News from Senator Gustavo Rivera

 

SENATOR RIVERA'S HEALTH COMMITTEE PASSES 10 BILLS

This week, the New York State Health Committee passed 10 bills, including Senator Rivera's bill to require valuable community input and strengthen state review for proposed hospital or unit closures. Legislators also passed Senator Rivera's bill to allow undocumented New Yorkers to receive kidney transplants.

 

 

SENATOR RIVERA ATTENDS THE RIVERDALE TEMPLE'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY GALA 

Senator Rivera attended the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Riverdale Temple. The Riverdale Temple is known for its wide spectrum of educational activities and cultural and social programs for people of all ages that make it a fixture of the Bronx.

In recognition of the Temple's impact, Senator Rivera presented a proclamation to this Riverdale institution for their outstanding service to our community. 

 

White Supremacist Leader Sentenced to 44 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Make Death Threats Against Brooklyn Journalist

 

Defendant Threatened Journalist’s Life For Reporting on Violent Extremist Group

At the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Nicholas Welker, also known as “King ov Wrath,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 44 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to make death threats.  Welker, the leader of Feuerkrieg Division (“FKD”), an international racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (“RMVE”) group, which translates to “War Fire,” posted death threats against a Brooklyn-based journalist (the “Journalist”) so that the Journalist would stop reporting on the Neo-Nazi group.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence. 

“Welker tried to silence a journalist from reporting on his white supremacist group so that his fellow extremists could continue to commit violence against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “There were real victims of this crime—the journalist and his news media organization.  Today’s sentence demonstrates that we will stand up for them and other journalists who bravely report on these violent hate groups.” 

Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies.  Mr. Peace also thanked the Estonian Internal Security Service and Prosecutor’s Office for their valuable support.

According to court filings, Welker’s threat included a photograph of the Journalist with a gun aimed at his head and the words “Race Traitor” over the Journalist’s eyes.  The threat stated, “JOURNALIST F[***] OFF!  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.”  The threat listed the Journalist and his employer by name.  Welker posted the threat to a public online forum.  Two under-aged FKD members tweeted the death threat directly at the Journalist’s social media handle so that he would see it.  Welker intended to frighten the Journalist into dropping his reporting on Welker’s hate group.

FKD members share a common goal of challenging laws, social order, and the government via terrorism and other violent acts.  The organization encourages attacks on racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community, the U.S. Government, journalists, and critical infrastructure.  FKD has members in the United States and abroad.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Two Florida Steel Traders Sentenced for Money Laundering and Russia-Ukraine Sanctions Violations

 

President of Metalhouse LLC Sentenced to Six Years in Prison and $160 Million Forfeiture

Co-Conspirator Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison and $4.7 Million Forfeiture

John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, the president of Orlando, Florida-based steel trading firm Metalhouse LLC, was sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of U.S. sanctions against Sergey Kurchenko, a pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch. Unsalan’s former business associate, Sergey Karpushkin, a Belarusian national residing in Miami, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for his role in the scheme. Unsalan pleaded guilty and was ordered to forfeit $160 million in proceeds from the offense. Karpushkin pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit international promotional money laundering and was ordered to forfeit $4.7 million in criminal proceeds.

Kurchenko was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine. Two sanctioned companies – Kompaniya Gaz-Alyans OOO, based in the Russian Federation and controlled by Kurchenko, and ZAO Vneshtorgservis, based in the Russian occupied Georgian region of South Ossetia – were designated by OFAC in 2018 for acting on behalf of and providing material support to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic in the separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine.

As set forth in court filings, Unsalan and Karpushkin engaged in trade with these sanctioned individuals and entities to procure steelmaking equipment and raw material despite knowing that Kurchenko, Gaz-Alyans and Vneshtorgservis were subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibited U.S. persons and entities from doing business with them. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or transfers.

As stated in court documents, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan conspired with others to transfer over $150 million to Kurchenko and companies controlled by Kurchenko. Unsalan, acting through his company, Metalhouse, engaged in trade with sanctioned individuals and entities and received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies. Between July 2017 and August 2020, Karpushkin conspired with Unsalan and other business associates, acting through Metalhouse, to enter into contracts and purchase orders for pig iron, steel billets, and wire rods from these sanctioned companies and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. The co-conspirators intentionally concealed from U.S. banks and government officials the ultimate source and origin of the goods that they sought to acquire, knowing that they did not have the necessary authorization or license from OFAC to transact with Kurchenko and companies owned and controlled by Kurchenko.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.

The FBI Tampa and Washington Field Offices investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorneys Sean O’Dowd and Sean Fern of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Statement from NYC Comptroller Lander on FY 2025 State Executive Budget

 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the following statement on the FY 2025 New York State Executive Budget, including the housing deal:

“At a time when New York is emerging from the pandemic era and aiming for a more robust recovery, we must do everything in our power to ensure New Yorkers can afford to raise their families for generations to come.

“A better housing deal was possible: one that built more housing all across the state, genuinely protected tenants from eviction with no good cause, made basement units safe instead of sweeping them under the rug (with an opt-in pilot program), and funded vouchers to get unhoused New Yorkers off the streets, out of the subways, and out of shelter. This housing deal falls short on all those fronts.

“I am pleased that the State meaningfully increased its funding for the City’s services for asylum seekers. It’s critical that the City direct these funds to scale up legal services for asylum applications, work authorization, and job placement services so asylum seekers can get the jobs they need to move out of shelter.

“Investing in our infrastructure is fundamental to New York City’s long-term thriving, and a fiscally healthy approach to municipal debt is necessary to pay for it. The State increasing the City’s debt capacity by $14 billion over two years will allow the City to fund its capital needs for schools, transportation, and housing without risking the city’s credit rating. Now, the State should adopt the City’s proposals for capital process reforms that will enable City agencies to deliver infrastructure projects more efficiently. At the same time, we urge the Mayor and OMB to adopt our proposal for a stronger debt management policy to make sure debt service remains below 15 percent of tax revenue as we deploy the new borrowing capacity.

“Mayoral control of public schools is such an important issue that it should have been considered outside the budget, rather than crammed into the budget at the last minute. The recent dysfunction on the Panel for Education Policy, in which members of the PEP and the public were denied opportunities to speak, demonstrates that New York City needs more thoughtful discussion of municipal governance and democratic participation regarding our public schools.

“My office will be analyzing the details in the days to come, including enforcing wage rules under the housing tax exemption programs and monitoring DOE spending.”

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

“In my State of the State, I promised New Yorkers we’d fight to build more housing, improve education and protect public safety — and that’s exactly what our budget is going to do.

“This budget agreement represents the most significant improvement in housing policy in three generations. It includes transformative investments in health care and education that will put our State on the path to fiscal stability. It will end co-pays for insulin, establish first-in-the-nation paid prenatal leave, and launch the EmpireAIconsortium. This budget cracks down on retail theft and gives us new tools to shut down illicit cannabis storefronts. It helps the children of New York City by extending mayoral accountability for public schools. And we got it all done without raising income taxes by a single cent.

“I’m grateful to Speaker Heastie, Leader Stewart-Cousins and my colleagues in the Legislature for their collaboration on this agreement, and look forward to continuing to work together.” 

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Weekly News

  

Environmental Facilities Corp. Faces

Significant Funding Backlog for

Essential Water Infrastructure Projects

New York State’s Environmental Facilities Corporation has provided financing for over 2,000 essential local water infrastructure projects totaling more than $23.7 billion since 1990, but the estimated capital improvement needs for water and sewer projects far exceeds this amount, and tens of billions of dollars in local projects remain in the pipeline, according to a report by State Comptroller DiNapoli.

“The Environmental Facilities Corporation serves a critical role in financing improvements to New York’s water infrastructure,” Comptroller DiNapoli said. “New York has spent more on clean water and drinking water projects than any other State, but the resources needed to address aging infrastructure and related challenges remain significant. The State should build on its efforts to help communities access funding to ensure the success of these programs continues.”

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State Comptroller DiNapoli Commemorates the 26^th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

The historic Good Friday agreement was an unprecedented step towards peace and established a newfound commitment to human rights and civil liberties for the people of Northern Ireland.

Special guest honorees: Helena Nolan, Consul General of Ireland, Michael J. Cusick, President & CEO, Staten Island Economic Development Corporation and John Samuelsen, TWU International President.

Watch Video

Monday Is Earth Day

Earth Day focuses our attention on the need to protect our planet, foster a cleaner environment for future generations and be mindful of how we impact the world around us.

As trustee of the New York State Pension Fund, State Comptroller DiNapoli continues to push companies to adapt to the growing low carbon future, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adopt sustainable practices to protect their long term value. The global effort to address climate risk is simply smart business. Companies that don’t will be left behind.

Learn How the State Pension Fund is Leading the Way on Climate Investment

State Tax Collections Outperform Budget Division Projections for 2023-24

Tax collections for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023-24 totaled $106.4 billion, over $2 billion higher than forecast by the Division of the Budget (DOB) in the most recent financial plan, according to the March State Cash Report released by State Comptroller DiNapoli. Tax receipts also exceeded the projection in the Consensus Economic and Revenue Forecast Report, which estimated $1.35 billion in additional receipts above DOB estimates through the end of SFY 2024-25.

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Audits 

• New York City Department of Small Business Services – Selected Programs to Assist Businesses in New York City
• Department of Health – Medicaid Program – Oversight of Managed Long-Term Care Member Eligibility
• State Education Department (Preschool Special Education Audit Initiative) – Positive Beginnings, Inc. – Compliance With the Reimbursable Cost Manual
• Department of Environmental Conservation – Oversight and Enforcement of the Rechargeable Battery Law
• Department of Health – Medicaid Program – Improper Overlapping Medicaid and Essential Plan Enrollments
• State Education Department (Preschool Special Education Audit Initiative) – NYSARC, Inc. - Rockland County Chapter – Compliance With the Reimbursable Cost Manual
• Department of Health – Oversight of Registration, Licensing, and Inspection of Radioactive Materials Facilities and Radiation Equipment Facilities
• New York City Department for the Aging – Oversight of the Home Delivered Meals Program
• Homes and Community Renewal – Housing Trust Fund Corporation – Internal Controls and Maximization of Federal Funding for CDBG and HOME 
• Department of Labor – Overlap, Duplication, Gaps, and/or Fragmentation of Workforce Development Programs and Services
• New York City Department of Transportation – Oversight of Selected Aspects of Traffic Controls
• Division of Criminal Justice Services – Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Program

 

ALSO IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

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• DiNapoli: Environmental Facilities Corp. faces significant funding backlog for essential water infrastructure projects
  
  
• Report: New York received more money from DC than it sent
  
  
• Audit: NYS fund to combat vehicle theft, auto insurance fraud poorly managed
  
  
• DiNapoli Hosts GFA Commemoration

Post of the Week

Tom DiNapoli @NYSComptroller