Governor Cuomo Honors Seven Fallen EMS Providers Who Served in the Aftermath of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Ceremony Coincides with National EMS Week - Honoring the Dedicated Professionals Who Serve as EMS Providers

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today recognized seven emergency medical service providers who died as a result of injuries or illnesses sustained while performing their duties after the 9/11 terrorist attack. The honorees - William Ryan, Joeddy Friszell, Felipe Torre, Joseph Rodriguez, Walter Nelson, Martha Stewart and Dr. Michael Guttenberg — were added to the Tree of Life EMS Memorial today, at the annual ceremony on the Empire State Plaza in Albany. 

"New Yorkers are fortunate to be served by the brave men and women who provide emergency medical services and who respond to situations day and night, often placing their own safety at risk to serve their communities," Governor Cuomo said. "We stand together to honor these selfless emergency service providers who ultimately gave their lives by running towards danger on September 11, 2001."

Governor Cuomo recently called on the federal government for increased funding for victims still grappling with health effects from 9/11.  

Today's ceremony was attended by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and EMS professionals and first responders from across New York State. 

"Whenever we call on them, our emergency medical service professionals selflessly protect the lives of New Yorkers across the state," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who spoke at today's event. "We honor the courage, dedication, and commitment of all EMS providers, and remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty or as a result of being exposed to 9/11 contaminants during their service. Their bravery and many contributions will not be forgotten."

Each year New York State honors the brave men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice while serving their fellow New Yorkers. This year's honorees join 75 other EMS professionals represented on the memorial. 

Those honored today are:

Name	Agency	Date of Death
William Ryan	Bay Community VAC	August 19, 2018
Joeddy E. Friszell	FDNY EMS	March 5, 2018
Felipe A. Torre	FDNY EMS	October 10, 2018
Joseph A. Rodriguez	FDNY EMS	November 23, 2018
Walter J. Nelson	FDNY EMS	May 2, 2014
Martha Stewart	FDNY EMS	November 18, 2018
Michael G. Guttenberg	Northwell Health Center for EMS	October 17, 2017

Dr. Howard A. Zucker, Commissioner of Health, said, "We are saddened by the loss of these seven courageous emergency services professionals and offer our condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues. We all stand with the fallen, and we thank them for their dedicated service to the community."

EMS professionals in New York State include certified first responders, EMTs, advanced EMTs, and paramedics who provide pre-hospital emergency patient care and transport. New Yorkers are served by nearly 2,000 ambulance and emergency medical response and transportation agencies that provide advanced and basic life support services. 

Federal Correctional Officer Arrested For Sexually Abusing Female Inmates

Colin Akparanta Engaged in Sexual Acts With Four Inmate Victims Between 2012 and 2018

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Guido Modano, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ OIG”), announced today the unsealing of a nine-count indictment charging federal correctional officer COLIN AKPARANTA with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, four counts of abusive sexual contact, and one count of deprivation of civil rights.  The charges stem from AKPARANTA’s alleged sexual abuse of four female inmates housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a Manhattan detention facility that houses federal inmates, spanning the years 2012 through 2018.  AKPARANTA was arrested today and will be presented and arraigned in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman later today.  AKPARANTA’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Colin Akparanta was a predator in uniform, exploiting his position to sexually abuse multiple inmates over a several-year period.  No inmate in a Bureau of Prisons facility should fear sexual abuse at the hands of a correctional officer, and thankfully, Akparanta will have no more victims.  I encourage all victims of this or similar conduct to contact my Office at the number below.” 

DOJ OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Guido Modano said:  “Correctional officers have a duty to protect federal inmates, but Akparanta allegedly abused his power over female inmates.  Our office is committed to bringing to justice any Justice Department employee who commits sex crimes in federal correctional institutions.”

According to the Indictment, which was unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

AKPARANTA has been employed as a correctional officer at the MCC since 2004.

Between in or about late 2012 and in or about April 2018, AKPARANTA used his official position to engage in sexual acts and contact with at least four female inmates at the MCC while they were under AKPARANTA’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority.  AKPARANTA digitally penetrated the victims’ vaginas and touched their breasts, buttocks, and/or genitalia.  AKPARANTA also had some of the victims touch his penis over his pants.  In addition, AKPARANTA smuggled contraband, including, but not limited to, personal hygiene items, makeup, and food into the MCC for some of the victims, and, with respect to at least one of the victims, explicitly conditioned his provision of contraband on the inmate’s continued performance of sexual acts with him.  AKPARANTA also asked the victims for their contact information in order to reach them after their release.

COLIN AKPARANTA, 42, of Irvington, New Jersey, is charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, four counts of abusive sexual contact, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, and one count of deprivation of civil rights, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 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. 

Any individuals who believe they have information concerning COLIN AKPARANTA or any similar conduct should contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (866) 874-8900.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office. 

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

 [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.

Attorney General James Commends The State Assembly On Passage Of The Double Jeopardy Bill

  Attorney General Letitia James commends Speaker Carl Heastie and the New York State Assembly for passing important legislation to close New York’s “double jeopardy” loophole. In response to its passage, Attorney General James released the following statement:  

“The law against double jeopardy, as currently written, contains a gaping loophole which could be exploited to deny justice altogether. The legislation that has now passed both legislative chambers, would close that loophole. It ensures that in the event that a person receives a presidential pardon based on a close relationship or self-interest, New York would preserve its authority to pursue legal action against that individual for crimes committed under state law. This legislation is a commonsense, good government measure that will ensure a reasonable check on the presidential pardon power for not only this President, but all future presidents. I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins as well as the bill’s sponsors for working with my office on this critical legislation to ensure that no one is above the law.”  

Assembly Bill A6653 adds another exception to the state’s “double jeopardy” law by establishing a narrow set of criteria that would prevent the pardon power from being used for a president’s self-interest and self-dealing. To date, the state legislature has established twelve exceptions to the “double jeopardy” law. The legislation passed the State Senate on May 8th. 

Attorney General James Leads Coalition Of 23 Cities And States Suing Trump Administration To Stop Health Care Discrimination

HHS Final Rule Would Expand Ability of Businesses and Individuals to Refuse to Provide Necessary Health Care on the Basis of Their Own “Religious, Moral, Ethical, or Other” Beliefs 

  Attorney General Letitia James, leading a coalition of 23 states, cities, and municipalities, filed a lawsuit today against a Final Rule issued by the Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, which seeks to expand the ability of businesses and individuals to refuse to provide necessary health care on the basis of businesses' or employees’ “religious beliefs or moral convictions.” The federal lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks to enjoin the Final Rule and prevent it from going into effect. The suit follows upon a comment letter filed by the New York Attorney General and a coalition of states in March 2018, when the rule was first proposed, urging that the rule be withdrawn. 

“Once again, the Trump Administration is putting politics over the health and safety of Americans,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “The federal government is giving health care providers free license to openly discriminate and refuse care to patients – a gross misinterpretation of religious freedom that will have devastating consequences on communities throughout the country. When the health of our residents is at stake, and the safety of vulnerable populations hang in the balance, we cannot rest until this ‘health care refusal’ rule is stopped.” 

The lawsuit alleges that the Final Rule, which will take effect in July 2019, would undermine the delivery of health care by giving a wide range of health care institutions and individuals a right to refuse care, based on the provider’s own personal views. The Rule drastically expands the number of providers eligible to make such refusals, ranging from ambulance drivers to emergency room doctors to receptionists to customer service representatives at insurance companies. The Rule makes this right absolute and categorical, and no matter what reasonable steps a health provider or employer makes to accommodate the views of an objecting individual, if that individual rejects a proposed accommodation, a provider or employer is left with no recourse. 

Under the Rule, a hospital could not inquire, prior to hiring a nurse, if (s)he objected to administering a measles vaccination—even if this was a core duty of the job in the middle of an outbreak of the disease. Or an emergency room doctor could refuse to assist a woman who arrived with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, even if the woman’s life was in jeopardy.  

The Rule would also allow businesses, including employers, to object to providing insurance coverage for procedures they consider objectionable, and allow individual health care personnel to object to informing patients about their medical options or referring them to providers of those options. The devastating consequences of the Rule would fall particularly hard on marginalized patients, including LGBTQ patients, who already confront discrimination in obtaining health care.  

The lawsuit further alleges that the risk of noncompliance is the termination of billions of dollars in federal health care funding. If HHS determines, in its sole discretion, that states or cities have failed to comply with the Final Rule – through their own actions or the actions of thousands of sub-contractors relied upon to deliver health services – the federal government could terminate funding to those states and cities, to the price tag of hundreds of billions of dollars. States and cities rely upon those funds for countless programs to promote the public health of their residents, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, HIV/AIDS and STD prevention and education, and substance abuse and mental health treatment.  

The lawsuit argues that this drastic expansion of refusal rights, and the draconian threat of termination of federal funds, violates the federal Administrative Procedures Act and the Spending Clause and separation of powers principles in the U.S. Constitution.  

In addition to New York, the lawsuit was filed by the City of New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, the City of Chicago, and Cook County, Illinois.  

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 23 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR FATAL 2015 SHOOTING

Jury Found Defendant Guilty of Second-Degree Murder 

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 23 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a man in 2015. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant –who did not know the victim– shot and killed him just because a few words were exchanged. The defendant will now spend many years behind bars for this senseless violence. ” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Erin Hall, 42, of 1950 Andrews Avenue was sentenced today to 23 years to life in prison for second-degree Murder and 15 years in prison for second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, to run concurrently, and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty. A jury found the defendant guilty on March 5, 2019. 

 According to the investigation, on the night of April 15, 2015, at 2260 Washington Avenue, the victim, Felix de la Cruz Jr., 23, was standing in front of the location with a group of friends when the defendant approached and exchanged words with him. Hall, who is a member of the Bloods’ Sex, Money, Murder set, walked away and returned with a gun drawn. After exchanging words again, Hall fired a shot at de la Cruz and missed. He then moved closer and shot de la Cruz in the back of his head. The victim died of his wound the following day.

  District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Joseph Bermudez of the 48th Precinct, and Detective Daniel Fox of the NYPD Auto Crime Division.

South Bronx Unite - All Out for CB1 Vote on New Jail in Mott Haven | Thurs, May 23, 6pm | 234 East 149th Street

Community Board 1 to Vote on Proposed New Jail Thursday, May 23rd, 6:00 pm 234 East 149th Street, Bronx  On Wed, May 15, the CB1 Land Use Subcommittee voted unanimously AGAINST the proposed new jail in Mott Haven. This Thurs, May 23rd, will be the vote of the full board. Join us and add your voice. Upwards of 3,500 people have already signed the petition against the new jail in the South Bronx, and community boards in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens have already voted NO to the mayor's $11 billion jail plan.   No New Jails - Not in the South Bronx, Not Anywhere.

* Full background available at nojaildeblasio.com

BP DIAZ CALLS FOR ‘FAIR FARES’ EXPANSION TO ACCESS-A-RIDE PROGRAM

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is calling for the “fair fares” transit discount program to include Access-A-Ride users in the city’s FY 2020 budget.

In a letter to City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Borough President Diaz notes that the “fair fares” program is designed to provide eligible low-income New Yorkers with reduced transit fares, and that such benefits should be expanded to include Access-A-Ride customers.

“A reliable and affordable mode of transportation is key for employment, and by not providing low-income community members with disabilities an affordable option to get to their workplace, New York City is not giving them every opportunity they deserve to rise above poverty,” wrote Borough President Diaz in the letter.

Borough President Diaz notes in the letter that Access-A-Ride, which services disabled New Yorkers, currently has approximately 150,000 users who take approximately 625,000 total trips per month, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

The full letter can be viewed at https://on.nyc.gov/2HHchW8.