Governor Cuomo Announces New York State Restores $600 Million in General Salary Increases for New York State Workers

 

Salary Increases Come After FY 2022 Enacted Budget Closes the Deficit and Invests in the Ongoing Response to the Pandemic and Recovery Efforts

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State will restore $600 million in retroactive general salary increases for state workers after having sacrificed their contractual raises as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement comes after the federal government delivered $12.6 billion in funding and additional revenues were made available in the FY 2022 budget, which also invests in the ongoing response to the pandemic and recovery efforts.

"New York State workers showed up every day so people could stay home and they are true heroes of the COVID crisis," Governor Cuomo said. "The FY 2022 enacted budget will repay $600 million that was withheld from State workers during the pandemic. On behalf of the entire family of New York, we thank state workers for their extraordinary service, sacrifice, and selflessness which helped us through this unpredicted crisis."

In April of 2020, New York State was forced to freeze scheduled 2% pay increases as the State at the time was contending with the worst revenue loss in modern history as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Today's announcement fully funds the scheduled salary increases and retroactive pay to approximately 120,000 state workers, including members of the below unions:

• Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)
• United University Professions (UUP)
• New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA)
• Management Confidential (MC)
• New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association (NYSTPBA)
• New York State Police Investigators Association (NYSPIA)
• DC37HOUS
• Graduate Students Employees Union (GSEU)

Throughout the pandemic, state workers answered the call to support New Yorkers, and went above and beyond, including:

• Employees of several agencies, including Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Division of Military and Naval Affairs, Office of Victim Services, and Division of Criminal Justice Services, supported the Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance program benefits hotline. 
• The Justice Center supported the State's pandemic response by assisting with four call center activities, either directly within the Justice Center's own call center or by providing staff to assist other agencies' call centers, including: fielding questions related to sick and paid family leave for the NYS Worker's Compensation Board; helping the Department of Health and the Department of Tax and Finance set up COVID testing appointments and answer general COVID questions; and triaging calls from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities' COVID-specific hotline. Through these efforts, the Justice Center has handled approximately 70,000 calls with New Yorkers regarding COVID-19.
• Department of Environmental Conservation staff from every division, including Emergency Management staff, Forest Rangers, and Environmental Conservation Police Officers, are serving on the frontlines of the State's response to COVID-19. More than 1,000 staff have volunteered to help combat the pandemic, supporting more than 20,000 missions in New York's coronavirus fight.  DEC staff stood up and operated testing and vaccine sites, delivered food, PPE, and test kits, supported Department of Health and Labor call centers.
• Department of Agriculture and Markets staff, with its partners, distributed more than 100,000 face coverings and tens of thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer to farms across the State. Ag&Mkts also launched on-the farm COVID-19 testing for farm workers, in partnership with NYS DOH, in targeted areas of the State that see the greatest number of seasonal farm workers.
• DHSES Emergency Operation Center has been activated since March 2020 in response to the pandemic. Their asset management personnel have coordinated the receipt, storage and distribution of millions of pieces of PPE and durable medical equipment at locations throughout the State.  They are involved in the management of the State's diagnostic testing operations, including test kit procurement, distributing medical supplies, and facilitating mask fit testing.
• Department of Transportation personnel helped establish testing sites, medical facilities, supply warehouses and vaccination centers across the state; and took the lead in transporting vital supplies and equipment, including more than 7 million bottles of hand sanitizer,  4 million test kits to health care facilities and millions of items of personal protective equipment. DOT employees also chipped in to assist with more than 75,000 DOH Call Center calls and 300,000 DOL Call Center calls. Over 2,250 DOT employees devoted more than 275,000 hours to COVID response.

U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Seven Defendants For Kidnapping, Robbery, Firearms, And Narcotics Offenses

 

 Audrey Strauss, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the unsealing of a nine‑count superseding indictment charging FERNANDO RA, KENNY BATISTA, FERNANDO ROSARIO CRUZ, YONATHAN JUNIOR GARCIA VALDEZ, ANTTWAN CROSBIE, ELMER GILL, and MICHAEL ASHLEY with kidnapping, robbery, firearms, and narcotics offenses.

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today and other publicly available documents, the charges arise, in part, from an October 3, 2020 kidnapping and robbery during which certain of the defendants brandished a firearm and assaulted two victims in connection with the defendants’ trafficking of cocaine.[1] 

RA was previously charged by indictment with firearms and narcotics offenses, based on his possession of an assault rifle, a loaded pistol, and approximately 700 fentanyl pills.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, the defendants were responsible for a brutal kidnapping and robbery in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking.  Thanks to the extraordinary work of our partners at the DEA and the Special Agents and Investigative Analysts at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants now face federal charges for their crimes”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said:  “As alleged, this investigation took us to the dark side of drug trafficking that includes kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault.  These arrests make it poignantly clear that alleged traffickers disregard the rule of law and will stop at nothing to continue their illegal trade.  I applaud the investigators and prosecutors whose exceptional work resulted in today’s announcement.”

BATISTA, 25, ROSARIO, 27, GARCIA, 21, GILL, 36, and ASHLEY, 30, were arrested today, and CROSBIE, 26, was arrested yesterday.  BATISTA, ROSARIO, GARCIA, GILL, and CROSBIE will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.  ASHLEY will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy of the Western District of New York.  RA was already in federal custody.  The case is assigned to United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel.

A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are 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 Court.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the New York Division of the DEA and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the DEA Buffalo Resident Office and the Paterson (New Jersey) Police Department for their assistance with the investigation, as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force New York Strike Force, Financial Investigation Team, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, NYPD, Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Fort Lee Police Department, Teaneck Police Department, Hillsdale Police Department, Northvale Police Department, Palisades Interstate Parkway Police, and Closter Police Department.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rushmi Bhaskaran and Benjamin Woodside Schrier are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

COUNT	DEFENDANT(S)	MAX. TERM OF IMPRISONMENT
Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute More than 40 Grams of Fentanyl (21 U.S.C. § 846)	Fernando Ra  Anttwan Crosbie	40 Years; Mandatory Minimum Sentence  of Five Years
Count Two:  Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2)	Fernando Ra	Life; Mandatory Consecutive Sentence of Five Years
Count Three: Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1))	Fernando Ra	10 Years
Count Four:  Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute More than Five Kilograms of Cocaine (21 U.S.C. § 846)	All Defendants	Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence  of 10 Years
Count Five: Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping (18 U.S.C. § 1201(c))	Fernando Ra  Kenny Batista  Fernando Rosario Cruz  Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez  Anttwan Crosbie	Life
Count Six: Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery (18 U.S.C. § 1951(a))	Fernando Ra  Kenny Batista  Fernando Rosario Cruz  Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez  Anttwan Crosbie	20 Years
Count Seven: Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery (18 U.S.C. §§ 1951(a) and 2)	Fernando Ra  Kenny Batista  Fernando Rosario Cruz  Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez	20 Years
Count Eight: Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), 924(c)(1)(A)(ii), and 2)	Fernando Ra  Kenny Batista  Fernando Rosario Cruz  Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez	Life; Mandatory Consecutive Sentence of Seven Years
Count Nine: Conspiracy to Use, Carry, and Possess a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. § 924(o))	Fernando Ra  Anttwan Crosbie	20 Years

   

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment and other publicly available documents set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.