Harrison REVIEW THE
April 21, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 16 | www.harrisonreview.com
Huskies heating up Harrison’s Mike Hendler throws a pitch in a 5-1 win over Pelham on April 17. Hendler and the Huskies have been hot thus far, reeling off a 4-01 start. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
Resident pleads guilty to defrauding federal program A Harrison native and grocery store clerk is facing 10 years in prison after allowing customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and other items not covered under the federal program. According to U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, who represents the district of Connecticut, Tahir Shahzad, 33, of Harrison, pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and another count of unlawful use of food stamp benefits on April 17. Shahzad, who worked at WB Trade Fair Grocery, located at 43 Willow St. in Waterbury, Connecticut, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to allowing customers to redeem their food stamp benefits in return for money and other ineligible items, including cigarettes, glass pipes,
bongs and hookahs. He charged customers’ food stamp cards approximately double the value for the illegal transactions from November 2014 to June 2016, according to Daly. The U.S. attorney’s office estimates that food stamp redemptions at the store totaled $3.2 million during the 18-month period. However, with the stock of eligible food items at the store and the number of registers and the customer amenities, it is estimated that the store could only lawfully redeem at most $120,000 to $240,000 each year in food stamp benefits. Two men who worked at WB Trade Fair Grocery previously pleaded guilty to the same charges. Raul Carlos Monarca-Gonzalez pleaded guilty last November and was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment. Tallat Mahmood
pleaded guilty last month and is currently awaiting a sentence; he’s expected to return to court on July 12. The federal Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, SNAP, is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households. SNAP does not cover alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and other items such as soap. It’s also a violation to allow the benefits to be swapped for cash. Shahzad, the nephew of the store owner, is scheduled to return to court on July 13 after being released on a $50,000 bond. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to twice the gross loss from the offense; he also owes restitution. -Reporting by Franco Fino
Zoning board upholds gun store COO, permit By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer The Zoning Board of Appeals ruled not to rescind the certificate of occupancy or the permit administered to L&L Sports, a Halstead Avenue gun store at the center of public outcry from residents since last November. In December, Harrison resident Frank Acocella filed an appeal to the certificate of occupancy, COO, and the permit issued by then Building Inspector Robert FitzSimmons, who has since retired. As part of the application for a building permit, Louis Zacchio, who owns L&L Sports, had to file for a change of use from retail service to retail. According to town law, it is at the building inspector’s discretion whether or not to submit a change of use application to the Planning Board for review. The April 13 ruling claims that FitzSimmons made a preliminary determination to waive a Planning Board appearance, but that his determination was not made in writing. A response to a Freedom of Information Law request confirms that no written document indicating FitzSimmons’ determination exists. In its letter upholding FitzSimmons’ issuance of the permit, the zoning board said it would have made the same determination. In his appeal, Acocella argued that the change of use should have been sent to the Planning Board, as it falls under their purview because it could cause an increased demand on at least one municipal service: the Harrison Police Department. On Nov. 2, before the gun store opened, some members of the Harrison Town Council held a public forum at the Harrison VFW building, accompanied by then acting police Chief Michael Olsey, who was appointed permanently to the position a month later. When asked if he anticipated the location of the gun store to put an
additional strain on the police force, Olsey said, “It’s definitely going to be an additional burden on our resources, but it’s not something we can’t handle.” He added that the department would make checks on the gun shop to ensure it was complying with the law, but police also regularly check up on establishments that sell alcohol to ensure that they are following the law. In its ruling, the zoning board said it felt that Olsey’s statement did not indicate an increased demand on municipal service in a way that would fall under the Planning Board’s jurisdiction. But those who have opposed the gun store—and its proximity to Parsons Memorial Elementary School—from the start are now frustrated by the zoning board’s tone, rhetoric and conduct. At least three letters sent from residents to the zoning board before the April 13 ruling request the board to reopen the hearing, criticizing its members for their dismissive tones. Each of the letters, authored by residents Matthew Benson, Erica Gollub and Shauna Rae Long, make note of a comment made by board member Steven Lowenthal. “I’m offended by the soccer moms who put the gun shop, you know, in a negative light but they don’t put anything else in a negative light,” Lowenthal said during a March 9 hearing. “The guy across the street is teaching kids 5 years old to kill other kids,” he added, referring to Bruce Chung’s Tae Kwon Do on Halstead Avenue. “Mr. Lowenthal’s comments are disturbing,” Frank Gordon, a Harrison resident who has frequently spoken out against the gun store, told the Review. “He seems to have pre-judged the matter without bothering to adhere to the facts. The legal issue was whether the gun shop requires more municipal services than the prior use of that location, a
INSIDE The Westchester upgrades its dining Story on page 11.
PERMIT continued on page 8