Eight Men Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court For Their Roles In Bronx Mail Theft Conspiracy

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that eight defendants have been sentenced to prison terms by United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods for their participation in a long-running scheme to steal mail from Bronx mailboxes.  All eight defendants previously pled guilty before Judge Woods.  Between May 2015 and at least January 2017, BRIAN MARTE, a/k/a “Trini Rabiia,” ERICKSON BATISTA, a/k/a “Niike Batista,” JUNIOR TAVERAS, a/k/a “Tuh Relambio,” ANGEL ARISTY, a/k/a “Frekiitho Lindo Colon,” LUIS ROSADO, a/k/a “El Menolsito Tejada,” EOSCATERYS POLANCO, BRAYAN RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “New Black El Paisano,” and RONARDO BAEZ, a/k/a “Tuchokoo Baez,” the defendants, each participated in a scheme to steal mail and deposit stolen checks and money orders using other individuals’ debit cards. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “These defendants ‘fished’ for checks and money orders from U.S. Postal Service mailboxes like shooting fish in a barrel, and in doing so caused serious harm to Bronx residents.  As a result of their crimes, the defendants have been delivered to the criminal justice system and will now serve prison sentences.”

According to the Indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, as well as previous court filings and statements made in public court proceedings:

Since 2015, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) and other local and federal agencies, including the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, have been investigating mail theft from mailboxes in the Bronx, New York.  The investigation has revealed that individuals steal mail either by illicitly obtaining mail box keys or by “fishing.”  Fishing involves inserting homemade mail theft devices into mailboxes located on street corners or other publicly accessible places.  After gaining access to the mail in the mailbox, a thief typically will remove any mail that appears to contain checks or money orders.  During the beginning and end of the month, when many people mail checks for rent and bills, a thief can steal checks worth tens of thousands of dollars in a single night. 

After perpetrators fish checks and money orders out of mailboxes, they sell the checks and money orders to others, remove the payees’ names by “washing” the checks and money orders, or simply deposit the checks and money orders into a bank account.  In various iterations of the scheme, those bank accounts have belonged to the mail thieves, to complicit account holders, or to unsuspecting third parties whose debits cards or personal identifying information have been stolen. 

Since late 2015, USPIS and NYPD enforcement operations have resulted in over 50 state arrests of individuals for theft of mail in the Claremont Park area of the Bronx, and over $750,000 in checks and money orders has been traced to these mail theft schemes.  The eight defendants sentenced by Judge Woods each participated in these related schemes.  Additionally, MARTE illegally possessed a defaced firearm.        

POLANCO, 24, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on July 25, 2018, to a total term of 24 months in prison, and five years of supervised release. 

BATISTA, 26, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on May 18, 2018, to a total term of 30 months in prison, and three years of supervised release. 

RODRIGUEZ, 24, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on May 16, 2018, to a total term of seven months in prison, and three years of supervised release. 

ROSADO, 21, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on April 17, 2018, to a total term of six months in prison, and three years of supervised release. 

MARTE, 21, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on April 5, 2018, to a total term of 27 months in prison, and three years of supervised release.

TAVERAS, 20, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on March 27, 2018, to a total term of 24 months in prison, and one year of supervised release. 

ARISTY, 20, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on March 26, 2018, to a total term of 11 months in prison, and three years of supervised release.

BAEZ, 22, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced by Judge Woods on March 19, 2018, to a total term of six months in prison, and three years of supervised release. 

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Woods also ordered that the defendants pay over $150,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the USPIS and NYPD.

12 Members Of Bronx Crew Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Narcotics Offenses

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. 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 the unsealing today of an Indictment charging 12 members of a crew operating in and around the Murphy Houses and the Lambert Houses in the Bronx with participating in a narcotics conspiracy. 

A total of eight defendants were taken into custody today; seven were arrested in the Bronx, and one defendant was arrested in Delaware.  Four defendants remain at large.  The seven defendants arrested in the Bronx will be presented and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott later today.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.   

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, the defendants conspired to sell narcotics in a number of locations, including the Murphy Houses, a NYCHA development.  NYCHA residents, and all New Yorkers, should be free to go about their daily lives free from the scourge of narcotics trafficking.  Thanks to the excellence of our partners at HSI and the NYPD, these defendants now face federal charges for bringing drugs to our buildings and to our streets.”

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said:  “These crew members allegedly pushed crack cocaine and heroin in low income neighborhoods of the Bronx.  The alleged dealers have no regard for their neighbors as long as they are making a profit, which is why we will continue to partner with NYPD in these investigations to remove the drugs, and those who push it, off city streets.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Today’s indictment is a perfect example of how well the law enforcement community works together to dismantle drug organizations and put these criminals behind bars.  Removing them from our streets sends a clear message to others who many choose to engage in similar activity.  These substances cause immeasurable damage in our neighborhoods, and we will remain vigilant in our commitment to expose and arrest anyone who poses such a threat to the safety of New Yorkers.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and in other court papers and proceedings[1]:

From 2016 up to June 2018, KAWAIN NELSON, a/k/a “Kobe,” a/k/a “Kobi,” a/k/a “Slope,” JAMES CROOMS, a/k/a “Butter,” ANTHONY CORLEY, a/k/a “Tone,” ALBERT COLLINS, a/k/a “A,” DARRELL HUDSON, a/k/a “Skip,” JONATHAN PADILLA, SILVIO CIPRIAN, a/k/a “T.P.,” LAMAR GRIFFIN, a/k/a “Louch,” JACKIE COOPER, a/k/a “Jack,” SHARON HATCHER, ALLEN WALKER, a/k/a “Fat Boy,” and EFRAIN REYES, a/k/a “Stone,” participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana in and around the Murphy Houses, a public housing complex, and the Lambert Houses, an affordable housing development, in the Bronx. 

A chart containing the names and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD’s Bronx Violent Crimes Squad.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Krissoff, Gina Castellano, and Frank Balsamello are in charge of the prosecution.

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

COUNT	CHARGE	DEFENDANTS	MAX. PENALTIES
1	Narcotics Conspiracy 21 U.S.C. § 846	KAWAIN NELSON, 32 JAMES CROOMS, 31 ANTHONY CORLEY, 35 ALBERT COLLINS, 28 DARRELL HUDSON, 28 JONATHAN PADILLA, 29 SILVIO CIPRIAN, 30 LAMAR GRIFFIN, 28 JACKIE COOPER, 53 SHARON HATCHER, 51 ALLEN WALKER, 38 EFRAIN REYES, 49	Life in prison Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison

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

Cuomo Touts ‘New System for Accountability’ After Allowing Old System to Fail for Nearly 8 Years

  Today in a transparent attempt to distance himself from the growing corruption scandals surrounding his administration, Governor Cuomo claimed that “changes have been made to how spending is done for economic development” and touted a “new system of accountability”.

“It only took 8 years, 2 trials, 6 convictions, and $850 million in corrupt contracts for the Governor to decide that we need more accountability,” said Cynthia for New York spokeswoman Lauren Hitt. “We need more than a new system. We need a new administration.”

Former Mayor Dinkins Endorses Alessandra Biaggi

  David N. Dinkins, 106^th Mayor of the City of New York, issued the following statement today endorsing Alessandra Biaggi in the Thursday, September 13 Democratic primary for State Senate in the 34^th District:

“New York needs real Democrats in the State Senate to pass laws that serve all New Yorkers; laws that protect and expand affordable housing, make it easy for everyone to vote, ensure universal healthcare for everyone, provide every child in every zip code access to quality education, assure a women’s right to choose, guarantee equal justice for all, and so much more. Alessandra Biaggi is a leader in the fight to protect the constituents in her community and all New Yorkers. I am proud to support Alessandra Biaggi and I urge others to do the same.”

Biaggi has previously been endorsed by City Comptroller Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Cory Johnson, Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, former Congressmen Charles Rangel and Lester Wolff, and former Attorney General G. Oliver Koppell.

Biaggi said, “Thank you Mayor Dinkins for recognizing the importance of having true Democrats in the State Senate who will work for legislation that will ensure that all New Yorkers can participate in picking their representatives and for a State government that serves the interests of all New Yorkers and not the special interests who make big campaign contributions.”

PAVE BABY PAVE: MAYOR ANNOUNCES PROGRESS ON EFFORTS TO AVOID CUTTING OPEN FRESHLY PAVED STREETS FOR UTILITY WORK

New pilot on Staten Island mandates interagency cooperation and coordination to prevent fresh asphalt being marred with so-called “street cuts”; Since 2014, DOT has repaved a record 786 lane miles on Staten Island, nearly half of the borough’s streets

STATEN ISLAND—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced progress on new efforts at coordination among City agencies and utilities to avoid “street cuts” to freshly paved streets.  

“Street cuts annoy everyone, and we want to make sure they bother people after a fresh re-paving as little as possible,” said Mayor de Blasio. “We have done more to re-pave streets across Staten Island than ever before, and now this program will help keep freshly paved streets undisturbed for longer. We look forward to continue working with Borough President Oddo on this.”

Back in May, the Mayor had announced that New York City had paved 5,000 lane-miles since 2014; under the de Blasio Administration, nearly 786 lane miles have been paved on Staten Island, nearly half of the borough’s streets.  Noting that progress, the Mayor had also acknowledged the frustration of elected leaders like Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo, who had called on the City to better counter the incidence of freshly paved streets being reopened for utility work.

“I freely admit that I drive Staten Island at times solely to look for street cuts,” said Borough President Jimmy Oddo. “This is how obsessive I have become over this issue. Why? For several reasons. They are literally undercutting one of the best things Mayor de Blasio has done during his tenure – our “Pave, Baby, Pave” campaign of historic levels of resurfacing of our streets. Street cuts waste taxpayer dollars. Street cuts rob our quality of life. Streets cuts are an example of poor planning, antiquated rule making, and a lack of coordination and collaboration. We can do much better. I value the ongoing dialogue I have had with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. The proposed changes are a good start. I have other specific suggestions I want to see implemented, and clearly we have more work to do. But, we have the attention of the Mayor. We have a very capable Deputy Mayor leading the undertaking, and finally we have a genuine effort to end the street cut status quo and bring about a more appropriate process that helps ensure we have better roads for a longer period of time.”

The Mayor noted progress since that initial announcement:

Street Cuts Policy Working Group – All City capital agencies, including Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection (DEP) and Design and Construction (DDC) now meet monthly with senior representatives from utility companies to share plans and coordinate work.  This group focuses on higher-level structural issues to maintain City policy of strongly discouraging any street cuts in the first two years after a given street is repaved by DOT -- including through emerging trenchless technologies and ensuring quality restoration.

Improved DEP/DOT Coordination – The agency that paves streets and the agency that is responsible for the City’s water systems are also coordinating their work, including by:

·         As part of a new pilot program on Staten Island, DEP will coordinate inspection and repair of its manholes and catch basins with DOT’s paving schedule.  After a roadway is milled, DEP crews will use the two to three week period before repaving to inspect manholes and catch basins and make any necessary repairs.  This will significantly reduce the need for DEP to open the roadway for a non-emergency repair during the two-year protected window.

·         DEP has increased staffing, hiring seven additional supervisors to work with DOT to better coordinate restoration of City streets.

Improved DEP/DDC Coordination Around Manhole Covers – Aging and defective manhole covers are among the most challenging of issues around paving and restoring streets.  To address this challenge, DEP has procured 5 manhole restoration contracts with DDC. As part of this work, defective manhole covers and hardware will be repaired and/or replaced.  In addition, manhole covers will be raised where necessary and defective areas around manholes will be restored.  These contracts are valued at a total of $13.6 million, of which $2.75 million is dedicated to Staten Island.

Increased DDC work on Pedestrian Ramps – To increase accessibility, hundreds of sidewalk pedestrian ramps on Staten Island require construction or restoration.  DDC’s pedestrian ramp contractor in Staten Island has agreed to implement final restoration upon completion of pedestrian ramps at all locations (i.e., no temporary restoration allowed). The FY18 Pedestrian contract just bid included such requirements and we have scheduled a Pre-Award with low bidder to make sure the bidder read and understands the new requirements will be fully enforced.

Other DEP Improvements as Part of Street Cut Coordination Efforts:

·         Begin using excavation markers to quickly identify any defects in DEP street cuts. 

·     DEP will this month begin a pilot saw cutting of excavations in Staten Island for a smoother restoration of streets.

·       Maximize DEP in-house paving crews to address restorations:  DEP has allocated and maximized in-house paving crews to address restorations.

Agency Coordination with National Grid – The utility that provides most of New York City’s natural gas, has provided the City with its comprehensive multi-year capital plan, which will allow for improved coordination with all City agencies going forward.

“We certainly understand the frustration of residents who see a street, freshly paved by our Roadways team, dug up for utility work,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  “The coordination efforts that we have begun, led by the Staten Island pilot inspired by Borough President Oddo, should make a big difference.”

“DEP has had many productive talks with Staten Island Borough President James Oddo on street cuts and we are looking forward to coordinating with DOT and DDC on this pilot program to better repair our infrastructure so that any necessary work minimizes the impact on newly paved roadways,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The above is great news for Staten Island residents, but doesn't do a darn thing for Bronx drivers who constantly have to put up with streets that are being dug up, poorly repaired, and then dug up again because the utility work has to be redone since it was not done correctly the first time. That results in even more repairs having to be done to Bronx streets, and to Bronx drivers cars. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO, CHANCELLOR CARRANZA, BOROUGH PRESIDENT ODDO ANNOUNCE MORE THAN 1,000 NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL SEATS ON STATEN ISLAND

  Former private school building to be acquired by the City and will be converted into new state-of-the-art facility

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza and Borough President James Oddo today announced that the City will acquire the St. John Villa Academy Campus, which the School Construction Authority will convert into a new public school space. The new project is expected to provide families on Staten Island with over 1,000 new seats in the area. The SCA and DOE are working in close partnership to develop a proposal for an educational campus to open on the site in the coming years.

“Schools are sacred places that fundamentally help our kids achieve their full potential and bind our communities together,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This new state-of-the-art facility will allow more than 1,000 children the opportunity to access a high-quality education.”

“Today’s announcement is a big win for parents and students on Staten Island, and will bring hundreds of new high-quality seats to the area,” said Schools Chancellor Carranza. “I’m looking forward to working with the Staten Island community to develop new, state-of-the-art facilities that will create new and exciting learning opportunities for our students.”

“New school buildings are a vital investment in our communities, and I am thrilled that we are going to be able support Staten Island families with this new campus,” said Lorraine Grillo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York City School Construction Authority. “This campus provides seven acres of space for us to build new school buildings that will meet the needs of students and ensure they have access to cutting edge facilities.”

“This is a deeply bittersweet moment because the pain of the St. John Villa family is still palpable, and it will be that way for a long time. I recognize that,” said Borough President Oddo. “The closure of this school will never sit well with some, and I very much understand those deep emotions. As the person responsible to represent the 500,000 people of this borough, I knew what would be even worse than St. John Villa closing would be St. John Villa closing and this bastion of education reduced into an unwanted residential development. We have seen that regrettable scenario play out nearby in recent years. I am pleased the City has stepped up in a big way to acquire this precious space. I will do all I can to ensure the learning that takes place here in the future lives up to the rich tradition of educational excellence of St. John Villa.”

The approximately seven-acre property is conveniently located near the Verrazano Bridge. The DOE will conduct community engagement over the next several months to solicit feedback on the types of schools and programs that would best meet the needs of the district. The DOE and SCA will unveil a proposed plan and timeline for the new facility once the community engagement and final assessment of the condition of the current campus are complete. The City’s signed contract to buy the property is pending final statutory approval.

The City has invested significant resources to increase seat capacity across all school districts. As part of the current Capital Plan, we are investing $4.8 billion to create more than 44,600 seats in overcrowded areas, including 25 new DOE sites with 8,400 new seats since last year, and 14 new locations with 4,650 seats at the start of this school year. From September 2014 to September 2017, the City opened approximately 1,800 seats on Staten Island.

“While I know this is very difficult for the students at Villa, I hope that it gives you all peace of mind that it will continue to be an educational facility. Through this purchase, the legacy of Villa will live on through future generations of students,” said State Senator Diane Savino.

Council Member Steven Matteo said, “This is great news for Staten Island and the East Shore in particular. This purchase not only saves the site from residential development, but allows this facility to continue to be utilized to educate our children – a use for which the Borough President and I have been strongly advocating. I know this is a bittersweet outcome for those in the Villa community, but I hope they will take solace that the campus will remain a home away from home for Staten Island students.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  Yes that is great news for the tiny borough of Staten Island where the students are performing better than Bronx public school children. Kudos to the elected officials who represent staten Island which is one quarter the population of the Bronx. 

So Bronx elected officials while Chancellor Caranza admits that he and the mayor know that Bronx public school students are performing lower than the citywide average in overcrowded schools what are you going to do?

SENATOR RIVERA RESPONDS TO REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE'S COMMENTS ON THE NEW YORK HEALTH ACT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2018

Valeria Munt | (646) 259-5923 | munt@nysenate.gov

  "Mr. Molinaro needs to get his facts straight: Universal healthcare is not a radical idea. 

Inevitably, there will be challenges in implementing any new system in New York State and that is why Assemblymember Gottfried and I are making every effort to have a fully thought out proposal. For example, this legislation proposes that an individual's contribution would be based on their income and that an employer would still be required to contribute a percentage towards an employee's coverage. We must also consider that increased access to preventive care will lead to less emergency room visits and other intensive care services that are by far more costly. Furthermore, projected savings come from being able to negotiate on behalf of nearly 20 million New Yorkers to achieve lower healthcare prices, rather than smaller groups negotiating with far less leverage.

New Yorkers are not opposed to the concept of healthcare for all. We simply need to talk to more New Yorkers about the implementation of the New York Health Act, the fiscal benefits for families and businesses, and the type of health care that they would have access to under this system."

Office of State Senator Gustavo Rivera, 2432 Grand Concourse, Suite 506, Bronx, NY 10458

EDITOR'S NOTE:

While this is a press release from State Senator Gustavo Rivera as stated with the State Senate e-mail of Senator Rivera's aide and senate office address, we wonder why this came via the same aides private Gmail.

Could it be that this politically motivated e-mail should not be sent on a State Senate server, and that was why it was sent by the aides private Gmail? Or is State Senator Rivera trying to have it both ways by using his State Senate office to write this and send it by a private e-mail server. Where did we hear that before? 

That is What You Should Know.

News From Congressman Eliot Engel

 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS BLOCK NEW RUSSIA SANCTIONS

GOP Halts Action on Engel-Connolly SECURE Our Democracy Act

Republican House members today unanimously voted against new sanctions to punish Russia for its attack on American democracy. The GOP blocked action on the SECURE Our Democracy Act, legislation introduced by Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot L. Engel and Representative Gerald E. Connolly, which would impose sanctions on anyone found to have interfered with an American election from overseas going back to 2015.

Shortly before the vote, Rep. Engel said on the House floor, “When the next vote is called, my friends on the other side of the aisle have a choice to make. Will they vote to say to Putin—to our chief adversary—that we won’t tolerate his attacks on our democracy? Or will they again cede Congress’s oversight role and continue to cover up for the President, who cozies up to Putin, who sides with him over our allies, who continues to deny what everyone else knows is a fact. Make no mistake: the next vote is our opportunity to punish the criminals who interfered in our election—to send a message that there will be consequences for anyone who does so in the future. After this vote, every member will be on the record, letting the world know where they stand.”

“President Trump’s performance at the Helsinki summit with Vladimir Putin underscores the need for this legislation,” said Rep. Connolly during the floor debate. “Time and again, the President refuses to acknowledge the unanimous conclusion of all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies… that Russia was a threat and directly interfered with our 2016 election. Mr. Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, recently said ‘The warning lights are blinking red again. Today the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack.’”

The SECURE Our Democracy Act

•  Requires the Secretary of State to compile and regularly update a public list of foreign persons and entities who unlawfully interfered with a U.S. election after January 1, 2015 and any future election;

•  Bars entry to the United States and freezes U.S.-based financial assets of those listed;

•  Requires a public report;

•  Includes congressional oversight provisions to allow an override vote if the President waives the imposition of sanctions.