · Tel: (718) 549 - 7300

This Edition: Remembering 9/11, Shana Tovah, Back to School, and much more...

Dear Neighbor:

This is a meaningful, yet heavy week for our community. On Thursday, we welcomed our students back for the first day of school. On Friday, we mark 25 years since September 11. And as the sun sets Friday evening, we begin Rosh Hashana, the start of the Jewish New Year. Remembrance and renewal are arriving almost on top of each other this year, and I want to share with you how our office is engaging with each moment.

Welcome Back to School

Thursday was the first day of the 2026-2027 school year for New York City public school students, and I couldn't be more excited for everything ahead. As a former teacher myself, the first day of school has always held a special place in my heart. It's a day full of nerves, new backpacks, and the kind of hope that only comes with a fresh start. I recorded a message for every student starting school this week, welcoming them back and letting them know our office is behind them all year long. You can watch it on our social media channels.

PS 77 and PS 19 Backpack Giveaways

My office partnered with PS 77 and PS 19 for our latest round of backpack giveaways, helping make sure local students start the year with the supplies they need to succeed. These distributions are one of my favorite parts of this time of year, and seeing the excitement on students' faces as they picked out their new backpacks was a reminder of why this work matters. Thank you to the PTAs, school staff, and Kol Yisroel who helped make this happen, and to everyone who came out to celebrate the new school year with us.

Shana Tova

As Rosh Hashana began Friday evening, I want to wish all those observing a joyous and meaningful holiday. As Chair of the Jewish Caucus, this time of year holds particular significance for me, and I know how deeply it resonates across our district and our city's broader Jewish community. May this new year bring health, peace, and sweetness to you and your loved ones. Shana Tova, and have a sweet new year.

Stated Meeting Update

At the Stated Meeting on Thursday, September 10th, I introduced three new resolutions and we passed a number of bills. You can read an in-depth description of each bill here, and read the summaries below. 

Res 619 calls on the State to allow smaller public works projects to use design-build, helping the City complete projects like new park bathrooms faster and more cost-effectively.

The second, Res 620, calls on the Department of Education to offer the Seal of Civic Readiness in every school, giving more students access to civics coursework and project-based learning that prepares them to understand and participate in our democracy. This resolution will accompany a hearing I am chairing in October about Civic education in our schools.

The third, Res 621, calls on the State to require arts and music education in every New York school. Nearly 20% of NYC public schools lack an arts teacher. Arts education has its own inherent value, not just value in service of other academic subjects, and our students deserve meaningful arts education, not “art on a cart.”



Furthermore, the City Council passed a series of bills I co-sponsored. The first set of bills, sponsored by Council Member Oswald Feliz, requires chain restaurants to post clear warnings for menu items containing high amounts of sugar and sodium, respectively. This needed transparency will allow New Yorkers to make more informed decisions about their health. 

In addition, I co-sponsored, and the City Council passed, a bill introduced by Council Member Kamillah Hanks, which requires the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) to report on historical African American burial sites across New York City. This report would virtually map known sites and identify potential unmarked sites for preservation. These are necessary efforts to help preserve the resting sites and tell the stories of black New Yorkers, who have all too often been neglected by history books and City governments in the past. 

Moreover, I voted yes on several bills, including efforts to reduce neighborhood light pollution, respond more efficiently to dog waste epidemics, provide public notice of disruptive street work, and crack down on illegal cannabis sales in stores licensed to sell tobacco product. I also voted to pass resolutions celebrating the Feast of Saint Genarro and the Ferragosto Festival, as well as the impact of Italian immigrants on New York City, honoring the legacy of Alvin Ailey and Carmen de Lavallade, and and calling on Congress to pass the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2025.

I voted to confirm the Mayoral appointments of Lisa Garcia and Dr. Dave A. Choksh to the New York City Land Bank and Board of Health, respectively. 

I abstained on the appointment of John Mangin as Chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals. While Mr. Mangin has demonstrated a willingness to engage with local Council Members, his past views on development do not align with my approach or what I hear from the community members I represent.

With the BSA now having greater authority over development due to recent charter revisions, I believe its leadership must recognize that our neighborhoods have different needs than denser, more transit-rich parts of the city. That means considering community priorities such as family-sized apartments, parking, green infrastructure, and neighborhood context.

I sincerely hope Mr. Mangin proves my concerns unfounded and leads the BSA with sensitivity to the distinct needs of communities across our city. 

I look forward to working with him to the benefit of our community, the Bronx, and our city.

You can read more about these pieces of legislation here.

Upcoming Events and Announcements

Sincerely,

Registered Sex Offender Charged With Sexual Exploitations Of Children And Receipt And Distribution Of Child Pornography

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced that DUSTIN TOMPKINS, a registered sex offender, was charged with sexual exploitation of children by persuading, and attempting to persuade, them to create and send him sexually explicit images, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and committing offenses against children while being a registered sex offender.  TOMPKINS, who is currently detained on charges that he violated the terms of his supervised release, was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court.

“The Southern District of New York will use every available tool to protect children,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.  “Dustin Tompkins represents every parent’s greatest fear: an adult who allegedly used social media to gain access to children and exploit them for his own sexual gratification.  As alleged, while on supervision for a prior conviction for receipt and distribution of child pornography, Tompkins used social media to communicate with minors and persuade them to create and send him sexually explicit images.  Tompkins is also alleged to have amassed additional child pornography via social media applications.  If you have information to report, please immediately contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.”

As alleged in the Complaint:(1)

On or about March 18, 2015, TOMPKINS pled guilty in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to receiving and distributing child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2) and (b)(1), and was subsequently sentenced to 77 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.

On or about January 30, 2026, officers from the U.S. Probation Office conducted a routine supervisory visit and discovered hidden in TOMPKINS’s bedroom an unsanctioned smartphone.  A subsequent court-authorized search of that smartphone found images comprising child pornography.  The search of the smartphone further revealed that, on or about January 24, 2026, TOMPKINS had created a messaging group using a social media application by which he received and viewed approximately 55 files containing child pornography. 

Finally, the smartphone search found that TOMPKINS, using a second social media application, had posed as an adult woman and exchanged messages with minors.  Specifically, on or about October 14, 2025, Tompkins directed a 13-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, photograph the conduct, and transmit the photograph to him.  Then, on or about December 26, 2025, Tompkins directed, and attempted to direct, a 16‑year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, photograph and record the conduct, and transmit the photograph and video to him.   

There may be other victims.  If you have information to report, please contact the FBI at 1‑800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.

TOMPKINS, 38, of Mount Kisco, New York, is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, which each carry a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.  TOMPKINS is also charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.  TOMPKINS is finally charged with one count of committing the offenses charged in Counts One and Two while being a registered sex offender, which requires a sentence of 10 years in prison to be served consecutively to any sentence imposed pursuant to Counts One and Two. 

The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. McDonald thanked Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Probation Office. 

DHS Commemorates 25th Anniversary of 9/11

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which ultimately led to the founding of DHS in order to secure the homeland and protect the American people.

On that fateful Tuesday 25 years ago, 19 members of the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners across the United States, with the intent of crashing them into large buildings and killing thousands of Americans. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, while American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers fought back against the hijackers. The attacks killed 2,977 Americans and injured thousands more.

Following the attacks, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was signed into law, ordering the creation of a new Cabinet-level agency dedicated to homeland security. As a result, DHS was created on March 1, 2003. Its mission is to defend the homeland, the American people, and our way of life.

“On this day 25 years ago, our world changed forever. 9/11 remains one of the darkest days in history. Evil came to our shores and stole the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans in a vicious attempt to bring our great nation to its knees,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “But by the end of that day, even as smoke still filled the skies over New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the American spirit endured and rose to the challenge. From the unrivaled bravery of first responders who ran into burning buildings and risked it all to save their fellow Americans, to the civilians aboard Flight 93 who fought back against their captors knowing that it would be their last acts on this earth, the best of America stood up and refused to let the worst of humanity win that day. Those Americans have all earned their place in history as some of the bravest people to have ever lived, and we should consider it an honor that we once shared a nation with them.

“When we remember 9/11, we often say ‘never forget.’ We must never forget the nearly 3,000 who lost their lives. We must never forget the potential for evil to strike again, and we must never forget how only the devotion of the good can keep all of us safe. We carry the legacy of 9/11 in our hearts, not just out of remembrance of those we lost that day, but so that we can maintain and defend a nation that they would be proud of. To forget that duty would be to forget our honored dead from that day.

“That is why, 25 years later, our mission continues. DHS was created for the specific purpose of protecting the homeland and the American people, and ensuring that something like 9/11 never happens again. It is my honor to serve as the 9th Secretary of Homeland Security, working alongside more than 260,000 of the finest that America has to offer. For more than two decades, DHS has been answering the call to keep our homeland safe. As long as there is still life in our bodies and love in our hearts, we will never forget.” 

Homeland Security Task Force Investigation in Seattle Leads to Eight-Year Sentence for Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization

Mexican National Profited from Drugs Sold in “The Jungle” and International District of Seattle

Narcotics and firearms seized during Homeland Security Task Force Investigation in Seattle. 

The 32-year-old leader of a drug trafficking organization that preyed, in part, on those living unhoused in “The Jungle” and in the Seattle Chinatown International District was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to eight years in prison. Daniel Ibarra Loera, an illegal alien, living in Kent, Washington, was identified as a leader of a drug trafficking ring in a wiretap investigation in 2024-2025. The wiretap revealed Ibarra Loera was selling pound quantities of cocaine and fentanyl as well. When law enforcement searched his residence in May 2025, they seized six firearms and ballistic vests that Ibarra Loera admits were used to protect his drug trafficking enterprise. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You were the source of a significant amount of cocaine and fentanyl to some of the most vulnerable in our community. I hope you recognize that what you did contributed to the suffering of a lot of people.”

“Mr. Ibarra Loera and his co-conspirators trafficked deadly drugs to some of Seattle’s most vulnerable living in homeless encampments in the Chinatown International District,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, “DEA, along with our federal, state, and local partners, is working to stop those who profit from poisoning our community. Fentanyl Free America is DEA’s unwavering commitment to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.” 

“Driven by greed, this defendant trafficked both cocaine and fentanyl to some of the most vulnerable in our community while possessing firearms and after entering this country illegally,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Our office only learned of his immigration status because he was caught trafficking large quantities of drugs.  Now he appropriately faces a lengthy prison sentence and removal to Mexico.”

According to records filed in the case, in 2023, after incidents of drug trafficking-related violence in and around homeless encampments in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and the greenbelt adjacent to Interstate-5, commonly known as the “Jungle,” the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Seattle Police Department (SPD) began a narcotics trafficking investigation into individuals distributing controlled substances in these areas. Ibarra Loera was identified as a source of supply of both cocaine and fentanyl for street level dealers.

On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash.

Investigators searched Ibarra Loera’s home and a storage unit seizing guns, drugs and luxury cars that Ibarra Loera bought and sold to launder his drug proceeds. Investigators seized a 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, a 2017 Cadillac CTS-V, a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and a 2018 Audi RS3 Quattro.

On May 5, 2026, Ibarra Loera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“As a leader of this drug trafficking organization, Mr. Ibarra Loera supplied kilogram quantities of cocaine to distributors including, irresponsibly, to people he barely knew,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Ultimately, the poison he supplied reached some of the most vulnerable members of the Seattle community. Mr. Ibarra Loera also possessed multiple firearms to protect the proceeds of the trafficking. The FBI and our partners will continue to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.”

Asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti told the court Ibarra Loera dealt “deadly, addictive and destructive substances… cocaine is one of the top three deadly substances.”

The investigation was led by the FBI, DEA, and Seattle Police Department with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

D.A. Bragg Announces New Sex Trafficking, Narcotics Charges In Upstate Correctional Ring Prosecution

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced new charges in the indictment of DEANNA DICASTRO, 39, and GILLIAM CORDERO, 38, for multiple conspiracies including sex trafficking two children and a woman, forcing the woman to smuggle narcotics into an upstate prison facility, facilitating the sales of firearms between each other, and one gunpoint robbery.

Intimate partners DICASTRO, a former Office of Mental Health employee in a secure correctional facility, and CORDERO are charged with running the operation in Manhattan, the Bronx, and in the Rome and Utica, New York, areas between October 2025 and August 2026 – allegedly continuing to operate elements of the conspiracies after being incarcerated on the initial indictment.

Additionally, CORDERO’s mother, THERESA WRIGHT, was indicted for allegedly managing money for CORDERO in the sex trafficking conspiracy and keeping proceeds from prostitution. TASHA CRUZ was indicted for allegedly taking photos of the children for prostitution advertisements and arranging prostitution encounters. Finally, JOSHUA HENDERSON was indicted for allegedly conspiring with CORDERO and DICASTRO to smuggle narcotics into the upstate facility where he was housed.

The New York State Supreme Court indictment includes charges of Predatory Sexual Assault, Rape in the First Degree, Sex Trafficking and Sex Trafficking of a Child, among other charges.[1]

“This horrific trafficking and narcotics operation centered around a state employee’s insider information and access to firearms, we allege,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Deanna DiCastro allegedly funneled firearms to her partner, Gilliam Cordero, to use in a violent trafficking operation that even included forcing a survivor to transport narcotics into state prison. Our Human Trafficking Unit has specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors to seek accountability and help survivors rebuild their lives. Please call us at 212-335-3400.”

As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record in court, CORDERO and DICASTRO orchestrated three conspiracies: running a sex trafficking and prostitution operation, obtaining firearms, and smuggling narcotics into an upstate prison.

Alleged Firearms Sales

DICASTRO was licensed to obtain and possess pistols. Using her license, she obtained firearms for CORDERO, who specifically requested that she purchase at least three handguns. CORDERO allegedly used firearms in both of the following conspiracies.

Alleged Trafficking and Prostitution Operation

Beginning in October 2025, CORDERO, DICASTRO, CRUZ, and WRIGHT allegedly worked together to traffic two children and one adult woman as part of a prostitution operation.

As alleged, DICASTRO first created an account with Megapersonals to post prostitution advertisements. CORDERO recruited each of the women and children. CORDERO and DICASTRO worked together to arrange prostitution encounters in hotels in Manhattan, as well as in the Bronx and upstate near DICASTRO’s home in Rome, New York. CRUZ took photos of one of the children for prostitution advertisements and specifically set up prostitution encounters for the children. WRIGHT managed money for CORDERO, including taking payments from the women and children and keeping proceeds.

CORDERO frequently threatened the women and children with firearms he obtained from DICASTRO. On at least two occasions, he forcibly raped the adult survivor when she refused to perform open-air street prostitution. He also allegedly had sex with both of the children, including a statutory rape.

On November 16, 2025, DICASTRO identified a person for CORDERO to rob at gunpoint. After DICASTRO passed that person’s information to CORDERO, CORDERO robbed them at gunpoint, threatening to shoot them if they did not give him their belongings.

Alleged Narcotics Smuggling

CORDERO, DICASTRO, and HENDERSON allegedly worked together to smuggle narcotics into Green Haven Correctional, where HENDERSON is incarcerated. CORDERO and DICASTRO allegedly sprayed liquified ketamine onto sheets of paper, which they strapped to the adult trafficking survivor underneath her clothes, and also forced her to transport marijuana in condoms inserted into her vagina. DICASTRO used her experience working as a Department of Mental Health employee in secure correctional facilities to advise the survivor how to evade detection at security checkpoints and how to respond if anything was detected. HENDERSON took the narcotics to sell to other incarcerated individuals.

CORDERO and DICASTRO allegedly attempted to continue elements of the narcotics operation while incarcerated at Rikers Island following their initial indictment in April 2026.

Assistant D.A.s John Fuller and Caroline Rowley are handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Courtney Razner (Deputy Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit) and Jonathon Junig (Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit), and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney. Investigators Ariela DaSilva and Sean Ryan, and Investigative Analysts Jaden Bharara, Margaret Murphy and Nina Huang, are assisting with the investigation. Former Investigative Analyst Margaret Murphy and former Human Trafficking Clinical Director Melissa Martinez provided invaluable support.

District Attorney Bragg thanked Detective Harrison Graf of the NYPD 9th Precinct Detective Squad, and the Rome, New York Police Department, particularly Captain Alex Sypniewskia.

[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.