CONSUMER ALERT: NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION OFFERS GRANDPARENTS TIPS TO AVOID THE EVER-EVOLVING GRANDPARENT SCAM

 

Grandparent Scam Hallmarks: Involvement of a Family Member, Immediate Need for Money, and a Request for Secrecy.

Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez, “Criminals Are Getting Bolder, Even Showing Up at an Individual’s Home”

 In recognition of Grandparents Day, the New York State Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) calls attention to scams targeting grandparents. This date is dedicated to honor grandparents and to appreciate their unique roles in our lives. To celebrate this special day, DCP wants to empower grandparents to outsmart scammers who prey on family bonds. With the common grandparent scam, criminals impersonate someone trying to help a loved one so they can trick them into sending money.  

“The grandparent scam has been around for years, but criminals are getting bolder by even showing up at an individual’s home. It’s one of the top scams targeting older consumers,” said Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez. “Criminals orchestrating this fraud use clever schemes and add new twists to this old trick. They systematically target older consumers and exploit the special relationship grandparents have with their grandchildren. Many of these schemes go unreported, so it’s important to raise awareness to help prevent these scams.”

 New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, “We urge all New Yorkers to take caution if they receive a call or text from someone claiming to be a loved one in urgent need of help and asking for money. Even if a scenario seems valid, do not provide any financial or personal information without confirmation.  The State Police takes scams of any type seriously and those that take advantage of the elderly or vulnerable will be held accountable.”

New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) Acting Director Greg Olsen said, "So-called grandparent scams have increased substantially during the pandemic, exploiting trusted family relationships to target older adults. In fact, financial exploitation ranks highest as the most common form of elder abuse. Be vigilant and know the signs of a potential scam. If someone calls you claiming that a child or grandchild is in trouble, don’t act purely on second-hand information. Confirm any incidents directly with a loved one and contact the police or other trusted authorities to verify.”

Multiple grandparent scam scenarios have been reported and the number of reported incidents continues to increase. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission received over 12,700 complaints from people ages 60 and older about scammers claiming to be family members or friends in trouble to trick people in providing money. These reports added up to $23.8 million in total losses.

Common Elements of a Grandparents Scam:

1. Impersonation of Family - Scammers exploit grandparents' love by pretending to be a grandchild or relative in need of emergency cash. This scam starts with a call or text from a fraudster posing as a panicked grandchild or family member who is in trouble and requires immediate financial assistance. In some scam scenarios, the scammer impersonates an arresting police officer, a lawyer, or a doctor, who is calling on behalf of the relative in trouble.

2. Urgent and Immediate Need for Money - To create a sense of urgency, the caller may claim to be hospitalized, in jail or stuck in a foreign country. In all cases, the scammers ask that money be sent immediately. Scammers often try to pressure victims into transferring money through a mobile payment app, by wiring money, or by purchasing gift cards or money orders. A new variation of this con has surfaced recently where the scammer pressures victims to put money in an envelope to be picked up at their house by a courier. Several incidents of courier pickups have been reported throughout New York State over the past year.

3. Insistence on Secrecy - The caller insists that parents or other family members not be informed. The scammer may claim there is no time to speak to others or that the grandchild will be embarrassed if other family members know about the situation. The scam artists know that once you contact another family member, you will likely discover the scam.

How To Avoid the Ever-Evolving Grandparent Scam:

• Resist the urge to act immediately no matter how dramatic the story
• Don’t engage with the caller or reply to the text. Contact the grandchild or family member directly to confirm the story.
• Don’t give your address, personal information, or cash to anyone who contacts you. Scammers will likely ask you to send them a gift card, wire money, or offer to pick up cash at your home. They prefer these methods because they are difficult to trace.
• Check your social media privacy settings since most social media is public by default, and be careful of what information you put online. Social media is an easy place for scammers to find personal information they can use to prey on the fears of grandparents.
• To learn more about scams targeting older consumers, please see these tips to learn more about how to protect against fraud targeting seniors.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer

Photos: Governor Hochul Announced New York State Landmarks Lit Purple in Honor of Queen Elizabeth II

 

15 State Landmarks and Bridges Were Illuminated in Purple

 Governor Kathy Hochul announced New York State landmarks and bridges were illuminated purple last night in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.  

PHOTOS of the landmarks are available on the Governor's Flickr page.  

These 15 landmarks and bridges were illuminated in purple: 

• One World Trade Center 
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge 
• Kosciuszko Bridge 
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building 
• State Education Building 
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building 
• Empire State Plaza 
• State Fairgrounds - Main Gate & Expo Center 
• The "Franklin D. Roosevelt" Mid-Hudson Bridge 
• Grand Central Terminal 
• Albany International Airport Gateway 
• MTA Long Island Rail Road - East End Gateway at Penn Station 
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal 
• The Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex  
• The Lake Placid Olympic Center   

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on the Death of Jesse Bonsignore

 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Jesse Bonsignore of Suffolk County. Following a thorough investigation, which included interviews with responding officers, a civilian at the scene who called 911, as well as review of video, crime scene evidence, photographs, radio transmissions, and ballistics testing, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer who shot Mr. Bonsignore was justified.

On the evening of May 20, 2021, in Manorville, Suffolk County, an individual called 911 to report that there was an unknown man sleeping in the back seat of a car parked outside the individual’s house. The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) officer who responded saw the man, Jesse Bonsignore, sleeping in the back seat of the parked car as reported, and knocked on the window. Mr. Bonsignore awoke, began screaming, and threatening to kill the officer. The officer directed Mr. Bonsignore to remain in the car and called for backup over the radio, but Mr. Bonsignore got out of the car. Despite the officer’s attempts to assure Mr. Bonsignore that he was not in trouble, he continued to repeat to the officer that he was going to kill him.

The officer noticed a folding knife on Mr. Bonsignore’s waistband, which was later recovered at the scene. The officer then attempted to handcuff Mr. Bonsignore to prevent him from using the knife, at which point Mr. Bonsignore resisted and pushed backward against the officer, causing both to fall to the ground. During the ensuing struggle, Mr. Bonsignore repeatedly attempted to grab his knife before reaching for the officer’s gun holster. The officer tried to restrain Mr. Bonsignore’s arms while pulling his gun from its holster to prevent Mr. Bonsignore from taking control of the gun. The officer reported Mr. Bonsignore then grabbed the wrist of the hand in which the officer was holding the gun, and the officer, fearing for his life, shot Mr. Bonsignore. The individual who first noticed Mr. Bonsignore and called police provided statements and security footage from outside his home to investigators that were consistent with this account.

Under New York’s justification law, a person may use deadly physical force to defend against the imminent use of deadly physical force by another. When the defense of justification is raised at trial, the prosecutor must disprove it beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, Mr. Bonsignore repeatedly reached for his knife, attempted to take the officer’s firearm, and more than once threatened to kill the officer. Based on the law and the evidence, OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued against the officer.

The SCPD officer who shot Mr. Bonsignore was not equipped with a body-worn camera (BWC), and his patrol car did not have a dashboard camera. As a result of a corroborating eyewitness account and security camera footage, the facts of this case are clear. However, OSI recommends SCPD equip all officers with BWCs without delay.

Horse Doping Seller Sentenced To 42 Months In Manhattan Federal Court

Lisa Giannelli Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendant LISA GIANNELLI, received a sentence of 42 months in prison for her role in an approximately 20-year scheme to sell and distribute to racehorse trainers and others in the racehorse industry “untestable” performance enhancing drugs (“PEDs”) for use in professional horseracing. GIANNELLI was one of over 30 defendants charged in four separate cases in March 2020, each arising from this Office’s multi-year investigation of the abuse of racehorses through the use of performance enhancing drugs.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Giannelli catered to corrupt racehorse trainers by selling illegal performance-enhancing drugs designed to deceive the very people who could put a stop to these crimes. Today’s sentence sends a message that those who engage in fraud and animal abuse will be held to account.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, prior charging instruments, other filings in this case, and as established by the evidence at trial:[1]

GIANNELLI was charged in United States v. Navarro, 20 Cr. 160 (MKV), a case arising from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, PED distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing. By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving drug regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States and other countries, including in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses. Trainers who participated in the schemes stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings and by improving their horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control. Indicted veterinarians profited from the sale and administration of these medically unnecessary, misbranded, and adulterated substances. GIANNELLI, a seller of customized PEDs designed specifically to evade anti-doping controls, personally earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales commissions from her sale and distribution of PEDs to trainers around the United States.

GIANNELLI marketed these drugs as “untestable” under typical anti-doping drug screens and extolled the virtues of these illegal drugs by describing their potency and untestability.  In the course of over fifteen years during which GIANNELLI operated under the auspices of the company, Equestology, GIANNELLI deliberately lied to state investigators to cover up her crimes and sold vials with no or incomplete labels, with no hint as to the provenance of those unsafe and prohibited drugs.

The drugs GIANNELLI sold included intravenous and intramuscular injectables that she sold to laypeople for injection into the horses under their purported “care,” many of which were seized at premises throughout the country at the time of the original indictments in this case, including barns located in New York. Those included “blood building” drugs (for example, “BB3” and other Epogen-mimetic substances), vasodilators (for example, “VO2Max”), and bags filled with scores of “bleeder pills,” each designed to covertly increase performance in affected horses.

GIANNELLI, 55, of Felton, Delaware, was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit misbranding and drug adulteration in connection with her work for Equestology. In addition to her prison sentence, GIANNELLI was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $900,000, reflecting the value of the adulterated and misbranded drugs GIANNELLI and her co-conspirators sold as part of his fraudulent doping schemes.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the Bureau’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative. Mr. Williams also thanked the Food and Drug Administration and Customs and Border Protection for their assistance and expertise. This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and Benjamin A. Gianforti are in charge of the prosecution.

[1] As to GIANELLI’s co-defendants, these facts, including the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein, constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

NEW BIVALENT COVID-19 VACCINES AVAILABLE TO BOOST CITY’S IMMUNITY

 

Boosters 2.0 Will Be Available at NYC Health + Hospital Facilities, Local Pharmacies, Health Care Providers, and Through At-Home Vaccination for Eligible New Yorkers 

 

Updated Bivalent Boosters Provide New Protection Against Omicron COVID Variant, Sub-Lineages

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced distribution plans for the new bivalent COVID-19 boosters —Pfizer (12+) and Moderna (18+)— through NYC Health + Hospitals facilities, community-based health care providers, and pharmacies, in addition to being available through the at-home vaccination program for homebound and/or elderly New Yorkers. Additionally, the city will launch a campaign in the coming weeks to emphasize the importance of staying current on booster shots to protect New Yorkers against severe COVID-19 health outcomes and to get ahead of the virus going into the fall and winter months. The updated boosters are more effective at protecting against the latest variants and are recommended for all New Yorkers ages 12-and up, whose last COVID-19 vaccination was more than two months ago. New Yorkers can check with their providers to see if they are offering updated boosters or search NYC Vaccine Finder online for locations offering booster shots.  

  

“We now have so many new tools in our fight against COVID-19, and this updated booster is an important new addition to that arsenal. We’ve provided tens of millions of free at-home tests to New Yorkers, provided tens of thousands of prescriptions of life-saving treatments, and this updated booster will ensure we are helping even more New Yorkers stay safe,” said Mayor Adams. “As we head into the fall, and New Yorkers begin spending more time indoors, I encourage all who are eligible to get the bivalent booster to stay protected.” 

 

"As we continue to ebb and flow along with the virus, we must continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones and the single best way to do that is to be up-to-date with your vaccine and booster shots,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “I encourage every eligible New Yorker — particularly those over 65 with co-occurring conditions — to reach out to their primary care provider, community pharmacy, or any of the city-related locations to schedule their booster shot appointment today. Thank you to our partners in government and in the medical community for your role in helping to keep people safe and healthy."    

 

“This is a significant development to prevent COVID transmission, and to continue to protect against severe illness and death,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Updated bivalent boosters can blunt the scale and impact of future waves and will keep our city healthy through the fall and winter, whatever comes our way.” 

 

“Throughout the pandemic New Yorkers have trusted NYC Health + Hospitals with their care and we remain on the cutting edge of the COVID-19 response. We will continue to have New York City’s back, and are proud to start offering this updated COVID-19 booster at our facilities across the five boroughs,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, senior vice president, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “This booster can protect you from getting so sick you have to go to the hospital, which is why I’m urging all my patients, and all New Yorkers to join me in getting vaccinated.” 

 

Doses began arriving in New York City from manufacturers this week. Roughly 200 providers pre-registered to receive the updated boosters, which include a mix of private providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, independent pharmacies, and urgent cares. Some have already started administering the updated boosters. In addition, over 550 pharmacies — including 300 chain pharmacies in New York City — will be offering updated boosters.  

 

NYC Health + Hospitals will offer the updated boosters to existing patients at all 11 hospitals and many Gotham Health clinics as supplies arrive at those locations. Seven NYC Health + Hospitals sites will begin offering updated boosters to the general public next week. The following hospitals will be open from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday: 

 

Walk-ins and appointments for the public will be available at these facilities: 

• NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, 462 1st Avenue, Manhattan 
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, 79-01 Broadway, Queens 
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi​, 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx 
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, 686 New York Avenue, Brooklyn 
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, 234 East 149th Street, Bronx 
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, 82-68 164th Street, Queens 
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Vanderbilt, 165 Vanderbilt Avenue, Staten Island* 

 

* Schedule may vary at this site. Once appointments become available, refer to NYC Vaccine Finder online for days and times. 

 

The NYC Health + Hospitals and Gotham Health system will offer the updated booster to existing patients, with outreach prioritizing the most vulnerable patients. Hospitals will offer the updated Pfizer booster, and Gotham clinics — exclusive of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Vanderbilt — will offer the updated Moderna booster. 

 

Homebound Vaccination Program 

New York City continues to offer at-home Pfizer vaccinations for New York residents who are homebound or at least 65 years old. Eligible New Yorkers can still sign up for any dose in the series, including the updated booster, online for an in-home vaccination or do so by calling 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).  

  

Street Health Outreach & Wellness (SHOW) Program 

NYC Health + Hospitals will also be administering the updated booster vaccines through its eight SHOW mobile units. SHOW provides COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, basic primary care, behavioral health, wound care, basic material necessities, and harm reduction services to New Yorkers who are unsheltered. 

 

Additionally, DOHMH will launch a vaccination campaign in the weeks ahead that will emphasize the importance of vaccination. The ads will run on social media and on other media platforms. Further, DOHMH is:

• Engaging with community health providers on updated guidance, 
• Providing financial support for independent providers for vaccination-related activities,  
• Activating inter-faith partnerships to get booster messaging and announcements with their networks, 
• Deploying the Public Health Corps to work with New Yorkers most at risk, and 
• Working with the New York City Department of Education and child care programs on communication with families.  

 

While around 89 percent of adult New Yorkers have completed their primary vaccination series, only 47.6 percent of adults have received a booster or additional shot.  

 

Manhattan Woman Who Operated Fraudulent Investment Scheme Charged With Securities And Wire Fraud

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Patrick Freaney, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of LAKENYA HOPKINS on charges of securities fraud and wire fraud for her role in a scheme to defraud over 110 investors in Money Magnet Platinum Membership Initiative LLC (“MMPMI”) of hundreds of thousands of dollars by promising unrealistically high rates of return on investments to induce them to invest and lying about how their money would be invested. Rather than invest the money as promised, HOPKINS used investors’ money for her own personal gain, including to rent a luxury apartment in Manhattan and to purchase high-end luxury goods. HOPKINS was arrested this morning in Manhattan and will be presented before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of New York. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Lakenya Hopkins preyed on investors, promising them that investing with her would create generational wealth for their families. She lied to induce their investments and continued to lie when they questioned her about the status of their investments. Instead of investing the money as promised, she allegedly enriched herself with a luxury apartment and high-end purchases. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from investment frauds.”

Special Agent-in-Charge Freaney said: “Fraudsters will continue their attempts to manipulate and threaten the larger financial landscape in which the American public conducts their business and transactions, but the highly skilled investigators of the U.S. Secret Service and New York City Police Department will ensure they do not succeed in evading our judicial system. The allegations contained within this indictment describe predatory and fraudulent behavior that specifically exploited individuals seeking to invest for their future. I am immensely proud of the men and women of the Secret Service for their efforts in this investigation and would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership.”

Police Commissioner Sewell said: “Ms. Hopkins turned her investors into victims, betraying their trust to carry out her own despicable embezzlement scheme. The NYPD and our many partners in law enforcement will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who seeks to defraud others, holding them fully accountable for their actions. I want to thank and commend the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District for their tireless dedication and focused commitment to seeing justice served in this case.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

From in or about August 2020 through in or about April 2021, HOPKINS operated MMPMI as a fraudulent “investment club.” HOPKINS specifically marketed MMPMI to people of color as a way for them to build generational wealth for their families. During her scheme, HOPKINS solicited money from investors by falsely promising them, among other things, that she would provide them with an $8,000 monthly return for every $1,000 investment they made in MMPMI. HOPKINS also falsely told investors that she could guarantee this return because she would pool investor money and invest it into a hedge fund that guaranteed a three to five percent daily return.

The investments were memorialized in documents known as “MMPMI Membership Promissory Notes.” The terms of those investment contracts generally provided that, for every $1,000 an investor invested in MMPMI, the investor would receive an $8,000 monthly return, $5,000 of which would be paid directly to each investor. These documents and HOPKINS’ false representations deceived investors into believing that their principal and return were guaranteed.

Despite her representations to investors, however, HOPKINS never invested any of the investors’ money in a hedge fund or made any other investments for the benefit of investors. Instead, HOPKINS stole the investors’ money and used it for her own personal gain. Between in or about November 2020 and in or about April 2021, Hopkins used most of the investors’ money to (i) make large cash withdrawals, (ii) purchase high-end luxury goods, (iii) rent a luxury apartment, (iv) pay for food, travel, and other goods, and (v) purchase cryptocurrency for her own benefit.

In or about January 2021, after she had failed to make the first guaranteed monthly payments to investors, HOPKINS told investors she was pausing MMPMI and giving out refunds. When investors questioned her about the status of their investments, HOPKINS continued to lie. For example, on a videoconference with investors in or about January 2021, HOPKINS told investors that their money was still in the hedge fund, that they would “not take a loss,” and that she was “not keeping any money.” Despite these representations, HOPKINS gave only approximately five investors a refund payment. To date, HOPKINS has not paid any investors the promised returns.

As a result of this investment scheme, HOPKINS fraudulently obtained over $290,000 from over 110 investors.

HOPKINS, 44, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the USSS and NYPD and thanked the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately filed a civil action against HOPKINS and MMPMI.

The allegations 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.

Governor Hochul Announces Ridership Records on MTA Commuter Railroads

 

LIRR and Metro-North Both Set Ridership Records, Carrying More Than 380,000 Riders; LIRR Surpasses 200,000 Riders on Weekday for First Time Since March 2020

Subways and Buses Carried Most Riders Since the Spring, Nearly 5 Million September 7; Subway Ridership at 3.4 Million, a 36.1 Percent Increase Over Comparable Day Last Year

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced record ridership on Metropolitan Transportation Authority commuter railroads Wednesday, September 7. The Long Island Rail Road surpassed 200,000 riders on a weekday for the first time since March 2020, carrying 203,983 riders. Metro-North Railroad carried a record 179,268 riders on Wednesday, surpassing the railroad's previous record set on June 28 of 174,900.

"I am proud to announce this new ridership milestone as we welcome New Yorkers back to school and work this week," Governor Hochul said. "Public transportation is the lifeblood of New York City, and we look forward to building on this progress as we continue working to return to pre-pandemic ridership levels."

Subways and buses also showed growth, carrying close to five million riders the day before New York City schools opened. Subway ridership climbed nearly 10 percent compared to last week, carrying 3,440,418 riders, a 36.1 percent increase from the comparable day in 2021. Ridership on buses was also strong with a preliminary total 1,313,658 riders, expected to rise by approximately 15 percent when the rider count is complete.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "Mass transit is the lifeblood of New York, and most affordable way to get around. It is the best way for people to experience everything New York has to offer. With students, teachers and office workers now returning throughout the region, we hope to keep this progress going and reach more milestones in the weeks to come."

The MTA continues to encourage ridership with fare discounts rolled out earlier this year.

The Authority launched a fare-capping pilot on subways and buses through its contactless fare payment system OMNY that put a cap on weekly subway and bus fares. The fare-capping pilot includes a "Lucky 13" feature where, starting with the 13th ride of each week, every additional ride on subways or buses is free for the rest of that week.

On the commuter rail, both LIRR and Metro-North rolled out fare offerings including a 10 percent discount for monthly passes, and a new 20-trip ticket tailored for the hybrid work schedule. The new 20-trip ticket saves riders 20 percent on regular peak one-way fares. For commuter rail riders traveling within the five boroughs the MTA also expanded City Ticket, which offers a reduced, flat fare of $5.00 for rail travel within New York City on weekends, to include all weekday off-peak trains.

Permits Filed For 84 West 174th Street In Morris Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a seven-story residential building at 84 West 174th Street in Morris Heights, The Bronx. Located between Nelson Avenue and Macombs Road, the lot is near the Mt. Eden Avenue subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Isaac Rosenberg under the 254 Melrose LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 75-foot-tall development will yield 23,991 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 38 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 631 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a 30-foot-long rear yard, seven open parking spaces, and three enclosed parking spaces.

Boaz M. Golani Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.