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Excessive Force, Illegal Arrests: Feds Allege Violations By Police Department In Westchester Excessive Force, Illegal Arrests: Feds Allege Violations By Police Department In Westchester
Excessive Force, Illegal Arrests: Feds Allege Violations By Police Department In Westchester A police department in Westchester has been found to engage in a pattern of excessive force, illegal arrests, and unconstitutional searches, federal officials announced. The findings, which centered on the Mount Vernon Police Department, were revealed on Thursday, Dec. 12, following a comprehensive investigation by the US Department of Justice. According to the DOJ, the investigation uncovered numerous issues, including:  Excessive use of force, including taser-like devices and strikes, often against individuals who were already restrained or on the ground; Unlawful strip searches an…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs On Suicide Watch Before Sex Trafficking Trial: Report Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs On Suicide Watch Before Sex Trafficking Trial: Report
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs On Suicide Watch Before Sex Trafficking Trial: Report Days after being federally charged with sex trafficking and racketeering offenses, hip-hop producer and New York native Sean "Diddy" Combs is on suicide watch as he waits for his trial in prison, according to a report by People.  Following his arrest, the 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon was remanded to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept. 17, where he has been placed on suicide watch, according to People.  The outlet reported that it is not known if Combs is suicidal or how exactly how long he …

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by Ben Crnic
News
Westchester Public Water Provider To Pay $1.25M After Failing To Remove Contaminants: Feds Westchester Public Water Provider To Pay $1.25M After Failing To Remove Contaminants: Feds
Westchester Public Water Provider To Pay $1.25M After Failing To Remove Contaminants: Feds A public water provider serving 120,000 people in Westchester will be required to construct a filtration facility after failing to properly remove containments, federal officials announced.  Following a settlement announced by the US Department of Justice on Monday, June 24, Westchester Joint Water Works, which serves residents in Mamaroneck, Harrison, and parts of both Rye and New Rochelle, will be required to construct a drinking water filtration plant by July 2029.  The agreement follows a federal civil lawsuit filed by the US against the public water provider, the Town and Vil…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
College In CT Shows Support For Palestinian Student Shot In VT In Apparent Hate Crime College In CT Shows Support For Palestinian Student Shot In VT In Apparent Hate Crime
College In CT Shows Support For Palestinian Student Shot In VT In Apparent Hate Crime A college community in Connecticut, alongside many nationwide, has been left reeling after a student of Palestinian descent was one of three shot in what appears to be a hate crime. Tahseen Ali Ahmad, age 20, who attends Trinity College in Hartford, was one of three men of the same age shot outside of a house in Burlington, Vermont on Sunday, Nov. 26, the school announced. Ali Ahmad and the two other men — Kinnan Abdalhamid and Hisham Awartani, also of Palestinian descent — were lifelong friends visiting a relative’s house near the University of Vermont's campus for the Thanksgiving holid…

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by Sophie Grieser
News
City In Westchester Let Raw Sewage Flow In Sewer System, Discharge Into Rivers: Feds City In Westchester Let Raw Sewage Flow In Sewer System, Discharge Into Rivers: Feds
City In Westchester Let Raw Sewage Flow In Sewer System, Discharge Into Rivers: Feds A city in Westchester will have to take action after failing to comply with environmental requirements and allowing raw sewage to enter sewers, causing it to be discharged into nearby rivers, federal officials said.  The US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, Sept. 19 that both the United States and the State of New York entered into a civil Consent Decree with Mount Vernon to resolve ongoing litigation regarding sewage entering the city's sewers.  According to federal officials, the city failed to comply with Clean Water Act requirements for municipal storm sewers, causin…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Former NYPD Officer From Westchester Helped Gang Leader Escape Justice: Feds Former NYPD Officer From Westchester Helped Gang Leader Escape Justice: Feds
Former Nypd Officer From Westchester Helped Gang Leader Escape Justice: Feds A former New York City Police officer from Northern Westchester has been charged with warning gang members about details of a federal investigation into them, as well as helping the group's leader to escape capture for a murder he committed, officials said. Former NYPD officer Gina Mestre, a 33-year-old Mohegan Lake resident, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 15 for her role in obstructing a federal investigation into the Shooting Boys gang as well as serving as an accessory after the fact to a murder committed by the group, the US Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York announced o…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Man Caught With Ghost Gun Kits, Magazines In Westchester Gets Prison Time Man Caught With Ghost Gun Kits, Magazines In Westchester Gets Prison Time
Man Caught With Ghost Gun Kits, Magazines In Westchester Gets Prison Time A 36-year-old Connecticut man who was caught with illegal weapon kits in Westchester County will spend several years in prison for trafficking a large number of ghost guns from his New Haven County home.  Ansonia resident Melvin Burroughs, age 36, was sentenced to 58 months in prison on Thursday, July 27 for trafficking firearms, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced. According to federal officials, between 2019 through approximately January 2022, Burroughs bought parts for "ghost guns," assembled them into finished working firearms, and sold them.  He f…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Jan. 6 Attack: Graduate Of Westchester HS Gets Prison Time For Role In Riot Jan. 6 Attack: Graduate Of Westchester HS Gets Prison Time For Role In Riot
Jan. 6 Attack: Graduate Of Westchester HS Gets Prison Time For Role In Riot A Northern Westchester high school product has been sentenced for his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.  Brian Gundersen, age 28, who graduated from Byram Hills High School in Armonk and played varsity football during his time there, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Tuesday, July 25 for his role in the breach of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to the US Department of Justice.  Earlier Report - HS Football Jacket IDs Northern Westchester Man As Capitol Rioter Gundersen, who now lives in State College, Pennsylvania, had been charged in co…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Fire Department Discriminated Against Female Member In Westchester, Must Pay Her $425K: Feds Fire Department Discriminated Against Female Member In Westchester, Must Pay Her $425K: Feds
Fire Department Discriminated Against Female Member In Westchester, Must Pay Her $425K: Feds As the result of a settled federal civil rights lawsuit, a town and fire department in Westchester have been ordered to pay a former female member one of the largest-ever payments by a municipality in an employment discrimination case brought on behalf of a single person, officials said.  The payment is a result of a settled federal civil rights lawsuit that alleged the town of Harrison and the Harrison Fire Department discriminated against a former female firefighter, Angela Bommarito, based on her sex and failed to take disciplinary action against a male firefighter who even…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Bronxville Found Guilty On All Charges Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Bronxville Found Guilty On All Charges
Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Bronxville Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, the leader of a sex cult run out of his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester, will face life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of sexually exploiting and trafficking girls. Ray, now 62 years old following multiple delays in his trial and prosecution, was found guilty of 15 counts that include racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, extortion, tax evasion, and other crimes in relation to his scheme. Related story - DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged Clients In Sarah Lawrence Case It reportedly took the jury le…

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by Zak Failla
News
Pet Store Sued By NY AG For Selling Sick Puppies From Mills To Customers Pet Store Sued By NY AG For Selling Sick Puppies From Mills To Customers
Pet Store Sued By NY AG For Selling Sick Puppies From Mills To Customers New York Attorney General Letitia James is pulling no punches in going after a Long Island pet shop that allegedly unlawfully and deceptively sold sick puppies to customers. James announced that she has filed a lawsuit against pet store Shake A Paw for unlawfully selling multiple sick or injured dogs at its Long Island locations in Hicksville and Lynbrook, both in Nassau County. According to investigators, Shake A Paw: Falsely advertised sick pets as healthy; Fabricated health certificates; Failed to disclose the animals’ legitimate medical conditions; Misrepresented puppies’ breeds; Re…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
DA Calls For DOJ To Investigate Police Department In Westchester DA Calls For DOJ To Investigate Police Department In Westchester
DA Calls For DOJ To Investigate Police Department In Westchester The Westchester County District Attorney is calling on the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch an investigation into the Mount Vernon Police Department. DA Mimi Rocah announced on Friday, April 30 that she is calling on the DOs to investigate the department for pervasive and persistent alleged civil rights violations including unlawful strip searches, excessive use of force, and other misconduct. Rocah noted that her office is in the process of multiple criminal investigations involving certain Mount Vernon police officers. “In the course of those investigations, based largely on pub…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Top Republicans Call For Cuomo's Ouster After Top Aide Admits They Hid Nursing Home Data Top Republicans Call For Cuomo's Ouster After Top Aide Admits They Hid Nursing Home Data
Top Republicans Call For Cuomo's Ouster After Top Aide Admits They Hid Nursing Home Data A growing number of political figures in New York are calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s head - and job - following a new report that the state withheld information on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic and the administration was aware of it. Original story - COVID-19: NY AG Report Says Nursing Home Deaths May Have Been Undercounted By 50 Percent The New York Post reported that Cuomo’s top aide, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, told Democratic state legislators in a meeting this week that the administration “froze” when asked to release data about the number of …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn
Covid-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn Scammers are using the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States to trick people into paying for doses or early access that never comes, federal authorities are warning. As COVID-19 vaccines become more available, there has been a spike in scams seeking to exploit people’s desire to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus, according to the U.S. Department of Justice as well as local police departments and other law enforcement agencies. “Members of the public should be suspicious of unexpected or unsolicited contact from anyone unknown to them claiming to have inform…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
New Distribution Of More Than $378M Allotted To Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims New Distribution Of More Than $378M Allotted To Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims
New Distribution Of More Than $378M Allotted To Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims Thousands of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme victims will be receiving their portions of the fifth distribution of more than $378 million this week. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced that the Madoff Victim Fund will be distributing $378.5 million to more than 26,000 of his victims involved in the fraud scheme. To date, approximately $2.7 billion has been distributed to Madoff’s victims. Berman said that the fifth payment will bring the victims’ total recovery to 73.65 percent of their losses.  Ultimately, more than $4 billion will be returned due to losses suffered in Madoff’s Ponz…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Trump Administration Can Withhold Grants To NY Over Immigration Policy, Court Rules Trump Administration Can Withhold Grants To NY Over Immigration Policy, Court Rules
Trump Administration Can Withhold Grants To NY Over Immigration Policy, Court Rules Millions of dollars in grants can be withheld by President Donald Trump’s administration over “sanctuary laws,” a federal appeals court in New York ruled. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled opposite three other federal courts on Wednesday, Feb. 26,  confirming that the president’s administration can withhold grants to New York City and seven states - New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Rhode Island. The grant money, called the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, is issued to local governments by the federal government…

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by Zak Failla
News
Yale Rescinds Admission Of Student After College Cheating Scandal Yale Rescinds Admission Of Student After College Cheating Scandal
Yale Rescinds Admission Of Student After College Cheating Scandal The fallout from Operation Varsity Blues continues, as Yale University has rescinded the admission of a student involved in the cheating scam. More than 50 people, including celebrities and prolific coaches were implicated in the cheating scam, which accuses parents of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to earn admissions to top universities, including Yale. Among those charged include former Yale soccer coach Rudy Meredith and Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, a native of Northern Westchester. On Sunday, March 24, a Yale official confirmed that the University ha…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation
See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has added fodder to the fire President Donald Trump has come under for his administration's “zero tolerance” policy of separating children from their families as they cross the Mexican border, vowing to file a lawsuit over the policy. On Tuesday, Cuomo announced that the state is planning to file a multi-agency lawsuit against the Trump Administration on the grounds that the federal government is violating the Constitutional rights of thousands of immigrant children and their parents who have been separated at the border, unless the policy is not rescinded in the n…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
'Jersey Shore's Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Brother Admit Tax Dodge 'Jersey Shore's Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Brother Admit Tax Dodge
'Jersey Shore's Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Brother Admit Tax Dodge Former "Jersey Shore" personality Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino and his brother admitted Friday that they ducked taxes on what authorities said was nearly $9 million in income from promotional gigs while claiming pricey clothing, high-end cars and personal grooming as business expenses. Michael Sorrentino, 36, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, while Marc Sorrentino, 38, pleaded guilty to aiding in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return, both in U.S. District Court in Newark.  After several delays, both were scheduled to go to trial last month. They took plea deals …

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by Jerry DeMarco