New Update: Accused Killer Of 15-Year-Old Hudson Valley Boy In US Illegally, ICE Says New Update: Accused Killer Of 15-Year-Old Hudson Valley Boy In US Illegally, ICE Says
New Update: Accused Killer Of 15-Year-Old Hudson Valley Boy In US Illegally, ICE Says A 40-year-old man who allegedly shot his girlfriend and her two children in Northern Westchester and then led authorities on a 12-hour manhunt is in the United States illegally and has had past encounters with Border Patrol, officials said. Fernando Andres Jimenez Meza, who allegedly shot and killed 15-year-old Michael Raimondi and injured his mother and brother during an incident in the Baldwin Place section of Somers on Monday, Oct. 28, is an unlawfully present citizen of Chile, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson said on Friday, Nov. 1. He entere…
$3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Hudson Valley Business $3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Hudson Valley Business
$3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Hudson Valley Business A senior member of a family-owned company has admitted to embezzling more than $3.4 million from the business over five years. According to court filings released on Thursday, Oct. 10, John Hickey, age 34, created false invoices that appeared to be from entities with which the Northern Westchester-based corporations did business from February 2018 to November 2023. The company, located in Armonk, manufactured flame retardant fabrics. Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Hickey then forged signatures that supposedly approved payment of those invo…
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Assaulting, Cutting Victims At Bar On Golf Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Assaulting, Cutting Victims At Bar On Golf
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Assaulting, Cutting Victims At Bar On Golf A 26-year-old Hudson Valley man faces assault charges after allegedly attacking a victim inside a Northern Westchester bar and cutting a second with a weapon, police announced.  Putnam County resident Miftar Krasniqi of Mahopac was arrested on Monday, Aug. 26 after turning himself in to authorities in connection with an incident at the Tee Bar & Grill at 795 Route 6 in Yorktown that happened on Saturday, Aug. 24, according to Yorktown Police. Just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, a Yorktown officer learned of a possible stabbing at the bar, which is located on The Links at Valley Fie…
Ex-Congressional Candidate In NY Illegally Funded Campaign, Feds Say Ex-Congressional Candidate In NY Illegally Funded Campaign, Feds Say
Ex-Congressional Candidate In NY Illegally Funded Campaign, Feds Say A former congressional candidate in New York is accused of illegally funding her campaign. Michelle Bond is charged with conspiring to cause unlawful campaign contributions in connection with her failed congressional bid in 2022, according to an indictment unsealed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Thursday, Aug. 22. Bond ran as a Republican for the 1st District seat, representing eastern Long Island in Suffolk County. She ultimately lost the nomination to current Rep. Nick LaLota. According to federal prosecutors, shortly after launching her congressional …
$1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds $1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds
$1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds A New York resident was one of two CEOs convicted in federal court of a $1 billion fraud scheme involving thousands of investors. Long Island resident David Gentile, age 57, of Manhasset, and Jeffry Schneider, age 55, of Austin, Texas, were found guilty in federal court on all counts of an indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and securities fraud. Gentile, the owner and CEO of GPB Capital Holdings, was also convicted on two counts of wire fraud. The verdict came after an eight-week trial. When sentenced on Thursd…
Nursing Home Employee Accused Of Attacking Disabled Resident In Northern Westchester Nursing Home Employee Accused Of Attacking Disabled Resident In Northern Westchester
Nursing Home Employee Accused Of Attacking Disabled Resident In Northern Westchester A 51-year-old nursing home employee from the Hudson Valley faces charges after allegedly attacking a disabled resident in the Northern Westchester facility where she worked, police said. Dutchess County resident Jossette Thompson of Dover was arrested on Tuesday, June 11 in connection with the alleged attack, New York State Police announced on Wednesday, July 17.  According to authorities, while employed at The Paramount at Somers Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Somers at 189 Route 100, Thompson physically attacked a disabled resident at the facility.  After her arrest,…
$185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say $185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say
$185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say Three New York men have been charged in connection with a $185 million fraud scheme involving over a thousand investors, federal authorities announced. The three are Long Island resident Mario Gogliormella, age 47, of Manhasset; and New York City residents Steven Lacaj, age 27, of Manhattan, and Karim Ibrahim, age 34, of Queens, also known as “Chris Hayes." “By allegedly raising approximately $185 million from over 1,400 investors, Mario Gogliormella, Steven Lacaj, and Karim Ibrahim left a trail of shattered trust and financial ruin," US Attorney for the Southern Distric…
$1.4M Bank Loan Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced $1.4M Bank Loan Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced
$1.4M Bank Loan Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced A Hudson Valley man has been sentenced to prison in connection with a scheme to obtain a fraudulent $1.4 million loan from Park Avenue Bank. Rockland County resident Mendel Zilberberg, age 65, of Monsey, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 19 following a one-week trial. According to court documents, Zilberberg, who was a member of the bank's board of directors at the time of the offense, conspired with others, including Aron Fried, to obtain a fraudulent loan using a "star borrower" to make the loan application.  The straw borrower applied for a $1.4 million loan from the Bank base…
Sexual Predator Sting: Attorney Nabbed After Arranging To Meet Girl In Hudson Valley, DA Says Sexual Predator Sting: Attorney Nabbed After Arranging To Meet Girl In Hudson Valley, DA Says
Sexual Predator Sting: Attorney Nabbed After Arranging To Meet Girl In Hudson Valley, DA Says An undercover investigation in the Hudson Valley has led to the arrest of a Long Island attorney who is accused of preying on a minor using online platforms. Long Island resident Daniel Waxman, age 55, was arrested on Wednesday, May 31 after authorities say he arrived in Rockland County to meet with whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. From Monday, May 22 up until Wednesday, an undercover investigator from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office posing as a minor engaged in a series of text conversations with Waxman, Rockland DA Thomas E. Walsh said. The undercover inve…
Hudson Valley Woman Admits To Abusing 7-Month-Old Granddaughter, Causing Her To Go Blind Hudson Valley Woman Admits To Abusing 7-Month-Old Granddaughter, Causing Her To Go Blind
Hudson Valley Woman Admits To Abusing 7-Month-Old Granddaughter, Causing Her To Go Blind A Hudson Valley grandmother has pleaded guilty to assaulting her baby granddaughter, causing the child to go blind. Orange County resident Kimberly Bennett, age 45, of Middletown, made the plea on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The assault, which occurred in February 2020, at Bennett’s home on Bedford Avenue, in the City of Middletown, resulted in the child suffering serious physical injury including damage to her brain and eyes, and rendered the child blind, said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. According to Hoovler, Middletown Police officers and ambulance personnel …
Real Estate Heir Robert Durst Convicted Of Execution-Style Murder Of Friend Real Estate Heir Robert Durst Convicted Of Execution-Style Murder Of Friend
Real Estate Heir Robert Durst Convicted Of Execution-Style Murder Of Friend Hudson Valley native Robert Durst, the nationally-known New York real estate heir, was convicted in the execution-style murder of a close confidante more than two decades ago. The verdict is for the 2000 killing of Susan Berman who was found dead inside her Beverly Hills home in Los Angeles. She was a friend of Durst's who prosecutors said helped him cover up his wife, Kathie's, disappearance in New York, in 1982, in the Northern Westchester hamlet of South Salem in the Town of Lewisboro. Prosecutors alleged that Durst confided in Berman that he killed Kathie Durst, then grew concerned tha…
Man Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Boss In Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Boss In Hudson Valley
Man Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Boss In Hudson Valley A man has been sentenced for the murder of his boss at an area business. Gerard O’Sullivan, age 61, of New City, was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for the murder of Noe Hamer, age 42, who was shot and killed in Rockland County on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, at the McGowan’s Funeral Home in Haverstraw after he was told he was fired. "Today Gerard O’Sullivan appeared before a Judge of the County Court of Rockland County. What was described in court today was this act was a cold-blooded assassination," said Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh. "We can only hope that Noe’s family…
Former NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced For Conviction On Corruption Charges Former NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced For Conviction On Corruption Charges
Former NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced For Conviction On Corruption Charges Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, once one of the state’s most powerful politicians, will spend the better part of a decade behind bars after being convicted on corruption charges. A federal judge in Manhattan sentenced Silver, 76, to six-and-a-half years in prison on Monday, July 20 following his 2018 conviction. The former Democratic leader, who acknowledged his wrongdoing at his sentencing, was also ordered to pay a $1 million fine. Silver, who at one point represented most of Manhattan, was found guilty of two counts of honest service wire fraud, two counts of hones…
Ex-Leader Admits She Stole $21K From Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts Groups In Area Ex-Leader Admits She Stole $21K From Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts Groups In Area
Ex-Leader Admits She Stole $21K From Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts Groups In Area A former committee chairperson for a church-sponsored Boy Scout and Cub Scout groups in the area admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from the organizations. Orange County resident Kelley Zamenick, 43, of New Windsor, pleaded guilty this week to fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, and petty larceny, a misdemeanor, admitting that from 2016 through 2018, she stole approximately $21,000 from scouting groups sponsored through the Gardnertown Methodist Church. Zamenick had been initially charged with two counts of grand larceny and eight counts of falsifying business records, according t…
Former Teacher Convicted Of Endangering Welfare Of Child, Harassment Former Teacher Convicted Of Endangering Welfare Of Child, Harassment
Former Teacher Convicted Of Endangering Welfare Of Child, Harassment A former special education teacher at a Rockland County elementary school has been found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. Yessenia Vasquez, 46, of West Haverstraw, was convicted after trial on Tuesday, Dec. 17, said Rockland County Acting District Attorney Kevin Gilleece.  Vasquez was a special education teacher at Stony Point Elementary School and taught a group of special needs children.  During the school year 2016-2017, Vasquez used her foot to lift up a disabled 5-year-old’s head and pulled her head up using her ponytail severa…
Area HS Basketball Coach Placed On Leave After Admitting To Collecting $17K For False Injuries Area HS Basketball Coach Placed On Leave After Admitting To Collecting $17K For False Injuries
Area HS Basketball Coach Placed On Leave After Admitting To Collecting $17K For False Injuries An MTA bus driver who lives in Northern Westchester and who worked as a high school basketball coach in Putnam County admitted to collecting workers comp benefits while still maintaining his job on the court, despite being uninjured. Tyrone Searight, 49, of Peekskill, who coaches in the Haldane Central School District, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after he claimed to be injured in 2016, forcing him out of his job as a bus driver. Despite being allegedly injured, Searight was caught by investigators continuing to coach at Haldane, all while collecting nearly $17,000 in workers' compe…
Trio From Area Nabbed In FBI Sting For Running $6M Unlicensed Money Transmitting Scheme In Area Trio From Area Nabbed In FBI Sting For Running $6M Unlicensed Money Transmitting Scheme In Area
Trio From Area Nabbed In FBI Sting For Running $6M Unlicensed Money Transmitting Scheme In Area Three area residents have been arrested and charged for running a multi-million dollar scheme to operate an unlicensed money transmitting businesses to launder money derived from illegal activities. Rockland residents Chaskel Landau, 45, of Spring Valley, Alter Landau, 64, of Spring Valley, and Joseph Neumann, 78, of Monsey, were arrested this week, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced. The three were tied to an elaborate scheme to transmit approximately $6 million. The three were arrested following an FBI sting operation. It is alleged that between September 2014 and August 2016, the t…
Hudson Valley Writer Who Accused Trump Of Sexual Assault Sues Him For Defamation Hudson Valley Writer Who Accused Trump Of Sexual Assault Sues Him For Defamation
Hudson Valley Writer Who Accused Trump Of Sexual Assault Sues Him For Defamation The New York journalist who wrote a book accusing President Donald Trump of raping her is filing a defamation lawsuit against him after he denied the claims and stated he never met her. E. Jean Carroll, who lives in a cabin on an island in the Wawayanda Mountains outside Warwick in Orange County, the author of Elle magazine’s “Ask E. Jean” advice column, filed a suit in Manhattan Supreme Court this week because the president claimed he never met her after her book, “What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal” was released. In the book, Carroll alleges that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Good…
Man Slams Into Pole While Driving Drunk At More Than Twice Legal Limit, Police Say Man Slams Into Pole While Driving Drunk At More Than Twice Legal Limit, Police Say
Man Slams Into Pole While Driving Drunk At More Than Twice Legal Limit, Police Say A man was arrested for felony DWI after he allegedly crashed his vehicle while driving at more than twice the legal limit in Ulster County. Christopher M. Claussell, 43, of Saugerties, was arrested around 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 3, when Saugerties Police responded to the area of165 Main St., for a reported motor vehicle crash, Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said.  Once police arrived on the scene they found that Claussell was driving a 2016 Ford Fusion on Main Street when his vehicle left the roadway and hit a utility pole, Sinagra said. At the time of the crash…
Westchester HS Teacher Accused Of Sex Crime With Student During School Hours Westchester HS Teacher Accused Of Sex Crime With Student During School Hours
Westchester HS Teacher Accused Of Sex Crime With Student During School Hours A high school teacher in Westchester is facing charges for allegedly having sexual contact with a teenage student during school hours, police said. John Fraioli, 34, of White Plains, a teacher at New Rochelle High School, was arrested this week and charged with a felony count of third-degree criminal sexual act after allegedly having inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old student earlier this year. Police said that the incident happened in May, while Fraioli was employed as a teacher at the high school. Fraioli was arraigned in New Rochelle City Court on Monday, Oct. 28 and is currently …
Ex-Area Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing Student Found Dead Ex-Area Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing Student Found Dead
Ex-Area Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing Student Found Dead A Hudson Valley teacher who was recently accused of the alleged sexual abuse of an elementary student years ago was found dead at his Orange County home. Shawn Memmelaar, a retired Newburgh physical education teacher, was found dead Sunday, Oct. 13, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Town of Goshen Police said. Memmelaar, who was a gym teacher at the now-closed Union Grove Elementary School in Newburgh, had denied the allegations after a recently filed lawsuit claimed he abused student Sandra Burke, 55, from 1969 through 1975. Burke's attorney, Evan Foulke, told News 12, that Memmelaar wou…
22-Year-Old Scammed Area Resident Into Sending $8,000, Police Say 22-Year-Old Scammed Area Resident Into Sending $8,000, Police Say
22-Year-Old Scammed Area Resident Into Sending $8,000, Police Say A 22-year-old man has been charged after police say he scammed an area resident out of $8,000. New York State Police say Juan Gil-Delao, 22, of Clifton, New Jersey was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 19. According to police, an Orange County resident in Wallkill reported having been tricked into sending bail money to help a relative on Saturday, July 27. The victim reported being contacted by someone alleging to be a defense attorney and that a nephew had been arrested out of state and needed bail money, police say. The victim told police that he was instructed to send $8,000 in cash via…
Woman Accused Of Raping Child After Complaints Of Loud Parties In Rockland, Police Say Woman Accused Of Raping Child After Complaints Of Loud Parties In Rockland, Police Say
Woman Accused Of Raping Child After Complaints Of Loud Parties In Rockland, Police Say A series of loud parties led to a rape charge for a woman who allegedly had sex with a minor in Rockland County, police said. The Stony Point Police Department received numerous complaints from local residents regarding loud music and parties on multiple incidents over the course of months at a Perrins Peak home. In response to the parties, Stony Point resident Andre Oden, 45, was cited four times for noise violations and nuisance party violations after he was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 8. Police said that the investigation into the parties and activities at the Perrins Peak home continued…
Authorities: Weapons Arsenal Found In BMW After Surgeon Threatens Estranged Wife In Westchester Authorities: Weapons Arsenal Found In BMW After Surgeon Threatens Estranged Wife In Westchester
Authorities: Weapons Arsenal Found In BMW After Surgeon Threatens Estranged Wife In Westchester Police in Westchester arrested a well-known surgeon who lives on Long Island with a weapons cache after he was overheard threatening his estranged wife, investigators said. Great Neck resident Matthew Bonanno, 47, who practices in the upper East Side in Manhattan, was overheard threatening his wife, who lives in Tuckahoe, officials said.  Police were contacted by acquaintances on Monday, Aug. 12, who overheard the threats against Bonanno's estranged wife and her family, and when they intervened, he was found with an illegal Glock and an arsenal in his BMW. Officers responded to Growle…
Woman Who Faked Pregnancy For $8K In Adoption Scam Sentenced To Prison Woman Who Faked Pregnancy For $8K In Adoption Scam Sentenced To Prison
Woman Who Faked Pregnancy For $8K In Adoption Scam Sentenced To Prison A 33-year-old woman was sentenced to two to four years in prison for defrauding a couple attempting to adopt a baby by pretending to be pregnant with twins. Ashley Richards of Walden was sentenced on Tuesday, Aug. 13, for taking more than $8,000 from the couple, said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. According to the District Attorney's Office, Richards met the couple in early 2018 that were interested in adopting a baby.  Prosecutors said that Richards falsely told the couple that she was pregnant and was expecting twins and that she would allow the cou…
Piermont Man Charged With Raping Minor Piermont Man Charged With Raping Minor
Piermont Man Charged With Raping Minor A Piermont man has been arrested for allegedly raping a person under the age of 17 in Stony Point. Carlos Medina, 32, was charged with one count of rape following his arrest at 3:45 p.m., Saturday, July 13, said Stony Point Police Lt. Daniel Hylas. Medina was arrested following an investigation by Stony Point Police, who were acting on a rape investigation initiated by the Haverstraw Police, he said. Investigators determined that Medina allegedly raped the victim in Stony Point on June 29, Hylas said.  The victim was an acquaintance of Medina but was not related.  Medina w…
Suffern School Board Hits Suspended Superintendent With 15 New Disciplinary Charges Suffern School Board Hits Suspended Superintendent With 15 New Disciplinary Charges
Suffern School Board Hits Suspended Superintendent With 15 New Disciplinary Charges Suspended Suffern Schools Superintendent Douglas Adams is facing new disciplinary charges from the Board of Education following a lengthy meeting last month. The board approved 15 additional disciplinary charges against Adams, according to the minutes from a June 12 meeting which were released by the district to the public this week. The new accusations bring the total against Adams to 20, including the charges that led to his initial suspension. Adams will have his day in court, however; as the Board has to hold a hearing to allow the superintendent to respond to the charges due to a claus…
Area Man Accused Of Defrauding State Workers’ Compensation Fund Out Of $33.7K Area Man Accused Of Defrauding State Workers’ Compensation Fund Out Of $33.7K
Area Man Accused Of Defrauding State Workers’ Compensation Fund Out Of $33.7K A 56-year-old man has been accused of defrauding the state workers’ compensation fund out of more than $33,000, police say. Robert Marra, of Crawford in Orange County, falsely reported the extent of his injuries to his doctors and independent medical examiners, according to a collaborative investigation by the NYS Department of Financial Services, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. As a result, Marra was deemed fully disabled and received a total of $33,700 in benefits from the NYS Workers’ Compensation Fund that he was not entitled to, acc…