Democratic Primary Update

  No the two candidates above have not endorsed each other, but are in two of the hottest primary races this election season. 

  

 Ms. Alessandra Biaggi is taking on incumbent 34th district State Senator (and former IDC Leader) Jeff Klein, while Sergeant John Perez is seeking the open 87th assembly seat vacated by now State Senator Luis Sepulveda. 

 In the 34th State Senate race Ms. Biaggi is being backed by various anti IDC groups, and is believed to have soon to be Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez in her corner. It is a tough battle for State Senator Klein who does not want to wind up like his friend soon to be former Congressman Joe Crowley. More on this race in upcoming postings.

  As for the assembly races challengers to incumbents are in the 78th A.D. where incumbent Assemblyman Jose Rivera faces a challenge from former corrections officer Jose Padilla. Also in the 78th A.D. State Committeeman Kenny Agosto is facing a challenger.  In the 84th A.D. Incumbent Carmen Arroyo is being challenged by former aide to Congressman Jose Serrano Amanda Septimo. In the 85th A.D. incumbent Assemblyman and Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo faces a token opponent.

 The big race in the Bronx for assembly is in the open 87th Assembly District. Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo announced his candidate Nurse Karines Reyes back in February, and again in May. Former U. S. Army Sergeant John Perez announced his candidacy on the same day as Crespo made his second announcement. The third candidate who worked for the former Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda is Farah Despanies. In this race the two female candidates objected to each other, but no specifications to those objections were filed. Candidate Sergeant John Perez was objected to by candidate Reyes's camp, and then filed his own court challenge to the Reyes petition in court. A fourth candidate running with State Senator Sepulveda's opponent withdrew, and was replaced with candidate Despaines. 

  As an expert challenger myself, I looked at all three of the remaining candidates petitions in the 87th A.D. I found fatal mistakes in the Reyes petition, and could not believe that the petition was handed in as is. Candidate Sergeant Perez should have an easy time of knocking Nurse Reyes off the ballot, and the court date is next week. Candidates Despanes and Sergeant Perez both handed in petitions that were better than the Reyes petition, and while there were only minor mistakes both should be on the ballot for the 87th Assembly District. It will be a very exciting assembly race in the 87th A.D. as I am already getting calls from my colleagues in the media about this race. 

More to come, and I am sorry that the usual blog postings have not been able to be put up.  

Why Are Trucks Getting Stuck on Parkways

  The police officer above is trying to figure out how a truck over ten feet high tried to squeeze under this Henry Hudson Parkway overpass with a nine foot-seven inch clearance. The truck from North Carolina was transporting furniture to the local Riverdale Horace Mann School which by car is off the West 246th Street exit of the Henry Hudson Parkway, but not by truck. Police had to close the parkway as the truck was pulled out of the underpass, and backed off the parkway. This happened at 10:30 AM.

 A State Police officer said that more trucks are going on to parkways now because the signs at the George Washington Bridge warning truck drivers of low clearance on the parkways have been taken down by the DOT, and not replaced. More photos are below.

Leader Of Violent Drug Crew Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For 2016 Murder Of Nelson Dubon And Other Crimes

Kenneth Rudge Oversaw Activities of “YNR” Members on Webster Avenue, Including Heroin and Crack Sales, Shootings, and the Murder of a Robbery Victim in January 2016

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,  James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, announced that KENNETH RUDGE, 28, of the Bronx, New York, received a sentence of 420 months’ imprisonment from District Judge Kimba M. Wood at a proceeding held today in Manhattan federal court.  Rudge previously pleaded guilty to firearms charges arising from his use of a firearm in the murder of Nelson Dubon on January 21, 2016.  Rudge murdered Dubon in the course of a robbery in the South Bronx, which Rudge and other members of the violent street crew “YNR” committed as part of that crew’s drug business.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Kenneth Rudge and his YNR crew inflicted violence and death upon our community.  Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the NYPD and the ATF, Rudge will now spend the next 35 years in prison.”

According to the charging documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings and earlier court appearances:

Since at least 2012, a group of young men and women living in the vicinity of 188th Street and Webster Avenue, and referring to itself as “YNR,” engaged in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin to addicts in that area.  YNR managed to bring large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin into its neighborhood and to inflict mindless and, ultimately, deadly violence on its community. 

RUDGE personally organized and participated in multiple acts of narcotics sales by junior members of YNR, including groups of minors working at RUDGE’s direction.  RUDGE also instigated multiple acts of drug-related violence.  Those incidents included the following, each of which was committed in the Bronx, New York:  1) a robbery in or about 2015, of a marijuana dealer in that marijuana dealer’s apartment, during which robbery a victim was pistol-whipped by one of RUDGE’s co-conspirator; 2) a robbery, in or about 2015, of a marijuana dealer, resulting in a shooting by RUDGE and others in order to thwart the victim’s attempt to retaliate for that robbery; 3) an attempted armed robbery, on or about January 21, 2016, of a marijuana stash apartment; and 4) a robbery, on or about January 21, 2016, of a narcotics dealer and others located inside a billiards club, during which RUDGE shot and killed Nelson Dubon.

Following his arrest by the NYPD in connection with the murder of Dubon, RUDGE attempted to corruptly influence and silence witnesses against him, including by attempting to have other YNR members find and silence an eyewitness to the murder.  RUDGE also continued his firearms use and violence in the days after the murder of Dubon, including through the pistol-whipping of a livery cab driver in a failed attempt to rob that person of his fares on or about January 25, 2016, in the Bronx. 

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the NYPD and ATF for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.

Operator Of Bitcoin Investment Platform Pleads Guilty To Securities Fraud And Obstruction Of Justice

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JON E. MONTROLL, a/k/a “Ukyo,” pled guilty today to securities fraud and obstruction of justice.  MONTROLL, who issued and sold securities related to a bitcoin investment platform that he ran through false statements about the success of the business, later provided false sworn testimony to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and provided the SEC with a false document during the course of the SEC’s investigation into his operation of the bitcoin investment platform.  MONTROLL’s plea was taken by U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As he admitted today, Jon Montroll deceived his investors and then attempted to deceive the SEC.  He repeatedly lied during sworn testimony and misled SEC staff to avoid taking responsibility for the loss of thousands of his customers’ bitcoins.”

According to the Information, the allegations in the Complaint, and statements made during the proceedings in Manhattan federal:

JON E. MONTROLL operated two online bitcoin services:  WeExchange Australia, Pty. Ltd. (“WeExchange”) and BitFunder.com (“BitFunder”).  WeExchange functioned as a bitcoin depository and currency exchange service.  BitFunder facilitated the purchase and trading of virtual shares of business entities that listed their virtual shares on the BitFunder platform.

Between the launch of Bitfunder, in or about December 2012, and at least in or about July 2013, MONTROLL converted a portion of WeExchange users’ bitcoins to his personal use without the users’ knowledge or consent.  For example, MONTROLL exchanged numerous bitcoins taken from WeExchange into United States dollars, then spent those funds on personal expenses, such as travel and groceries.

Beginning on or about July 18, 2013, MONTROLL promoted a security referred to as “Ukyo.Loan.”  As described by MONTROLL in a public post about Ukyo.Loan, MONTROLL encouraged investors to “think of [Ukyo.Loan] as a sort of round-about investment” in BitFunder and WeExchange and, at the same time, described Ukyo.Loan as “a personal loan” and “for private investment purposes.”  MONTROLL further promised to pay purchasers of Ukyo.Loan daily interest on their investment and promised shares could be “redeemed at face value anytime upon request.”

During the summer of 2013, one or more individuals (the “Hackers”) exploited a weakness in the BitFunder programming code to cause BitFunder to credit the Hackers with profits they did not, in fact, earn (the “Exploit”).  As a result, the Hackers were able to wrongfully withdraw from WeExchange approximately 6,000 bitcoins, with the majority of those coins being wrongfully withdrawn between July 28, 2013, and July 31, 2013.  As a result of the Exploit, BitFunder and WeExchange lacked the bitcoins necessary to cover what MONTROLL owed to users.

Notwithstanding the scope of the Exploit, MONTROLL failed to disclose the Exploit to users of BitFunder and WeExchange, or investors in Ukyo.Loan.  Instead, MONTROLL continued to promote and sell Ukyo.Loan to customers and, on at least one occasion, falsely represented to customers that BitFunder was commercially successful.  As a result of his omissions and misrepresentations, MONTROLL raised approximately 978 bitcoins through Ukyo.Loan after his discovery of the Exploit.

The SEC’s New York Regional Office began an investigation into BitFunder and the Exploit.  During the course of the investigation, MONTROLL provided the SEC with a falsified screenshot purportedly documenting, among other things, the total number of bitcoins available to BitFunder users in the WeExchange Wallet as of October 13, 2013.  Additionally, during sworn investigative testimony on both November 14, 2013, and October 6, 2015, MONTROLL provided materially false and misleading answers to certain questions about, among other things, the timing of MONTROLL’s discovery of the Exploit.

MONTROLL, 37, of Saginaw, Texas, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of obstruction of justice.  Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

MONTROLL will be sentenced by Judge Berman at a date to be determined.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also thanked the SEC, which previously filed civil charges against MONTROLL in a separate action.             

12 ALLEGED TRINITARIOS INDICTED IN STABBING MURDER OF 15-YEAR-OLD BOY IN INTRA-GANG CONFLICT

Defendants Allegedly Plotted to Attack an Upstart Set; Encountered Random Victim, Chased Him Into Bodega, Dragged Him Out and Attacked Him With Knives And Machete

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill today announced that 12 men have been indicted in the fatal stabbing of 15- year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz on June 20, 2018 in the Bronx. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “This crime was nothing less than ferocious. The defendants were out for violence. They came upon the 15-year-old boy, Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, chased him into a store, dragged him out and stabbed and slashed him.”

 “I commend the Homicide Bureau and the Narcotics & Gangs Investigation Bureau prosecutors for their diligence in this case, along with the NYPD detectives from Bronx Homicide and the 48th Precinct. This indictment is an early step in the criminal justice process, so I ask the community to be patient as the case takes it course. The investigation is ongoing.” 

 “We will not tolerate violence by gangs on our streets. I urge the community to continue to be our partner to save our youth.”

 Commissioner O'Neill said, “The notion that anyone - or any group of people - somehow thinks that committing such an act in New York City is OK, is abhorrent at its core. Criminal groups continue to threaten public safety and quality of life in some New York City neighborhoods. The NYPD will remain vigilant in the face of this threat, but our mission is dependent on a major buy-in from the public we serve. And that's why - through Neighborhood Policing - we're making huge efforts to build trust and to strengthen relationships in every community. Because in every single case, we need all New Yorkers' help - just like we saw with the good people of the Bronx, who helped bring about justice for Junior."

 District Attorney Clark said five of the defendants--Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, Jose Muniz, Manuel Rivera, and Elvin Garcia--have been indicted on first-degree Murder, under Penal Law 125.27 (1) (a) (x), intentional murder which included torture.

 All twelve defendants have been charged with second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, second-degree Conspiracy, first-degree Gang Assault, second-degree Gang Assault, and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. They were arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. Remand was continued. If convicted of the top charge of first-degree Murder, defendants can face up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

 According to the investigation, on June 20, 2018, the defendants, who allegedly are part of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang, gathered at the Boston Road home of Diego Suero, alleged leader of Los Sures, to plan to commit violence against another set of the Trinitarios called “Sunset.” The defendants then travelled in four cars, and came upon the victim, who fled from them, running approximately four blocks to a bodega in Belmont, where he tried to hide.

 According to the investigation the defendants are then seen in surveillance footage from the store cameras entering the bodega, then dragging the victim out of the store as he fought for his life. When the victim was forcefully taken from the store, five defendants repeatedly stabbed and slashed him with knives and a machete in the neck and body. The victim ran from the bodega to St. Barnabas Hospital and collapsed near the entrance.

 According to the investigation, after the stabbing, the defendants fled and went back to Diego Suero’s home to hide weapons and provide aid to Elvin Garcia, whose hand was cut in the midst of the multiple stabbings the victim received. Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, Jose Muniz, Manuel Rivera, Danel Fernandez and Jose Tavarez then fled and were ultimately arrested in Paterson, New Jersey on June 24, 2018. Five other defendants were arrested in the Bronx, and one was detained on July 9, 2018 in Connecticut, where he had fled.

 The investigation is ongoing.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Frank Orlando of the Bronx Homicide Task Force and Joseph Flores of the 48th Precinct Squad for their work on the investigation. District Attorney Clark thanked her Detective Investigators for their assistance. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt. 

Defendants Kevin Alvarez, 19, Bronx, N.Y. 

Elvin Garcia, 23, Manhattan, N.Y. 

Antonio Rodriguez Hernández Santiago, 24, Bronx, N.Y. 

Manuel Rivera, 18, Bronx, N.Y. 

Danel Fernandez, 21, Bronx N.Y. 

Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, 24, Freeport, Long Island, N.Y. 

Jose Muniz, 22, Bronx, N.Y. 

Jose Tavarez, 21, Bronx, N.Y. 

Danilo Payamps Pacheco, 21, Bronx, N.Y. Diego Suero, 29, Bronx, N.Y. 

Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, 26, Bronx, N.Y. 

Luis Cabrera Santos, AKA Luis Rodriguez, 25, Bronx, N.Y

UAW REGION 9A ENDORSES ALESSANDRA BIAGGI

  United Automobile Workers (UAW) Region 9A CAP Council announced today it is endorsing Alessandra Biaggi in the Thursday, Sept. 13 primary for State Senate in District 34.

“UAW Region 9A CAP Council is honored to endorse Alessandra Biaggi. We are confident that Alessandra will champion and support our members’ issues in State Senate District 34 and make a positive contribution around the entire State of New York,” said UAW Region 9A Director Beverley Brakeman. “Alessandra is a relentless fighter with lots of energy and stands for the many principals we represent in the UAW: affordable health care, fair wages, a voice at the workplace, and social justice. We are excited to support a candidate with all these qualities who will help improve the quality of life for working people.”    

Alessandra Biaggi said, “I am honored to be endorsed by UAW Region 9A, a union with a long history of leading the fight on behalf of working people and for progressive issues. At a time when unions and the right to organize are under attack, which is also an attack on the standard of living of hard working Americans, it’s more important than ever to stand with unions like the UAW. In the State Senate, I will be an ally and an advocate for living wages, better benefits, access to health care and strong protection from sexual harassment and discrimination.”

UAW Region 9A represents 50,000 active and retired members throughout New England, eastern New York State (including NYC and Long Island), and Puerto Rico. Region 9A is a diverse region representing a variety of workers, including childcare providers, graduate employees and human service workers.

Biaggi has already been endorsed by 32BJ SEIU, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and dozens of progressive organizations.

SENATOR RIVERA ON DECISION TO CUT NEW YORK DAILY NEWS STAFF IN HALF

  "I am incredibly disappointed and saddened by the decision of Tronc, Inc. to cut the New York Daily News newsroom in half and to oust its editor-in-chief, Jim Rich. For almost a century, the Daily News has covered New York like no other newspaper. Daily News' reporters have been responsible for unveiling compelling stories about issues affecting our City's most vulnerable communities. Its coverage does not only highlight what is happening in our City on any given day, but it also holds elected officials and those in positions of power accountable-- a vital component of any vibrant democracy. At a time when our country's journalists are being maliciously targeted as "enemies of the American people" by the Trump administration, we cannot afford for our local newsrooms to dwindle. If we believe in freedom of the press as one of most important pillars of our democracy, we must support local journalism to continue providing us the checks and balances we need to make our City and our State work for the interests of the majority and not just the few."

MAYOR DE BLASIO LAUNCHES PURESOIL NYC TO RECYCLE CLEAN SOIL FOR COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS

PUREsoil NYC provides communities across the city access to high-quality soil for neighborhood projects & to help protect against climate change

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the launch of PUREsoil NYC, an innovative initiative that recycles clean soil from construction projects in NYC to community uses, where it improves soil quality and increase resilience to the effects climate change. Under this program, the city will provide clean soil to community-based organizations to improve the quality of degraded soils in gardens, yards, and other open spaces and lower exposure to lead and other pollutants. Clean soil will also be used to create tidal and fresh water wetlands, berms, and levees and raise the elevation of coastal land to reduce risks from sea level rise and stronger storm surges caused by climate change. PUREsoil NYC and the source of the soil, the NYC Clean Soil Bank, are operated by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (MOER). PUREsoil NYC is the first city-run program of its kind in the world.

“Not only are we finding new uses for New York’s own, pristine soil, we are helping beautify neighborhoods and making communities more resilient,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This program is a global first, helping us build a better, fairer city.”

“The clean soil deep beneath our feet is one of the most precious natural resources we have in NYC.  Each year, hundreds of thousands of tons of surplus clean native soil are exported long distances out of our city. By keeping this soil in NYC and ‘upcycling’ it to its best use, we can improve the chemical quality of our urban soil to reduce pollutant exposures, build new wetlands, and raise our coastal land to prepare for the effects of climate change and sea level rise,” said Dr. Daniel Walsh, MOER Director and founder of the NYC Clean Soil Bank and PUREsoil NYC. “This administration recognizes the disproportionate risk from environmental pollution and climate change in disadvantaged communities and is focusing use of our natural resources to achieve equity in environmental quality and preparedness.”  

PUREsoil NYC seeks to achieve the highest uses for NYC’s surplus pristine soil resources and to prioritize this work in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. The soil will be obtained from the NYC Clean Soil Bank, the nation’s only soil exchange and the only city-run soil exchange in the world.  Pristine soil is extracted from deep below the ground during construction of basements, underground parking and other underground structures. The soil is native sediment deposited by glaciers in NYC over 10,000 years ago and is among the highest-chemical-quality soil found in the northeast United States. PUREsoil NYC is part of MOER’s Progressive Urban Resource Exchange (PURE) initiative established under OneNYC.

Soil used in PUREsoil NYC is subject to a 12-step chemical quality vetting process to ensure purity.  Recent study by MOER and Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory showed that by retaining and recycling pristine native soil, soil exchange lowers soil transport distances by over 70% and provides a series of environmental benefits, including reductions in truck mileage on highways, fossil fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas and other air pollution emissions. Local sourcing of soil through the exchange also preserves NYC’s original soil character, conserves natural resources in regional quarries, and lowers costs of soil management by 85%. In the absence of programs like PUREsoil NYC that retain and recycle valuable native soil resources within NYC, studies have shown that over 95% of NYC’s clean soil resources are exported for uses outside of the city.

The NYC Clean Soil Bank and PUREsoil NYC are the only programs designed to retain clean soil resources within a city to achieve a broad set of environmental and societal goals. The design of PUREsoil NYC was guided by an intensive set of scientific studies by MOER, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University and Brooklyn College and is advised by a distinguished panel of soil scientists and other experts. Retention and upcycling of NYC’s clean soil resources is supported by over 350 soil scientists, engineers, environmental professionals, advocates, and community members in NYC.

“The Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation and its Clean Soil Bank program have been invaluable to building the city’s resiliency against climate change. The City’s Interim Flood Protection Program has relied on the soil bank to build flood control structures in Red Hook and Hunts Point to protect these communities from coastal storms,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency. “We’re excited to have PUREsoil NYC as a new tool to support the resiliency of our neighborhoods.”

“This approach is good government! Keeping our clean soil resources in NYC and using them for improving our environment and quality of life for our communities not only makes NYC resilient, but also conscientious, and sets an example in sustainability for the rest of the world,” said Tatiana Morin, Director of the New York City Urban Soils Institute.  “This program is supported by many soil scientists in NYC and has been vetted in scientific literature. It is absolutely a high priority for our organization and other soil resource leadership organizations.”