NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi Pairs Prenatal and Oral Care to Benefit Expectant Mothers and Their Babies

  NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi has launched a program focused on oral health for expectant mothers, to support both the women and their babies. Providing both dental care and education to pregnant women, the program aims to dispel myths and outdated thinking about pregnancy and x-rays, antibiotics, and anesthesia—outdated thinking that makes pregnant women especially vulnerable to tooth decay, gingivitis, and other oral infections. The benefits of the program extend to their babies as well, since most infants acquire tooth-decaying bacteria from their mothers.

The NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi program is the result of an innovative collaboration between its departments of Dentistry and Women’s Health Services. Through the Women’s Health Service’s Baby Shower program, celebratory events are held to provide prenatal patients with important information and education about health issues during pregnancy, and now dental education has been added.

During the shower, dental residents educate groups of approximately 30 expectant women about the importance of oral health for themselves and their babies, particularly during pregnancy. The women learn the warning signs of potential dental issues, healthy diet tips, and good oral hygiene practices. Since starting the program in late July, dozens of follow-up dental appointments have been made for expectant mothers.

Nicolette Ramsey attended a baby shower in August, just before delivering her baby girl, Janeaya. “I am so happy that you guys helped me to obtain a dental appointment,” she says. “The dentist found weakening in the gum area supporting some of my teeth.”

Nadia Laniado, DDS, MPH, director of Community Dentistry and Population Health, spearheads the program. “Seeing mothers before they deliver is crucial in order to establish good oral hygiene and nutrition practices, for both moms and babies,” she says. “If we don’t see children until age two, they often already have cavities.”

“We’ve found that framing this learning as a celebration is very effective at generating participation,” said Ellen Walk, Health Education Coordinator for Women’s Health Services, who developed the Baby Shower program. “If we called the same program a ‘preadmission class,’ we’d be lucky if two or three patients showed up. “

Women who are expecting a baby, are receiving care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, and would like to participate in the program should contact Ellen Walk at 718-918- 6391.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, CHANCELLOR FARIÑA AND BOROUGH PRESIDENT ADAMS ANNOUNCE 15 BROOKLYN SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN MEATLESS MONDAYS

Mayor de Blasio and First Lady McCray will also eat all-vegetarian meals every Monday

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams today announced that 15 Brooklyn schools will participate in Meatless Mondays next spring. The program will provide participating schools with healthy, all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch menus every Monday. The Mayor, First Lady Chirlane McCray and Gracie Mansion will also go meatless for all Monday meals.

"Cutting back a little on meat will help make our City healthier and our planet stronger for generations to come,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Chirlane and I are excited to participate in Meatless Mondays at home, and we thank Borough President Adams for leading the charge behind this healthy and sustainable initiative.”

"Meatless Mondays will expose our children to an exciting variety of delicious vegetarian meals that provide excellent nutrition and support their growing bodies. And the best way to encourage our children to eat healthy is for everyone to join in!,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray.

“Teaching students about nutrition and exposing them to healthy food options from an early age is critical,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “Like our Garden to Café program and the New York Thursday initiative, Meatless Mondays is one more way in which we are using school meals as a teachable moment to educate students on the importance of making healthy choices.”

“I am living proof of the power of a plant-based diet to transform one’s health,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I believe that Meatless Mondays is an extremely significant initiative that has the power to transform the health of thousands of our city’s students, as well as open the door to a powerful conversation that children can have with families on nutrition and wellness. I thank Mayor de Blasio for working with me on this mission to change our relationship with food and tackle nutritional health in a real way. As Hippocrates said, ‘let food be thy medicine.’” 

This initiative builds off the plant-based health advocacy of Borough President Adams, who has committed himself to combating poor nutrition following his successful battle against Type 2 diabetes last year. In 2015, less than 20% of NYC children aged 6-12 ate 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day. Eating fruits and vegetables provides important vitamins and nutrients and can reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Furthermore, Meatless Mondays can also help reduce carbon footprint and preserve resources like water. Approximately 1,850 gallons of water are needed to produce a single pound of beef, while only 39 gallons of water are needed to produce a pound of vegetables. 

DOE's Office of SchoolFood will engage school communities across Brooklyn to finalize the schools that will participate in the program based on interest and ability to incorporate an all-vegetarian menu. Schools included in the program will receive customized menus each with vegetarian entrees. There is no additional cost to the City.

Today’s announcement was made at PS 1 in Sunset Park, one of five schools in New York City currently serving an exclusively vegetarian menu every day of the week. The Peck Slip School in Manhattan and The Active Learning Elementary School in Queens, as well as two non-public schools – Hanson Place Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School and the R.T. Hudson Seventh-day Adventist School – also participate in the program. These schools serve a variety of options including spinach wraps, vegetarian chili, roasted chickpea tagine, black bean quesadillas, crispy tofu, zucchini parmigiana, and margherita pizza.

"Eating fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of heart disease and possibly some cancers. Diets higher in plant-based foods are associated with lesser environmental impact than the average American diet," said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. "Meatless Mondays are a great way to encourage our students to include more produce in their diet, any day of the week."

“Meatless Mondays are a great way to expose students to healthy foods that can lower their risk of obesity as well as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes later in life,” said Michelle McMacken, MD, director of the Adult Weight Management Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

Meatless Mondays is also part of the City’s ongoing effort to ensure every student is provided with a free, healthy lunch. This year, the DOE launched Free School Lunch for All, which provides free school lunch to all public school students in New York City. Through the Summer Meals program, the DOE provides free breakfast and lunch to anyone age 18 or younger free of charge each summer. Schools across the City also participate in NY Thursdays, which provides schools with locally sourced or produced food every Thursday. Over 1,400 salad bars in NYC School cafeterias offer students a selection of fresh and healthy vegetables to complement their lunch entrée each day.  

The DOE is making strides in ensuring students are served high-quality foods in a sustainable way and converted from using a polystyrene tray to serving all meals in an eco-friendly compostable plate. This year, the DOE’s Office of Sustainability provided every school with new Recycling Stations and each cafeteria recycling station now features a blue bin for metal, glass, plastic, and cartons, a grey bin for general trash, a brown bin for food scraps, and a small white bin for liquids. Additionally, eight schools received cafeteria renovations last year and the Five-year Capital Plan includes funding to update 18 additional cafeterias.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES ALL OF PROSPECT PARK WILL BECOME PERMANENTLY CAR-FREE

Decision comes after first-ever car-free summer proved successful and popular with park-goers

  Kicking off City Hall in Your Borough, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that Prospect Park’s entire loop drive—east and west—will become permanently car-free. The change will be implemented on January 2, 2018 and follows the park’s first car-free summer. From July through September, cars had not been allowed on the park’s East Drive – now open to cars during morning rush hours.  The car-free hours had enormous support from the park’s recreational users, who outnumber cars more than 3-1 during morning hours.

“Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s backyard. I married Chirlane here. This is where my kids played little league. And I have always wanted it to be the safe, quiet refuge for Brooklyn’s families that it was intended to be.  Restoring Prospect Park as a car-free oasis will improve the lives of the millions who use this park today and of generations to come,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

During the car-free summer -- from July 17 until September 11^th -- the park’s new arrangement was popular with the park’s walkers, joggers, and cyclists who use the loop drive.  DOT estimates those recreational users outnumber cars during morning rush hours 1,000 to just 300. After Labor Day weekend, New York City received petitions with more than 1,100 signatures calling for the return of full-time car-free hours for the entire park. 

While the analysis of the car-free trial is still being finalized, its preliminary results clearly indicate no alternative driving route experienced more than a minimal delay, with most experiencing no change in travel times whatsoever. Based on that data, officials are now confident a fully car-free park can be implemented without adverse impact. These results are consistent with those seen after the closure of the West Drive in June 2015, when the most affected alternative southbound route saw an increased travel time of less than a minute, while other afternoon drivers actually saw travel times improve.  

“We are delighted to announce that Prospect Park will be completely car-free for the first time,” saidDOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  “Like the Mayor, I have spent countless hours enjoying the beauty of Prospect Park.  Cyclists, joggers and pedestrians, young and old, can rejoice year-round in a safer and quieter park.”   

“New Yorkers look to their parks for green space and fresh air,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP.  “Completely removing car traffic from Prospect Park turns one of our most historic sites back over to the kids, joggers, ball players, picnickers, and amblers who love it.  Starting in January, all visitors to Prospect Park will enjoy cleaner air, improved safety – and peace and quiet.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES INITIATIVES TO HELP EASE CONGESTION

Effort will create new moving lanes, test new curbside access restrictions, expand enforcement, address commercial corridors outside Manhattan, and tackle persistent highway back-ups 

   Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced action on a series of initiatives designed to ease congestion in busy thoroughfares across the five boroughs. The new effort will include both new and proven approaches to traffic congestion, including the creation of new moving lanes in Midtown, clearing curbs during rush hours, expanding NYPD enforcement of block-the-box violations, limiting curbside access in crowded corridors, and bringing coordinated attention to recurring traffic spots on local highways. The Mayor announced the steps along one of the new Clear Lanes corridors in Midtown Manhattan, where vehicle travel times have declined by 23% since 2010.

“With 8.5 million people, New York City is experiencing both record population and economic vitality; but our success has put serious demands on our already crowded street network,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New Yorkers have been telling me loud and clear about the quality-of-life problems created by traffic where they live and work.  With a targeted effort to help clear travel lanes, delivery zones, intersections and highways, these initiatives will address these concerns head-on, using established and new tools that will keep our City moving, from midtown to all of our neighborhoods .”

These initiatives will encompass the work of the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Police Department (NYPD), the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Finance (DOF) -- and will include five major elements:

1.   Clear Lanes:  Keeping Traffic Moving in Manhattan’s CBDs  

To address congestion in the core of Midtown, the City will create continuous curb moving lanes during busy times on 11 key crosstown streets. Deliveries will generally be permitted on one side of the street, while the other curb will be signed for no standing from 6 am to 7 pm.  To enforce these Clear Lanes, the NYPD will double the Traffic Enforcement Agents (TEAs) in the Midtown Manhattan Traffic Enforcement Task Force from 40 to 80 and increase uniform headcount by 110 officers. These officers will focus on moving and parking violations, double parking, and off-route trucks. The City will also expand its off-hour delivery program to assist businesses that are interested in shifting their deliveries to less busy times. Clear Lane streets will include:  

·         60^th and 59^th Sts. (Fifth to Second Ave.)

·         58^th St. (Lexington to Second Ave.)

·         54^th St. (Eighth to Third Ave.)

·         53rd St. (Ninth to Third Ave.)

·         50^th and 49^th Sts. (Ninth to Third Ave.)

·         47^th and 46^th Sts. (Ninth to Third Ave.)

·         37^th and 36^th Sts. (Sixth to Second Ave)

 To address congestion in Lower Manhattan, the City will expand its network of traffic cameras to better monitor traffic conditions and extend Midtown in Motion, NYC DOT’s signals-based congestion management system, to include Lower Manhattan. Finally, the City will reform its double parking and other curb regulation rules to make them easier to understand for drivers and easier to enforce.

2.  Clear Curbs: Testing Curb Access Restrictions  

In an effort to develop additional tools to manage traffic congestion, the City will test curb access restriction on two major commercial corridors and in a zone within Manhattan. The City will then monitor the impact of the pilot program and, if successful, expand the approach to additional corridors. For six months beginning in January 2018, the City will ban curbside loading on both sides of the street on the pilot corridors and within the pilot zone during peak hours (7 am-10 amand 4 pm-7 pm). Focusing on the morning and evening peak periods will preserve business viability while addressing the most severe congestion. The expeditious pick-up and drop-off of passengers would still be allowed, as would deliveries to off-street loading docks. This treatment will be implemented in:

· Manhattan (Midtown): the zone bounded by Sixth Ave. to the west, Madison Ave. to the East, 45^th St. to the south and 50^th St. to the north. 

· Queens (Jackson Hgts and Corona): Roosevelt Ave., Broadway to 108^th St.

· Brooklyn (Downtown, Park Slope, Prospect Hgts): Flatbush Ave, Grand Army Plaza to Tillary St.

These corridors serve as important links in the regional road network, carry high volumes of traffic, and are subject to significant blockages by double parking and delivery activity. Additional NYPD staff will be assigned to the pilot locations to enforce the new restrictions and keep curbs clear. The City will collect data on traffic congestion, double parking, delivery activity, and curb regulation compliance before and after the six-month pilot period and report on the new program in the fall of 2018.  

3.  Clear Intersections: Expanding Block-the-Box Enforcement to Reduce Gridlock

Drivers who enter intersections without sufficient space on the other side “block-the box,” which can have cascading effects on traffic and create dangers to pedestrians who cannot cross streets safely.   The City will reinvigorate its efforts against block-the-box with focus at 50 key intersections citywide. NYC DOT will install special block-the-box markings and update signage to make drivers more aware of block-the-box restrictions, while the NYPD will increase enforcement at these locations to keep traffic moving. NYPD will hire an additional 50 uniformed officers to enforce block-the-box rules.

The City will target about 30 intersections in Manhattan and 20 intersections outside Manhattan, with a focus on major routes leading to river crossings, highway on-ramps, and commercial centers. A new public-awareness campaign will also target drivers.

4. Clear Zones: Reducing Congestion in Commercial Districts Outside Manhattan

The City will undertake a range of efforts to address congestion at hotspots outside Manhattan, including: 

· Downtown Flushing:DDC is reconstructing Main Street and expanding sidewalks to improve pedestrian, vehicle, and bus circulation. DOT is also implementing Flushing in Motion, a dynamic signal system based on Midtown in Motion, to better manage traffic. Flushing in Motion and the capital project will be completed by the end of 2017.

· North Shore of Staten Island:  In preparation for the opening of new developments --including the Empire Outlets next spring -- and the expected increase in traffic, DOT has developed a potential program of traffic management measures, including signal timing changes, street and intersection redesigns, bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements, and enhancements to Staten Island Ferry service.

· Hunts Point:  In conjunction with New York State’s plans to convert the Sheridan Expressway into an urban boulevard and add new highway ramps, DOT is updating truck routes to improve access to businesses and to reduce environmental and quality of life impacts on the local community. 

· Downtown Jamaica: In support of EDC’s Jamaica Now Action Plan, DOT is developing a congestion action plan for the downtown core as part of a larger Jamaica-area transportation study. Findings will be released in 2018. The plan will include recommendations for street redesigns to enhance safety and mobility, signal timing changes and one-way street conversions to promote traffic flow, and curb regulation changes to reduce congestion, among other efforts.

·  Address Other Outer Borough Congestion Hotspots:  In parallel with the above efforts, the DOT is buying citywide traffic data sets, both real-time and historical, that include information such as origin-destination, vehicle type, relative volume, travel times, trip length, speeds, and delay costs. DOT will use the data to evaluate congestion and to identify and evaluate, for example but not limited to, the most/least congested, slowest/fastest, unreliable/reliable locations citywide.

5. Clear Highways: Reducing Congestion on the Arterial Highway System 

The City will engage state and local elected officials with the goal of convening task forces to focus on persistent congestion on highways outside the City’s jurisdiction, starting with the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Staten Island Expressway (SIE)/Verrazano–Narrows Bridge/Gowanus Expressway corridor. These task forces will seek to work with partner agencies, including the MTA, NYS DOT, and the Port Authority, to improve highway operations and address choke points. The SIE and Cross Bronx task forces will be convened in the coming months. Moving forward, the City may convene similar groups to focus on additional highways, such as the LIE. 

“Mayor de Blasio is head-on tackling the complex issue of congestion, after showing leadership on so many other elements of transportation -- from the creation of a new ferry network to just two days ago, announcing an unprecedented commitment to improved bus service,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “No magic bullet can cure congestion challenges, but this toolbox of smart strategies in Clear Congestion will help keep people and goods moving safely and sustainably – and help our city grow. Our mobility is a key to helping us sustain the energy and dynamism that make New York City great.”

10 Members Of Bronx Drug Trafficking Organization Charged With Distributing Thousands Of Pounds Of Marijuana Worth Over $22 Million

   Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), James D. Robnett, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging HALLIL TABAR, ASMIN HERNANDEZ, JOHN MUNOZ-GARCIA, JAIRO CIENFUEGOS, WILLIAM BAEZ, HENRY RODRIGUEZ, DANNY HANNAH, JR., KEVIN UMEJEI, and STARLY HERNANDEZ with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and a Complaint charging LORNE VICTORIA with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Nine of the defendants were arrested yesterday and presented before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court, and STARLY HERNANDEZ was arrested this morning and will be presented before Judge Netburn later today.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged, these defendants conspired to ship millions of dollars’ worth of drugs across the country for eventual sale in New York City.  Searches of apartments where the defendants allegedly resided uncovered guns and ammunition, multiple kilograms of cocaine, hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and thousands of dollars in cash.  Drug trafficking organizations endanger public safety, and today’s multi-agency effort has successfully halted another such alleged organization.”

DEA Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt said:  “Yesterday’s arrests were part of ‘Operation Green Giant’, a Strike Force investigation targeting an organization allegedly reaping millions off the sale of marijuana in New York City.  The alleged operation traversed the country with $22 million worth of marijuana sent to our city and the profit laundered back to California.  I commend the good work of the Strike Force, Southern District of New York and our law enforcement partners on these arrests and dismantlement.”

As alleged in the Indictment and Complaint unsealed yesterday and today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

The defendants are members of a Bronx-based large-scale drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that shipped hundreds of boxes containing thousands of pounds of marijuana from California to various locations in New York.  Between at least March 2016 and the present, the DTO trafficked in over 6,600 pounds of marijuana worth approximately $22 million, which was sent to residences and businesses in Manhattan, the Bronx, and New Rochelle.  After the drugs were shipped to New York, the defendants transferred multiple boxes of marijuana per week to several stash houses from which the DTO members further distributed the drugs to customers and dealers.    

In connection with yesterday’s arrests, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at 12 locations in the Bronx, including apartments occupied by several of the defendants.  During the execution of those search warrants, agents recovered, among other items, three handguns, one sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, multiple kilograms of cocaine, hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and thousands of dollars in cash.  DEA agents previously seized over $230,000 in cash from TABAR on October 14, 2017, at San Francisco International Airport.

           

Charts setting forth the names, ages, charges, residences, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which comprises agents and officers of the DEA, the NYPD, HSI, the New York State Police, IRS-CI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, the Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department, and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.  The Strike Force is partially funded by the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which is a federally funded crime fighting initiative and part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDTEF”) program.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Geddes and Nicholas Folly are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment and Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.       

United States v. Hallil Tabar et al. &

United States v. Lorne Victoria

CHARGE	DEFENDANTS	MAX. PENALTIES
Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics     21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(b)(1)(A)	HALLIL TABAR,    JAIRO CIENFUEGOS,   WILLIAM BAEZ,   HENRY RODRIGUEZ,   DANNY HANNAH, JR.,   STARLY HERNANDEZ,  and   LORNE VICTORIA	Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics   21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(b)(1)(B)	ASMIN HERNANDEZ,   JOHN MUNOZ-GARCIA,   and   KEVIN UMEJEI	Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison
Use of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Trafficking   18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)	LORNE VICTORIA	Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison

DEFENDANT	AGE	RESIDENCE
HALLIL TABAR	29	BRONX
ASMIN HERNANDEZ	27	BRONX
JOHN MUNOZ-GARCIA	30	BRONX
JAIRO CIENFUEGOS	27	BRONX
WILLIAM BAEZ	31	BRONX
HENRY RODRIGUEZ	41	BRONX
DANNY HANNAH, JR.	48	BRONX
KEVIN UMEJEI	25	BRONX
STARLY HERNANDEZ	30	CALIFORNIA
LORNE VICTORIA	37	BRONX

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and Complaint, and the description of the Indictment and Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Eight Members And Associates Of The Mount Vernon Goonies Street Gang Charged In Federal Court With Racketeering, Narcotics, And Firearms Offenses

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Anthony A. Scarpino Jr., Westchester County District Attorney, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MARKEL OVERTON, a/k/a “Kellz,” THOMAS BLANTON, a/k/a “LT,” MARQUIS COLLIER, a/k/a “Keise,” KADEEM DINHAM, a/k/a “Polo,” DONNIE DIXON, a/k/a “Scooter,” RAHEEM JONES, a/k/a “Rah Trigger,” a/k/a “Trigga,” JAMAAL SINCLAIR, a/k/a “Diggz,” and NOEL SMITH, a/k/a “Georgie,” with various crimes relating to racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses.  The defendants have been charged as a result of their membership in the “Goonies” street gang that operated in the City of Mount Vernon, New York. OVERTON was arrested on these charges yesterday. COLLIER and DIXON were arrested on these charges today. DINHAM, who was already in custody on state charges, was transferred to federal custody today; BLANTON, SINCLAIR, and SMITH, who were also already in custody on state charges, will be transferred to federal custody as soon as possible; and JONES was already in federal custody on related charges.  The defendants will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Lisa M. Smith this afternoon in White Plains federal court.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged, the eight members and associates of a violent Mount Vernon street gang charged today engaged in attempted murder, drug dealing and firearms offenses.  One of our most important missions, as federal prosecutors, is to investigate and prosecute street gangs that threaten our communities through violence and narcotics trafficking, as the Goonies allegedly did in Mount Vernon.”

Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. said:  “This gang was allegedly engaged in serious criminal activity that included shooting incidents, armed robberies, gun possession and narcotics distribution.  We are pleased that this is now coming to an end.  I want to thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District and the New York office of the FBI for their unstinting dedication and determination that led to this indictment and today’s arrests.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “As alleged, the motives of this gang were sinister and criminal, using violence and illegal drugs to intimidate the community.  The FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force works diligently with our law enforcement partners every day to stop these gangs, and keep them from negatively impacting communities.”

According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in White Plains federal court:

From 2007 to 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, OVERTON, BLANTON, DINHAM, DIXON, JONES, SINCLAIR, and SMITH were members or associates of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Goonies.”  In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Goonies committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including attempted murder and robbery; they conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute narcotics; and they obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and firing them.  BLANTON, COLLIER, DINHAM, DIXON, and JONES also conspired with one another, and certain other members of the Goonies, to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided in the attached table for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Kim thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives from the Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Westchester County Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, New York City Police Department, and U.S. Probation.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Anden F. Chow, Christopher J. Clore, Sarah Krissoff, Olga Zverovich, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys John O’Rourke and Lauren Abinanti are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

United States v. Markel Overton, et al.

CHARGE	DEFENDANTS	MAXIMUM PENALTIES
Count One Racketeering Conspiracy	MARKEL OVERTON   a/k/a “Kellz” THOMAS BLANTON   a/k/a “LT” MARQUIS COLLIER   a/k/a “Keise” KADEEM DINHAM   a/k/a “Polo” DONNIE DIXON   a/k/a “Scooter” RAHEEM JONES   a/k/a “Rah Trigger”   a/k/a “Trigga” JAMAAL SINCLAIR   a/k/a “Diggz” NOEL SMITH   a/k/a “Georgie”	20 years in prison
Count Two Firearms Offense	MARKEL OVERTON THOMAS BLANTON MARQUIS COLLIER KADEEM DINHAM DONNIE DIXON RAHEEM JONES JAMAAL SINCLAIR	Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
Count Three Firearms Offense	NOEL SMITH	Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 7 years in prison
Count Four Narcotics Conspiracy	THOMAS BLANTON MARQUIS COLLIER KADEEM DINHAM DONNIE DIXON RAHEEM JONES	Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison

DEFENDANT	AGE
MARKEL OVERTON	27
THOMAS BLANTON	24
MARQUIS COLLIER	33
KADEEM DINHAM	25
DONNIE DIXON	28
RAHEEM JONES	28
JAMAAL SINCLAIR	29
NOEL SMITH	24

 

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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.