OAKLAND GARDENS WOMAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR RANDOM KNIFE ATTACK ON BAYSIDE MAN

 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Duran was arraigned on a complaint charging her with attempted murder, assault and other crimes for randomly attacking a man as he stood outside his home on 53rd Avenue. Duran pulled up in front of a 54-year-old Bayside man’s house Thursday morning and cut the stranger across the head with a knife. The defendant also repeatedly damaged her mother’s vehicle.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the 54-year-old victim was standing on his porch on Thursday morning when Melissa Duran – without any provocation – ran toward him with knife and slashed his face. In an instant, this innocent man’s life was changed, and he is now recovering from a laceration along his temple and ear. The defendant also went to her mother’s home – in violation of an order of protection – and repeatedly damaged the woman’s vehicle. We will not allow anyone to bring chaos and disorder to our residential neighborhoods.”

Duran, 39, of Oakland Gardens, was arraigned Saturday on a criminal complaint charging her with attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, two counts of criminal contempt in the first degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

Queens Criminal Court Judge Martinez Alonso ordered the defendant to return to court September 30. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison.

DA Katz said that, according to the criminal complaint:

• Duran arrived at her mother’s residence on September 23, at approximately 5:19 a.m. The victim has an order of protection against the 39-year-old woman. The defendant exited her vehicle – a red Honda Civic – and smashed the front driver side window and rear driver side window on her mother’s white BMW. Duran then got back in her car and drove away after approximately three minutes.
• On September 24, at approximately 11:45 a.m., a 54-year-old man was standing on his porch on 53rd Avenue when the defendant exited a red Honda Civic, ran toward the man with a knife and asked the man, “What are you looking at?”
• Duran raised the knife over the victim’s head, swung the knife downward and struck the man’s temple area, causing a laceration from his temple to his ear. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was treated.
• That night, at approximately 9:10 p.m., Duran returned to her mother’s residence. Duran approached her mother’s vehicle and bashed it. The loud noise garnered her mother’s attention. When Duran’s mother went to her car, she saw that it had numerous dents and a kitchen knife stuck in its rear bumper.

Assistant District Attorney Hugh McCann of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Michael Whitney, Bureau Chief,  Timothy Regan, Deputy Chief, and under the overall supervision of Chief Assistant District Attorney Shawn Clark.

Michigan Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Controlled Substance Offense

Robert Newton, 34, of Niles, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Newton was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Newton was driving in Michigan City, Indiana, when police pulled him over for a traffic infraction and discovered three baggies containing a total of about 59.5 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the back hatch of Newton’s rental car.

“Robert Newton poisoned our communities with deadly drugs, and he will be confined ten years for it. For years, methamphetamine has torn apart Indiana families, fueled violent crime, and devastated our streets. The defendant chose to profit from that misery, operating with a blatant disregard for the law until police intercepted his vehicle and uncovered nearly 60 grams of pure methamphetamine. His sentence is not only entirely appropriate given the scale of his crimes, but it also serves as a critical deterrent to anyone else thinking of trafficking poison into our neighborhoods. This successful prosecution was made possible by the seamless coordination and strong partnerships of our local, state, and federal law enforcement teams. Thanks to the tireless work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA North Central Laboratory, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, the Long Beach Police Department, and the Michigan City Police Department, there is one less major dealer on our streets today, and our community is safer for it," said Attorney Adam L. Mildred, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana.

This case was investigated by the DEA, the DEA North Central Laboratory, the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, the Long Beach Police Department, and the Michigan City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lydia T. Lucius. 

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Woodlawn Family Fun Day is Saturday, October 3!

 

RSVP!

                         

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

Justice Department Announces Charges and Guilty Pleas Involving 12 Individuals for Election Crimes

 

Today, the Justice Department announced charges and guilty pleas involving 12 individuals, including three illegal aliens, in connection with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related election crimes across the country. The cases include voting by aliens in federal elections, false claims of U.S. citizenship to register or vote, false statements on citizenship applications, and the alleged disposal of approximately 300 mail-in ballots by a former postal carrier.

Case details are as follows:

Middle District of Florida 

Christiane Vinette Young, 75, an illegal alien from Canada, was charged by information with three counts of voting by an alien. Young voted in three federal elections – the 2024 general election, 2022 general election, and 2022 primary – despite knowing that she was not a citizen of the United States.

Southern District of Florida 

Haitian national Valery Zidor, on Temporary Protected Status at the time of voting, falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen to register to vote and voted in the 2024 General Election. Zidor pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by an alien.

District of Kansas 

Nigerian national George Olawunmi Johnson, a lawful permanent resident, was charged with one count of false claim to United States citizenship, one count of false claim to United States citizenship in order to vote, one count of fraudulent election conduct, and one count of voting by an alien in a federal election. Johnson is accused of falsely indicating that he is a U.S. citizen while registering to vote in February 2010 and allegedly cast a ballot in the November 2024 election.

Nigerian national George Olawunmi Johnson, a lawful permanent resident.

Nigerian national George Olawunmi Johnson, a lawful permanent resident.

District of New Jersey

Two aliens were charged with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship.

• Jamaican national Patrick Terrance Reid, 61, a lawful permanent resident, voted in person in the presidential elections held in November 2012 and November 2016, and via mail-in ballot in the presidential elections in November 2020 and November 2024. Additionally, Reid was charged with making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship.

Jamaican national Patrick Terrance Reid, 61, a lawful permanent resident.

• Venezuelan national Danubis Bernat, 49, a lawful permanent resident, voted in person in the 2024 general election. Additionally, Bernat was charged with making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship.

Venezuelan national Danubis Bernat, 49, a lawful permanent resident.

Eastern District of Pennsylvania 

Four aliens, including two illegal aliens, were charged with election-related crimes.

• Cliff Sanon, 39, an illegal alien from Haiti who has been residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of submitting a fraudulent voter registration application. Sanon allegedly submitted a voter registration application in February 2026 prior to the May 2026 primary election, despite being a citizen of Haiti and not an American citizen. The complaint further alleges that this was among eight fraudulent voter registration applications submitted by Sanon, who also voted in the November 2022 election.

Cliff Sanon, 39, an illegal alien from Haiti.

• Dilea Ochoa-Perez, 43, an illegal alien from Mexico who has been residing in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, was charged by information with two counts of voting as an alien. According to the information, Ochoa-Perez allegedly illegally voted in Chester County in the November 2022 and November 2024 general elections, even though she was a citizen of Mexico at the time of both elections and not a U.S citizen.
• Trinidad & Tobago national Sade Guppy, 37, a lawful permanent resident, was charged by information with one count of voting as an alien. According to the information, Guppy allegedly illegally voted in Philadelphia County in the November 2022 general election, even though she was not a U.S. citizen. 

Trinidad & Tobago national Sade Guppy, 37, a lawful permanent resident .

• Mexican national Eduardo Gallardo Maldonado, 66, a lawful permanent resident, was charged by information with one count of voting as an alien. According to the information, Maldonado allegedly illegally voted in Philadelphia County in the November 2024 general election, even though he was not a U.S. citizen.

Western District of Texas 

Mexican national Imelda Magallanes, 51, a lawful permanent resident, was charged with one count of voting by an alien in a federal election. Voting records from the Midland County Elections Office indicate that Magallanes first registered to vote in October 2020 using her Texas driver’s license as identification. Voting records also reveal that Magallanes voted in the November 2024 general election.

District of Hawaii 

Filipino national Bernadette Acaso, 20, a lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty to unlawfully voting as an alien. Acaso voted in the 2024 election by casting a mail-in ballot. 

District of Utah 

Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, Utah with U.S. Postal Service (USPS) was charged with unlawful secretion, destruction, and delay of mail after he allegedly unlawfully threw away mail that he was entrusted to deliver – including approximately 300 mail-in ballots to registered voters in Utah.

Image of ballot

Image of dumpster in church parking lot

A complaint, indictment, and information merely contain accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

New York City Council Announces Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta to Publicly Testify Under Oath for First Time Since Recent Incident Reports

 

Speaker Menin issues rare subpoena to Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI to compel public testimony

Committee of the Whole hearing will also feature testimony from leading national AI experts and review major legislative proposals to safeguard New Yorkers

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today announced that the Council had secured the first public testimony under oath from major AI firms — including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta — regarding the potential dangers of AI technology and to seek their input on potential legislative solutions.

Aside from Meta, the companies only confirmed their attendance following the Council’s explicit threat of subpoena. Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI has still not responded to the Council’s inquiry, and as such, Speaker Menin issued a subpoena earlier today compelling the company to appear at the hearing.

The testimony will occur at a rare Council Committee of the Whole hearing next Monday, October 5, which will convene all 51 members of the City Council to examine potential risks posed by rapidly developing artificial intelligence technologies. The hearing comes after weeks of serious warnings from whistleblowers and AI executives, and reports that rogue AI agents have already inflicted damage to government databases.

“Leading experts and AI executives themselves are warning about the potentially grave risks of rapidly advancing AI, and governments have a responsibility to act,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “That is exactly what the New York City Council is doing. Given the high stakes, these firms owe it to the public to come before the Council, answer our questions, and provide input on our proposed legislation under oath.”

Between September 15 and 17, Speaker Menin sent letters to the five companies requesting that they voluntarily participate in the hearing and provide public testimony before the Council. Meta subsequently responded to the Council and confirmed that a member of its senior leadership would appear. The Council provided a response deadline of Friday, September 25, at which point both Google and Anthropic declined to appear.

On Friday, September 25, after these declinations, Speaker Menin authorized the Council to issue subpoenas to all of them as of 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 28. The Speaker, through counsel, sent a subsequent email to the four remaining companies warning that they would receive a subpoena Monday.

On Sunday, both OpenAI and Google agreed to appear before the Council. Anthropic confirmed late Sunday night that it would participate, just hours before the subpoena was due to be served.

The Council has also secured testimony from leading national experts in AI safety, technology, and consumer protection. The hearing will examine both the potential risks facing New Yorkers and a slate of legislative proposals the City can enact to establish stronger safeguards and accountability, including a first-in-the-nation whistleblower incentive program, a private right-of-action for New Yorkers harmed by AI agents, and independent third-party validation requirements, among other bills.

Pursuant to Section 29 of the New York City Charter, the Council is authorized to investigate matters relating to the property, affairs, and government of New York City, including the power to require attendance and take testimony under oath from individuals it deems necessary. Council Rule 7.150 further authorizes the Council to issue subpoenas in exercising this authority.

If SpaceXAI fails to comply with the subpoena, the Council may seek judicial enforcement in New York State Supreme Court.

Attorney General James Announces Arrest of Queens Dentist Who Stole Over $300,000 from Medicaid

Suleman Nasimi Billed Medicaid for Invasive Dental Procedures That Never Happened, Preventing New Yorkers in Need from Getting Treatment 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrest of Queens dentist Suleman Nasimi for stealing more than $300,000 from Medicaid by billing for hundreds of dental procedures he never performed. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) found that Nasimi, 46, of Hicksville, Nassau County, allegedly submitted false claims to Medicaid for dental procedures he never performed, even billing Medicaid for procedures conducted on the same days he was on vacation in Europe. The OAG’s investigation alleges that from January 1, 2020 through August 31, 2024, Nasimi, through his practice Tooth Fresh Meadows, claimed that he performed hundreds of procedures, including root canals and porcelain crown installations, even though none of them ever happened. As a result, several of his patients were allegedly unable to get the dental treatment they needed because Medicaid records reflected that they had already received the procedure that Nasimi billed for but never performed. Nasimi was arrested and charged today with 40 crimes.

“Fraudsters who steal from Medicaid with fake billing schemes put vulnerable New Yorkers at risk by making it harder for them to get the care they need,” said Attorney General James. “All New Yorkers deserve quality dental care, and my office will not tolerate dentists who put personal greed before their patients. We will continue to ensure that Medicaid fraudsters are held accountable and criminally prosecuted when they break the law.”

The OAG charged Nasimi for submitting false claims for dental procedures that were never performed on at least 35 Medicaid recipients between January 2020 and August 2024. In July 2022 alone, Nasimi is alleged to have billed for over $140,000 worth of procedures during periods when his office was closed and he was away on vacation in England, France, and Greece. This false billing scheme allowed Nasimi, through his Tooth Fresh Meadows practice, to steal more than $300,000 from Medicaid.

Several of Nasimi’s patients were unable to receive the dental care they needed because Medicaid had accepted Nasimi’s false claims for procedures that he never performed. When these patients went to other dentists for procedures, they were denied prior approval for their dental care because Medicaid had already paid Nasimi for those procedures.

Nasimi and Tooth Fresh Meadows were arraigned today on two separate 40-count felony complaints before Judge Jennifer Saint-Preux. Both Nasimi and his company were charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, two counts of Health Care Fraud in the Second Degree, two counts of Health Care Fraud in the Third Degree, and 35 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. If convicted on the top count, Nasimi faces a maximum sentence of five to fifteen years in state prison on the top count.

The charges against the defendant are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The OAG thanks the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG), for its valuable assistance in this investigation. The OAG also thanks DentaQuest for its assistance. 

Governor Hochul Signs Bills to Support NYPD Officers and Strengthen Pension Benefits

S.5053B / A.8178B Allows Experienced NYPD Officers To Continue Serving Until Age 65

S.7808A / A.8322A Expands Eligibility for Pension Parity to More NYPD Officers

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed two pieces of legislation to support members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) by allowing experienced officers to serve longer and strengthening pension benefits for officers who have dedicated their careers to keeping New Yorkers safe.

“New York needs our police officers, and when experienced officers want to continue serving, we want them to stay on the job,” Governor Hochul said. “I'm signing these bills to give our officers the opportunity to serve longer while ensuring their retirement benefits reflect their commitment to New York City. Their service is essential to the safety of our communities, and these bills recognize everything they do for New Yorkers.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said, “To have a safe city, we must have the best and most experienced police officers who are committed to public service. When this department was facing a staffing shortage, we worked with our partners across government to open more pathways for talented people to join and stay on the job. This legislation will help improve retention and ensure our officers get what they deserve for their years of sacrifice and hard work. I thank Governor Hochul for continuing to support the NYPD.”

S.5053B/A.8178B raises the mandatory retirement age from 63 to 65 for eligible Tier 2 and Tier 3 NYPD officers. The change allows experienced and highly-trained officers who would otherwise be required to retire to continue serving.

S.7808A/A.8322A allows Tier 2 officers who began service on or after July 1, 2000 to base their pension on either their final 12 months of pay or the average of their three highest-earning years, whichever is higher. Previously, only Tier 2 officers who began service before July 1, 2000 were provided with that option. 

REVOLUTIONARY RESISTANCE AT PELHAM BAY

 

Come learn how the Battle of Pell's Point/Pelham Saved Washington's Army & the Fight for American Independence

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2026, 10:00AM-1:00PM

SUNY Maritime College

Free! Everyone invited!

SPEAKERS:

Friederike Baer, Lloyd Ultan, Nick Dembowski

The entire Maritime College campus was the 'landing site' and camp for 4,000 British soldiers who disembarked from British boats in the East River - in October 1776, 250 years ago.

John Glover and his small group of 'volunteer merchant mariners' held off these British soldiers and allowed the American Army to escape to relative safety in Westchester.

Glover just happened to own a fleet of five fishing vessels in Massachusetts, and 'signed up' all five crews for the Continental Army as soon as the fighting broke out.

Ten weeks later (Christmas night) these same merchant mariners ferried George Washington and his entire Army across the Delaware River.

The Symposium will start with a 10:00 am presentation by Nick Dembowski, Executive Director of the Kingsbridge Historical Society and continue with a presentation by the former Bronx historian Lloyd Ultan. After lunch our third historian, Friederike Baer, who was recently featured in THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Ken Burns, will present. After the program ends at 1 pm there will be a casual tour of the campus, the actual site of the landing and encampment of 4000 British soldiers in October of 1776.

SUNY MARITIME COLLEGE

Mess Deck/Vander Clute Hall

Special Events Room

6 Pennyfield Avenue

The Bronx, NY 10465

FREE REGISTRATION: BRONXHISTORY.ORG/SYMPOSIUM

This is the kick-off event for REVOLUTION ON THE SOUND...a month-long series of events in Sound Shore communities from Pelham Bay in The Bronx to Rye in Westchester. More events info at RW250.org/revolution-on-the-sound