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Two From Westchester Among Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader Two From Westchester Among Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader
Two From Westchester Among Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader Four accused mobsters, including two from Westchester, were convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and other felonies that could land them in prison for life. Christopher Londonio, 45, of Hartsdale, and Steven L. Crea, 72, of the Crestwood section of Yonkers were found guilty Friday, Nov. 15 after a six-week jury trial on an assortment of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering for the 2013 execution of notorious gang leader Michael Meldish. “The violent and disturbing acts of these four organized crime figures included the brutal murder …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Alec Baldwin Sues Area Business Owner Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot Alec Baldwin Sues Area Business Owner Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot
Alec Baldwin Sues Area Business Owner Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot Alec Baldwin is fighting back against a Hudson Valley business owner who was involved with an altercation with the actor over a parking spot in New York City last year. Earlier this year, Baldwin pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment after being involved with Wojciech Cieszkowski, a 49-year-old construction business owner from Pearl River who got involved in an altercation in Greenwich Village. In a new lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Baldwin is alleging that Cieszkowski lied about what took place during the incident. “When two New Yorkers get into an argument over a parkin…

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by Zak Failla
News
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam A new scam is making the rounds, prompting police agencies in the area to issue an alert from scammers attempting to extort doctors. Using spoofed phone numbers that make the call appear to come from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s medical offices, scammers have been targeting medical offices and officials, police said. Police said that some of the callers have spoken broken English and have been threatening to revoke doctors’ licenses and block their ability to prescribe drugs if they don’t comply with extortion requests. The DEA has confirmed that the calls are scams and doctors sho…

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by Zak Failla
News
Genovese Crime Family Member From Westchester Destroys Evidence, Obstructs Justice, Feds Say Genovese Crime Family Member From Westchester Destroys Evidence, Obstructs Justice, Feds Say
Genovese Crime Family Member From Westchester Destroys Evidence, Obstructs Justice, Feds Say A member of the Genevose Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra already charged with the stabbing death of a Westchester man is now facing new charges for destroying evidence and obstructing justice, prosecutors announced. John Tortora Jr., known as "Johnny T," was arrested in August by FBI agents and Yonkers Police in connection with the 1997 death of 29-year-old Richard Ortiz in Yonkers. Tortora, 61, of Yonkers, had previously been indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy, murder in the aid of racketeering and murder for hire. He was arrested on Aug. 3 and has been remanded in cus…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former New York State Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been sentenced for corruption charges. In Manhattan federal court, Dean Skelos was sentenced to 51 months in prison, while the younger Skelos got four years behind bars after being convicted twice of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, three counts of extortion under color of official right, and three counts of soliciting and receiving bribes.   In addition to the prison time, Dean Skelos was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and sentenced …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced To Prison In Bribery, Money Laundering Retrial Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced To Prison In Bribery, Money Laundering Retrial
Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced To Prison In Bribery, Money Laundering Retrial Former New York State Assembly Speaker Shelton Silver is heading to prison after being found guilty of corruption charges for the second time. Silver, 74, was sentenced to seven years in prison a federal jury decided he used his position to obtain nearly $4 million in bribes in exchange for his official acts. He was also found guilty of obtaining another $1 million through a money laundering scheme. In addition, Silver, a Democrat who represented part of Manhattan, was found guilty of two counts of honest service wire fraud, two counts of honest services mail fraud, two counts of extortion …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion
Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion Guilty, again. Former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been convicted on corruption charges in federal court. The two had previously been found guilty of the same offenses by a jury in December 2015, but their convictions were overturned by a U.S. Court of Appeals." United States Attorney Robert Khuzami announced Tuesday, July 17 that the Skelos’ have been found guilty of bribery, extortion and honest services fraud charges following a five-week trial in court. “For the second time, Dean Skelos repeatedly abused his official position to…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Charged With Extorting Women Under 21 In Hudson Valley Man Charged With Extorting Women Under 21 In Hudson Valley
Man Charged With Extorting Women Under 21 In Hudson Valley An Orange County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly extorting several underage female victims, giving them alcohol and attempting to extort them, according to state police. An investigation by New York State Police detectives led to the arrest of Wallkill resident Kenneth Ralph, 23, this week, who allegedly met his female victims - all under the age of 21 - on social media, provided them alcohol then attempted to extort money from them. The investigation was conducted by State Police in Highland, the New York State Police Campus Sexual Assault Victims Unit, SUNY New Paltz Univer…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former Building Inspector From Westchester Sentenced To Prison Former Building Inspector From Westchester Sentenced To Prison
Former Building Inspector From Westchester Sentenced To Prison A 55-year-old former buildings inspector from Westchester has been sentenced to more than a year in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit extortion last year. Massimo Dabusco of Yorktown, who worked as a New York City Department of Buildings inspector, was sentenced to a term of 18 months in federal prison this week following the guilty plea last May. According to officials from the United State’s Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, Dabusco, was as a silent partner to Vito Menadi at A&G Contracting Group, a demolition and excavation company. While work…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Attempts To Extort Yorktown Resident, Police Say Man Attempts To Extort Yorktown Resident, Police Say
Man Attempts To Extort Yorktown Resident, Police Say A 30-year-old Orange County man was arrested and charged after police say he tried to extort money from a Yorktown resident. Shea Kirschbaum of Maybrook was charged with attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor, after a police investigation. Kirschbaum voluntarily turned himself into police on Jan. 11. A temporary order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim. Kirschbaum was released on $500 bail and is due back in court on Feb. 8.

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by Sam Barron