Manhattan Man Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Victims Of Millions Of Dollars Through Offering Fictional Investment Opportunities

Ephraim Ullmann Defrauded Multiple Investors With False Statements About Loans and Letters of Credit 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that EPHRAIM JOSEPH ULLMANN pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud victims by telling them that they could obtain large loans or letters of credit if they provided up-front investments as collateral for the loans. In reality, there were no loans available and the victims were defrauded of more than $3 million that they invested in reliance on ULLMANN’s false statements. ULLMANN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Ephraim Ullmann admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud victims of millions of dollars by making false statements about fictional opportunities to obtain loans and letters of credit. As a result of his guilty plea, Ullmann will now face a term of imprisonment. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who defraud investors with false promises and lies.”

According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:

From at least in or about November 2014 through at least in or about 2020, ULLMANN participated in a scheme to defraud investors by falsely telling them that they could obtain letters of credit or loans if they provided initial funds as collateral for the loans. ULLMANN told one group of victims who had started a home building company that he had been hired by an American Indian tribe to use tribal bonds as collateral to obtain large loans for companies seeking financing. ULLMANN told these victims to send hundreds of thousands of dollars to a bank account he provided them, which he described as “seed capital” to obtain the tribal bond-backed loan. In reality, ULLMANN had not been hired by the tribe and there was no loan available for the victims. ULLMANN also sent multiple forged bank documents to the victims to deceive them into thinking that the promised financing was being provided.

In addition to the tribal bond scheme, ULLMANN told a separate group of victims who were involved with starting a new oil company that he could obtain a multi-million dollar letter of credit for the company if the victims provided initial funding. In reality, there was no letter of credit available, and the victims were fraudulently induced to wire millions of dollars to bank accounts identified by ULLMANN and his co-conspirators.

ULLMANN, 58, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and agreed to restitution of $3,032,000.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATALLY STABBING MAN IN BODEGA

 

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to First-Degree Manslaughter 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree Manslaughter for fatally stabbing a man inside a Morris Avenue bodega in 2017.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant stabbed a man inside a Claremont Village bodega in the middle of the day, in front of innocent bystanders. These despicable violent acts have no place in our communities. The defendant was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for the fatal stabbing.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Shondell Younger, 28, last of 3207 Park Avenue, was sentenced today to 19 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter on February 22, 2022.

 According to the investigation, on June 29, 2017 at 12:38 p.m., Younger and the victim, Joshua Simpson, 22, along with other men, were involved in a dispute after one of the victim’s friends assaulted Younger several minutes before. Younger and two other men returned looking for Simpson and his friends, then chased the victim and cornered him inside a bodega located on 1224 Morris Avenue. The defendant, acting in concert with others, stabbed Simpson twice in the back and once in the shoulder. He was taken to Lincoln Medical Center where he was pronounced dead shortly after. The defendant fled to Pennsylvania and was apprehended on July 18, 2018.

 A second defendant, Leeford Wilson, pleaded guilty to first-degree Gang Assault for his role in the incident. He was sentenced to five years in prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Marcus Martin on October 27, 2020.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Javier Fernandez of the Joint Terrorist Task Force and NYPD Detective Robert Klein of Bronx Homicide.

Statement from NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy on Hochul & Legislative Democrats' Gun Control Package

“In typical Albany fashion, Kathy Hochul is following in the footsteps of her mentor, Andrew Cuomo, and focused on making cheap headlines for her primary instead of making New Yorkers safe. Case in point: the Domestic Terrorism Task Force that was established and hasn’t even met once since its creation more than two years since its establishment. This package of bills does nothing to actually address the underlying mental health crisis at the center of the problem nor does it invest in securing our schools. If Hochul and legislative leaders cared about shooting victims, they would vote today to repeal their disastrous bail laws that have turned our streets over to violent criminals. Instead, they are focused on giving themselves election-year talking points and a pat on the back without doing the hard work. Shame on them.”  

Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie Announce Introduction of Comprehensive Package of Legislation to Strengthen New York's Gun Laws

 

Governor Kathy Hochul, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Carl Heastie today announced that ten bills have been introduced in both the Assembly and Senate that would tighten New York's gun laws, close loopholes and directly address the gaps in our laws exposed by the horrific shootings in Buffalo, Texas, and around the country. The bills would: require information sharing between state, local and federal agencies when guns are used in crimes; make threatening mass harm a crime; require microstamping for new guns; increase accountability for social media platforms; eliminate grandfathering of large capacity ammunition feeding devices; prohibit the purchase of body armor for anyone who is not engaged in an eligible profession; strengthen the Red Flag law by expanding the list of people who can file for Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and other measures; require that an individual obtain a license, with a minimum age of 21, to purchase a semiautomatic rifle; and close the "any other weapon" loophole.

"Within the last month, two horrific mass shootings in Buffalo and in Texas have rattled this nation to our core and shed a new light on the urgent need for action to prevent future tragedies," Governor Hochul said. "New York already has some of the toughest gun laws in the country but clearly we need to make them even stronger. New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in schools, in grocery stores, in movie theaters, in shopping malls, and on our streets -- and we must do everything in our power to protect them. Working closely with Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, and all of our partners in the legislature, we will strengthen our gun laws, help keep New Yorkers safe, give law enforcement the tools they need to prevent crime, and stop the spread of dangerous weapons. As New York once again leads, we continue to urge the federal government to seize this opportunity and pass meaningful national gun violence prevention laws."

"Our nation has been brought to a moment of reckoning due to weapons of war that have been too easily accessed by those seeking to kill," Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins said. These weapons have made places in our communities like schools, grocery stores, houses of worship, and concerts, places of carnage. In these devastating times in New York and across the nation, we have worked with Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and members of the Democratic Legislature to step up and send a message that this path of gun violence is unacceptable and we need real change."

"Just 10 days separated the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde that took the lives of 31 people. Nowhere else in the world is this happening. We are in desperate need of a conversation about guns, but we are also in desperate need of action." Speaker Carl Heastie said. "Here in New York, we are ready to act. Working with our partners in the Senate and Governor Hochul, we have put together a package of legislation to address gun violence. We will strengthen our red flag law so those that are a risk to themselves and others don't fall through the cracks of the system. We will get rid of loopholes that permit large capacity ammunition feeding devices, make it harder to purchase body armor and work to address the role social media plays in violence and acts of domestic terrorism. The list goes on. I hope that one day we'll see the end to the horrific gun violence we see in this country. But until then, I will keep fighting."

The legislative package includes:

A.1023-A (Paulin)/S.4970-A (Kavanagh)

Requires all state and local law enforcement agencies to report seized or recovered guns to the criminal gun clearinghouse; participate in ATFs collective data sharing program; test-fire seized or recovered guns for national integrated Ballistic Information Network; and, enter the make, model, caliber, and serial number of the gun into the national crime information center. Also requires gun dealers to implement a security plan for securing firearms, rifles and shotguns; prohibit persons under eighteen and not accompanied by a parent from the certain locations of a gun dealer's premises; provide training to all employees on the conduct of firearm, rifle, and shotgun transfers, including identification of and response to illegal purchases; adhere to record keeping requirements; and require the State police to conduct inspections of gun dealers every three years.

A.6716-A (Wallace)/S89-B (Kaminsky):

Creates the crimes of making a threat of mass harm and aggravated making a threat of mass harm.

A.7926-A (Rosenthal, L)/S.4116-A (Hoylman):

Requires DCJS to certify or decline to certify that microstamping-enabled pistols are technologically viable and if certified as viable, to establish programs and processes for the implementation of such technology; and, establishes the crime of the unlawful sale of a non-microstamping-enabled firearm

A7865-A (Fahy)/ S.4511-A (Kaplan):

Requires social media networks in New York to provide a clear and concise policy regarding how they would respond to incidents of hateful conduct on their platform and maintain easily accessible mechanisms for reporting hateful conduct on those platforms

A.10428-A (People-Stokes)/S.9229-A (Hoylman):

Eliminates the grandfathering of large capacity ammunition feeding devices that were lawfully possessed prior to the enactment of the Safe Act or manufactured prior to 1994.

A. 10497 (Jacobson)/S.9407-B (Kavanagh):

Makes unlawful the purchase and sale of body vests for anyone who is not engaged in an eligible profession. Eligible professions include law enforcement officers and other professions designated by the Department of State in consultation with other agencies. Also requires that any sale of a body vest be done in person.

A.10501 (Meeks)/S. 9465 (Bailey)

Creates a new Task Force on Social Media and Violent Extremism in the Attorney General's office to study and investigate the role of social media companies in promoting and facilitating violent extremism and domestic terrorism online.

A. 10502 (Cahill)/S. 9113-A (Skoufis):

Expands who may file an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) petition to include health care practitioners who have examined the individual within the last six months; requires police and district attorneys to file ERPO petitions upon credible information that an individual is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to himself, herself or others; requires the State Police and the Municipal Police Training Council to create and disseminate policies and procedures to identify when an ERPO petition may be warranted; amends the firearm licensing statute to make it clear that when an individual has been reported by a mental health practitioner and a county mental health commissioner has concurred with such practitioner that the individual is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to themself or others, such report is considered in determining whether or not to issue a firearm license to the individual; and, expands the mental health practitioners who can make such reports.

A10503 (Jackson)/S. 9458 (Thomas):

Requires that an individual obtain a license prior purchasing a semiautomatic rifle. This is prospective and applies to purchases made on and after the effective date.

A. 10504 (Burgos)/S. 9456 (Sepulveda)

Expands the definition of a "firearm" to include any weapon not defined in the Penal Law that is designed or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by action of an explosive. This is intended to capture firearms that have been modified to be shot from an arm brace, which are evading our current definitions of firearms and rifles.

WILLIAMS & ARCHILA RELEASE END OF SESSION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

 

New York City Public Advocate and candidate for Governor Jumaane Williams and candidate for Lieutenant Governor Ana María Archila today announced their top priorities for the end of the legislative session in Albany: 

“There is urgent work to do in what remains of the legislative session to ensure state government puts the needs of working families before the wants of billionaires–that tenants have the protections they need, that New Yorkers feel safe in their communities, that workers get paid enough to get by, and that we tackle the climate crisis. After Governor Hochul hijacked the legislative calendar to give away nearly one billion dollars of public money for the Bills stadium, further incarcerate Black and brown New Yorkers, and change election law to help her re-election bid, we have precious few days left in the legislative session. In that time, we urge legislators and the Governor to prioritize the needs of working people and struggling New Yorkers over the wants of billionaires. In particular, we urge legislators to pass, and the Governor to support and sign, the following:

Housing: to keep New Yorkers in their homes, Albany leaders must enact Good Cause Eviction legislation to immediately protect tenants from being evicted without cause and from unconscionable rent hikes and expand housing voucher assistance programs.

Gun violence: to stem and respond to the rise in gun violence afflicting our communities, Albany leaders should invest $1 billion of the $3.3 billion in unexpected tax revenues in underfunded gun violence prevention, youth programming, victims’ services, and trauma response programs.

Minimum wage: to ensure that workers are paid fairly for their work and have enough in their pockets to pay rent and the bills, New York must swiftly move to increase the minimum wage. We have proposed an immediate increase in the minimum wage to $20 per hour in New York City and $17.50 per hour outside of New York City. We also support the Raise Up NY coalition’s proposal.

Environment: to curb new sources of pollution and move us toward our climate goals, we need to make sure New York enacts a statewide ban on gas in new construction, the Build Public Renewables Act, and a moratorium on environmentally damaging proof-of-work Bitcoin mining.

Clean Slate: to ensure that all New Yorkers can be full and fair participants in their communities and our economy, pass legislation to automatically seal conviction records of formerly incarcerated New Yorkers once they are time eligible.

Voting rights: to begin protecting and strengthening NY’s democracy, at the bare minimum, we need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and enact the comprehensive package of reforms–already passed by the Senate–that would increase efficiency, accountability, and professionalization of our Boards of Elections."

NYS Office of the Comptroller Tom DiNapoli Analysis Finds Worrisome, Uneven Economic Recovery Among NYC's Labor Force

 

Workforce Participation Near Pre-Pandemic Levels, But Unemployment Still High More Than a Third of Unemployed Workers Out of Work for 27+ Weeks  New York City lags behind the rest of the state and nation in regaining the jobs lost from the onset of the pandemic in March and April 2020, according to an analysis on the city’s labor force released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today. By March 2022, the city recovered just under 71% of jobs lost, while the rest of New York state has regained 82% of jobs. By April 2022, the United States had regained 95%. The city’s unemployment rate remains substantially higher than the rest of the state and nation and higher than its pre-pandemic rate. The slow recovery of pandemic job losses has left the city with an unemployment rate of 6.5%, 2.8 points higher than the February 2020 level of 3.7%, while the nation’s unemployment rate is only one-tenth of a point above its February 2020 level of 3.5%. The remainder of the state reached its February 2020 rate of 4% by October 2021. “New York City suffered heavy job losses from the shock of the pandemic shutting down many businesses in early 2020, and it has not fully regained these jobs,” DiNapoli said. “The recovery is also uneven and unequal among the workforce, particularly with demographic groups and lower income workers. The pandemic intensified pre-existing inequities that left many unable to work. These issues are complex and will not be easily fixed. They warrant further study and require strong workforce development efforts to assist those disproportionally impacted by the pandemic that might take longer to recover.” About 36% of unemployed workers living in the city have been seeking work for longer than 27 weeks and are considered long-term unemployed. While the gap in the long-term unemployed share of job seekers between the city and the nation was largest one year after the onset of the pandemic in March 2021 (69% in the city versus 43% in the nation), it is still sizeable two years later (36% in the city versus 24% in the nation). Over the course of the pandemic, many people also left the workforce. DiNapoli’s report found that some demographic groups rebounded to pre-pandemic levels of labor force participation by 2021, while other groups have not yet fully returned. Major findings of DiNapoli’s report: Female workers were impacted especially hard in 2020, with the unemployment rate increasing by 8.7 points in the city compared to an increase of only 4.7 points in the nation. While men have historically participated at a higher rate in the work force than women, the gap in labor force participation rate between males and females narrowed between 2019 (68.3% vs. 53.5% and 2021 (65.5% vs. 54.5%) as more women sought employment. Female and male workers with children each dropped over 1 point in their labor force participation rates in the nation in 2020. Working parents in the city experienced a steeper drop, roughly 6 points for men and 2 points for women. Female workers with children in the city were more likely to seek jobs or remain employed (up 1.7 points to 64%) from 2019 to 2021 than male workers (down 4.2 points to 87.5%). The unemployment rate for Black male workers in the city increased in the two years prior to and during the pandemic and continued to rise in 2021 to 14.9%. Prior to the pandemic, Hispanic and Asian females had higher unemployment rates than males in the city (5.5% for Hispanic females versus 4.3% for Hispanic males and 1.9% for Asian females versus 1.8% for Asian males). Between 2019 and 2021, Hispanic and Asian men had a much larger rise in unemployment than their female counterparts (7.4 points for Hispanic males versus 4.7 points for Hispanic females and 6.6 points for Asian males versus 6 points for Asian females). The number of people with disabilities in the work force jumped to the highest level in a decade, potentially stemming from the shift to remote work. While the share of people with disabilities in the workforce grew by 4.8 points between 2019 and 2021 to reach a participation rate of 17.5%, their unemployment rate rose sharply and is still high at 17% in 2021. College-educated individuals fared better during the pandemic and had a smaller increase in unemployment (4 points to reach 6.2% from 2019 to 2021) than those with no college education (7.8 points to reach 12.9%). Young workers, age 16 to 24, are the only age group to see their unemployment rate rise in 2021 to 20.9% compared to 20.4% in 2020. The labor force participation rate of noncitizen immigrants continued to decline in 2021 to 62.1%, whereas the rate of citizens has almost rebounded to pre-pandemic levels (59.1% compared to 59.6%). Historically, noncitizen immigrants have higher rates of labor force participation, which may be tied to requirements to have employer-sponsored visa requirements to work and reside in the country. The city has seen a sharp decline in self-employed individuals as a share of total workers, which dropped 1.4 points to reach 8.1% from 2019 to 2021. This compared to a gain of 2.3 points to reach 10.8% in the rest of the state and 0.5 points to reach 10.4% in the nation. DiNapoli notes the city and state have taken steps to support employment more broadly and have targeted support at some groups, including those employed by tourism-dependent businesses, young workers and caretakers. He encouraged city and state officials to look closely at the city’s labor force and examine whether existing policies are reaching and helping struggling communities. Report New York City’s Uneven Recovery: An Analysis of Labor Force Trends Additional Resources Industry Dashboards Employment Trends for People with Disabilities in New York City

From: TMCDERMOTT@bronxbp.nyc.gov - Farewell.....

 

Greetings Friends:

 

I wanted to let you know that I am moving on from the Borough President's office after 22 years of service. My last day in the office will be Tuesday, May 31^st. I am taking this time to explore new opportunities both in my professional and personal life.

 

My journey and experiences throughout the years has made a profound impact on my life.  I have been able to meet and work with many extraordinary individuals from throughout our borough and have been honored and blessed to serve our fellow Bronxites and to work with YOU! I thank you for all of your support over the years! 

 

Borough President Gibson and the team at Borough Hall are committed to helping those in need and to improving the overall quality of life for all Bronxites and look forward to your continued partnership.

 

All the best to you! Stay blessed and again THANK YOU!

 

Tracy

 

 

OFFICE OF BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT

VANESSA L. GIBSON

Tracy A. McDermott

Director of Community Services

851 Grand Concourse

Bronx, NY  10451

Governor Hochul Announces New York State's Record Setting Sports Wagering Tax Revenue

 

After Only 5 Months of Mobile Sports Wagering, New York has Collected $267 Million in Tax Revenue - More than Any Other State

Tax Revenue Reinvested in Education, Grants for Youth Sports Programming and Problem Gambling Prevention Treatment and Recovery Services

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York's recently launched mobile sports wagering has generated a record-breaking amount of tax revenue in less than six months, surpassing states that have offered sports wagering for years. According to New York State data, the state has generated over $267 million from sports wagering since January 2022. Mobile sports wagering accounted for $263 million since January 8, and sports wagering at New York's four commercial casinos made up $4.3 million of total revenue since July 2019. According to reports, New York has collected more in sports wagering revenue in five months than the total revenue any other state has generated over several years. This includes Pennsylvania, which has collected $253 million in sports wagering revenue since November 2018, and New Jersey, which has generated $229 million since June 2018.

"In less than half a year, New York has become a leader among states in implementing successful gaming policies, with hundreds of millions of dollars going to important programs that will improve the lives of all New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "I am committed to upholding responsible and effective gaming policies that will move the industry forward and continue to drive our state's economic growth."

New York State Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams said, "These numbers further prove that New York's gaming industry is robust thanks to the implementation of effective gaming regulation and the actions of responsible sports wagering operators. The results — hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue in less than six months of operation — speak for themselves."

With the advent of mobile sports wagering, the New York State Gaming Commission, its partners in the Responsible Play Partnership, and gaming venues have engaged in proactive, informational events and outreach to encourage responsible gambling.

New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham said, "OASAS stands ready with services and supports for New Yorkers struggling with problem gambling. The added revenue from mobile sports betting will allow OASAS to further enhance prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services for individuals or their family members who experience harms from gambling."

New York's mobile sports wagering tax revenue will be reinvested into elementary and secondary education and grants for youth sports programming, along with problem gambling prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Additionally, the state has collected $25 million in license fees from eight mobile sports wagering platform providers, totaling an additional $200 million to the state. All of the license fees revenue has already been directed to education.

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee said, This record amount of tax revenue is already being invested in New York's problem gaming services. 

Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, Committee Chair on Racing and Wagering said,  I am ecstatic with the revenue that has been generated for problem gambling."

According to GeoComply, a software firm used by sports books to ensure geolocation requirements, over 2.7 million unique player accounts have been created since January, conducting more than 620 million transactions.

For Fiscal Year 2023 and annually thereafter, revenues from mobile sports wagering will be distributed as follows: $5 million to fund sports programs for underserved youths, $6 million to fund problem gambling education and treatment, and the remaining majority to education aid.

Every Friday, the NYS Gaming Commission publishes weekly mobile sports wagering reports online.

The Commission's regulations require operators to prevent underage gaming, provide bettors the availability to impose spending limits, and share information on gambling risks and signs of problem gambling. New Yorkers who are struggling with a gambling problem or know someone with a gambling problem can call the state's toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or text HOPENY (467369). New Yorkers can also contact the Regional Problem Gambling Resource Center at: https://nyproblemgamblinghelp.org/

EDITOR' NOTE:

Note all the bold print where the revenue from Sports Betting is just another tax on New Yorkers, who are one of the highest taxed people in the nation. What will be the cost to pay for people who become problem gamblers, much like problem alcoholics, and problem drug users. How much extra state and city monies will have to be spent to fix what the problem gambler like the others who now cost the city and state to solve their problem, or the crimes they commit on the public to support their habits. How much green money will it cost? 

What's next legal Prostitution for more tax income to the state?