HERNANDEZ TELLS BUSINESS COUNCIL $10 BILLION EMPIRE OPPORTUNITY FUND WILL BRING BUSINESS AND TALENT BACK TO NEW YORK

 

Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, addressed The Business Council of New York State’s 2026 Annual Meeting on Friday, September 25 at The Sagamore Resort, outlining his plan to use the Comptroller’s office to help drive economic growth, attract investment and keep businesses and talent in New York.

 

Hernandez highlighted his proposed $10 billion Empire Opportunity Fund, which would invest pension capital in competitive opportunities tied to New York’s economy, including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cybersecurity, aerospace and defense, energy and financial technology.

 

“New York has the talent, universities, businesses and capital to be the economic engine of this country, but for too long we have watched companies, jobs and talented young people leave,” said Hernandez. “We need to create an environment where businesses want to invest, entrepreneurs want to build and the next generation wants to stay.”

Joseph Hernandez addresses The Business Council of New York State’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Bolton Landing.

Hernandez said the Empire Opportunity Fund would seek competitive returns for pensioners while directing more attention toward investment opportunities that can expand New York’s economic base.

 

“We manage one of the largest pools of capital in the world. We should be asking where the best opportunities are and whether we are overlooking great businesses being built right here in New York,” Hernandez said. “My $10 billion Empire Opportunity Fund will look for investments that can deliver strong returns while helping bring businesses, jobs and talent back to our state.”

 

Hernandez also pointed to his three decades of experience building companies, raising capital and investing across biotechnology, healthcare, finance and advanced technology as the approach he would bring to the Comptroller’s office.

 

“I’ve spent 30 years building businesses and competing for capital and talent. I know what it takes for companies to grow,” Hernandez said. “As Comptroller, I’ll bring that experience to Albany and work to make New York a place where capital is invested, businesses are built and opportunity grows.”

Mayor Mamdani Opens New Jobs NYC Center, Connecting New Yorkers to Good-Paying Jobs in Public Service

 

New Hub Has Already Delivered on Key Administration Commitment to Double the Size of the NYC BEST Team 

 

Opening Marks National Workforce Development Month 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kenny Minaya and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei officially launched the Jobs NYC Center at 2 Lafayette Street, a new hub connecting New Yorkers to careers in public service. 

 

Developed by SBS and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the Center turns a long-vacant City-owned space into a home for walk-in career services, workforce development events, job fairs and agency hiring halls. Regular walk-in hours begin Monday, October 5. 

 

The Center advances the administration’s commitment to connecting New Yorkers with good jobs and strong career pathways while putting underused City-owned space back to work for the people of New York. The Center will also support City employees seeking promotion and other ways to advance in public service careers. It will host panels and workshops on career paths, share Civil Service exam schedules, connect employees and managers to DCAS trainings and organize networking and affinity group events. 

 

“Every New Yorker deserves a real shot at a good job, including serving the city they call home,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The path to public service should not be difficult to navigate. The Jobs NYC Center will help New Yorkers find the right opportunity, understand what it takes to get hired and build a career in public service.” 

 

“I’ve talked to workers across this city who assumed a job in public service wasn’t for them — the process seemed too complicated, with too much paperwork and no one to help them through it,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “This Center changes that. New Yorkers can walk in, get support and walk out with a path toward a stable job serving their own city.” 

 

“Public service has long been one of the most reliable paths to a stable future for New Yorkers,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “The new Jobs NYC Center will give more New Yorkers access to careers in civil service and help our sister agencies recruit the workforce they need.”   

 

“We’re excited to collaborate with our partner agencies on a win-win for New Yorkers by replacing a vacant storefront with a job center at 2 Lafayette to help connect New Yorkers to jobs, particularly city jobs,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “And for those city jobs that require an exam, New Yorkers can go right upstairs to our testing center in the same building. This center fits with our efforts to connect New Yorkers to city jobs online, at our hiring events, through our newsletter and now as this new Jobs NYC Center.” 

 

Mayor Mamdani marked the launch by swearing in 17 new NYC Business Express Service Team (BEST) members, the SBS unit that helps entrepreneurs navigate permits, licenses and inspections to open and run a business in New York City. The members were hired through the Center’s first hiring hall, held in August as part of its soft launch.  

 

The hiring hall is a step toward fulfilling Mayor Mamdani’s Executive Order 18 commitment to double the size of the NYC BEST and accelerate hiring across public service roles. 

 

About the Jobs NYC Center 

 

The Jobs NYC Center helps New Yorkers find and secure jobs with the City. Staff help job seekers identify open positions, navigate the civil service process, prepare applications and connect directly with agencies that are hiring.  

 

The Center builds on SBS’s Jobs NYC initiative, which since 2024 has helped 47 City agencies and public institutions, including the Department of Education, NYC Health + Hospitals and the City University of New York, recruit staff. The new location gives that work a fixed location in the heart of Manhattan. 

 

At 2 Lafayette Street, the Center provides: 

•   Career Services: Help finding and applying for public-sector jobs, including guidance on civil service exams. 

•    Hiring Halls: Agency interviews and on-the-spot hiring events that connect New Yorkers directly with employers. 

•   Workshops and Training: Sessions on public service careers and the civil service process, including Civil Service 101, held on the Center’s street-level Jobs NYC Stage. 

•   Employer Services: Recruitment support for City agencies and other public sector partners. 

•   Community Space: A venue for workforce development outreach, networking and events. The space previously hosted temporary activations, including Art on the Avenue installations. Those installations and other arts programming will continue to be incorporated into the Center, bringing culture and workforce development together in a space designed to serve New Yorkers.  

 

The Jobs NYC Center at 2 Lafayette Street will formally open for regular walk-in hours on Monday, October 5, 2026. 

WORST OF THE WORST: ICE Arrests Murderers, Sexual Predators, and Robbers

 

Despite a 1,600% increase in assaults against them, the brave men and women of ICE will never stop enforcing the law

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more worst of worst illegal aliens, including those convicted for despicable crimes such as murder, sexual assault, and robbery.

“The brave men and women of ICE arrested murderers, sexual predators, robbers, and other dangerous illegal aliens,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. “Despite the dangerous and ugly rhetoric from sanctuary politicians that have resulted in a 1,600% increase in assaults against them, ICE will never stop enforcing the law, deporting illegal aliens, and protecting the American people.”

Arrests include:

Jesus Ceja-Barajas, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted for murder in Salinas, California.

Zam Muan Lian, a criminal illegal alien from Burma, convicted for THREE counts of sexual assault in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Adony De La Cruz-Cruz, a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, convicted for robbery in New York, New York.

Obiageriaku Jane Iheanacho, a criminal illegal alien from Nigeria, convicted for first-degree assault and vulnerable adult abuse in Baltimore, Maryland.

Roberto Bejarano-Cruz, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine in Austin, Texas.

Americans can see more public safety threats arrested in their communities on our webpage WOW.DHS.Gov.

D.A. Bragg Announces Prison Sentence In Unprovoked Knife Attacks, Murder Of Columbia Grad Student

 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the prison sentence of VINCENT PINKNEY, 30, to 25 years-to-life in state prison for fatally stabbing 30-year-old Columbia University graduate student Davide Giri and attacking two other men in three separate, unprovoked knife attacks in Upper Manhattan on December 2, 2021. On July 10, 2026, PINKNEY pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme court to one count of Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree.

“Vincent Pinkney brutally attacked three unsuspecting strangers in within 30 minutes,” said District Attorney Bragg. “During this attack, he murdered Davide Giri, a brilliant and talented young man with so much life ahead of him. Mr. Giri’s death sent shock waves throughout an entire community and devastated his family, classmates, teachers, teammates and friends. My thoughts remain with Mr. Giri’s family and the surviving victims, who were left with ongoing trauma. I hope this accountability brings closure while allowing the community to honor Mr. Giri’s life and legacy.”

As admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 10:52 p.m., PINKNEY approached Mr. Giri near West 123rd Street between Morningside and Amsterdam Avenues. PINKNEY then stabbed him in the chest. Mr. Giri ran away and collapsed on the ground moments later. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

At approximately 11:05 p.m., PINKNEY approached a 27-year-old man near West 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue. PINKNEY stabbed him several times in the back and torso, puncturing his kidney and spleen. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.

At approximately 11:15 p.m., PINKNEY lunged with the knife at a 29-year-old man, who was walking his dog with his girlfriend, near the northeast corner of Central Park. PINKNEY missed, and the victim flagged down nearby police officers, who arrested PINKNEY a few minutes later. Officers recovered the knife from PINKNEY’s hoodie pocket.

Assistant D.A. Molly Presant handled the prosecution of this case, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Nicole Blumberg (Chief of Trial Bureau 40) and Executive D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Assistant D.A. Danielle Turcotte (Trial Bureau 40) assisted in the prosecution. Assistant D.A. Alec Simon previously provided invaluable assistance in this case.

D.A. Bragg thanked the New York City Police Department (NYPD), particularly the officers from the 26th and 24th Precincts.

Two Affordable Housing Developments, Charter School Under Construction in Melrose, The Bronx

 

Two new all-affordable residential buildings and a charter school are under construction in the Melrose section of the South Bronx. All three properties are within walking distance of the 3rd Avenue–149th Street subway station, served by the 2 and 5 trains.

Work is finishing up on two residential buildings in the Melrose Supportive Housing development at 409 and 450 East 158th Street. Designed by Aufgang Architects and developed by Barone Management, Azimuth Development, and The Jericho Project, the structures will span a combined 80,000 square feet and yield 129 affordable units. Apartments will come in studio to one-bedroom layouts, and 78 units will serve as permanent supportive housing for local homeless families and veterans. Amenities include 24-hour security, high-speed internet, and on-site laundry facilities.

409 East 158th Street is located mid-block between Melrose and Elton Avenue. Exterior work is complete and crews are currently wrapping up the interiors and applying the finishing touches while the developers work to secure the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO).

409 East 158th Street. Photo by Michael Young.

450 East 158th Street is the larger of the two buildings and has finished construction, operating with a TCO since July. The structure features a cohesive design with a façade composed of orange and charcoal-hued paneling and red brick. The entrance is situated slightly below grade along Elton Avenue via an ADA-accessible ramp.

450 East 158th Street. Photo by Michael Young.

The property was formerly occupied by La Ressurreccion United Methodist Church.

450 East 158th Street, circa May 2018. Image via Google Maps.

A few blocks to the south, foundations are progressing for the five-story Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industries (AECI) charter school at 2970 3rd Avenue. Designed by Loci Architecture PLLC and developed by Shimon Kleinman, the 60-foot-tall structure will span 77,957 square feet. The school will occupy 59,133 square feet, and the remaining 18,824 square feet will be devoted to ground-floor retail. The school will feature a gymnasium with two full-size basketball courts and a rooftop play area. The property is located at the corner of 3rd Avenue and East 153rd Street.

Crews are currently beginning to form the foundations as excavation continues behind the wraparound sidewalk fencing.

2970 3rd Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

2970 3rd Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

The school is targeting a completion date of winter 2028.

2970 3rd Avenue. Photo by Michael Young.

Texas Mental Health Clinic Owner Convicted in $26M Scheme to Defraud Military Health Benefits Program

 

A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted a Texas licensed professional counselor for his role in a $26 million health care fraud, kickbacks, and money laundering scheme.

“This verdict makes clear that those who try to defraud the United States will be met with swift and decisive justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This defendant exploited a critical health care program serving active-duty servicemembers and their families, diverting taxpayer dollars to bankroll personal luxuries ranging from hotel stays to a casino-themed party and even a gold‑plated Tesla Cybertruck. Such conduct is an affront to the military community and the American public. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who abuses federal programs for personal gain.”

“Kevin Curry shamelessly preyed on the trust of servicemembers, veterans, and their families, siphoning millions from TRICARE through lies and coercion, said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “He fabricated medical records, stole doctors’ identities and clogged the system with fraudulent claims, all while lining his pockets with kickback‑tainted money. This conviction sends an unmistakable message that those who manipulate our military community and defraud federal healthcare programs will face the full force of federal prosecution.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kevin D. Curry, 64, of Frisco, Texas, orchestrated a scheme to bill TRICARE for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy that was medically unnecessary or not provided. Curry, the owner and operator of two purported mental health clinics in Texas, Acuity TMS of Plano LLC and Acuity TMS of Fort Worth LLC, and one purported mental health clinic in Florida, Emerald Coast TMS of Fort Walton Beach LLC (collectively, Acuity), offered and paid over $5.5 million in kickbacks to convince active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and their family members to consent to TMS therapy they did not qualify for and, in many instances, did not receive. Curry, who falsely held himself out to be a medical doctor, used actual doctors’ credentials without their knowledge and consent to bill TRICARE as part of the scheme.

In an effort to conceal his fraud, Curry directed employees to fabricate medical records that he submitted to TRICARE to justify his fraudulent billings. Acuity billed TRICARE over $26 million in false, fraudulent, and kickback-tainted TMS claims, based on which TRICARE paid approximately $17 million. Curry laundered some of the proceeds by spending his ill-gotten gains on hotels, a lavish casino-themed party, and a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck worth over $100,000:

Kevin Curry's gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck, purchased with his fraudulent proceeds.

The jury convicted Curry of three counts of health care fraud, three counts of offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminal derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division; United States Attorney Ryan Raybould of the Northern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Department’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office; Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office; Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), South Central Field Office, made the announcement.

DCIS, FBI, MFCU, and VA-OIG investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Womble for the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Adam Tisdall and Yael Mash of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, 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.

Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

A federal jury found Raymundo Olalde-Nieves, 58, guilty on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine as announced by United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on or about August 22, 2024, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arranged the purchase of approximately 54 pounds of methamphetamine from a source. The drug sale was planned to occur at a gas station in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. 

Investigators surveilled the gas station and saw Olalde-Nieves drive up in a gray vehicle. Olalde-Nieves then loitered in the parking lot for approximately 30 minutes, getting in and out of the car, and checking the vehicle’s trunk twice. While the defendant was in the parking lot, investigators then arranged for the transaction to occur at a different location approximately 1.6 miles north of the gas station. Investigators then saw Olalde-Nieves on the phone in the parking lot and then proceeded to travel north.

Investigators coordinated with the Minnesota State Patrol to stop Olalde-Nieves in his car after he left the gas station. Troopers followed the defendant and stopped him approximately one mile north of the gas station. They suspected the defendant was attempting to evade them by turning into a nearby parking lot.

When the troopers questioned the defendant on where he was going, the troopers received vague and inconsistent responses. The troopers then removed him from the car and conducted a canine sniff of the vehicle. The canine alerted the troopers to the presence of a controlled substance odor. After a search of the vehicle, the troopers found four black buckets containing approximately 54 pounds of, what was later confirmed to be, methamphetamine in the car’s trunk.

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol and other law enforcement partners. 

HSI Arrests Previously-Deported Illegal Alien Who Attacked an ICE Officer with Vehicle

 

This illegal alien had already been removed from the country THREE times

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested a three-time previously deported illegal alien who allegedly used his vehicle to assault an ICE law enforcement officer in California.

The arrest stems from an August 31, 2026 incident in Martinez, California, in which Jesus Israel Garcia-Cobarruvias, an illegal alien from Mexico, allegedly accelerated his vehicle toward ICE officers, injured an officer, damaged a government vehicle, and then fled the area. The officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries but currently cannot walk without assistance due to the injury.

HSI agents arrested Garcia-Cobarruvias on September 17 in Martinez, California. During the arrest, he refused commands and agents used force to remove him from a vehicle and take him into custody.

Jesus Israel Garcia-Cobarruvias

“This criminal illegal alien represents the worst of the worst that the hardworking men and women of ICE are targeting and removing from our communities every single day,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This Department will not tolerate violent assaults on our brave law enforcement officers who keep us safe. DHS will hunt down and bring to justice anyone who engages in this dangerous behavior.”

Garcia-Cobarruvias has already been removed from the country THREE times and has a lengthy criminal history that includes convictions for burglary, obstruction, and domestic violence.