NYCC Comic Guests: Vol.12 #4💥

Former Orange County School Bus Driver Sentenced In White Plains Federal Court To Seven Years In Prison For Distributing Child Pornography

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MATTHEW HAMILL was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to seven years in prison in connection with his distribution and possession of child pornography.  HAMILL pled guilty in January 2017 to one count of transportation of child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “Matthew Hamill, a school bus driver entrusted with the safety of children, admitted that he possessed and distributed child pornography. Protecting children from predators is one of our most important missions, and that becomes all the more important when the defendant is someone in regular contact with children. Hamill, having admitted his crime of distributing child pornography, now has received a significant prison sentence.”

According to the Complaint and Information filed in White Plains federal court, as well as materials submitted in connection with the plea and sentencing proceedings:

From March 2012 to March 2014, HAMILL traded images and videos of child pornography via email.  HAMILL continued to possess child pornography on his computer through August 2015, by which time he had become a school bus driver for the Minisink Valley Central School District in Orange County, New York.  After HAMILL became aware of the federal investigation in this case, he attempted to delete evidence of the child pornography.  However, a forensic examination of HAMILL’s computer, which was seized during the execution of a search warrant at HAMILL’s residence, recovered 493 child pornography images; and a review of HAMILL’s emails obtained by search warrant showed that HAMILL sent 94 emails attaching a total of 135 images and 14 videos of child pornography.

In addition to the prison sentence, HAMILL, 26, of Wurtsboro, New York, and Garner, North Carolina, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.  Judge Karas also ordered HAMILL to pay $15,000 in restitution to victims of his crime.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.

THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF INVESTIGATION’S OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASES A REPORT AND ANALYSES ON THE NYPD’S QUALITY-OF-LIFE ENFORCEMENT

  The Department of Investigation’s (“DOI”) Office of the Inspector General for the New York City Police Department (“OIG-NYPD”) issued a Report today that independently examined what, if any, data-driven evidence links quality-of-life criminal summonses (“C-summonses”) and misdemeanor arrests to a reduction in felony crime. The OIG-NYPD Report focused on data from the past six years and found no evidence demonstrating a clear, direct link between an increase in summons activity and a related drop in felony crime. In fact, the study showed quality of-life summons activity between 2010 and 2015 dramatically declined with no increase in felony crime. Furthermore, with few exceptions, deeper analysis of specific summons categories and specific patrol boroughs revealed no correlation over time to any increase or decrease in felony crime. 

  The Report does not challenge the proper use of C-summonses and misdemeanor arrests. Rather, given the costs of summons and misdemeanor arrest activity (including an increased use of police resources, a greater number of individuals brought into the court system, and the impact on police-community relations), DOI’s OIGNYPD’s investigation found that the NYPD must use this data to more carefully evaluate how quality-of-life summonses and misdemeanor arrests fit into its overall strategy for disorder reduction and crime control. 

  DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters said, “This is the first ever independent, data-driven investigation into the relationship, over time, of quality-of-life enforcement and felony crime. The results of our investigation call into question some long-held assumptions about the systemic impact of certain tactics and therefore provide a starting point for the NYPD to more fully employ statistical analysis to evaluate these tactics.” 

  Inspector General for the NYPD Philip K. Eure said, “There has been a great deal of public discussion about quality-of-life enforcement in New York City, but little statistical analysis of its temporal relationship with felony crime. Understanding these statistical relationships is integral for the NYPD to efficiently and effectively deploy its resources while continuing to be responsive to community quality-of-life concerns. It is important that the NYPD identify what has contributed to recent historically low rates of felony crime so that the Department can put police resources where they matter most.”

  Quality-of-life policing can take many forms and is a broader concept than quality-of-life “enforcement,” as defined in the Report, which encompasses a specific and narrow range of police activity: the issuance of certain Csummonses for offenses like disorderly conduct, drinking alcohol in public (open container), and public urination,among others, and certain related misdemeanor arrests. This Report did not make findings regarding quality-of-life policing or the much broader concept of the “Broken Windows” policing strategy. The NYPD’s 2015 report, Broken Windows and Quality-of-Life Policing in New York City, claimed that quality-of-life summons and misdemeanor activity have led to less felony crime in New York City. OIG-NYPD took the analysis beyond the NYPD’s raw number counts and rates, and used data-driven evidence and multiple statistical tests to examine whether shifts in quality-of-life enforcement activity actually had any measurable relationship over time with the City’s felony crime rates. 

  The Report, with limited exceptions, found no such relationship. The Report is also a resource in light of the newly-enacted Criminal Justice Reform Act signed by the Mayor earlier this month, which reflects an effort to decriminalize certain quality-of-life offenses. The NYPD continues to possess the ability to issue C-summonses, where appropriate, and the comprehensive analysis outlined in this Report should assist in shaping the NYPD’s strategy for issuing C-summonses going forward.

The Report analyzed NYPD and federal government data from 2010 through 2015, involving:

 Over 1.8 million quality-of-life summonses 

 Over 650,000 quality-of-life misdemeanor arrests 

 Over 600,000 felony complaints 

 Over 200,000 felony arrests 

 United States Census data, organized and coded to each of the NYPD’s 77 precincts

  To conduct its analysis, OIG-NYPD mapped out the data geographically by precinct, to see how the offenses were distributed in the City in 2015, and determined whether there were trends in summons and misdemeanor arrest activity between 2010 and 2015. OIG-NYPD also conducted additional analyses to see whether there were any statistically significant correlations, over time, between quality-of-life summonses, quality of-life misdemeanor arrests, and the seven major felonies (Murder, Rape, Robbery, Felony Assault, Burglary, Grand Larceny, and Grand Larceny of Motor Vehicle). 

OIG-NYPD’s analysis resulted in key findings, including

 Between 2010 and 2015 there was a dramatic decline in quality-of-life enforcement with no increase in felony crime. In fact, felony crime, with a few exceptions, declined along with quality-of-life enforcement, meaning OIG-NYPD found no evidence to suggest that crime control can be directly attributed to issuing quality-of-life summonses and making misdemeanor arrests. 

 A deeper analysis of specific summons/misdemeanor arrest categories over time in specific geographic areas showed little-to-no correlation between C-summons activity and felony crime, meaning broad generalizations about quality-of-life summonses as a panacea are not supported by the empirical evidence in OIG-NYPD’s analysis. 

 Quality-of-life enforcement is not evenly distributed across the City. In 2015, the distribution of quality-of-life enforcement activity in New York City was concentrated in precincts with high proportions of black and Hispanic residents, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, and males aged 15-20, based on data from the NYPD and the United States Census. Conversely, precincts with higher proportions of white residents had lower rates of quality-of-life enforcement. In many, but not all, instances, the rates of enforcement remained high even after adjusting for crime rates.

  The Report also includes seven recommendations aimed at improving the NYPD’s use of data in decision making and encouraging the NYPD to continue to increase data transparency following the NYPD’s release of CompStat 2.0, a new interactive data portal offering incident-level data on an expanding list of crimes. Major recommendations include

 The NYPD should rely on a more data-driven approach to determine the relative impact of quality-of-life summonses and misdemeanor arrests on the reduction of felony crime, objectively comparing the statistical impact of quality-of-life enforcement on crime with other disorder reduction strategies.  The NYPD should consider both short-term and long-term conditions when making strategic quality-of-life policing decisions. This will allow the NYPD to be less reactive and ultimately more strategic in its quality-of-life deployment. 

 The NYPD has recently made incident-level felony data available to the public through CompStat 2.0. OIG-NYPD applauds the launch of CompStat 2.0 and encourages NYPD to make additional incident level and long-term data available for public study. 

The Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD) is an oversight office charged with investigating, reviewing, studying, auditing, and making recommendations relating to the operations, policies, programs, and practices of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The goals of OIG-NYPD are to enhance the effectiveness of the police department, increase public safety, protect civil liberties and civil rights, and increase the public's confidence in the police force, thus building stronger police-community relations. OIGNYPD is part of the New York City Department of Investigation and is independent of the NYPD. Inspector General Eure reports to DOI Commissioner Peters. 

The New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) is one of the oldest law-enforcement agencies in the country and is New York City’s corruption watchdog. DOI investigations may involve any agency, officer, elected official, or employee of the City, as well as those who do business with or receive benefits from the City. DOI’s strategy attacks corruption comprehensively, through systemic investigations that lead to high-impact arrests, preventive internal controls, and operational reforms that improve the way the City runs. Learn more at www.nyc.gov/doi. 

SCHUMER DEMANDS FEDS DEPLOY SPECIAL HEROIN COMBAT TEAM TO STATE AS OPIOID DEATH SPIKE CONTINUES ACROSS NY

DOSE OF NEW AGENTS WOULD FIGHT FLOW & SCOURGE OF DEADLY DRUG; OVERDOSE RATES HERE NOW AMONG HIGHEST IN NATION

  On The Heels Of New Data That Shows The Grip Of Heroin & Opioids Accounting For Average Of 4 Overdose Deaths A Day In NYC Alone, Schumer Pushes Plan To Give NY Dozens Of New DEA Agents To Target Heroin Specifically & Choke Trafficking

Schumer Helped Secure Millions In Last Year’s Budget Bill To Create Four New DEA “Heroin Enforcement Teams;” New York’s Rampant Heroin Epidemic Proves It Needs A Special Team; Reports Show Rate Of Overdoses In NYC Has Increased 143% Since 2010; Nassau & Suffolk Seeing Similar Surge 

  Amidst a heroin and opioid overdose death spike across New York City and a continued heroin scourge across Long Island, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to commit to providing New York State with one of four special heroin enforcement groups being delivered to states suffering from heroin abuse. Schumer said recent numbers prove that when it comes to NYC and Long Island, the steady uptick of heroin busts, overdoses and heavy local drug enforcement costs demand more federal resources, ASAP. 

“Recent increases in drug busts, overdoses and emergency calls across New York City and Long Island all tied to heroin tell the story of an epidemic that needs more attention and action by the feds to foil,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “New York’s rampant heroin epidemic proves we are in desperate need of one of the four special heroin enforcement teams being launched throughout the country. With more than a thousand deaths related to heroin overdoses in 2016 alone, it’s time for the DEA to bring it’s A-team to New York so that we can finally zero in on this epidemic and stop the scourge in its tracks. A new heroin enforcement team will help the NYPD, Long Island and other local police departments across the state beat back this dangerous tide.” 

Schumer secured millions in federal funding for DEA in the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) omnibus for the creation of four new enforcement groups specifically dedicated to counteracting heroin trafficking and eradicating its availability. Now, Schumer says New York should receive one of those teams. 

The new DEA enforcement groups will be directed to states that report heroin as the highest drug threat. In making the case for New York, Schumer said that the numbers speak for themselves. New York’s heroin overdose death rate increased by 30 percent in 2015. Between the years 2005-2014, the state documented a 115% increase in heroin treatment admissions in upstate New York and a 116% increase on Long Island. In all, approximately 1.4 million New Yorkers suffer from a substance abuse disorder. Schumer also said that the New York DEA Field Division has identified New York City as a major distribution hub for heroin mills, via JFK International Airport, that use the entry point to more easily access the greater Northeast region. Schumer said it makes sense to deliver one of these teams to New York State where local law enforcement are on the frontlines. The recently-passed FY17 omnibus includes $12.5 million to the DEA for the creation of four new enforcement teams in divisions that report heroin as the highest drug threat. The funding will enable 42 agents for the new teams, including 32 special agents.

According to the DEA, the threat posed by heroin abuse and availability nationwide has steadily increased since 2007. In 2014, 10,574 Americans died from heroin-related overdoses, and between 2007 and 2014, the number of heroin-related deaths increased 341 percent. Schumer said that New York has fallen victim to these deadly statistics. Since 2006, New York’s heroin overdose death rate has equaled or exceeded the national rate. The Center for Disease Control attributed 1,058 deaths to heroin in 2015, an increase of nearly 29% from the previous year. In 2013, an average of two New Yorkers a day died of heroin-related overdoses.

According to the NYC Department of Health, there were 1,374 unintentional drug overdose deaths in New York City in 2016, compared to 937 unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2015—an increase of 437. Approximately four fatal drug overdoses occurred each day in New York City last year. More than eight in ten overdose deaths involved an opioid and heroin was involved in 751 (55 percent) of all fatal overdoses in New York City last year. Fentanyl was involved in 44 percent of all fatal overdoses last year. 

The heroin epidemic has also hit Long Island especially hard. According to the New York State Department of Health, in 2015 there were 172 opioid overdose deaths in Nassau County, including 71 related to heroin; 213 opioid overdose deaths in Suffolk County, including 137 related to heroin. According to the New York Daily News, Nassau and Suffolk Counties reported 493 opioid overdoses in 2016. Earlier this month, during the week of June 3rd, Suffolk County reported 22 overdoses over a two day span, including one that was fatal. Overall, the number of fatalities could have been even worse if not for the life-saving antidote naloxone.

Schumer pointed to several drug busts in the New York-metro area over recent months as examples of effective enforcement: 

• This week, 14 alleged heroin dealers from two loosely-connected groups were arrested in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan on counts of conspiracy and drug selling. 7,000 envelopes of heroin and $340,000 in cash were found at the scene. The leaders of the drug rings were based in the Bronx, but had expanded their operations into Upper Manhattan. 
• This month alone: 25 people in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx were arrested for being involved in a heroin packaging operation, involving $2 million worth of heroin; a Manhattan doctor and “pillar of the community” illegally prescribed over 14,000 oxycodone prescriptions, even to those patients who have been addicted to painkillers; nine individuals were charged with enabling recent opioid overdoses and have been linked to fentanyl-laced heroin distribution in New York City and Rockland County; and four people were arrested for possessing and trying to sell fentanyl on Long Island.
• In May, an alleged Brooklyn heroin distribution ringleader was arrested after reportedly circulating around 2 million glassines of heroin.
• In May, thirteen individuals in the Bronx were arrested in a drug and gun bust.
• In March, thirty-four people in Brooklyn were charged with distributing drugs. The drugs were sold throughout the five boroughs. More than 103 pounds of heroin and fentanyl, worth $22 million, were seized.‎
• In February, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (EDNY), nine individuals were charged with conspiring to distribute heroin and/or oxycodone in Staten Island.
• In January, according to Staten Island DA McMahon’s office, in January, police charged five individuals for allegedly dealing drugs on Staten Island, including a school paraprofessional who was selling fentanyl on school grounds.

 The heavy costs required combat the epidemic has also impacted local law enforcement, in their efforts to head off the steady flow of trafficked drugs.  Twenty-four New York counties are considered High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs), with each uniquely structured to confront the drug challenges of the particular area. Schumer said that a special heroin enforcement team in New York would allow the DEA to leverage federal investments already in use, like Drug Intelligence Officers, and bolster existing drug trafficking efforts. Schumer suggested that the new DEA team work closely with both local law enforcement agencies and HIDTA counties to dismantle large trafficking networks and root out the heroin at its source.

Schumer’s letter to DEA is below:

Dear Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg:

Thank you for your ongoing efforts to combat illicit drug use in the United States. As you continue to implement the funding allocations provided by the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) omnibus, I respectfully request that you include New York as a top priority. Specifically, I ask that you ensure one of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) four new heroin enforcement teams focuses on New York. New York’s heroin and opioid drug overdose rates are among the highest in the country, and the State would benefit greatly from the additional resources.

As you know, the FY17 omnibus included $12.5 million to DEA for the creation of four new enforcement teams in field divisions that report heroin as the highest drug threat. According to DEA’s 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment, the New York DEA field division is one such division. In fact, the New York DEA field division has identified New York City as a major distribution hub with heroin mills and similar organizations operating in areas across the City and in the greater Upstate region. Furthermore, New York remains the primary entry point for heroin couriers, with JFK International Airport acting as the most common arrival point. Housing one of the new enforcement teams in New York would guarantee direct engagement in an area heavily impacted by this epidemic.

Housing an enforcement team in New York would also allow DEA to maximize their effort to protect the lives of those hardest hit by the ongoing heroin epidemic. New York has long suffered from the tragic effects of heroin-abuse. Since 2006, New York’s heroin overdose death rate has equaled or exceeded the national rate. The Center for Disease Control attributed 1,058 deaths to heroin in 2015, an increase of nearly 29% from the previous year. In 2013, an average of two New Yorkers a day died of heroin-related overdoses. In March of this year, New York DEA Special Agent-in-Charge, James Hunt, labeled the heroin problem in New York City as the worst the region has seen in years. Without question, New York’s unique location and the tragic extent to which communities throughout the State have been ravaged by the drug crisis makes it a prime target for a new enforcement team.

As you formulate the operations and logistics of the four new creation teams, I ask you to strongly consider placing a new team in New York. In doing so, I encourage you to work closely with High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) throughout the state. This would allow DEA to leverage federal investments already in use, like Drug Intelligence Officers, and bolster existing drug trafficking efforts. 24 New York counties are considered HIDTAs, with each uniquely structured to confront the drug challenges of the particular area. Given the ongoing threat of heroin abuse across the state, a new enforcement team would provide substantial support to local law enforcement agencies, especially those across the northern border and at ports of entry, and bolster their efforts to prevent these harmful drugs from entering their communities.  

DA VANCE: POLICE OFFICER INDICTED FOR TRANSPORTING NARCOTICS IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY

Defendant Allegedly Moved More Than One Kilogram of Cocaine, Earned Over $2,000 for Deliveries

  Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of NYSIA STROUD, 29, a New York City police officer assigned to the NYPD’s Fleet Services Division, for transporting marijuana and more than one kilogram of cocaine in exchange for money. The defendant is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Official Misconduct.[1]

“Brazen criminal conduct by a member of law enforcement constitutes a grievous breach of duty and public trust,” said District Attorney Vance. “Having sworn an oath to protect and serve their communities, police officers are held to an elevated standard of professional conduct. Any departure from that standard is not only unacceptable, but may be criminal. As alleged in this case, the defendant is charged with participating in narcotics trafficking and carrying out the very bad acts she was entrusted to stop, undermining important public safety efforts to keeps our streets safe, clean, and free of harmful, illegal drugs.”

Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said: "As alleged, this type of criminal behavior erodes trust in law enforcement, making it harder for every police officer to do their job. The work of internal affairs is difficult, yet important. Thanks to their efforts and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for their thoroughness on this investigation."

According to the indictment and documents filed in court, between April and June 2017, the defendant earned money for illicitly transporting narcotics and marijuana for an undercover police officer posing as a drug courier. Shortly after meeting the undercover officer in March 2017, STROUD began transporting large quantities of cocaine and marijuana in exchange for payments ranging from $250 to $1,000. During this time, the defendant disclosed her own status as a police officer and told the undercover officer that she would display her NYPD badge to avoid further investigation and potential arrest if they were stopped by other members of law enforcement. To conceal their activities, STROUD also devised a code, “shopping at Woodbury,” to use for any communications regarding future drug deliveries. In total, the defendant received more than $2,000 for transporting marijuana and more than one kilogram of cocaine on four separate occasions.

The investigation began after NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau (“IAB”) received allegations that the defendant was involved in narcotics-related activity. 

District Attorney Vance thanked the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau for their role in the investigation.

[1] The charges contained in the indictments are merely allegations, and the defendant is 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.

Defendant Information:

NYSIA STROUD, D.O.B. 7/29/1987

Brooklyn, NY

Charged:

• Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a class A-1 felony, 2 counts
• Official Misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts

Register for Sundays at JASA's Summer Program

Explore Sundays at JASA's 

Summer Program

Sunday, July 23 & Sunday, July 30, 2017

10:00 am - 1:15 pm

  Samuel B. and David Rose Building

  165 West 65^th Street, 6^th Floor

    Metropolitan Opera Guild Education Center

        (next to Walter Reade Theatre on 65^th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues)

 

Sundays at JASA is a one of a kind, college level continuing education program for adults 55+.

Course #1: 10:00am - 11:30am with Alan Weisman

July 23: Trump and Domestic Policy: 

What are the effects on health care, climate control, tax reform, income inequality, and social justice?

July 30:  

Trump and Foreign Policy: 

What happens to our dealings with Russia, North Korea, China, the EU, and rising South America?

Alan Weisman is a former producer for 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, and the CBS Evening News. During his tenure at CBS, he covered the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, The Falklands War, and the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster.

Course #2: 11:45am -1:15pm with Max Alvarez

The Media in the Movies:

 

Who can forget Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman chipping away at the Watergate scandal in All the President's Men? Or Jane Fonda exposing a nuclear plant accident in The China Syndrome? Some daring, crusading screen journalists succeed (Spotlight) while others are crushed (Kill the Messenger, Truth). Meanwhile, there are plenty who give the news industry a bad name (Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole, Sally Field in Absence of Malice). Join the lectures and see the film clips reflecting on how movies have portrayed the news media throughout the decades.

Max Alvarez is a New York writer, film historian, and frequent speaker on world cinema culture. He has held prominent positions as an entertainment journalist, film and theater critic, and motion picture and archival researcher. He has formed presentation partnerships with organizations such as the American Film Institute and the Library of Congress to broaden understanding of the cultural impact of film. 

Register

Pre-registration is strongly recommended as seating is limited. Click Here to register online.

Information

For more information contact stornay@jasa.orgor 212.273.5304

STATEMENT FROM COUNCILMAN ERIC ULRICH ON MAYORAL CONTROL OF SCHOOLS

  "New Yorkers have every reason to be concerned about the future of mayoral control, especially when Mayor de Blasio has lost the confidence of our leaders in Albany. The crisis surrounding mayoral control of public schools is entirely his own making given his fractured relationship with Governor Cuomo and members of both parties in the State Assembly and Senate. It's shameful that Mayor de Blasio now wants to blame Republicans and members of the IDC for a political problem he created. While I certainly hope Mayoral control is extended for the sake of our children, I also hope that New Yorkers will remember how we got into this mess in the first place."