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19 In Rival Hudson Valley Gangs Charged With Murder, Drug, Firearm Offenses 19 In Rival Hudson Valley Gangs Charged With Murder, Drug, Firearm Offenses
19 In Rival Hudson Valley Gangs Charged With Murder, Drug, Firearm Offenses Nineteen competing gang members in the Hudson Valley are facing federal drug, weapon and murder charges. Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced this week that 19 members of two rival gangs operating out of Middletown, have been indicted. Six Guap Gang members are charged with narcotics conspiracy and firearms offenses, while 13 Coke Wave Boys members have been charged with a host of crimes. On Monday, three more men, John McGuigan, Duane Kirby and Desmen Agosto, were taken into federal custody. Another suspect, Christopher Shelp, remains…

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by Zak Failla
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Westchester Resident Among Six Charged In Cell Phone Fraud Scheme Westchester Resident Among Six Charged In Cell Phone Fraud Scheme
Westchester Resident Among Six Charged In Cell Phone Fraud Scheme Six men, including a Westchester resident, were charged in White Plains Federal Court with allegedly stealing nearly a million dollars worth of cell phones through an elaborate scheme. Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and members of the United States Secret Service announced that six men and their associates “allegedly engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain cellular phones from a cellular phone provider by accessing victim accounts online and adding names as authorized users of the accounts.” Among those charged include: Yonkers reside…

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by Zak Failla
News
Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit
Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit A member of the La Cosa Nostra organized crime family is facing murder charges in the cold-case fatal stabbing of a Westchester man, prosecutors announced. John Tortora Jr., known as "Johnny T," a member of the Genovese Crime Family, was arrested by FBI agents and Yonkers Police in connection with the 1997 death of 29-year-old Richard Ortiz in Yonkers. “The arrest of John Tortora should remind everyone that justice delayed is not justice denied," FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said. "Whether a crime was allegedly committed decades ago or just days ago, the…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Three Charged With 'Forced Posting' $900K Credit Card Scheme In White Plains Court Three Charged With 'Forced Posting' $900K Credit Card Scheme In White Plains Court
Three Charged With 'Forced Posting' $900K Credit Card Scheme In White Plains Court Three people are facing charges in Westchester for allegedly engaging in an elaborate debit card scheme to steal nearly a million dollars. Bronx residents Latoya Robinson, 29, Tanya Hatwood, 27, and Manhattan resident Dashawn Johnson, 25, are facing wire fraud charges for their roles in a five-year scam involving “forced posting.” Robinson and Johnson were arrested this week, while Hatwood remains at large. According to the complaint: 
“When a customer presents a debit card to purchase merchandise at a store and the card is swiped at an electronic card reader maintained by the merchant, el…

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by Zak Failla
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Former Teller Convicted Of Participating In Violent Westchester Bank Robbery Former Teller Convicted Of Participating In Violent Westchester Bank Robbery
Former Teller Convicted Of Participating In Violent Westchester Bank Robbery A former bank teller in Westchester is facing decades in prison for her participation in an armed robbery that netted more than $300,000 - and a vacation to Aruba. Virginia Blanco was found guilty on Tuesday on every count for her with participating in the robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Yonkers in October 2013 that included multiple rounds being fired during the exchange.  Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, called the robbery “an inside job.” In October 2013, while Blanco was working as a teller at the Odell Avenue Wells Fargo bank b…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Cuomo Cronies Found Guilty In Bid-Rigging Scheme Trial Cuomo Cronies Found Guilty In Bid-Rigging Scheme Trial
Cuomo Cronies Found Guilty In Bid-Rigging Scheme Trial The former president of SUNY Polytechnic Institute and three real estate developers and close confidants of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been found guilty on fraud and conspiracy charges in connection to rigging bids regarding the Buffalo Billion construction project, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Alain Kaloyeros, a former member of the Cuomo administration, was convicted of all three counts against him in court, including conspiracy and two counts of wire fraud this week. Three of Kaloyeros’ co-conspirators, upstate real estate developers Louis Ciminelli, Steven Aiello …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Feds Invited To Speak On Hutchinson, Bronx River Discharges In Westchester Feds Invited To Speak On Hutchinson, Bronx River Discharges In Westchester
Feds Invited To Speak On Hutchinson, Bronx River Discharges In Westchester With Mount Vernon facing millions of dollars in fines for violating the Clean Water Act, Mayor Richard Thomas has invited members of the federal government to appear at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. The City of Mount Vernon is facing a lawsuit from the EPA and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for allegedly discharging raw sewage and other pollutants from its storm sewer system into the Hutchinson and Bronx Rivers. The fines may top $100 million. Officials announced the lawsuit last month, claiming that Mount Vernon has failed to comply with the Clean Water Act sto…

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by Zak Failla
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Hudson Valley Real Estate Consultant Admits To Federal Voter Fraud Hudson Valley Real Estate Consultant Admits To Federal Voter Fraud
Hudson Valley Real Estate Consultant Admits To Federal Voter Fraud A Hudson Valley man is facing time behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiring to corrupt the electoral process in connection to a New York election. Orange County resident Volvy “Zev” Smilowitz, 29, has pleaded guilty to “the biggest federal voter fraud cause in the modern era,” according to Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who announced the guilty plea on Tuesday. According to the indictment that Smilowitz, of Monroe, pleaded guilty to, beginning in 2006, while serving as a consultant, he, Shalom Lamm and Kenneth Nakdimen, real estate …

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by Zak Failla
News
Westchester Pair Face Multiple Charges After High-Speed Chase Westchester Pair Face Multiple Charges After High-Speed Chase
Westchester Pair Face Multiple Charges After High-Speed Chase A pair of men from Westchester are facing a series of federal felony charges after allegedly taking local police on a wild, high-speed chase before ramming into an FBI vehicle, officials announced. Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrests of Yonkers residents Harry Quintana-Cruz. 26, and Alejandro Ortiz-Cruz, 18, both of whom were charged in a complaint with forcibly assaulting, resisting, and interfering with FBI Special Agents by colliding into their vehicle after a high-speed car chase. On June 1, Quintana-Cruz - who is a co…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Exec Admits To Pay-For-Play Scheme With Former Cuomo Aide From Westchester Exec Admits To Pay-For-Play Scheme With Former Cuomo Aide From Westchester
Exec Admits To Pay-For-Play Scheme With Former Cuomo Aide From Westchester A former executive at a Hudson Valley-headquartered power plant pleaded guilty to bribery for his role in a pay-to-play scheme involving a Northern Westchester resident and former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Former Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) executive Peter Kelly, 54, admitted in Manhattan Federal Court on Friday that to further his relationship with South Salem resident Joseph Percoco, he helped hire Percoco's wife to a $90,000, low-show job at CPV.  The guilty plea entered by Kelly, who is known as "Braith" and is a resident of Canterbury, Conn., was for defrauding CPV …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Westchester Pair Charged With Selling Tens Of Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills Westchester Pair Charged With Selling Tens Of Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills
Westchester Pair Charged With Selling Tens Of Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills A pair of Westchester residents are among five facing charges for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed tens of thousands of oxycodone pills in the area. Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Yonkers residents Adriel Vasquez, 37 and Cindy Garcia, 40, were among five suspects who are facing charges for conspiracy to distribute the prescription pills in the Bronx and other locales. According to Berman, the five suspects obtained oxycodone pills from individuals with prescriptions, stored and packaged…

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by Zak Failla
News
Seven Charged In Westchester With Narcotics Trafficking Seven Charged In Westchester With Narcotics Trafficking
Seven Charged In Westchester With Narcotics Trafficking Seven alleged drug traffickers are facing decades to life in prison after being indicted in White Plains federal court for their roles in pushing cocaine in Orange County. Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the unsealing of an indictment charging seven people with trafficking more than five kilograms of cocaine in Newburgh. According to the federal complaint, beginning last year, through the beginning of last month, Edwin “Eddy” Guerrier, Carlos Fabian and Fernando Ferrer conspired to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine as…

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by Zak Failla