Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in Putnam County

 

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian, who died on January 10, 2023, following an encounter with members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD).

On the morning of January 10, PCSD deputies responded to reports of a domestic incident near Fields Corner Road and Barrett Road in the town of Southeast. As the deputies approached the scene, they saw a man allegedly assaulting another individual with a knife. Two deputies fired their weapons at the man, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies recovered a knife at the scene.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

These are preliminary facts and subject to change.

Oneonta Man Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison For Conspiring To Commit Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TOBY MURCHISON was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl.  MURCHISON was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.  MURCHISON previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Toby Murchison preyed on a 16-year-old girl who had run away from home.  Murchison placed this young woman in harm’s way by conspiring to have her engage in commercial sex and benefited financially from her misfortune.  It is difficult to imagine more outrageous conduct, and today’s sentence signals the tenacity with which this Office will prosecute those who take advantage of minor victims.” 

According to the allegations contained in the Information and other court documents filed in White Plains federal court:

In or about April 2021, MURCHISON conspired with one or more people to recruit a 16-year-old victim (“Minor Victim-1”) to engage in commercial sex acts in and around Newburgh, New York.  MURCHISON met Minor Victim-1, who had run away from home, in the Newburgh area.  MURCHISON and a co-conspirator helped Minor Victim-1 to procure “dates” (i.e., meetings with men to engage in commercial sex acts) and then secured hotel rooms, including in Newburgh and Fishkill, in which Minor Victim-1 would meet the men for “dates” and perform sex acts in exchange for money.  Minor Victim-1 then gave some or all of the proceeds from those commercial sex acts to MURCHISON. 

In addition to his prison sentence, MURCHISON, 43, of Oneonta, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations New York, Resident Agent in Charge Hudson Valley, and the Dutchess County Sherriff’s Office. 

Governor Hochul Announces $1.5 Million in Federal Funding to Three Communities for New Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Pilot Project

 

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Now Partnering with Buffalo, Schenectady and Yonkers Police Departments to Develop and Launch Project

Alternatives to Arrest and Trust Building Programs for Justice-Involved Youth

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that police departments in Buffalo, Schenectady and Yonkers are sharing $1.5 million in federal funding over five years to implement pilot programs designed to provide alternatives to arrest for justice-involved youth and build trust between youth and police in the three cities. New York was one of only seven states to successfully apply for the funding, which will allow each department to address needs of youth who are at-risk of becoming involved with the justice system.   

"New York State is committed to ensuring that our justice system is fair to support our youth and improve public safety for all New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "I'm proud to announce this $1.5 million in federal funding, which will support our state's efforts to help law enforcement and community leaders partner together to ensure that our youth have the services and opportunities they need to build healthy futures and safe communities."  

Each police department will receive $514,000 over the next five years and work with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services Office of Youth Justice to tailor pre-arrest diversion and trust-building programming designed to reflect the voice and story of young people who encounter law enforcement most frequently in those communities: runaway and homeless youth, and youth of color. This pilot program is part of Governor Hochul's comprehensive strategy, using federal and state funding, to reduce and prevent gun and violent crime; empower communities; and improve the effectiveness and fairness of the state's criminal and youth justice systems.  

Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, "This programming builds upon Governor Hochul's commitment to meeting needs of all youth, especially those who are most vulnerable, across New York State. I commend police officials in Buffalo, Schenectady and Yonkers for their willingness to partner with us and work with stakeholders in their communities to develop and support programs that can have a profound, meaningful and positive effect in the lives of young people."  

Governor Hochul secured $227 million in state funding in the current fiscal year - the largest investment in a generation - for initiatives that support law enforcement and community-based programs, including $28 million for Project Rise (Respond, Invest, Sustain and Empower); $20.9 million for SNUG and community-based gun violence initiatives; and $18.2 million for law enforcement agencies that participate in the state's Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, among others.   

In applying for the federal grant, staff from the DCJS Office of Youth Justice used data related to arrests, poverty, and runaway youth to identify potential pilot sites. Buffalo, Schenectady and Yonkers will use evidence-based research to help improve services and address challenges through collaborative partnerships, reduce risk factors, enhance protective factors, and increase the opportunity for a youth to be diverted from entering the youth justice system.

While New York State has a formal diversion process, it occurs after an arrest. Those cases are sent to probation departments, which determine whether they proceed to Family Court or can be diverted (also known as adjusted). The programs developed through the grant will allow for the state to pilot pre-arrest diversion or alternative to arrest opportunities, which could potentially increase equity in the justice system and access to alternatives to incarceration while bolstering trust between law enforcement and the community.    

Through the grant, Office of Youth Justice staff will help identify services currently available to homeless and runaway youth in Erie, Schenectady and Westchester counties; explore policy and eligibility requirements to identify barriers for at-risk or justice-involved youth to access programming; and identify any service gaps and needs for those youth. Data also will be used to support implementation of evidence-informed or evidence-based programming to fill those gaps

Office of Youth Justice staff also will assist with implementing trust building in each community, using a newly designed Trust Building facilitator's guide. Modeled after reconciliation and trust building work at the National Network for Safe Communities, the guide helps "communities and law enforcement to come to a position of respect and trust by recognizing real historical harms and experiences, building empathy, and finding common ground and a mutually supported way forward."   

The guide provides a framework and technical assistance to lead facilitators for conducting monthly trust building meetings with stakeholders. Law enforcement leaders and other public officials acknowledge harm done and listen directly to the affected community to create a consensus record of past and present harms; repair the relationship by taking steps to reduce the effects of past harms and prevent them from repeating. The meetings are used to outline lessons learned, develop concrete changes for public safety best practices based on listening and collaboration.   

The federal Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded the funding to New York and five other states. Priority was given to projects in areas with persistently high poverty. Federal performance measures will be used to gauge participation, training, program additions and expansion, and policies created as a result of the pilot program.  

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services is a multi-function criminal justice support agency with a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the state's DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the state's Sex Offender Registry. Follow the agency on Twitter and Facebook.  

SIX TRINITARIOS GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED FOR 2018 FATAL STABBING OF LESANDRO “JUNIOR” GUZMAN-FELIZ

 

Pleaded Guilty to First-Degree Manslaughter Brings End to Prosecution of 13 Defendants 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that six members of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the 2018 fatal stabbing of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, bringing an end to the case.

 District Attorney Clark said, “These six defendants, members of the Los Sures Trinitarios set, chased Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman-Feliz and dragged him out of Belmont bodega where he was stabbed by five other defendants. Their unconscionable actions led to the death of the 15- year-old boy. The shocking viral video of the attack left the Bronx community—and the world— horrified at such complete disregard for human life.

 “Our prosecution against all 13 defendants involved in the murder ends today. It brings closure in the criminal justice aspect but does not bring an end to the pain Junior’s family and friends still suffer. They will never recover from their immense loss, but we hope it brings some peace to the community in knowing that these defendants will be in prison for years.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Danilo Payamps Pacheco, 26, Ronald Urena, 33, Jose Tavarez, 26, Danel Fernandez, 26, and Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, 30, were sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio. Fernandez was sentenced to 18 years in prison, Urena was sentenced to 15 years in prison; Concepcion and Pacheco were sentenced to 12 years in prison, and Tavarez to 15 years in prison. Luis Cabrera Santos, 29, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on January 10, 2023. All were sentenced to five years’ post-release supervision. The defendants had pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter.

  According to trial testimony, on the night of June 20, 2018, Diego Suero, the leader of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang, and Frederic Then, second-in-command, summoned members to Suero’s home and ordered them to commit violence against another set of the Trinitarios called “Sunset.” The members were in two vehicles when they came upon Junior and chased him to a bodega where he tried to hide. The teen was punched and dragged out of the store by the six defendants and hacked with knives and a machete by Jonaiki Martinez, Jose Muniz, Elvin Garcia, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago and Manuel Rivera. Four were sentenced in 2019 to prison terms ranging 23/25 years to life in prison and one defendant was sentenced to life in prison. Suero and Then were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in 2022.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detectives Frank Orlando of the Bronx Homicide Task Force and Joseph Flores of the 48th Precinct for their work on the investigation.

Senator Gustavo Rivera on NYC Health Department’s 2021 Data on Severe Overdose Epidemic

 

“The data released yesterday by our City's Health Department shows unprecedented overdose and fatality levels in NYC that are beyond heartbreaking. The report clearly indicates that our tempered approach is not working. According to the report, we lost 2,668 people to overdose in 2021, up 78% from 2019 and 27% from 2020. The Bronx is bearing the brunt of this epidemic with the highest rates of overdose death, concentrated in the communities I serve where poverty and underinvestment are rampant. 

 

We urgently need a robust response to this crisis including evidence-based measures to keep New Yorkers who use drugs alive and provide the healthcare and support they need. I am very concerned that Governor Hochul's administration has disregarded overdose prevention centers as a key component in fighting the opioid overdose crisis despite being a proven and vital approach. 

Overdose Prevention Centers do not enable drug use. Period. 

They offer destigmatized, private settings that save people’s lives while offering harm reduction services, food, showers, laundry, and safety. The historic first-in-the-nation facilities operated by OnPoint NYC have prevented over 650 overdoses since their opening in 2022. Those are 650 people who would likely not be alive today if they had overdosed somewhere in the community at large.

Last month, the Hochul Adminsitration rejected the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board’s recommendation to allocate money from the Opioid Settlement Fund to expand these centers, claiming they violate federal and state law. This is a tragic mistake. Rhode Island, for instance, has already earmarked $2 million from its settlement dollars for their Overdose Prevention Centers expected to open in the near future. New York should follow suit especially since, our State has historically been a vanguard in public health crises when we recognized the need to act boldly and decisively. We have an obligation to continue that legacy now.

 I call on the Hochul administration to embrace Overdose Prevention Centers and harm reduction strategies. I remain ready and willing to work with her office and with every stakeholder who wants to stop overdose deaths and earnestly address this public health crisis. For the sake of thousands of New Yorkers we've lost to overdose and those grieving the loss of loved ones, we must work in partnership to bring an end to the agony of these senseless deaths."

NY State Senator Gustavo Rivera rivera.nysenate.gov

Advisory: Elevator Safety and Standards Advisory Board Meeting

 

Meeting Notice

The New York State Department of Labor will hold an Elevator Safety and Standards Advisory Board Meeting on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, from 12 PM to 1 PM. This meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed via Zoom. It will be recorded and posted to the Department of Labor website within 24 hours of the meeting’s conclusion. Attendees are not required to register to attend.

When: January 17, 2023, at 12 p.m.

What: Public meeting 

Who: Elevator Safety and Standards Advisory Board

Where: In Person Locations:

• 199 Church St., 3^rd Floor

             New York, New York, 10007

• Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus,

            Building 12, 1st Floor, Albany, NY, 12226

The public may also view the meeting by visiting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84432987726. 

There is no public comment period during the meeting.

The meeting will be recorded. The video will be posted on our website at: https://dol.ny.gov/newsroom

MAYOR ADAMS TO DELIVER STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

 

Speech to Be Held at Queens Theatre

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that on January 26^th he will deliver his second mayoral State of the City address at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where he will discuss the past year’s accomplishments, the current state of the city, and share new plans to improve the lives of all New Yorkers.

 

“In 2022, our first year in office, we committed to ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New Yorkers — and we delivered,” said Mayor Adams. “But we know that our city, and especially working-class New Yorkers, continue to face significant challenges. I look forward to outlining our vision for keeping New Yorkers safe, strengthening our economy, tackling the housing affordability crisis, and providing care to all those in need. We are going to make 2023 our Aaron Judge year.”

 

WHEN:          Thursday, January 26^th

TIME:            12:00 PM

WHERE:        Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue S, Queens, NY 11368

 

Due to extremely limited capacity, this event is by invitation only. 

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - NYC Ultimate Trail Running Series Coming to Van Cortlandt Park

 

NYC Ultimate Trail Running Race Van Cortlandt Park • Bronx, NY Saturday, March 4, 2023 Races start at 10am   Join Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and King of the Mountain  Events for this first-of-its-kind NYC Ultimate Trail Running  Series!    This timed race features 8K* (4.97 miles) filled with rolling  single-track trails, mixed with stairs, wooden boardwalks, and  sections of paved and double wide paths.    Early bird registration of $35 ends on January 31, 2023.   Want to walk the course? We’ve got you covered! Simply  register as a walker.    *This event is a USATF New York Association Championship. Register Now

This run supports Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and our work  maintaining trails!