Friday, November 20, 2020
Governor Cuomo Announces New Record-High Number of COVID-19 Tests Reported to New York State
205,466 COVID-19 Tests Reported to New York State Yesterday
Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 4.55 Percent; New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas is 2.15 Percent
Statewide Positivity Rate is 2.66 Percent
32 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 205,466 COVID-19 test results were reported to New York State yesterday—a new record high.
"We did 205,000 tests yesterday, a new record. Remember when we first started, we could only do 500 tests a day -- that's how far we have come. Context here is very important because I want New Yorkers to have confidence in the rules that we're setting. And it's not that our rules are that much more onerous than other states' rules, it's that we triggered them earlier. Our triggers are much lower than other states, and hence our performance is much better than other states," Governor Cuomo said. "You decide your own destiny. If you follow the rules, you're fine. And if you're not fine, the rules change on you. The micro-cluster approach doesn't put restrictions on places that are following the rules. It's that targeted. If you and your neighbor are acting responsibly, you have a collective, vested interest in your local community. I am concerned about Thanksgiving, and I believe it could have a large impact if people are reckless. It is the socialization that's a problem, and socialization is human behavior. So we are on guard, but it depends on what we do."
The Governor noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state's Micro-Cluster strategy is 4.55 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 2.15 percent. Within the focus areas, 43,790 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 1,994 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 161,676 test results were reported, yielding 3,474 positives.
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Patient Hospitalization - 2,348 (+72)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 361
- Hospital Counties - 50
- Number ICU - 445 (+8)
- Number ICU with Intubation - 205 (+5)
- Total Discharges - 82,766 (+259)
- Deaths - 32
- Total Deaths - 26,292
Doctor And Office Manager Charged For Illegally Distributing Oxycodone From Midtown Manhattan Practice
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment in Manhattan federal court charging HOWARD ADELGLASS, a licensed physician, and MARCELLO SANSONE, an employee at ADELGLASS’s clinic, with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone illegally. The defendants were arrested yesterday afternoon, and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox in Manhattan federal court today. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Howard Adelglass betrayed his profession by writing thousands of medically unnecessary opioid prescriptions for more than a million oxycodone pills in less than three years. Marcello Sansone allegedly got promoted from trusted gatekeeper patient to office manager, helping Adelglass run his grotesquely lucrative pill mill. Now both are in custody and facing federal felony charges.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The alleged behavior of Adlelglass, a licensed physician, who held a position of trust in our society, causes lasting harm to our communities. To intentionally peddle these substances into our communities, especially to those who have struggled to overcome the addiction of powerful painkillers, is an offense against all of society. The type of conspiracy alleged here has led to devastating consequences for addicted patients and their families, and has placed an immense burden on communities who will be left to pick up the pieces of shattered lives. This particular alleged operation has been shut down, but our message to others engaging in the same type of illegal activity should be clear – put the prescription pad away. Your medical degree won’t provide you immunity from federal charges or the consequences that will follow.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert said: “The defendants allegedly operated a greed-fueled scheme that callously put lives at risk and worsened the opioid epidemic that plagues our country. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable medical professionals who act like drug dealers at the expense of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
HOWARD ADELGLASS is a licensed physician who, with MARCELLO SANSONE, operated a pain-management clinic located in Midtown Manhattan (the “Clinic”). The Clinic serviced purported patients seeking oxycodone and other pain-relief medications commonly diverted for illicit purposes. In exchange for cash payments, ADELGLASS wrote thousands of prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone to individuals who ADELGLASS knew did not need the pills for any legitimate medical purpose. Many of the purported patients were addicted to opioids and, in some cases, sold oxycodone pills on the street to drug users. Most patients were referred to the Clinic by existing, trusted “gatekeeper” patients, of which SANSONE was one. The Clinic primarily operated on a cash-only basis, and generally operated only for a few hours per day, opening sometime between approximately 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. After serving as a gatekeeper patient, SANSONE’s role at the Clinic expanded beginning in or about October 2018, when he joined ADELGLASS in managing the Clinic’s operations. SANSONE helped to control access to ADELGLASS and the lucrative prescriptions he wrote for medically unnecessary oxycodone.
Between in or about November 2017 and in or about September 2020, ADELGLASS prescribed more than 1.3 million oxycodone pills. ADELGLASS generally dispensed these pills after conducting limited or no examination of the purported patient. The purported patients who obtained oxycodone through ADELGLASS and SANSONE at the Clinic were often drug-addicted individuals who failed drug tests administered by the Clinic. ADELGLASS nevertheless continued to prescribe large quantities of oxycodone to these patients, many of whom traveled long distances to obtain the illicit oxycodone from the Clinic.
HOWARD ADELGLASS, 65, of New York, New York, and MARCELLO SANSONE, 35, of Old Bridge, New Jersey, are charged each with one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone illegally, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, NYPD, and HHS-OIG. She also thanked for its assistance the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Tactical Diversion Squad - New York City, which comprises agents and officers from the DEA, the NYPD, the New York State Police, New York State Department of Financial Services, New York National Guard, New York City Department of Investigation, and New York State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are 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.
RECOVERY AGENDA: DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES BUS AND BIKE LANES ADDED TO MAJOR BRONX CORRIDOR
Over two miles of bus lanes and protected bike lanes to transform E.L. Grant Highway in Highbridge; “Double-header” project along wide, high-crash corridor
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has completed a major transformation of the E.L. Grant Highway in the Highbridge section of the Bronx. Administration officials and advocates cut the ribbon today on signature transit and bicycle safety improvements to the corridor, including a combined 2.4 lane miles of dedicated bus lanes and protected bike lanes (PBL), each running in both directions. The bus lanes will serve 56,000 riders every day, on three different bus routes.
NYC DOT has completed over 16 PBL miles so far in 2020, with more than nine more miles scheduled to be completed this year. The de Blasio administration has created more than 120 miles of on-street protected lanes; its recent pace represents about one of every five protected lane miles nationwide. NYC DOT also added four miles of bus lanes in the Bronx this year and 10.4 miles citywide, primarily as part of the Mayor’s Better Buses Restart.
“E.L Grant cuts through the heart of Highbridge, and the Bronx deserves safer and more reliable alternative transit options,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These transformative design changes will encourage bus and bike ridership, speed up Bronxites’ commutes, and save lives.”
“Today's announcement is another example of the truly transformative work this Administration is doing to ensure our streets are designed with all New Yorkers in mind," said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. "Bus riders, cyclists, pedestrians, now all have safer and more reliable infrastructure along one of the busiest corridors in the Bronx."
“It is not often that one project can have such a dramatic impact on so many different road users, but with new red bus lanes and green bike lanes, E.L. Grant vividly shows the very best of what DOT can do,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “With these changes, bus riders get to their destinations faster, cyclists get protected lanes and pedestrians are able to cross a wide street much more safely.”
E.L. Grant Highway had seen 44 injuries on average per year from 2013-2017, including eight severe injuries. Bus and bike lanes have consistently proven to make streets safer for transit riders, cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.
NYC DOT has added 50.9 miles of bike lanes in the Bronx since 2016, including 5.7 miles so far this year. That includes projects such as Willis Avenue, Bronxdale Avenue, and Mosholu Avenue.
The E.L. Grant bus lane (.6 miles each way; 1.2 miles total), only the second center-running bus lane in the city, enhances a high-ridership corridor that had been plagued by double parking. The new lanes come with five new bus boarding islands offering benches and leaning bars for riders, while also calming traffic, shortening crossing distances, and improving pedestrian safety.
The E.L Grant PBL (.6 miles each way; 1.2 miles total) replaces a standard buffered bike lane with the full PBL treatment, including shortened crossing distances at five intersections including Jerome Avenue, 170th Street, Shakespeare Avenue, Nelson Avenue, and Plimpton Avenue. The project delivers a new signalized crossing at University Avenue and left turn restrictions at Plimpton Avenue, 169th Street and Nelson Avenue. Metered parking was also added to commercial areas and current meter regulations expanded.
Edward L. Grant Highway was named to honor former New York Giants baseball player and United States Army Captain Eddie Grant, who enlisted to fight in World War I in 1917 after his retirement from baseball. Grant was killed by an artillery shell during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in October 1918 after his superior officers were killed and he led his remaining troops on a search for the Lost Battalion. Grant was the first Major League Baseball player killed in that war and one of only eight to die overall.
For more information about the de Blasio Administration’s Vision Zero initiative, please see www.nyc.gov/visionzero. For more on the City’s Better Buses Action Plan please see www.nyc.gov/betterbuses and for more on the New York City Green Wave plan for cycling, please see www.nyc.gov/greenwave.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Turkey and Produce Giveaway at Community Board Ten
It was billed as a Holiday Turkey Giveaway by State Senator Biaggi at the Community Board Ten office on East Tremont Avenue. People began to arrive and line up one hour before the scheduled time. They were greeted by boxes and boxes of fresh vegetables and fruits being put into shopping bags by members of the Hunts Point Produce Market, and members of Community Board 10. These bags of produce were then handed out to the people waiting on line.
Senator Biaggi arrived soon afterwards to give out face masks and information to the people waiting on line. While the turkeys arrived late, they were put into bags by the board members and others to be given out. When the turkeys ran out Senator Biaggi gave out some coupons for free turkeys to local Community Board Ten supermarkets.
Above - A large truck arrived from the Hunts Point Market loaded with premium quality fruit and vegetables to hand out. The boxes are lined up at the curb after being unloaded.
Below - The fruits and vegetables lined up before being put into bags and handed out to those on line.
Below - Senator Biaggi hands out Face Mask and other information as you can see the bags of fruits and vegetables in the wagons.
Member Of International Burglary Crew Pleads Guilty To Racketeering
Burglary Crew Conducted Over a Dozen Heists and Attempted Heists in the United States and Europe Between 2006 and 2017, Stole Over $10 Million in Jewelry
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of DAMIR PEJCINOVIC, a/k/a “Damian,” a/k/a “CoCo,” to participating in a criminal organization that committed a series of burglaries and engaged in the interstate transportation of stolen goods between 2006 and 2017. PEJCINOVIC pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox. Gzimi Bojkovic, a/k/a “Jimmy,” pled guilty on October 7, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Adrian Fiseku pled guilty on March 13, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Elvis Cirikovic, a/k/a “Gorilla,” pled guilty on August 26, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As they have now admitted, the defendants were part of a sophisticated criminal enterprise that carried out burglaries on both sides of the Atlantic, to the tune of over $10 million. We continue our daily work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate criminal organizations that commit crimes in New York City and elsewhere. We especially want to thank the FBI and the NYPD for their outstanding work on this case.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in open court:
Between 2006 and April 2017, DAMIR PEJCINOVIC, a/k/a “Damian,” a/k/a “CoCo,” Gzimi Bojkovic, a/k/a “Jimmy,” Adrian Fiseku, and Elvis Cirikovic, a/k/a “Gorilla,” participated in a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, the commission of burglaries and interstate transportation and sale of stolen goods. The criminal organization operated principally in New York City, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, and Europe. Members and associates of the organization committed, conspired to commit, and attempted to commit numerous burglaries of jewelry stores and banks, as well as the interstate transportation and sale of stolen property from the burglaries. PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, Fiseku, Cirikovic, and other members and associates of the criminal organization committed the following burglaries and attempted burglaries:
On March 29, 2008, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Cirikovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $2.5 million.
On October 11, 2008, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Germany, attempting to steal gold valued at more than €10 million.
On July 26, 2009, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $850,000.
On August 25, 2010, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan.
On August 28, 2010, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Beverly Hills, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $70,000.
On September 5, 2010, PEJCINOVIC participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Kansas City, which resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $1 million.
On February 19, 2011, PEJCINOVIC, Cirikovic, and Fiseku participated in a jewelry store in Los Angeles, which resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $3 million.
In the summer of 2011, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Brooklyn.
On September 16, 2011, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Los Angeles, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $150,000.
In the fall of 2012, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in an attempted burglary of a bank in Philadelphia.
On June 30, 2012, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in an attempted burglary of a bank in Scarsdale.
On July 22, 2012, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan.
In the fall of 2013, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Cirikovic participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in New Jersey.
On December 31, 2016, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Fiseku participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan, which resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $3 million.
On March 20, 2017, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Fiseku participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in Los Angeles, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $2 million.
PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, Fiseku, and Cirikovic each pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
PEJCINOVIC is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2021.
Bojkovic was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on November 17, 2020, to 36 months in prison.
Fiseku is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2021.
Cirikovic was sentenced by Judge Marrero on January 13, 2020, to 27 months in prison.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. Ms. Strauss also thanked the Los Angeles Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Kansas City Police Department, Portland Police Department, German Federal Police, Interpol, Europol, the Office of International Affairs, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Margaret Graham, and Jamie Bagliebter are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
PUBLIC ADVOCATE INTRODUCES RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE TRANSGENDER DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE AND VISIBILITY IN NEW YORK CITY
Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams introduced a resolution in the City Council today that would recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20, and Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, as holidays within the City of New York. Both Transgender Day of Remembrance and Transgender Day of Visibility are marked around the country, and specifically in New York, with vigils, protests, forums, and other actions and events, but the days are not currently formally recognized by the city.
"The transgender community, particularly trans women of more color, are in a state of crisis, in our city and across the country. This constant struggle against systemic violence and oppression demands acknowledgment and action." said Public Advocate Williams in introducing the resolution. "The city government has a responsibility to stand with a community so often marginalized, to elevate people so often pushed down, to hear and speak to the pain and loss faced by transgender individuals in our city and work to upend the system that tacitly permits it. Recognizing these days is not a solution, but it is a step and a call to action for every other day, that our work must be to advocate and create opportunities for TGNC New Yorkers."
Transgender Day of Remembrance originated in 1999 when transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith held a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a well-known Black trans woman in Boston's trans and Black LGBTQ+ communities, who was brutally murdered the previous year. Today, the day is commemorated to honor the memory of trans and gender nonconforming people who have lost their lives in acts of anti-trans violence.
A decade later, in response to the lack of positive recognition of trans people, trans activist Rachel Crandall started the International Transgender Day of Visibility to bring trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people together, celebrate their contributions to society, and raise awareness about discrimination faced by TGNC individuals.
Resolution 1487, and further recognition of these days of observance, would encourage people to prioritize inclusivity and equity with regard to TGNC New Yorkers and call attention to issues of systemic biases and individual transphobia. It would emphasize the need for specific and meaningful action by government to address the needs of the TGNC community.
New York State is home to more than 50,000 trans people, based on information from a June 2016 Williams Institute report. Trans people face systemic obstacles in employment, healthcare, housing, and many other areas of life, as well as disproportionate, entrenched, and targeted violence. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 34 trans or gender nonconforming people, the majority of whom were Black and Latinx, have been murdered in 2020, which is the highest number of deaths ever recorded.