PEOPLE DESERVE DECENT HOUSING: COHEN, DINOWITZ, AND ANGRY RESIDENTS DEMAND RESTORATION OF GAS SERVICE

  On a cold afternoon, residents who have been without cooking gas for four months gathered at a rally organized by their local Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and District Leader Eric Dinowitz. Their demand was simple: restore this basic service without further delay.

  Gas service was disrupted after Con Edison responded to a leak in September 2018. The landlord received a NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) work permit on October 19, 2018 as a result, but tenants reported that they have received no updates from the landlord on the necessary gas line repairs since. Tenants filed numerous complaints with NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), resulting in the issuance of 16 separate violations for failure to provide an adequate supply of cooking gas. The property is managed by Park Drive Management, and HPD lists Jonathan Hoch and Joseph Hoch as the respective managing agent and head officer for the building.

  For months, tenants patiently waited for their landlord to make necessary repairs before finally exhausting their patience and soliciting the assistance of their local elected officials. Tenants have been encouraged to file complaints with the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) seeking rent reductions for decreased services.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “I understand that gas lines can be tricky and I don’t believe that any tenant realistically expected the service outage to be resolved overnight. However, it has been four months and it does not appear that we are any closer to a resolution than we were in September. This is unacceptable and tenants have every right to be outraged.”

Council Member Andrew Cohen said: “For a building to be without gas for over four months is not only unacceptable - it’s cruel! In this instance the permit to make repairs has been obtained, official complaints have been filed by the tenants, and more than a dozen violations have been issued by HPD- and yet nothing has been done. 

District Leader Eric Dinowitz said: "He will be working with the other local elected officials to try to get the gas service restored as quick as possible."

Above and Below - Residents of 3804 Greystone Avenue tell what it has been like not having gas service in the building to cook with. Heat is being provided sparsely through an oil furnace as is the hot water. It does not appear to be a matter of trying to move rent controlled tenants out to convert to a coop like many surrounding buildings converted to coop buildings years ago. 

Two Individuals Arrested For Fraud Targeting Actors And Others

  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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that THOMAS IRIGOYEN and NICHOLAS OFEI COFIE were charged with conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud actors in New York City and elsewhere.  IRIGOYEN was arrested in California and will be presented today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the Central District of California, and COFIE was arrested in New York City and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses in federal court in Manhattan.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Irigoyen and Cofie preyed on actors in New York and elsewhere, falsely offering their victims the chance to act in commercials, and ‘paying’ them upfront fees with fictitious money orders or checks.  The victims were then allegedly duped into paying phantom ‘wardrobe consultants’ by withdrawing funds against the bogus money orders, and left liable for the withdrawals.  The defendants’ own alleged role-playing performances have earned them arrests on federal charges.” 

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said:  “As alleged, this fraudulent scheme, operating out of New York and California, sought to exploit the aspirations of young actors, defrauding them of thousands of dollars.  These two individuals allegedly used professional actors, misled them for their own gain while crushing their dreams in the process.  But now, thanks to the diligent work of law enforcement, they will face the consequences of their alleged crimes.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “These charges reflect the increasingly sophisticated ways criminals target people eager to find success in new and potentially lucrative careers.  Something that will never change, however, is the focused determination of the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to keep people safe by fighting crime wherever it may lurk – including in the dark corners of cyberspace.  I thank the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District and Homeland Security Investigations, whose members helped us uncover and identify the individuals named in this complaint.  Together, we demonstrate time and again that we are patient and that our collaborative forces have a long reach.  We will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle these types of operations and bring those who run them to justice.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint sworn out in Manhattan federal court:[1] 

Between approximately December 2016 and the present, IRIGOYEN and COFIE participated in a conspiracy that took advantage of aspiring actors.  As part of the scheme, IRIGOYEN and COFIE offered aspiring actors the opportunity to act in a commercial, provided those actors with an upfront payment in the form of a fake money order or check, and persuaded the actors to withdraw money against the fake money orders or checks and to transfer a substantial portion of the withdrawn money to so-called “wardrobe consultants” via wire transfer, the mail, and converting the money into cryptocurrency.

In the end, the jobs promised to the actors were fictitious, the financial instruments provided to the actors were fake, and the wardrobe consultants were non-existent.  The victims of the scheme were left liable for the value of the fake financial instruments they had deposited into and transferred out of their respective bank accounts.

In the course of the conspiracy, IRIGOYEN purchased postage and mailed more than 450 envelopes from fictitious production companies to actors.  IRIGOYEN also received payments that actors believed they were sending to “wardrobe consultants.”  A bank account controlled by COFIE was presented to at least one actor-victim as an account affiliated with a “wardrobe consultant.”

In addition to the scheme described above, COFIE is also charged with one count of wire fraud for his role in defrauding a female who was tricked into believing she was entering a romantic relationship with a third party and who then transferred thousands of dollars into bank accounts under COFIE’s control.

IRIGOYEN, 51, of Kingsburg, California, and COFIE, 36, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.  COFIE is separately charged with an additional count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

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. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and NYPD. 

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

Attorney General James Announces Groundbreaking Settlement With Sellers Of Fake Followers And “Likes” On Social Media

Settlement is First in the Country to Find that Selling Fake Followers and “Likes” Is Illegal Deception and that Fake Activity Using Stolen Identities Is Illegal Impersonation

  Attorney General Letitia James announced a precedent-setting settlement over the sale of fake followers, “likes,” and views on social media platforms, including Twitter and YouTube, using fake activity from false accounts. The settlement prohibits Devumi LLC and related companies (“Devumi”) from engaging in any of the same misconduct going forward. This settlement marks the first finding by a law enforcement agency that selling fake social media engagement and using stolen identities to engage in online activity is illegal.   

“Bots and other fake accounts have been running rampant on social media platforms, often stealing real people’s identities to carry out fraud,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “As people and companies like Devumi continue to make a quick buck by lying to honest Americans, my office will continue to find and stop anyone who sells online deception. With this settlement, we are sending a clear message that anyone profiting off of deception and impersonation is breaking the law and will be held accountable.”    

The fake followers, “likes,” and other activity that Devumi sold came from computer-operated accounts (“bot accounts”) or by one person pretending to be many other people (“sock-puppet accounts”). Such accounts, found on social media platforms including Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, and Pinterest, pretended to express genuine opinions of real people, when they actually reflected false, paid-for activity aimed at deceiving online audiences and the public. Some activity Devumi sold came from fake accounts that copied real people’s social media pictures and profiles without the knowledge or consent of the person whose identity had been copied.   

Devumi ceased operations in mid-2018, shortly after the commencement of the Attorney General’s investigation and related publicity caused a major decline in its sales.   

The Attorney General’s findings on Devumi are as follows:  

Devumi LLC and related companies owned by German Calas, Jr. – including DisruptX Inc.; Social Bull Inc.; and Bytion Inc. (collectively, “Devumi”) – sold fake followers, “likes,” views and other forms of online endorsement and activity to users of social media platforms. Devumi supplied the fraudulent activity using bot and sock-puppet accounts. These bot and sock-puppet accounts falsely pretended to express the genuine positive opinions of real people. In some instances, Devumi supplied fake accounts that copied real people’s social media profiles without consent, including their name and picture.  

In addition, Devumi sold endorsements from social media influencers without disclosing that the influencers had been paid for their recommendations. This is especially troubling when considering that the opinions of influencers can have particularly strong influence over the reputation and sales for any product, company, service or person they endorse. 

These business practices deceived and attempted to affect the decision-making of social media audiences, including: other platform users’ decisions about what content merits their own attention; consumers’ decisions about what to buy; advertisers’ decisions about whom to sponsor; and the decisions by policymakers, voters, and journalists about which people and policies have public support.    

Devumi’s practices deceived some of the company’s own customers who mistakenly believed they were paying for authentic endorsements, while many other Devumi customers knew they were buying fake activity and endorsements. Devumi also deceived the social media platforms, which have policies prohibiting fake activity.    

Attorney General James And Governor Cuomo Announce Investigation Into Apple Facetime Privacy Breach

To Report Complaints Related to FaceTime Bug, Call 1-800-697-1220

  Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced an investigation into Apple’s failure to warn consumers about the FaceTime bug and slow response to addressing the issue. The bug jeopardized the privacy of consumers in New York by allowing users to receive audio and video from the device of the person they are calling even before the person has accepted or rejected the call.  

“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between their private communications and their privacy rights,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “This FaceTime breach is a serious threat to the security and privacy of the millions of New Yorkers who have put their trust in Apple and its products over the years. My office will be conducting a thorough investigation into Apple’s response to the situation, and will evaluate the company’s actions in relation to the laws set forth by the State of New York. We must use every tool at our disposal to ensure that consumers are always protected.”   

“New Yorkers deserve to know that their phones are safe and cannot be used against them,” Governor Cuomo said. “In the wake of this egregious bug that put the privacy of New Yorkers at risk, I am calling on the Attorney General to investigate this serious consumer rights issue. We need a full accounting of the facts to confirm businesses are abiding by New York consumer protection laws and to help make sure this type of privacy breach does not happen again.”  

As part of the investigation, the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection is accepting consumer complaints related to the FaceTime bug. The helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.  

Reports indicate that the bug was raised with Apple by a consumer more than a week before it was shared widely in the media and the company took action to disable the affected feature of the app until it releases a fix. 

On Monday, Governor Cuomo issued a consumer alert about the bug and advised FaceTime users to temporarily disable the app until Apple issues a fix.  

15 ALLEGED GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR GUN VIOLENCE IN CLAREMONT/MORRISANIA NEIGHBORHOOD

“280 Gangsta Crips” Charged in Ten Attempted Murders; Most of the Shootings Occurred Near A Junior High School

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill today announced that 15 people have been indicted on charges related to numerous shootings in the Concourse neighborhood in a wave of retaliation against rival gangs. Leaders of the “280 Gangsta Crips” face first-degree Conspiracy to commit murder for using boys to carry out shootings. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “This case is the epitome of gang culture - violence, retaliation, the “Don’t Snitch” credo, the recruitment of kids to commit crimes - that turns our neighborhoods into battle zones. Some of the gunfire happened around a Junior High School, even in the playground of the school. One shooting occurred on a Sunday morning, when a family with young children ran down the block and crouched against a building in terror. The shootings have to stop. The cooperation has to start. We will continue to work with our NYPD partners and the community to stem the violence in the 44th Precinct and anywhere in the Bronx where gang members think they hold sway.”

 Commissioner O’Neill said, “With violence and disorder reduced to historically low levels in many New York City neighborhoods, the NYPD and our law-enforcement partners have further strengthened our laser-like focus on gang and crew activity in our highest crime-rate communities. We are relentless in precisely dismantling these groups, particularly in the Bronx, where residents' quality of life has been adversely affected for far too long. Assaults, shootings, and other associated gang behavior will never by tolerated by the people we serve. I thank and commend the members of our Gun Violence Suppression Division, the 44th Precinct Detective Squad, and the Bronx District Attorney's Office for removing these 15 individuals from our streets and bringing forth a very strong conspiracy case.”

 The 60-count indictment includes charges of Conspiracy, Attempted Murder, Assault, Gang Assault, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and Reckless Endangerment. Nine of the defendants were arrested on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 and arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. They are due back in court on March 4, 2019. Three other defendants are already incarcerated and three others are not yet apprehended. If convicted of the top count of first-degree Conspiracy, seven defendants face a minimum of 15-25 years to a maximum of life in prison.

 According to the investigation by the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Unit dubbed “Operation Dead Heat,” the defendants engaged in violent acts in the area from East 167th Street to East 170th Street between Morris and Clay Avenues, from December 2014 to May 2018. Much of the violence was directed toward “6 Wild,” a set of the Bloods gang, after one member murdered Christopher Duran, nicknamed Joppy, a 14-year-old member of 280 Crips. He was shot to death on May 22, 2015 on East 167th Street and Sheridan Avenue as he walked to school in the morning. The conspiracy continued after another 280 member, Joshua Simpson, was fatally stabbed on June 28, 2018.

 The defendants allegedly conspired to commit two non-fatal shootings, seven incidents of shots fired, and one stabbing. Several shootings occurred near Junior High School 22 on Morris Avenue and East 167th Street. In one incident, on Sunday morning, May 27, 2018, shots were fired at a 6 Wild member at East 167th Street and Teller Avenue. Surveillance video of the area shows a family—including a woman pushing a baby in a stroller—fleeing.

 At one point in the summer of 2017, it is alleged that defendant Ashley Ramirez told members of the gang, “280 needs to get better at shooting.” On Facebook, she directed members to “cold crush” their rivals.

 Evidence includes video surveillance of several of the incidents.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Brian Martin, Thomas Woulfe, Adam Landesberg, and Lieutenant Paul Prendergast of the Gun Violence Suppression Unit for their work on the investigation. She also thanked the 42nd Precinct Detective Squad and the 44th Precinct Detective Squad, specifically Detective Brian Hennessey, and the 44th Precinct Patrol Officers for their assistance.

DEFENDANTS ARRESTED 

Quaduan James, 28 

Ashley Ramirez, 26 

Raymond Bello, 20 

Andres Abreu, 19 

Carlos Perez, 20 

Marlon Figueroa, 21 

David Aguero, 17 

Omar Barnes, 17 

ALREADY INCARCERATED 

Kwesi Hosier, 27 

Jamel Greene, 23 

Christopher Hatfield, 27 

NOT YET APPREHENDED 

Kurt Scott, 29 

Jesus Perez, 25 

Anton Pye, 23

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

Relay for Life Bronx Kickoff

American Cancer Society Relay for Life Bronx 2019 Leadership Team Pictured Above 

(left to right) - Ms. Nitisha Moore- ACS Community Manager, Ms. Rose Rullan, Mr. Jamie Sanders, Mr. Jose Luis Riviera- Chairman, Ms.  Yesenia Vazquez- Co Chair, Ms. Tanya Carrion, and Mr. Daniel Silva.

It was an exciting evening of getting to know each other, and have a good time while beating Cancer.  Awards were given out to several people who have survived having cancer, and there was a good time for everyone.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life Bronx 2019 Leadership Team - Ms. Tanya Carrion, Community Ambassador shows off some of the promotions from the Relay For Life Bronx Kickoff.

The Relay For Life of the Bronx fundraising Run/Walk will Benefit Cancer Research and local programs. The event will take place on June 1, 2019 at the Bay Plaza Mall from 4 - 10 PM.

for more information go to www.acsdetermination.org/bayplazaask

49th Precinct Council Meeting

  Last night the 49th Precinct Council held its meeting at the Morris Park Community Association on Bronxdale Avenue.

The agenda included the President report by Mr. Joe Thompson.

The Commanding Officer Captain Andrew Natiw's report.

Cop of the month award to Police Officer Humberto Reyes, for getting back a hijacked car, while arresting the perpetrator.

Monthly Crime Prevention Tips - Police officer Tyrone Mederos.

Neighborhood reports from around the 49th precinct.

The Public Gallery by residents who voiced complaints and opinions.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: DINOWITZ APPLAUDS ASSEMBLY ON PASSING LANDMARK GUN REFORM PACKAGE

The gun reform package passed by both chambers of the legislature includes red flag legislation, prohibition of arming teachers, ban on bump stocks, and more.

  There have been almost 2,000 mass shooting incidents in the United States since New York passed the SAFE Act following the Sandy Hook tragedy in December 2012,[1] inspiring nationwide protests and calls to action for widespread gun reforms from legislators such as Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. On Tuesday, the New York State legislature approved a package of new regulations on firearms which are expected to be signed into law by the Governor. The legislative package passed includes two high-priority bills which had previously passed the Assembly regarding prohibition of “bump stocks” which circumvent regulations on automatic weapons and the establishment of extreme risk protection orders which are commonly referred to as “red flag” orders.

The legislation passed Tuesday accomplishes the following goals:

· Establish extreme risk protection orders via temporary court-issued orders of protection for persons believed to pose a severe threat of harm, such as the Parkland, FL school shooter

· Prohibit devices that modify firearms to allow for rapid-firing, as was used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting

· Prevent schools from arming classroom teachers with weapons

· Extend background check periods to 30 days, closing the “Charleston Loophole”

· Establish a statewide municipal gun buyback program

· Ensure out-of-state citizens with homes in NY are subject to the same background check of mental health records as New Yorkers

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “Washington DC, Charleston, Roseburg, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland, Thousand Oaks, Pittsburgh, and too many others: We have said ‘Never Again’ too many times. Despite New York having some of the strongest gun control laws in the nation, loopholes and technological advances have laid bare our need to do more. After years of various legislative proposals being blocked by quislings of the NRA in the (now) State Senate minority, I am incredibly proud that we were able to reestablish New York’s rightful place in setting the national tone on how to combat gun violence. The Assembly has long led the way on gun control, and this package demonstrates our determination to continue fighting for safe communities.”

[1] “After Sandy Hook, we said never again. And then we let ____  mass shootings happen.” German Lopez and Kavya Sukumar, Vox Magazine. Updated January 27, 2019, Accessed January 28, 2019. https://www.vox.com/a/mass-shootings-america-sandy-hook-gun-violence