Two gunmen are still roaming free after a wild shooting early Sunday outside a South Richmond Hill nightclub le two men wounded and an innocent pedestrian seriously injured when their getaway vehicle slammed into him, according to police and published reports.
The area outside Impulse Lounge on Liberty Avenue near 129th Street turned into a crime scene around 3:45 a.m. after one man was shot in the back and another was shot in both legs. Both victims were rushed to Ja -
maica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition.
Both shooters hopped into a late-model white BMW coupe and oored it away from the lounge until the vehicle jumped the curb at Liberty Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway and blasted a pedestrian.
e suspects then abandoned the vehicle and ed on foot.
e crash victim was also rushed to Jamaica Hospital. He was listed in critical condition with severe leg trauma, according to a New York Daily News report.
A motive for the shooting was unknown as of press time.
Two months later, we nally have a winner.
A er a manual hand recount and several
court cases, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) has prevailed over Republican challenger Tom Sullivan and been re-elected to represent the 23rd District in South Queens.
“I know
has been a long and dicult process for everyone involved,” Phe er Amato said. “ e wheels of our American democracy do not always turn as quickly as we’d like, but preserving the integrity
of our elections, ensuring the accuracy of the count, and defending the right of every voter’s voice to be heard is more important than expediency.”
e counting of 74 newly-cured absentee ballots, four a davit ballots, and 11 ballots with votes cast for the two candidates all added to Phe er Amato’s lead, securing her re-election by a nal margin of 15 votes.
“I want to thank all of my supporters, my family and friends, and my constituents for their patience throughout this process, and I am humbled and honored to once again be selected by the voters to represent this wonderful district,” Phe er Amato added. “We have important work to do to ght for our community and stand up for our working families. is election is over, and I look forward to continuing this work for my constituents.”
e assemblywoman emerged victorious with one of the largest over-performances in the state, according to her campaign, exceeding the top-of-the-ticket by 24 percent due to crossover support.
e election results are expected to be o cially certi ed in the coming days.
thisFile Photo Assemblywoman Phe er Amato has earned another term in Albany. File Photo GOP candidate Tom Sullivan was narrowly defeated by a total of 15 votes. Photo Courtesy of Google e shooting took place early Sunday outside Impulse Lounge in South Richmond Hill. Photo Courtesy of Google All victims have been treated at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Photo Courtesy of Google e pedestrian was hit by the getaway vehicle at Liberty Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway. By Michael V. Cusenza
Queens District A orney Melinda Katz announced Friday that Nazieer Basir has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for the deadly shooting of a 22-year-old man in Ozone Park in December 2020.
Basir, 22, of Jamaica, was indicted in December 2020 on murder, manslaughter and other charges. He was sentenced on Friday in Queens Supreme Court by Justice Michael Yavinsky to 17 years in prison followed by ve years of post-release supervision. Basir pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the rst degree last month.
According to the charges, just before 10 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2020, Basir and three others, including the victim, 22-year-old Royhessny Sintjago, a empted to a ack a group of rivals si ing in a parked car near the intersection of 90th Street and Liberty Av-
enue. e car pulled away and Sintjago chased on foot, armed with a tire jack. Basir red two shots at the car, with one striking Sintjago in the head and killing him.
“This is an appalling example of stupid, senseless violence turning deadly. The defendant and victim were allegedly set to attack a group of rivals in a car. The defendant charged here allegedly fired his illegal gun, missed his intended target, and killed his would-be accomplice. This mindless bloodshed must stop,” Katz said two years ago.
“We will not tolerate shootouts on the streets of Queens County,” Katz said on Friday. “People will be held accountable for their actions. The sentence meted out today by the court appropriately punishes the defendant for his behavior and I am grateful for all involved in the prosecution of this case.”
most critical to our state, I am eager to deliver another outstanding and popular source of revenue and greater protections against problem gambling.”
Addabbo said that due to feedback from his constituents, he intends to make public safety one of the highest priority issues during budget negotiations and the legislative session.
Health care, education, veterans programs, the environment, jobs, transportation, and addressing the high cost of living in the state are also top priorities for the senator. Addabbo encouraged his constituents to contact his new Woodhaven or Middle Village offices to give input on these or any other issue.
By Forum Sta
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) has been reappointed to serve as Majority Deputy Whip for the Democratic Conference, he announced Tuesday.
The senator will also continue his service as chairman of the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, in addition to serving on the Budget & Revenue, Civil Service & Pensions, Education, Insurance, Veterans Homeland Security & Military Affairs, and Rules committees.
It will be the first session for Addabbo to be on the Budget and Insurance committees, he noted.
As chairman of the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, Addabbo said, “I’m thrilled to report that New York mobile sports betting ended its first year of legal action with $16.2 billion in handle, the biggest single-year total in the country, since the US Supreme Court authorized state-regulated sports betting in 2018. Sportsbooks generated $1.4 billion in gross gaming NY sports betting revenue, bringing in a record of over $693 million in state tax revenue to go toward public education, youth sports, and gambling addiction programs. In 2023, New York will look to become the fifth state in the country to allow for regulated online gambling. At a time when revenue is
Mayor Eric Adams on Monday unveiled recommendations from a city-led task force to facilitate the conversion of underused ofce space into new housing for New Yorkers. Cra ed by the O ce Adaptive Reuse Task Force, and led by New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick, the New York City O ce Adaptive Reuse Study presents 11 concrete recommendations that would make changes to state laws and city zoning requirements in an e ort to extend the most exible conversion regulations to an additional 136 million square feet of o ce space — roughly the amount of o ce space in the entire city of Philadelphia. While property owners will make determinations whether to convert their buildings, with these recommendations in place and current city and state regulations, o ce conversions could potentially create as many as 20,000 homes in the next decade, enough to house up to 40,000 New Yorkers.
e study outlines a path forward to deliver on goals outlined in “‘New’ New York: Making New York Work for Everyone,” an action plan released in December by Mayor Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul — including reimagining the city’s commercial districts as vibrant 24/7 destinations, making Midtown Manha an and other business districts more mixed-use and exible, and expanding the city’s supply of housing. It also builds on Mayor Adams’ “Get Stu Built,” “City of Yes,” and “Housing Our Neighbors” plans, which include signi cant steps to tackle the city’s severe housing shortage. Increasing opportunities to repurpose underused o ce space for housing and other uses is critical to achieving those goals.
e O ce Adaptive Reuse Task Force was convened by the Adams administration in July 2022 following Local Law 43, sponsored by New York City Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn).
e task force’s recommendations include:
• Expanding the universe of o ce buildings with the most exible regulations for conversion to residential use from buildings constructed through 1961 to those constructed through 1990 — easing the potential conversion process for an additional 120 million square feet of o ce space;
• Expanding exible conversion regulations to all high-intensity o ce districts, including Downtown Flushing and the Bronx Hub — easing the potential conversion process for an additional 16 million square feet of o ce space;
• Finding opportunities to allow housing, whether through conversions or new construction, in a centrally located, high-density part of Midtown that currently prohibits residential development;
• Allowing o ce buildings to convert to various much-needed types of housing, including supportive housing;
• Providing exibility for o ces to convert all existing space into housing, eliminating limitations that incentivize only partial conversions or make conversion projects infeasible;
• Exploring and pursuing a tax incentive program to support the production of a ordable and mixed-income housing through o ce conversions — adding to the city’s a ordable housing stock without deterring other private investment in conversions and housing creation; and
• Creating a property tax abatement program to incentivize retro ing o ce space for child care centers, building on Mayor Adams’ “Accessible, Equitable, HighQuality, A ordable: A Blueprint for Child Care & Early Childhood Education in New York City.”
ese recommended reforms would be implemented via changes to state law and regulatory changes through a City zoning text amendment, Adams noted.
Many of our customers who are used to maintaining a healthy active lifestyle are nding themselves compromised by joint pain.
Joint pain is something that is experienced at some point by most people in their lifetime. For some people the pain is minor and non-progressive, but for many it means giving up activities they enjoy and can limit their ability to work.
Avid cooks can lose their ability to cut and chop because of pain and swelling in their ngers, especially thumbs. Swimmers who swim multiple times a week for exercise have such shoulder discomfort that they can lo longer enjoy the bene ts of their exercise program.
Joint pain is the main symptom of many di erent musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including all types of arthritis, connective tissue disease and osteoporosis.
Patients typically rely on topical nonsteroidal anti-in ammatory preparations (NSAID) and prescription drugs in order to ease their symptoms and get to sleep at night.
Many rubs, balms and lotion-like/gel preparations are available to address the aches and pains that accompany joint discomfort. Some common names you may recognize are BioFreeze, Icy Hot and Voltaren and in addition, there is the advent of CBD oils and preparations contributing a “healing touch” to joint pain.
Whatever MSK condition you are su ering from, using your local pharmacist as part of your healthcare and pain management
team is an opportunity you should not fail to take advantage of.
Your pharmacist can o er information on lifestyle modi cation and helping you to navigate to the di erent specialties that should be involved in your care.
Many pharmacists have the skills needed to signi cantly assist patients managing joint pain. By knowing and understanding the medications and topical preparations, pharmacists can actually help patients live with less or no pain. Essentially your pharmacist can guide you on a path to the right medications that will help patients live and carry on with their -normal activities.
Pharmacists and their advanced knowledge of the medications they dispense can certainly clear up con ict and correct many misinterpretations by their patients. One very prevalent example of this is that most patients know that overusing NSAIDS can lead to a variety of complications, especially in the gastro intestinal tract. But patients do not realize that applying topical meds containing NSAIDS two to three times a day is perfectly ne.
A very critical part of the pharmacist’s role in pain management for MSK conditions is also keeping their patients informed about potential drug interactions between their other prescriptions and those they employ to treat their joint pain.
So if you su er from joint pain, make the e ort to have a talk with your pharmacist. You may just be taking steps toward resolving some of the pain that can limit you life.
Until next week…
For your family’s prescription needs, please call CROSS BAY CHEMIST at 718-659-9500 or 718-880-1644 157-02 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach: Mon-Fri 9am-9pm. Sat-Sun 9am-7pm. or 96-05 101st Ave. in Ozone Park: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm. Sunday: Closed.
A longstanding area homeless encampment has nally been taken down, according to City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (ROzone Park).
“A er receiving multiple complaints and repeated a empts to o er help to the homeless person encamped on North Conduit Avenue at Le erts Blvd., treatment was accepted and the encampment was removed,” Ariola reported on Tuesday.
e councilwoman also thanked the City Department of Sanitation and the 106th Precinct for their help in the ma er.
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday delivered her 2023 State of the State Address outlining her plan for Achieving the New York Dream. In the address, Hochul outlined components that she said will make a more affordable, more livable and safer New York.
“For generations, people from all over the world have come here in pursuit of the American Dream. I am here today because that dream was realized by my family. And I want more New Yorkers to have access to the same opportunities that my family had,” Hochul said. “That is what public service is all about.”
State of the State proposals include: Statewide Strategy to Address New York's Housing Crisis and Build 800,000 New Homes
Governor Hochul announced a statewide strategy to address New York’s housing crisis, build 800,000 new homes over the next decade to meet the historic shortage, and support New York renters and homeowners as part of the 2023 State of the State. The New York Housing Compact, a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy, includes local participation requirements and incentives to achieve housing growth in every community so that every part of the State is a partner in solving this urgent crisis. The plan will also require municipalities with MTA rail stations to locally rezone for higher density residential development.
Build a Stronger Health Care System for the Future
Governor Hochul announced a series of bold proposals aimed at building a stronger health care system for New York State’s future and providing high-quality care for all New Yorkers as part of the 2023 State of the State. These proposals will transform the cost and delivery of care, address the most pressing health needs facing New Yorkers – especially those from underserved communities – and prepare for future public health emergencies.
Fix New York State's Continuum of Mental Health Care
Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive plan to overhaul New York's continuum of mental health care and drastically reduce the number of individuals with unmet mental health needs throughout the state. The multi-year plan includes increasing operational capacity by 1,000 beds for inpatient psychiatric treatment, creating 3,500 units of housing to serve New Yorkers with mental illness, increasing insurance coverage for mental health services, dramatically expanding outpatient services, and creating systemic accountability for hospital admissions and discharges to better address the needs of individuals suffering with mental illness.
Strengthen New York State's Safe Harbor for Abortion Care
Governor Hochul announced new steps as part of the 2023 State of the State that would solidify New York’s status as a safe harbor for all who seek abortion care. Governor Hochul proposes expanding abortion access on SUNY and CUNY campuses, allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception, enacting additional data protections for patients seeking reproductive health care, and fortifying the reproductive health care system through increased Medicaid reimbursement rates.
Governor Hochul, as part of the 2023 State of the State, announced major public safety initiatives and investments, expanding proven programs and services to further drive down gun violence and other violent crime, re -
Economic Innovation Plan to Grown Jobs and Businesses of the Future
Governor Hochul announced plans to expand economic opportunity and innovation across New York State through targeted investments, business support, and other programming aimed at high-growth industries as part of the 2023 State of the State. The proposal, which focuses on rapidly growing industry sectors like high technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing, includes measures to strengthen the State’s supply chain and expand wellestablished business attraction programs already proven to drive growth. These collective efforts will boost New York’s innovation economy and encourage business development and job creation throughout the State.
Investments in Energy Affordability, Building Efficiency, and Clean Air and Water
Governor Hochul announced invest -
Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive agenda to give every child in New York the tools to succeed through a high-quality education as part of the 2023 State of the State. For the first time since its inception, Governor Hochul is fully funding Foundation Aid—an unprecedented achievement—for all school districts across the State. Foundation Aid takes districts’ unique needs into account when allocating funding to address inequities and ensure schools in need receive the funding they deserve. Additionally, the administration is investing $125 million to expand high-quality, full-day prekindergarten and dedicating $250 million to establish high-impact tutoring programs in districts across the State to address student learning lost during the pandemic. Governor Hochul also announced that high school students will be eligible to earn college credits to get a head start on college, reduce student debt, and prepare for their careers.
duce recidivism, address the flow of deadly fentanyl and improve the efficacy of the court system, which was disrupted by the pandemic. The Governor is proposing a comprehensive plan to expand the number of New York State Police Community Stabilization Units, bolster trooper participation in federal task forces, and increase the ranks of the State Police by offering an unprecedented four academy classes. Governor Hochul is also proposing to double funding for the State’s nationally recognized Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, more than triple aid to prosecution grants to the State’s 62 district attorneys’ offices, and invest record funding in alternatives to incarceration and re-entry programs to reduce recidivism, increase opportunity for individuals returning home after serving prison sentences, improve quality of life in neighborhoods and make communities safer.
ments in energy affordability, clean and efficient buildings, clean air, and clean water, as part of the 2023 State of the State. The proposal will create the Energy Affordability Guarantee to ensure participating New Yorkers never pay more than six percent of their incomes on electricity. Governor Hochul also announced $200 million in relief for utility bills for up to 800,000 New York households earning under $75,000 a year that are not currently eligible for the State’s current utility discount program. Additionally, Governor Hochul announced an ambitious package of building decarbonization initiatives, including for zero-emission new construction and the phase out of the sale of new fossil fuel heating equipment. This announcement also includes $500 million in clean water funding, coupled with the creation of Community Assistance Teams to help disadvantaged communities access financial assistance.
Transit Expansions to Increase Access, Affordability and Safety
Governor Hochul announced, as part of the 2023 State of the State, a series of actions to expand New York’s transit, while making it safer, more affordable, and more accessible to all. This includes new funds dedicated to non-MTA transit authorities for expanded client services, an update on the Interborough Express, and the expansion of City Ticket to 24/7.
Governor Hochul today a plan to make government work better for New Yorkers by transforming the way New Yorkers access services and benefits from State agencies during the 2023 State of the State. The State will implement significant technological enhancements to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and improve access to child care assistance, tax credits, and critical food benefits for women, infants, and children; reduce call wait times; implement e-signature technology; launch “one ID” to improve how residents interact with certain State agencies online; and modernize State agency websites and applications to improve the user experience. In order to help State agencies efficiently deliver results to New Yorkers and ensure that this initiative is successful, the Governor will appoint a new Chief Customer Experience Officer to oversee this statewide transformation. Governor Hochul will also sign the State’s first Executive Order on customer experience to build on this initiative and improve access to State services.
City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Friday announced that in 2022 the city experienced a decline in traffic fatalities for the first time since 2019, with among the fewest annual pedestrian deaths recorded in history. Amidst a nationwide increase in traffic fatalities, New York City’s overall traffic fatalities fell in 2022 by 6.6 percent. Pedestrian fatalities decreased by 6.3 percent, also defying national trends.
The City continues to defy national trends around pedestrian deaths, which are nationally at a four-decade high. Traffic fatalities were down in four of the five major travel modes DOT tracks. Compared to 2013, the last year before implementation of Vision Zero, New York City traffic deaths have dropped by 14.7 percent, from 299 deaths that year. Pedestrian deaths have decreased by 35.9 percent when compared to 2013 figures. Cyclist fatalities were also down for the third straight year (17 in 2022, down from a 20-year high of 28 in 2019) --- declining even as bicycle ridership has soared in recent years.
During 2022, DOT gave special focus to pedestrian safety at intersections, where a majority of pedestrian fatalities and injuries occur. In January, the Adams administration announced the
city would improve 1,000 intersections – and the DOT has exceeded that target, completing more than 1,400 intersection improvements through a variety of treatments, including intersection redesigns, signal upgrades, all-way stop installations, daylighting, turn calming, and raised crosswalks. Injury and severe injury analysis shows DOT’s treatments are effective; through the aggressive deployment of these tools, DOT has driven traffic deaths to historic lows in the Vision Zero era.
In 2022, DOT worked with state lawmakers to expand school zone speed camera enforcement program to 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The expansion more than doubled the hours of operation, which were limited to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Since the launch of 24-hour operations on Aug. 1, DOT has experienced a 25-percent reduction in violations, with month-overmonth declines. In August, cameras recorded more than 755,000 speeding violations, followed by approximate -
ly 661,000 violations in September, 586,000 in October, and 565,000 in November.
Particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, speeding and reckless driving have been leading causes of traffic fatalities, especially on highways. In 2023, the DOT will continue working with city and state elected leaders on legislative proposals aimed at increasing accountability among reckless drivers and keeping drivers with a history of dangerous behavior off the roads. In December, the agency announced one such proposal: legislation that would curb drunk driving by lowering the DWI blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) threshold from .08 to .05 percent.
“Even just one death on our streets is one too many, and our work must continue until every mile of roadway in this city is truly safe for all New Yorkers, regardless of how they get around. But the statistics show that our collective efforts to protect our neighbors thus far have gotten us closer to that ultimate goal,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I commend the Department of Transportation for its tireless work, our community leaders for their advocacy and all those involved in the critical work of making our streets safer every single day. Together, we can and we will save lives.”
An indictment was unsealed Friday in federal court in Brooklyn charging Karin Robinson, a former City Correction ofcer with conspiracy to violate the Travel Act and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances to an inmate incarcerated at the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers Island (GRVC) between February and June 2019, according to prosecutors.
As set forth in the indictment and other court lings, Robinson, 29, was a New York City Department of Correction employee in 2019. Between February and June of 2019, the Queens resident received thousands of dollars in bribes from then-GRVC inmate James Albert. In exchange for the bribe payments, the defendant agreed to bring marijuana and other contraband into the GRVC for sale and distribution to other inmates.
“The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming,” federal prosecutors wrote in Robinson’s bond letter. “Among other things, Albert’s wife, who was charged alongside Albert and who testified at his trial pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement, admitted to paying thousands of dollars to the defendant at Albert’s direction using the electronic money-transfer platform Cash App. Records obtained
from Cash App corroborate her testimony. The government’s evidence also includes security camera footage showing the defendant handing concealed packages to Albert and others inside the GRVC, a recorded phone call between the defendant and Albert discussing the smuggling of contraband, and evidence of a meeting between the defendant and one of Albert’s outside associates responsible for deliver-
ing contraband to be smuggled into the GRVC. In addition, during subsequent interviews with law enforcement authorities, the defendant has admitted that she accepted bribes from Albert in exchange for smuggling marijuana and other contraband into the GRVC.”
If convicted, Robinson faces a maximum jail time of 10 years.
“ e corruption of correction o cers
undermines the orderly running of the institution and endangers the safety of other incarcerated individuals and Department of Correction personnel,” said Brooklyn U.S. A orney Breon Peace. “We will continue to prosecute those who enrich themselves instead of serving the public and work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to stop the ow of illegal narcotics and other contraband into correctional facilities.”
FBI New York Assistant Director-InCharge Michael Driscoll added, “As alleged in this indictment, Robinson broke her oath of duty as a correction o cer when she agreed to accept bribes and smuggle contraband into the prison system. e FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who betray the public trust by abusing their authority and bring them to justice as swi ly as possible.”
Albert was convicted last month of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances while he was incarcerated at the GRVC as part of the scheme to bribe correction ocers to smuggle marijuana, suboxone strips, and other contraband into the jail for sale to other inmates. e verdict followed a fourday trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, Albert faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix on Friday announced that the city has filed two lawsuits against landlords Alma Realty Corp. and Empire Management America Corp. for allowing thousands of residents to live in dangerous conditions as a result of thousands of code violations. The suits seek to improve the living conditions of the thousands of tenants in more than 20 buildings collectively owned by the two landlords. Additionally, the city’s Law Department today entered into a separate agreement with a third landlord — Sentinel Real Estate Corporation — that sets time frames for repairs. The three actions seek the correction of approximately 2,100 violations in buildings located in Upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
One lawsuit alleges that Alma has maintained dangerous and unsanitary conditions in 13 buildings, where more than 800 violations remain uncorrected. Some of the worst conditions in these buildings include deteriorating facades, defective electrical wiring, missing fire doors, lead-based paint hazards, and infestations of rats and mice. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) also previously sued Alma over two of these buildings.
The lawsuit against Empire is for hazardous conditions in eight buildings, where over 300 violations remain uncorrected. Among the worst conditions in those buildings are deteriorating facades, defective elevators, non-code-compliant sprinklers, illegal gas connections, and failure to maintain fire suppression systems. Empire has also previously been sued by HPD.
The agreement with Sentinel comes after more than 1,000 violations in its portfolio. The worst conditions in those buildings included unsafe facades, unsafe sidewalk sheds, illegal gas installations,
unsafe electrical wiring and unpermitted electrical work, roach and mice infestations, and lead-based paint hazards. Sentinel immediately agreed to make repairs and has already corrected approximately 200 violations. Repairs to the approximately 800 additional violations remain ongoing, and today’s agreement provides detailed timetables for correction of the remaining violations in six buildings. The agreement also provides that if Sentinel does not demonstrate substantial compliance within those time frames, the city may file a complaint and seek a court order, which Sentinel cannot oppose.
The Law Department has opened more than 40 matters against landlords, seven of them in 2022. The city has now filed 25 suits against landlords since August 2019 and obtained court orders in 18 cases. Thousands of violations have already been corrected, Adams noted.
The Law Department — working closely with the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics and the chief housing officer — developed a large database that compiles violations issued across city agencies, including HPD, the New York City Department of Buildings, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Fire Department of the City of New York, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The database weighs each violation by its severity and the degree of hazardousness, its impact on tenants, and the importance of achieving compliance. The three landlords in today’s lawsuits and agreement each own portfolios of buildings that include the worst-scoring buildings according to the database.
The Law Department develops these cases in close cooperation with the city’s chief housing officer and works in partnership with a multitude of city agencies charged with inspecting code violations.
A Philadelphia man has been charged with torturing and failing to provide food and drink to animals in connection with a Rego Park tra c stop, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced ursday.
Ravon Service, 27, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on eight counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal; eight counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals/
failure to provide sustenance; seven counts of carrying animals in a cruel manner and tra c violations. Judge Marty Lentz ordered Service to return to court on Feb. 10.
According to the charges, on Nov. 26, at approximately 4 p.m., the defendant was stopped by a police o cer near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Furmanville Avenue for having a loud engine exhaust on the 2001 Lexus he was driving. e police o cer observed a large dog in the back seat of the vehicle. e dog appeared emaciated, showing
protruding bones on its ribs, hips, and back areas. A plastic storage bin in the backseat of the car contained seven puppies. e bin, which was lidded, did not provide an adequate air supply and did not contain food or water.
e animals were taken to a local veterinary hospital where the adult female dog was treated for malnourishment and the seven
puppies were treated for diarrhea symptoms. “ ankfully, these voiceless, defenseless victims have been rescued from their miserable circumstances,” Katz said. “Animal cruelty is unacceptable and illegal and we will hold abusers accountable.”
If convicted, Service faces up to two years in prison.
Leonardo Jimenez-Rodriguez was extradited to the United States on Friday and was arraigned Saturday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on a six-count indictment charging him with sex tra cking conspiracy, sex tra cking, interstate prostitution, alien smuggling and related offenses, according to prosecutors.
e defendant was arrested in May 2022 in Mexico following a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Mexico City, HSI New York and the Mexican Federal Police. Jimenez-Rodriguez, 39, is charged in a superseding indictment together with his brother and co-defendant, Marcos Jimenez-Rodriguez, 46, who was previously arrested in the United States. e defendant’s sister, Melisa Jimenez-Rodriguez, 41, was also previously arrested in the United States and is awaiting sentencing on the charge of distributing proceeds of a prostitution business.
Marcos and Melisa are residents of Queens.
As alleged in the superseding indictment and other court lings, between 1997 and May 2018, Leonardo Jimenez-Rodriguez was a member of a family organization based in New York and Tenancingo, Mexico, that used force, fraud and coercion to cause young women in Mexico to engage in prostitution in the United States (the “Jimenez-Rodriguez Tra cking Orga-
nization”). Leonardo Jimenez-Rodriguez, together with other relatives, lured victims into romantic relationships through false promises of love and support and pressured the victims to travel to the United States with promises of a be er life. A er Leonardo Jimenez-Rodriguez and other members of the Jimenez-Rodriguez Tra cking Organization illegally smuggled young women from Mexico into the United States, they employed brutal physical beatings, intimidation, psychological abuse, and threats to force or a empt to force the women to work as prostitutes in New York City and elsewhere. e defendant is also charged
with distributing the illicit proceeds of the sex-tra cking and prostitution enterprise. The investigation, prosecution, bilateral enforcement action and extradition of the defendants apprehended in Mexico were coordinated through the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative to more effectively dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traf -
fickers to justice, restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims and reunite victims with their children. These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 175 defendants in multiple cases in Georgia, New York, Florida and Texas, in addition to numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers. The extradition in this case is also the latest development in the Eastern District of New York’s comprehensive anti-trafficking program, which has to date indicted more than 100 defendants for sex trafficking; assisted nearly 200 victims, including over 50 minors, reunited 19 victims’ children with their mothers, and secured restitution orders of over $4 million on behalf of trafficking victims.
“As alleged, using false promises of love and support, the defendant and his siblings brutally sex tra cked women between Mexico and the United States for over two decades,” said Brooklyn U.S. A orney Breon Peace. “Stopping human tra cking and ensuring that tra ckers face justice for the crimes against their victims remain priorities of this O ce and our law enforcement partners.”
If convicted of the sex-tra cking related charges, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ incarceration and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“Stopping human tra cking and ensuring that tra ckers face justice for the crimes against their victims remain priorities of this O ce and our law enforcement partners,” Brooklyn U.S. A orney Peace said.
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135 MCCZ LLC, Arts of Org. led SSNY 09/22/22. O ce: Queens Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to c/o Michael A. Capasso, 54-08 Vernon Blvd., Queens, NY 11101. General purpose..
31-46 35TH STREET LLC. Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 11/16/22. O ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 61-22 231st Street, Bayside, NY 11364. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
GLAZED BY A. MARIE, LLC Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 01/17/2020. O ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: ANN COATES, 135-35 243RD STREET, ROSEDALE, NY 11422 Purpose: ANY LEGAL PURPOSE
Seeds Mental Health Counseling PLLC, Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/30/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 67-04 Myrtle Ave., PMB 1564, Glendale, NY 11385. Purpose: Mental Health Counseling
Linden Villa Group LLC led w/ SSNY on 8/25/22. O ce: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 33-35 Farrington St., #3A, Flushing, NY 11354. Purpose: any lawful.
DREAMSWORL RENTAL LLC led w/ SSNY on 11/30/22. O ce: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, 414 BEACH 30TH STREET, FAR ROCWAY, NY, 11691, USA. Purpose: any lawful.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a license number 1354999 for an on premises license has been applied for by Ma Kin Inc. d/b/a Kam Rai to sell liquor, wine, beer and cider at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 43-11 28th Avenue, Astoria, N.Y. 11103 for on premises consumption.
TRISTAR NY27, LLC Arts of Org. led with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/04/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to SUREND MOTAR, 14220 131ST AVE, JAMAICA, NY,11436, USA. PURPOSE:General Purpose
LUXE N ROYALE LLC Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 11/15/2022. Ofce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: THE LLC, 19912 119TH AVENUE, SAINT ALBANS, NY, 11412, USA. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
URUSHI LLC Articles of Org. led NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/14/22. Ofce in Queens Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 43-01 22nd St., #439, Long Island City, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
BAITING HOLLOW L.I. HOLDINGS, LLC, Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 12/21/2022. O ce loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: e LLC, 14-20 136th Street, College Point, NY 11356. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
K&C LISA LLC led Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 12/27/2022. Ofce located in Queens County. SSNY has been designated for service of process and shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to Lai Sim Znag, 104-46 39th Ave., Corona, NY, 11368, USA. Purpose: any lawful act.
20-49 LLC. Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 11/08/22. O ce: QueensCounty. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 20-49 23rd Street, Long Island City, NY 11105. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
MELLA’S BOUTIQUE Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 10/21/22. O ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 21420 113th Ave, Queens Village, NY 11429, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
2457 HOFFMAN NY LLC. Arts. of Org. led with the SSNY on 01/24/22. O ce: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 144-20 69th Ave, Flushing, NY 11367. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of HBJ PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, a limited liability company. Art of Org. led with the Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/03/2022. O ce located in QUEENS. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served against the LLC to c/o HBJ PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC , 120-19 RIVE CT UNIT 6A, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356. Purpose: any lawful activity
HM4 LLC led Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/11/2023. O ce: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC to 20502 26 Ave, Bayside, NY 11360. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of JJML HOLDINGS I LLC Arts. of Org. led with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/30/22. Ofce location: Queens County. Princ. o ce of LLC: Phoenix Management 23 LLC, A n:Joseph Pistilli, 35-01 30th Ave., Ste. 300, Astoria, NY 11103. SSNY designated as agentof LLC upon whom process against it maybe served. SSNY shall mail process to theLLC at the addr. of its princ. o ce. Purpose: Any lawful activity
Da Feng Enterprises LLC, Arts of Org led with SSNY on 01/09/23. O . Loc.: Queens County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: e LLC, 166-44 20th Rd, Whitestone NY 11357. Purpose: to engage in any lawful act.
BROADWAY AUTO COLLISION LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 07/19/2022. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: BROADWAY AUTO COLLISION, 19-40 41St., Astoria, NY 11105, USA. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose
