Alternate side parking (street cleaning) regulations will be suspended Saturday, January 4 for snow removal. All other regulations, including parking meters, remain in effect.

The National Weather Service has issued a notice to residents of New York City that the combination of temperatures today, ranging from the single digits to 15 degrees, with northeast winds 15 to 20 miles per hours, with wind gusts of 30 to as high as 35 miles per hour, will result in wind chill values ranging from 0 to -10 degrees.

Wind chills below zero could lead to frostbite or hypothermia for anyone exposed to the cold. You are strongly encouraged to avoid leaving your home and refrain from any unnecessary travel. Additionally, please check on your neighbors who are senior citizens or individuals with special needs, as they may need assistance obtaining necessities during inclement weather, including perishables.

Alternate Side Parking will continue to be suspended throughout the day today. However, meters will remain in effect, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

Visit PlowNYC to track the progress of plowing on your block.

Friday, January 3, 2014 – Sunday, January 5, 2014

• This Afternoon: Areas of blowing snow before 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 15. Wind chill values as low as -5. Blustery, with a northwest wind 17 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 1. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 28. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
• Saturday: Night Mostly clear, with a low around 25. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
• Sunday: A slight chance of rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet before noon, then a chance of rain and snow between noon and 1pm, then a chance of rain after 1pm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Sunday: Night Rain likely. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Safety Reminders

For Motorists

• If you must drive a vehicle, monitor weather and traffic reports for the latest road conditions.
• Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible as these roadways will be cleared first.
• Drive slowly. Vehicles, including those with 4-wheel drive, take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement.
• Keep the name and phone number of at least one local towing service in your car in case you break down or become stuck in the snow.
• If you get stuck on the road stay with your car and contact a towing company.

For Pedestrians

• Exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces; some ice may not be visible.
• Wear layers including a hat, gloves and scarf to stay protected from the cold. And, keep clothes and shoes dry.
• Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
• Have heightened awareness of cars, particularly when approaching or crossing intersections.

Tips for Staying Warm

Exposure to cold can cause life-threatening health conditions. Avoid serious conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia, by keeping warm.

• Wear a hat, hood, or scarf.
• Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth.
• Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
• Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it.

A special thanks to Councilman Jumaane Williams for the information.

Counciman Chaim Deutsch was patrolling the streets in his new district until 5:30 am Friday morning checking on vehicular safety and snow removal efforts. Early Friday morning after the snow stopped the councilman let Dept. of Sanitation know in some very strong terms that our streets needed more plowing especially on the side streets – and they listened making sure their plows did our streets again.Information above was from Manhattan Beach Community Group press release.

The post New Councilman Deutsch Patrols Streets Within District for Vehicular Safety & Snow Removal Status appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

UPDATE 6:30 PM: Menachem “Max” Stark, 39 was found burned and suffocated in a Great Neck Long Island dumpster.

Police are  asking for the public’s assistance in locating the following two suspects wanted in connection with a  kidnapping that occurred in Williamsburg on Thursday night.

At around 11:35 PM, Menachem “Max” Stark, 39, was leaving South Side Associated, located at 331 Rutledge Street, when he was approached by 2 suspects who struggled with the victim and forced him into a light colored 2006-2007 Dodge Caravan.

The vehicle fled the location, with the victim inside, and was last seen traveling east bound on Broadway.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).  The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

The post Willaimsburg Man Kidnapped Outside Office appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Councilman David G. Greenfield released the following statement blasting the New York Post for their outrageous front cover headline regarding the murder of 39-year-old father of eight, Menachem Stark, following his abduction outside his Williamsburg office earlier this week:

“I am disgusted that the New York Post condoned the murder of a businessman, husband and father of eight. This clearly crosses the bounds of decency and demands an immediate apology from the newspaper to the grieving family and the entire community. The murder of an innocent man is not something to be celebrated in New York City. It’s a horrific tragedy and the Post’s coverage of this death is borderline anti-Semitic.

The post Greenfield Blasts New York Post for Disgusting Headline Condoning Murder of Orthodox Businessman and Father appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Local Councilman and supported of the Boro Park Shomrim, David G. Greenfield is attending the sentencing today of David Flores in Brooklyn Supreme Court after formally requesting that Judge Dineen Riviezzo issue Flores the maximum of 15 years in prison in connection with the 2010 shooting of four Shomrim safety patrol members. Flores was convicted on November 27 of illegal gun possession for shooting the unarmed volunteers while they were investigating a complaint of Flores exposing himself to neighborhood children. In a letter sent last week to Judge Riviezzo, Councilman Greenfield implored her to issue the maximum 15-year sentence to send a clear message that carrying and using an illegal gun in New York City will result in a prison term.

“This individual chose to carry an illegal weapon and then fire it several times on a crowded street, striking four volunteer patrol members and endangering countless other innocent bystanders. I do not agree with the jury’s decision to find him not-guilty of other charges. With that said, the jury agreed with all law-abiding New Yorkers in ruling that we cannot have criminals carrying guns around our neighborhoods. All branches of government share in the responsibility of ridding our streets of guns. That’s why I asked Judge Riviezzo to reaffirm the important message that carrying a concealed illegal weapon will lead to the maximum prison sentence when she sentences David Flores” said Councilman Greenfield.

Flores has 20 prior arrests for charges including burglary, assault, public lewdness, robbery and gun possession, according to published reports and former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. He faces between 5 and 15 years in prison.

“I will attend the hearing out of support to the brave and dedicated Shomrim volunteers, who give so much of their time to keep our community safe, and to express how important this sentencing is. The defendant is clearly someone who poses a threat to society and should be held fully accountable for his actions, which I expressed in my letter to the Judge last week,” added Councilman Greenfield.

The post Greenfield Attends Sentencing of David Flores after Requesting Maximum in Connection with Shooting of Shomrim Volunteers appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Yesterday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams joined Jewish community leaders and local elected officials to condemn the New York Post’s hateful coverage of the murder of Menachem “Max” Stark, a 39-year-old father of eight children from the Hasidic community of Williamsburg. Along with reporting that alleged him to be a crooked slumlord, the Post’s cover featured a picture of Stark next to the headline, “Who didn’t want him dead?”

“We stand as One Brooklyn in condemnation of the New York Post’s coverage of the murder of Menachem Stark,” said Borough President Adams. “Above all else, this was a husband, a father and a member of a community that sits in mourning over his tragic passing. The New York Post’s decision to hang him in effigy on the cover of today’s paper, just hours after his family has begun to sit shiva, is a betrayal of the journalistic integrity that its readership deserves. I am calling for the New York Post to publish a formal apology to the Stark family in tomorrow’s paper.”

Elected officials in attendance included Public Advocate Letitia James, Assembly Member Joe Lentol, Council Members Laurie Cumbo, Chaim Deutsch, David Greenfield, Steve Levin and Mark Treyger as well as Rockland County Legislature Majority Leader Aaron Weider.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the incredibly insensitive and crass cover of today’s New York Post which mocks the kidnapping and brutal murder of Menachem Stark,” said State Senator Simcha Felder. “The Post must issue an immediate apology to the Stark family and to all New Yorkers for its egregious behavior and failure to exercise any judgment whatsoever in this matter.”

“I am disgusted that the New York Post condoned the murder of a businessman, husband and father of eight,” said Greenfield. “This clearly crosses the bounds of decency and demands an immediate apology from the newspaper to the grieving family and the entire community. The murder of an innocent man is not something to be celebrated in New York City. It’s a horrific tragedy and the Post’s coverage of this death is borderline anti-Semitic.”

“The New York Post’s unbelievably offensive headline this morning comes the day after Mr. Stark’s family and children, as well as an entire community, laid him to rest and are still mourning his death,” said Levin. “For the New York Post to suggest that a person deserved to be murdered is sickening and reaches a new low. The entire community is outraged by such a vulgar headline that is so offensive and horrific. The New York Post should pull their story and issue an apology to the family and community that are still in mourning.”

Jewish community leaders in attendance included Chair Yidel Perlstein of Community Board 12, Rabbi David Niederman of the UJO of Williamsburg, Rabbi Yeruchim Silber of the Boro Park Jewish Community Council (JCC), Shea Rubinstein of the JCC of Marine Park, Rabbi Moshe Indig of the JCC of Williamsburg, Rabbi Chanina Sperlin of the Crown Heights JCC, Meny Hoffman of Bonai Olam, Jacob Itzkowitz of the Williamsburg Shomrim, Yanki Daskel of the Boro Park Shomrim, Rabbi Abe Friedman of Williamsburg and Rabbi Joel Eisdofer of Boro Park. They announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Stark, whose smoldering body was found in a dumpster in Long Island, following his abduction Thursday night outside his real estate office in Brooklyn.

“As a real estate consultant who dealt with Max Stark and his partnership, I can say that this was a honest, humble man of integrity in the business community,” said Joel Friedman, a Williamsburg community activist.

“The New York Post has crossed a dangerous line, recklessly prejudicing a criminal investigation and deeply offending a grieving family and an entire community,” said Indig. “Whatever the facts turn out to be and whatever the full story as established by the police, children have lost their father and a wife is now a widow. To have a front page story essentially declaring ‘who didn’t want this man dead?’ is an affront to all New Yorkers. The Post and its parent company owe us all an apology.” 

“A family mourns today.  A community mourns today.  And I, as a New Yorker, mourn today,” said Rubenstein. “The New York Post’s irresponsible reporting, suggesting that these cold-blooded murderers did society a favor, further encourages such a callous attitude toward the value and sanctity of human life.”

“This is not the first time that the New York Post has had the audacity to use deplorable language to depict against our community,” said Marc Katz of the Boro Park Shomrim. “This is an unacceptable way to treat fellow Americans and should not be tolerated. The paper should be banned from ours and neighboring communities.”

The post Local Politicians Condemn New York Post’s Coverage of Murdered Williamsburg Business Man appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

A hateful vandal spray-painted swastikas on a Hebrew-school bus in Boro Park.

The manager of the United Talmudical Academy made the disturbing discovery on one of the school’s buses at around 7:30 a.m. Dec. 30.

He spotted two gold swastikas scrawled across the right side of the bus, which was parked at 21st Avenue and 57th Street.

The culprit also tagged the bus with unintelligible writing.

Source: NYPD Blotter

The post Boro Park Yeshiva School Bus Vandalized With Swastikas appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

The Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition, (FJCC) adds its voice to the chorus of condemnation of the New York Post for its disgraceful coverage of the cold-blooded murder of Menachem Stark.  Mr. Stark was a devoted husband, son and father of 8.  That the Post would hurt them in their time of grieving should be beneath even those at the Post whose only standard seems to be cheap sensationalism.  The Post should immediately apologize to the family, and all decent New Yorkers should join the growing list of elected officials who have condemned the Post.  We must keep up the pressure until they apologize.

The post FJCC Condemns NY Post Headline appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Police in New York City have arrested a Brooklyn man they say has struck six people, including three elderly women, in the back of the head since November.

Police arrested Barry Baldwin Friday on six counts of assault as a hate crime, one count of attempted assault for missing a seventh person, and other charges. They say all the incidents occurred in Brooklyn.

Baldwin was in custody and unavailable for comment. A message left at his home wasn’t returned and it wasn’t clear if he had an attorney.

They say the 35-year-old man punched a 33-year-old woman who was walking with her seven-year-old daughter in the back of the head on Dec. 21. They say his victims also included two 78-year-old women in separate incidents and a 71-year-old woman.

Source: Associated Press (AP)

The post Brooklyn Man Arrested & Charged in Connection to Several Knock Out Attacks appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be suspended citywide on Tuesday, January 7 due to anticipated icing conditions resulting from the coming freezing temperatures. Payment at parking meters will remain in effect.

The post Alternate Side Rules Suspended Tuesday, January 7 appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Ben Akselrod, President of We’re One Community, has called on the Police Department to issue Naloxone, an easily administered drug that resuscitates prescription drug overdose victims, to officers patrolling Southern Brooklyn.

In a letter to Assistant Chief Owen Monaghan, commander of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, Akselrod requested that local police officers be provided with the life saving drug and receive training in how to administer it.

“Police officers in one Staten Island precinct already have Naloxone. With the incidence of prescription drug abuse on the rise we cannot wait any longer for our officers to be issued Naloxone. Police officers are often the first emergency responders on the scene of a suspected prescription drug overdose. In such emergencies seconds can be the difference between life and death, brain injury or total recovery. This is why it is so important that the men and women who patrol our communities have a tool that will save lives – Naloxone,” Akselrod explained.

“Prescription drug abuse is a problem that affects every community. While many of my neighbors neither have the desire nor knowledge of how to obtain illegal drugs, they readily have doctor prescribed medicines in their medicine cabinets or on their kitchen tables, making the potential for the abuse of such drugs all too easy in almost every household of your command,” Akselrod warned in his letter to Assistant Chief Monaghan.

Akselrod pointed out in his letter that, “In 2012 nearly 200 of our fellow New Yorkers died from overdosing on pain killers. Albany has gone through the motions, but has yet to develop an effective legislative remedy to the prescription drug abuse epidemic. While we as a society are attempting to reduce the abuse of doctor prescribed drugs, we must protect those who fall victim to this growing problem. Please immediately begin the process required to provide patrol officers in your command with Naloxone.”

We’re One Community is dedicated to bringing Southern Brooklyn’s diverse ethnic and religious communities together to work to improve the entire neighborhood for everyone.

The post South Brooklyn Community Organization Calls on Police to Carry Prescription Drug Overdose Resuscitation Drug appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

The NYPD are seeking public’s assistance identifying an unidentified male who collapsed while jogging in Prospect park on New Years Eve.

The male, seen on the left, was taken to Methodist Hospital in critical condition.

The unidentified male is described as male white approximately 60 years old, 5’9 and 200 lbs. with brown eyes and grey hair.

He was wearing blue jogging pants and jacket and size 9 1/2 black Adidas sneakers.

Anyone with information is urged to call the 78th Precinct at: (718) 636-6411

The post Police Need Your Help Identifying This Man appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

A Brooklyn shop owner was found dead with deep lacerations to his throat.

At around 12:20 AM police responded to a 911 call of a male assaulted inside of 546 McDonald Avenue in Kensington.

Upon arrival officers discovered Mahuddin Mahumd, 57, with numerous stab wounds and lacerations, unconscious and unresponsive in his basement office.

EMS also responded and pronounced the victim DOA at the scene. There are no arrest(s) and the investigation is ongoing.

Mahuddin lived several blocks away on Westminster Road.

The post Brooklyn Shop Owner Mahuddin Mahumd found Dismembered in Store’s Basement appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Council Member Stephen Levin is calling for multiple traffic calming measures to be implemented on McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint following a recent fatality. Levin sent a letter this afternoon to Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg requesting that the issue be addressed in a variety of ways, including the installation of speed cameras from the recently approved pilot program, a neighborhood slow zone, left hand turn signals, countdown clocks at crosswalks, and other traffic calming elements that will help prevent future crashes.

Full text of letter below:

Dear Commissioner Trottenberg,

First, I want to congratulate you on your appointment as Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. Your record speaks for itself – as does Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to Vision Zero – and I look forward to working with you to make the streets of Greenpoint and the rest of New York City safer and friendlier to all New Yorkers.

I am writing to express the serious concerns that I and the entire community of Greenpoint have regarding the safety of McGuinness Boulevard. For years, McGuinness Boulevard has been one of the most dangerous streets in Brooklyn. Last week, a crash at the corner of McGuinness Boulevard and Nassau Avenue was a tragic reminder of how dangerous this roadway has become for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike. I respectfully request that the Department of Transportation implement traffic calming measures to make McGuinness Boulevard safer before another tragedy occurs in our community.

As you know, the speed limit on McGuinness Boulevard is 30 miles per hour, but as found in a 2012 study by the Transportation Alternatives McGuinness Boulevard Working Group, 66.25% of all motorists exceed the speed limit while driving on this street. The combination of rampant speeding and pedestrian crossings is a recipe for danger, and just last week our community was dealt a tragic blow when a pedestrian was fatally struck while crossing the street.

As outlined in the recommendations of the Transportation Alternatives McGuinness Boulevard Working Group report from 2012, there are a number of measures that can be taken to increase safety along McGuinness Boulevard, including the installation of speed cameras. Speed cameras from the recently approved pilot program should be installed at PS 34, which is just off of McGuinness Boulevard, and would reduce speeds and increase safety. I also request the implementation of a neighborhood slow zone in the area surrounding PS 34, left-hand turn signals, countdown clocks at crosswalks, and other traffic calming elements that will help prevent future crashes.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to working with you on behalf of the Greenpoint community.

Sincerely,

Stephen T. Levin

Councilmember, 33rd District

The post Councilman Levin calls for Traffic Calming Measures on McGuinness Boulevard appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

The New York City Police Department has a community-participation program called the “Block Watcher Program.” This program is open to all members of the community and is free of charge.

The post Get Involved – NYPD Block Watchers Program appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Deputy Chief Wayne Cartwright reported that there were eight minor injuries (three fire fighters and five civilians). Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Breaking News Network

The post FDNY Quick Response Saves Lives In Morning Midwood Blaze appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

Prosecutors today announced the indictment of 106 defendants for a massive fraud against the federal Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (“SSDI”) program that resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars from federal taxpayers. The four principal defendants, RAYMOND LAVALLEE, 83, THOMAS HALE, 89, JOSEPH ESPOSITO, 64, and JOHN MINERVA, 61, are accused of directing hundreds of SSDI applicants, including many retirees of the NYPD and FDNY, to lie about their psychiatric conditions in order to obtain benefits to which they were not entitled. They are charged with Grand Larceny in the First and Second Degrees, and Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. The remaining 102 defendants, all SSDI recipients, are charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.^[1] The investigation is continuing.

“For years, federal taxpayers have unwittingly financed the lifestyles of the defendants charged today,” said District Attorney Vance. “The Social Security Disability safety net exists to help those who are unable to help themselves. Many participants cynically manufactured claims of mental illness as a result of September 11th, dishonoring the first responders who did serve their City at the expense of their own health and safety. This alleged scam further depleted the already limited resources available for battling the real and complex conditions of PTSD and depression. I commend the excellent work of the federal agents from the Social Security Inspector General’s office, who worked with Assistant District Attorneys and detective investigators in my office, as well as seasoned detectives from the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, to crack this decades-long scam.”

New York City Police Department Commissioner William J. Bratton said: “The retired members of the NYPD indicted in this case have disgraced all first responders who perished during the search and rescue efforts on September 11, 2001, and those who subsequently died from 9/11 related illness, by exploiting their involvements that tragic day for personal gain. I would like to thank members of the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the United States Social Security Administration Inspector General for working together to uncover this deception and fraud and bring these criminals to justice.”

Special Agent-in-Charge Edward J. Ryan of the United States Social Security Administration, said: “The crimes alleged in this indictment outline a highly organized, far-reaching criminal enterprise that targeted the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. These individuals allegedly relied on lies, deceit, and under-the-table payments while they bilked the Social Security Trust Funds of tens of millions of dollars and, in many instances, exploited the tragic events of September 11, 2001 for their own gain. This exploitation, combined with the fact that many of those indicted formerly held positions of public trust, make these crimes all the more egregious, and the Office of the Inspector General is gratified to see them brought to justice. If you have information relating to this investigation or other similar schemes I encourage you to contact us at a special hotline that has been set up at (877) 471-6012 or you can e-mail us at oig.ssa.gov/report.”

James T. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New York said: “Many of the individuals arrested today are alleged to have crafted an insidious scheme to profit off the tragedy of the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history, one that affected all New Yorkers so very personally. I’m proud that through the work of my office’s El Dorado Task Force, one of the largest and most successful financial investigations task forces in the world, we will chase down every penny that these dishonorable thieves fraudulently pilfered so that the truly heroic firefighters, police officers, medics, and civilians who actually risked their lives on September 11, 2001, and are now suffering because of it, can get the care that they critically need.”
Under the United States Social Security law, individuals are qualified as “disabled” and entitled to SSDI payments if they suffer from a disability that prevents them from assuming any job available to them in the national economy. The payment amount varies per recipient, but the average annual payment is approximately $30,000 to $50,000 for each recipient.

According to the indictment and documents filed in court, from approximately January 1988 to December 2013, the four principal defendants in this case operated together to direct and assist many hundreds of applicants to falsely claim disabilities in order to order to collect SSDI payments, in addition to their public pensions. The applicants claimed that they suffered a psychiatric condition that prevented them from working, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or depression. Many of the defendants used their association with the events of September 11, 2001, as the cause of their psychiatric condition. Seventy-two of the defendants are also collecting pensions as retirees of the NYPD, eight from the New York City Fire Department, five from the New York Department of Correction, and one from the Nassau County Police Department.

As detailed in court papers, applicants were typically brought into the charged scheme by ESPOSITO, a retired member of the NYPD, or MINERVA, a disability consultant for the Detectives’ Endowment Association, the union that represents NYPD detectives. They would then refer applicants to LAVALLEE, an attorney who previously served as Assistant District Attorney and Chief of the Rackets Bureau in the Nassau County District Attorney’s office, and HALE, a key manager of the scheme under LAVALLEE, to submit the SSDI applications.

Although many of the NYPD and FDNY applicants had limited physical disabilities that legitimately entitled them to state disability pensions, these physical conditions did not entitle them to SSDI, which requires a complete inability to work. For that reason, according to the charges, to overcome the SSDI threshold, the applicants, with the help and direction of ESPOSITO, HALE, MINERVA and LAVALLEE, created false psychiatric conditions, typically depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”).

HALE and ESPOSITO are accused of coaching applicants to falsely describe symptoms of depression and anxiety to doctors they had recruited, in order to build a record of psychiatric treatment over the course of approximately one year. Specifically, they instructed applicants on how to fail memory tests with plausibility, how to dress, and on their demeanor. Almost every application included identical descriptions of the applicants’ activities of daily living, such as:

• “I nap on and off during the day.”
• “I have the TV on to keep me company.”
• “I was a healthy, active, productive person.”
• “I’m up and down all night long.”
• “My [family member] is always after me about my grooming.”
• “I’m unable to perform any type of work activity in or out of the house.”

Before filing their SSDI applications, according to the charges, none of the defendants had a history of a psychiatric condition that would qualify them for SSDI benefits. While collecting their cash benefits, many of the applicants lived lifestyles that starkly contradicted the representations made on their applications.

For example, defendants often claimed that they rarely left their homes, did not travel, and had almost no social interactions with family and friends. But, according to court documents, applicants were in fact driving, traveling by air, engaging in recreational sports, and lifting heavy objects. Several of the defendants also were gainfully employed, including at energy and investment companies, private security and private eye firms, construction and landscaping, and even baking.

In some particularly striking examples, one defendant piloted a helicopter, another played blackjack in Las Vegas, another worked at a cannoli stand at the San Gennaro Festival in Manhattan, another rode a jet ski, and one defendant taught and performed mixed martial arts. And, notwithstanding that most defendants claimed they could not use a computer, many had Facebook pages, Twitter handles, and YouTube channels.

Applicants were typically awarded SSDI benefits approximately between three and 12 months after submitting their applications. Initial award were paid to the applicants in the form of lump sum payments that included a retroactive award going back up to 12 months from the application filing date. The retroactive portions could be as high as $100,000. The recipients then continue to receive monthly payments.

According to the indictment, after the retroactive awards were deposited into the applicants’ accounts, ESPOSITO and MINERVA instructed the applicants to withdraw cash from the bank in in increments under $10,000, so that the withdrawals would not raise suspicion or require the filing of currency reports with the federal government. Applicants then made cash payments to ESPOSITO or MINERVA, who in turn transferred the money to HALE and LAVALLEE. These one-time cash payments were based on the applicants’ monthly awards, and ranged from approximately $20,000 to $50,000.

In addition to a portion of the secret kickbacks, LAVALLEE also received $6,000 directly from the government for attorney’s fees for each applicant. Applicants then continue to collect their monthly fraudulent disability payments, which ranged from approximately $2,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on the number of dependents within the beneficiary’s household.

Among the indicted applicants, SSDI awards have been paid since as far back as 1988, and in some instances, the total amount fraudulently obtained was close to $500,000 per applicant. The average SSDI payment to date for charged defendants, which included retroactive lump sum payments, was approximately $210,000.

Names & More

^[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendant Information:

RAYMOND LAVALLEE, D.O.B. 7/6/1930
Massapequa, NY

Charges:

• Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 101 counts
• Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count

THOMAS HALE, D.O.B. 4/14/1924
Bellmore, NY

Charges:

• Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 101 counts
• Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count

JOSEPH ESPOSITO, D.O.B. 12/28/1949
Valley Stream, NY

Charges:

• Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 101 counts
• Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count

JOHN MINERVA, D.O.B. 7/21/1952
Malverne, NY

Charges:

• Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 101 counts
• Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count

GEORGE BYRNES, 2/22/1955
Nassau, NY

Charges:

• Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
• Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count

DEFENDANTS 6-106 (Listed below)

Charges:

• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count each
• Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree, a class A misdemeanor, one count each

ANN MARIE AGLIALORO, D.O.B. 12/22/1958, Staten Island, NY
CHRISTOPHER AGOGLIA, D.O.B. 9/14/1962, Brooklyn, NY
JOHN AREZZO, D.O.B. 5/28/1946, Staten Island, NY
DONALD AVENOSO, D.O.B. 9/1/1956, Staten Island, NY
MICHAEL BARTON, D.O.B. 8/29/1958, Queens, NY
PHILLIP BLESSINGER, D.O.B. 8/2/1950, Martin, FL
SHELDON BRATTON, D.O.B. 8/26/1956, Brooklyn, NY
TYRONE BREEDEN, D.O.B. 10/4/1957, Queens, NY
DERMOT BRESLIN, D.O.B. 4/23/1954, Westchester, NY
NINFA BRUNETTO, D.O.B. 12/2/1965, Lackawanna, PA
JOHN BYRNE, D.O.B. 8/30/1966, Queens, NY
BRIAN CAREY, D.O.B. 9/27/1965, Orange, NY
ARTRAILYES CARTER, A/K/A DENISE CARTER, D.O.B. 10/26/1960, Queens, NY
JOHN CATUOSCO, D.O.B. 8/13/1969, Suffolk, NY
JOHN CLOSS, D.O.B. 2/9/1969, Monmouth, NJ
JOHN COLOMBI, D.O.B. 7/7/1967, Douglas, CO
EDWIN COLON, D.O.B. 7/26/1962, Orange, FL
DANIEL CONKLIN, D.O.B. 2/21/1967, Orange, NY
JACQUELINE CONNOLLY, D.O.B. 12/23/1956, Queens, NY
RONALD CONNOR, D.O.B. 4/17/1967, Palm Beach, FL
RICHARD COSENTINO, D.O.B. 2/25/1964, Rockingham, NH
EDWARD CURLEY, D.O.B. 1/23/1958, Suffolk, NY
DAVID CZARK, D.O.B. 3/22/1959, Horry, SC
THOMAS DAMON, D.O.B. 7/7/1966, Staten Island, NY
MICHAEL DEMARTINO, D.O.B. 12/7/1963, Brooklyn, NY
THOMAS DINKELACKER, D.O.B. 5/15/1959, Nassau, NY
ROBERT DONALDSON, D.O.B. 9/18/1961, Virginia Beach, VA
MUSTAFA DUFAN, D.O.B. 2/1/1963, Broward, FL
RALPH EHRESMAN, D.O.B. 12/31/1962, Fort Mill, SC
JOHN FAMULARO, D.O.B. 11/29/1955, Nassau, NY
GLENN GALANOS, D.O.B. 12/10/1968, Mecklenburg, NC
KAREN GALIMI, D.O.B. 12/24/1964, Queens, NY
KEVIN GALIMI, D.O.B. 4/14/1963, Queens, NY
THOMAS GALIMI, D.O.B. 5/22/1961, Orange, NY
VINCENT GERGENTI, D.O.B. 6/4/1955, Orange, NY
JACK GIANCASPRO, D.O.B. 1/1/1950, Bronx, NY
DANIEL GONZALEZ, D.O.B. 3/11/1981, Brooklyn, NY
SCOTT GRECO, D.O.B. 2/23/1964, Nassau, NY
WILLIAM GROSS, D.O.B. 10/10/1962, Orange, NY
PAUL HANSEN, D.O.B. 6/19/1978, Suffolk, NY
RAYMOND HERLIHY, D.O.B. 5/23/1948, Westchester, NY
KERAN HOWARD, D.O.B. 8/2/1965, Nassau, NY
DONALD HUNTER, D.O.B. 5/29/1951, Suffolk, NY
KEVIN HURLEY, D.O.B. 2/29/1960, Orange, NY
LOUIS HURTADO, D.O.B. 11/5/1953, Pasco, FL
DARLENE ILCHERT, D.O.B. 11/22/1964, Nassau, NY
PETER INZERILLA, D.O.B. 5/24/1973, Queens, NY
JODI ISOLANO, A/K/A JODI GIUDICE, D.O.B. 6/21/1978, Queens, NY
TRACY JACKSON, D.O.B. 6/9/1964, Union, NC
TERRANCE JOHNSON, D.O.B. 1/20/1962, Orange, NY
JOHN KELLETT, D.O.B. 12/9/1961, Nassau, NY
HELEN KRILL, D.O.B. 3/18/1955, Queens, NY
MICHAEL KULL, D.O.B. 8/5/1967, Orange, NY
DARRIN LAMANTIA, D.O.B. 6/22/1957, Queens, NY
VINCENT LAMANTIA, D.O.B. 10/8/1970, Staten Island, NY
THOMAS LAROSA, D.O.B. 5/26/1951, Brooklyn, NY
GLENN LIEBERMAN, D.O.B. 9/21/1965, Palm Beach, FL
CHRISTOPHER LISANTI, D.O.B. 12/1/1970, Suffolk, NY
DAVID LOPEZ, D.O.B. 1/18/1966, New York, NY
TERRANCE MAGANOS, D.O.B. 4/17/1963, Nassau, NY
ANTHONY MAHER, D.O.B. 5/19/1970, Pima, AZ
EDWARD MAHONEY, D.O.B. 11/9/1947, Nassau, NY
DANIEL MALLO, D.O.B. 7/26/1965, Fort Mill, SC
FRANCIS MARINO, D.O.B. 1/4/1971, Suffolk, NY
PETER MARTIN, D.O.B. 8/3/1964, Queens, NY
JOHN MASSONI, D.O.B. 10/13/1964, Staten Island, NY
JAMES MATAMOROS, D.O.B. 6/28/1958, Hillsborough, FL
LAUREN MAZZA, D.O.B. 8/20/1968, Staten Island, NY
GERARD MCCARTHY, D.O.B. 8/13/1966, Suffolk, NY
KEVIN MCCULLAGH, D.O.B. 11/24/1958, Queens, NY
JOHN MCGARRY, D.O.B. 7/2/1963, Queens, NY
ARLENE MELLETT, D.O.B. 2/18/1960, Nassau, NY
SALVATORE MORIELLO, D.O.B. 5/10/1962, Nassau, NY
ROBERT MORRISSEY, D.O.B. 7/25/1954, Suffolk, NY
JOSEPH MORRONE, D.O.B. 5/24/1953, New York, NY
ARNOLD MOSKOWITZ, D.O.B. 2/22/1947, Queens, NY
JERIMIAH MOYNIHAN, D.O.B. 12/3/1968, Suffolk, NY
LEONARD NARDUCCI, D.O.B. 5/14/1960, Ocean, NJ
MERGIN NESIMI, D.O.B. 12/30/1971, Brooklyn, NY
MICHAEL NUZZI, D.O.B. 11/26/1961, Nassau, NY
TERRANCE O’HARA, D.O.B. 8/1/1976, Suffolk, NY
JOHN OROSZ, D.O.B. 3/10/1971, Staten Island, NY
FRANK PALMERI, D.O.B. 9/1/1960, Nassau, NY
JAMES PATE, D.O.B. 10/1/1971, St. Johns, FL
JOSEPH POLITE, D.O.B. 5/29/1964, Suffolk, NY
DANIEL POLLICINO, D.O.B. 12/31/1965, Suffolk, NY
THOMAS PONZO, D.O.B. 6/5/1963, Nassau, NY
JOHN QUINN, D.O.B. 10/23/1963, Broward, FL
LIANA RIVERA, A/K/A LIANA BENITEZ-RIVERA, D.O.B. 2/15/1970, Martin, FL
MICHAEL ROCCO, D.O.B. 9/10/1959, Queens, NY
SAMUEL RUSHING, D.O.B. 6/23/1971, Queens, NY
MATTHEW SALMON, D.O.B. 9/16/1961, Suffolk, NY
JOHN SALVATO, D.O.B. 4/28/1962, Nassau, NY
MICHAEL SCIALABBA, D.O.B. 7/19/1970, Suffolk, NY
NICHOLAS SECCHI, D.O.B. 10/10/1963, Nassau, NY
JOHN SENESE, D.O.B. 2/28/1967, Georgetown, SC
JOHN STEFANOWSKI, D.O.B. 9/8/1963, Nassau, NY
ANDRE STENNETT, D.O.B. 4/30/1962, Lexington and Richland, SC
SHANNON TUMMINELLO, D.O.B. 10/20/1972, Lee, FL
LARRY WILTBANK, D.O.B. 5/28/1958, Ocean, NJ
SIDNEY YOUNG, D.O.B. 4/3/1959, Castle, DE

The post 106 Defendants, Including 80 NYPD & FDNY Retirees Indicted In Social Security Disability Fraud appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

The Brooklyn Bridge will be closed Manhattan-bound from midnight Friday to 7 am Saturday, from midnight Saturday to 9 am Sunday, and from midnight Sunday to 6 am Monday. The eastbound BQE exit onto the bridge closes 30 minutes earlier, the northbound FDR Drive exits close up to an hour earlier, and other Brooklyn ramps onto the bridge shut down 5-15 minutes earlier.

One lane in each direction on the Metropolitan Avenue Bridge over Newtown Creek will be closed on Sunday from 7 am to 2 pm to install electrical equipment.

The post Weekend Bridge Closures – January 11-12 appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.

New video from the scene of the abduction has been obtained by the NYPD.

The video, captured before the crime occurred, shows a suspect exiting a white van and walking to the corner of Broadway and Rutledge Street at approximately 5PM the day of the crime.

The video then shows the suspect walk back to the white van. The same action is shown from two different cameras.

The post NEW Video of Suspect & Vehicle Involved in Abduction of Menachem Max Stark appeared first on BrooklyNews.com | Local Brooklyn News.