Dark Web Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Oxycodone and Methadone

Defendant Received Cryptocurrencies as Payment for Illegal Narcotics 

  At the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Joanna De Alba was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 96 months in prison for distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute, illegal drugs over the “dark web.”  De Alba distributed an array of illegal drugs—including fentanyl, heroin, MDMA, cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone and methadone—over the dark web in exchange for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency.  De Alba pleaded guilty in April 2021.   

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), announced the sentence.

“The prison sentence imposed on De Alba today demonstrates that her clandestine use of the dark web to distribute a potentially lethal array of powerful drugs like fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone in exchange for cryptocurrency was a failure,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This investigation and vigorous prosecution show that we will not allow the dark web to be a haven for drug traffickers.”

“This sentencing demonstrates that drug traffickers are not untouchable by dealing in the dark web,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan.  “Attempting to hide through anonymity, De Alba became a parent’s worst nightmare by pushing fentanyl, heroin and other dangerous drugs into homes across our many communities.  I applaud the Cyber Investigative Unit- New York Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York for their commendable work throughout this investigation.”

The internet contains online marketplaces for narcotics and other contraband on the “dark web,” a part of the internet located beyond the reach of traditional internet browsers and accessible only through networks designed to conceal user identities.  The “Wall Street Market” was a global dark web marketplace that required its users to trade in digital currencies, primarily Bitcoin. 

Between June 2018 and May 2019, De Alba advertised and sold illegal narcotics on the Wall Street Market.  These narcotics included opioids—including fentanyl (concealed as oxycodone pills) and heroin—as well as other potent illegal drugs including oxycodone, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and other substances containing MDMA.  De Alba took various measures to operate anonymously and conceal her identity, including using the online alias “RaptureReloaded,” using fake company names and shipping addresses, using the name of her deceased husband to receive packages from her suppliers and using credit cards in her deceased husband’s name to fund the tracking of her shipments.  De Alba also directed customers to contact her through encrypted email and messaging services and pay her with cryptocurrency.  De Alba offered free shipping to addresses in the United States and free tracking of all orders.

De Alba participated in over 600 transactions on the Wall Street Market in which she sold more than: 840 grams of heroin; 190 grams of methamphetamine; 1,250 pills of MDMA; and 280 pills of oxycodone.  De Alba also sold more than 750 fake oxycodone pills—pills that actually contained fentanyl, but were concealed and disguised as oxycodone.  De Alba received payment in the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Monero, and pocketed approximately 16.32 BTC and 400 XMR, which together are worth more than $1 million.

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED ARSON FOR DOUSING NYPD VAN WITH GASOLINE WHILE TWO OFFICERS WERE INSIDE

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on Attempted Arson and additional charges for pouring gasoline on a marked NYPD van while two officers sat inside. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant was allegedly with a large group of people confronting police during a violent protest in front of the 46th Precinct. He went on to allegedly pour gasoline on a NYPD van that had two uniformed Police Officers inside. The Officers luckily drove away to safety, but the defendant’s actions could have seriously hurt someone.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Christopher Springs, 22, of 2039 Bathgate Avenue, was arraigned today on Attempted Arson in the second degree, Attempted Arson in the third and fifth degree, second-degree Reckless Endangerment, two counts of second-degree Obstructing Governmental Administration, second-degree Riot and Disorderly Conduct before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Efrain Alvarado. The defendant is due back in court on January 26, 2021.

  According to the investigation, at approximately 8:58 P.M. on September 3, 2021, the defendant and other individuals were in front of the 46th Precinct, located on 2120 Ryer Avenue. Springs and the others allegedly pushed and pulled the barriers that were set up as a blockade to the precinct. At approximately 10:32 P.M., the defendant, who was carrying a gasoline can, allegedly walked up to a marked NYPD van that had its lights activated and two Police Officers sitting inside and poured gasoline on the van.

  District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Louis Ducceshi of the Arson & Explosion Squad, and Fire Marshall Joseph Hayes of the FDNY.

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

Governor Hochul Announces Administration Nominations and Recommendations

 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new administration nominations and recommendations. 

"New York faces critical challenges ahead, and we need strong, experienced leaders who know how to work with local partners and deliver results," Governor Hochul said. "With wide ranging expertise and backgrounds, Robert Rodriguez, Rossana Rosado, and Minosca Alcantara could not be better suited for the positions for which I've recommended them. I look forward to being able to work with these individuals as we recover from the pandemic and move New York forward." 

Robert J. Rodriguez will be nominated as New York's 68th Secretary of State. Mr. Rodriguez is a uniquely accomplished leader and legislator, with civic and legislative successes that have been focused strategically on investing in and developing public-good infrastructure projects, creating good-paying jobs and addressing financial disparities for historically underrepresented minorities and low-income communities. Mr. Rodriguez has specialized in providing advice to state and local governments, and transportation issuers in the Northeast and Midwest focused on the issues of financial planning, credit rating strategy, managing and executing debt issuance transactions, asset-liability management and public-private partnerships. As a legislator, Mr. Rodriguez serves as a member of the New York State Assembly, Co-Chair of the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, founding Chair of the Assembly sub-committee on Infrastructure and Member of Committees on Ways and Means, Housing, Labor, Banking, Corporations and Authorities and Mental Health. In the private sector, Mr. Rodriguez is a Director at Public Financial Management, the leading municipal financial advisor in the nation. Prior to PFM, Mr. Rodriguez was a Vice-President at A.C. Advisory, Inc. and held various management and operations roles at Bloomberg LP. As a civic leader, Mr. Rodriguez served on a number of volunteer boards including as Chairman of Manhattan Community Board 11 and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Mr. Rodriguez is a graduate of Yale University, where he received a B.A. in History and Political Science and New York University Stern Business School where he received an MBA in Finance.  

Rossana Rosado will be nominated as Commissioner, New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Ms. Rosado served as New York's 67thSecretary of State. Her leadership has made the Department of State one of the most dynamic agencies in State government. She led DOS through a modern restructuring, including the implementation of innovative local government and professional licensing programs.  In 2017, Ms. Rosado implemented the County Wide Shared Services Initiative, which led to the submission of 34 specific county plans in its first year.  In addition, through the Office for New Americans, she launched the Liberty Defense Project, a public-private initiative to bring critical legal services to immigrant New Yorkers. Prior to joining DOS, Ms. Rosado was a dominant force in New York media for 27 years.  A highly-respected journalist and an award-winning producer, Ms. Rosado was a trailblazer for women. She was the first woman to hold the position of Editor-in-Chief, and then Publisher & CEO of El DiarioLa Prensa, the oldest Spanish-language newspaper in the country and the largest Spanish-language daily newspaper in the Northeast. During her 18-year tenure, she established the paper as a leading entity for social and economic justice. Ms. Rosado's dedication as a public servant is far reaching.  She has been at the forefront of issues relative to prisoner re-entry for over a decade and proudly co-chairs the Council on Community Re-entry and Reintegration of New Yorkers, which was established as part of an ambitious criminal justice reform agenda.  In addition, she is the chair of a collaborative effort among the Department of State, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the State Education Department to re-establish and expand the Barbering Program for incarcerated individuals.  This initiative eases the complex re-entry transition by providing education, job skills and opportunity for state occupational licensure prior to release. Ms. Rosado has received numerous awards including an Emmy, a STAR award from the NY Women's Agenda, the Peabody Award for Journalism and the NY Press Club President's award. A native New Yorker, Ms. Rosado received her B.A. in Journalism from Pace University and a MA in Criminal Justice from CUNY's John Jay College. Ms. Rosado will serve as Acting Commissioner until confirmed by the Senate.   

Governor Hochul recommends the Commissioners of the New York State Bridge Authority appoint Minosca Alcantara as Executive Director.  Dr. Minosca Alcantara is Chief of Project Scheduling at MTA Construction & Development, and Commissioner to the Equal Employment Practices Commission for the City of New York. She is an experienced civil engineer with expertise in large, urban project and construction management. Ms. Alcantara has worked as a lead cost/schedule engineer in a variety of projects involving Architectural, Infrastructure and Wastewater management locally and internationally. Dr. Alcantara is also committed to the field of education. She is currently a Board Member at the Summer Science Program (SSP) and Hudson River Community Sailing (HCRS) programs. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign she designed, implemented and expanded programs that engage K-16 students with STEM, particularly women and other students from groups underrepresented in STEM.  She holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña, an MA in Construction Management from GWU and EdM and EdD from Columbia University.  She is the mother of three, who all followed in her engineering footsteps.  

The Daffodil Project, 11/8

 

 

Good Afternoon,

 

Join us for 'The Daffodil Project' in remembrance of the victims of 9/11! 

 

Date: Monday November 8th

Time: 2pm - 4pm 

Location: Pelham Organics, Corner of Waring & Paulding Aves

 

For more information or to volunteer, contact us at 718-409-0109 or district80@nyassembly.gov.

 

Best Regards,

 

New York State Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez

58 Day and Counting

 

We got a deal made with Senator Schumer to help our NYC Taxi drivers, and they are happy with it. At least I got that done in my eight years in office. I want to thank Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others, for her help in getting this plan done

I hope my commissioners and other workers have their resumes ready, because it looks like incoming Mayor Eric Adams has his short list of a new Police Commissioner. He will probably replace almost all of my people, some of whom are already jumping ship like my former Bronx DOT commissioner Nivardo Lopez who has gone with my opponent in the governor's race next year. 

I will be looking for my next job as New York State Governor, and expect to win the Democratic Primary hands down. No one else has the experience that I have. Not David Patterson, I mean Kathy Hochul, or Latitia James. We have seen what has happened to the last two Attorney Generals who became governor. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO, SENATOR SCHUMER, NEW YORK TAXI WORKERS ALLIANCE, AND MARBLEGATE ASSET MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO SUPPLEMENT MEDALLION RELIEF PROGRAM WITH CITY BACKSTOP

 

 Mayor de Blasio, New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Commissioner and Chair Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk, and Senator Charles Schumer today announced an agreement between the City, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), and Marblegate Asset Management (Marblegate), the largest medallion lender, to supplement the City’s Medallion Relief Program (MRP) with a City-funded deficiency guarantee to achieve greater principal reduction and lower monthly payments.

Under the agreement, Marblegate will restructure outstanding loans to a principal balance of $200,000, which will be constituted as a $170,000 guaranteed loan, plus a City grant of $30,000. The terms of the new loan will include a 5% interest rate and a 20-year, fully amortizing term. This restructuring will cap debt service payments at $1,122 per month for eligible medallion owners.

 

The City will provide funding for a guarantee on the principal and interest for these loans and will work with all other medallion lenders to achieve the same terms.

 

This agreement builds on the success of the City’s $65 million Medallion Relief Program, which has helped 173 owner/drivers achieve $21.4 million in debt forgiveness in just five weeks.

 

“Taxi workers have worked tirelessly to make New York City the most vibrant city in the world, and we refuse to leave them behind,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m proud to have worked with Senator Schumer, NYTWA, and Marblegate to reach an equitable, sustainable solution that builds on the success we’ve achieved in reducing debt burdens for the hard-working drivers who keep our city moving.”

 

“I was so proud to broker a deal for desperately needed debt relief for hardworking taxi workers,” said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer. “The medallion debt crisis has gone on for years, taking lives and livelihoods. I commend Mayor de Blasio for his leadership, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance for their steadfast advocacy, and Marblegate for their good-faith effort to forge a workable solution. Together, we will bring this ongoing situation to a just resolution for the thousands of cabbies who work every day to serve this City.”

 

“After a long and painful journey, we made it home to victory,” said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of New York Taxi Workers Alliance, union of 25,000 taxi and app-based driver members. “Today marks a new dawn, a new beginning for a workforce that has struggled through so much crisis and loss. Today, we can say owner-drivers have won real debt relief and can begin to get their lives back. Drivers will no longer be at risk of losing their homes, and no longer be held captive to a debt beyond their lifetime. We are grateful to Mayor de Blasio for standing with the drivers and putting the might and the faith of the City to fix this crisis. We are thankful to Marblegate for working with us in good faith to reach a resolution. This resolution was not possible without Senator Schumer whose leadership secured funds and helped steer our ship.  And this victory was not possible without our broad coalition of supporters. The city we love had our back and so today we can say, we have won!”

 

“The TLC’s top priority is all TLC Licensees and the health of the Industry. We remain committed to the success and vitality of the Taxi segment and look forward to building on the success of the Medallion Relief Program in collaboration with Industry stakeholders and elected officials,” said TLC Commissioner and Chair Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk.

 

“Today’s agreement is a win for taxis, which are a critical piece of New York City infrastructure,” said Andrew Milgram, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Marblegate Asset Management. “It is also a testament to Ms. Desai and the many taxi drivers who have been tenacious advocates and who, along with the de Blasio Administration and Senator Schumer, have delivered meaningful debt forgiveness and a sizable reduction in drivers’ monthly loan payments.”

 

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State’s Progress Combating COVID-19 - NOVEMBER 3, 2021

 

77,583 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours  

37 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

"Thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers, we continue to see our state's vaccination rate climb, but now is not the time to become complacent," Governor Hochul said. "Vaccines are the best weapon we have against the virus, and with us being so close to our goal, we can't stop now. As we move into the winter months, it's critical that everyone acts as ambassadors for this vaccine, and make sure your friends and family are getting their shots so we can all enjoy a safe and happy holiday season."

 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 165,669
• Total Positive - 4,032
• Percent Positive - 2.43%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.22%
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,908 (-16)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 260
• Patients in ICU - 433 (-4)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 254 (-3)
• Total Discharges - 208,916 (+237)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 37
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 45,659

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 58,139

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

• Total vaccine doses administered - 27,392,352       
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 77,583
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 556,331
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 84.5%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 76.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 87.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 78.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 71.6%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 65.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 74.5%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 66.8%

Owner And Principal Of Investment Fund Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Insider Trading And Investment Fraud

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DONALD BLAKSTAD, the owner and principal of a California-based investment fund, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 36 months in prison for committing insider trading and orchestrating a securities offering fraud scheme.   In June 2021, a jury found BLAKSTAD guilty of conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud offenses following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who imposed today’s sentence.

According to the Indictment, evidence presented at trial, and statements made in connection with sentencing:

BLAKSTAD was a stock trader and the owner and principal of an investment fund known as Midcontinental Petroleum Inc. (“Midcontinental Petroleum”), which purported to be in the business of soliciting investments in the energy industry.  Martha Bustos was a former certified public accountant who worked in the finance department at Illumina, Inc. (“Illumina”), a San Diego-based biotechnology company whose securities trade on NASDAQ.  By virtue of her employment at Illumina, Bustos had access to material nonpublic information about Illumina’s financial condition, including its earnings. 

On several occasions, from 2016 through 2018, BLAKSTAD obtained inside information about Illumina’s financial condition from Bustos before Illumina publicly announced its earnings and financial results.  As BLAKSTAD knew, Bustos owed a duty to keep inside information about Illumina confidential. 

BLAKSTAD, aware of Bustos’s breach of duty to Illumina, used this inside information to make profitable trades in Illumina securities shortly before Illumina’s earnings announcements.  At times, BLAKSTAD tipped his associates so that they could trade Illumina stock and options based on the inside information.  At other times, in order to avoid detection, BLAKSTAD arranged for his associates to purchase Illumina securities for BLAKSTAD’s benefit in accounts controlled by his associates. 

Following the public announcement of Illumina’s earnings, BLAKSTAD and his associates sold the Illumina securities at a significant profit, sometimes exceeding more than 2,000 percent.  In total, BLAKSTAD and his associates made more than $6 million in profits from purchasing and selling Illumina securities. 

In addition, from at least in or about 2015 through at least in or about 2019, BLAKSTAD devised and operated a securities offering fraud to fraudulently obtain more than a $1 million from a number of investors.  BLAKSTAD fraudulently induced victim investors to make up-front, lump-sum investments for securities issued by Midcontinental Petroleum, which funds BLAKSTAD then misappropriated, in substantial part. 

To facilitate the scheme, BLAKSTAD made false and misleading representations to investor victims regarding how their investment funds would be utilized.  During the scheme, at BLAKSTAD’s direction, victims transmitted their funds, including by wire transfer, into bank accounts that were controlled by BLAKSTAD.  Once he obtained these investor funds, BLAKSTAD did not use them for the purposes he had represented to investors.  Instead, BLAKSTAD diverted a substantial portion of victims’ funds to himself and to co-conspirators.  For example, BLAKSTAD used the funds to pay for a variety of personal expenses and for purposes that were unrelated to the business of Midcontinental Petroleum. 

BLAKSTAD also made a series of false and misleading statements to victims designed to avoid detection, perpetuate the scheme, and keep the victim funds he received as a result of the fraud.

In total, BLAKSTAD’s schemes yielded more than $7 million in criminal profits.

In addition to his prison term, BLAKSTAD, 62, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $669,000.        

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which brought a separate civil action.