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City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) recently appeared on Newsmax to discuss the ongoing migrant crisis. Ariola has urged District 32 residents to request that the Charter Revision Commission include a proposal on the November ballot asking New Yorkers if they support repealing sanctuary city laws.
Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Ariola
Ariola Urges Constituents to Have Their Voices Heard Regarding NYC Status as Sanctuary City
By Michael V. Cusenza
Amid the ongoing migrant crisis, City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) this week encouraged her District 32 constituents to testify at the upcoming City Charter Revision Commission Queens hearing and request that the commission include on the November ballot a question asking New Yorkers if they would support repealing the so-called Sanctuary City laws.
According to City records, the Big Apple has long been designated a sanctuary city. The term “sanctuary,” in this case, refers to a jurisdiction that limits the role of local law enforcement agencies (LLEAs) and officers in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Additionally, sanctuary cities direct personnel:
• Not to engage LLEAs in activities with the sole purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws;
• Not to honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection detainer requests except in specified circumstances involving violent or serious felonies;
• Not to honor ICE or CBP requests for disclosure of certain nonpublic, sensitive information about an individual;
• Not to provide ICE or CBP with access to individuals in LLEA custody for questioning solely for immigration enforcement purposes;
• Not to use local agency resources to create a federal registry based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability or national origin;
• To ensure that LLEAs protect the due process rights of persons as to whom federal immigration enforcement requests have been made;
• To establish that LLEAs may not stop, question, investigate or arrest a person based on perceived immigration status or suspected violation of federal immigration law
Ariola on Monday appeared on Newsmax’s “American Agenda” to discuss the continuing migrant crisis and how it has affected the lives of Gotham residents.
“We need to get ICE back involved. We need that ICE becomes active again in the migrant crisis—where [migrants] are detained; where, if found guilty, they are deported,” the councilwoman said. “Right now, they’re getting in trouble, they’re subject to the weak criminal justice reforms that people who live here are subject to; weak bail reforms; and so they’re just getting back out onto the streets. We’re not talking about people who came here to get a better life—they fled their country, they fled prosecution in their own countries, and they’re coming here and doing the same exact crimes right here in our city.
“There has to be continuity between local law enforcement and ICE, and that’s what we’re not seeing,” Ariola continued. “Migrants have been committing more crime. Maybe they’re not reporting it as much, but migrants are committing more crime.”
Last week, Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, 19, an allegedly undomiciled migrant, was charged in a 20-count indictment for his role in the shooting of two City police officers in East Elmhurst.
The next Charter Revision Commission hearing in Queens is on Monday, July 22, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Queens Public Central Library at 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica.
For more info on testifying virtually, visit nyc.gov/site/ charter/meetings/2024-notice-queens-0722.page.
Or submit your testimony online by July 12 by emailing: charterinfo@citycharter.nyc.gov.
Off-Duty 102nd Precinct Cop Killed in Crash
By Michael V. Cusenza
The 102nd Precinct family is in mourning after one of their own was killed on Friday, her day off , in a wild crash in Suffolk County that also claimed the lives of three others and injured nine more.
Police Officer Emilia Rennhack, 30, died when Steven Schwally allegedly
drove his SUV at a high rate of speed off Grand Boulevard and into the front window of Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park, according to Suffolk County Police.
Schwally, 64, allegedly downed 18 beers the night before the 4:30 p.m. incident, prosecutors said on Monday, according to a News 12 Long Island report. He pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated charges and was held on $1 million cash bail or $2 million bond.
Yan Xu, 41, and Meizi Zhang, 50, both of Flushing, and Jiancai Chen, 37, a Bayside resident, also perished in Friday afternoon’s crash.
According to published reports, Rennhack was married to 102nd Precinct Det. Carl Rennhack. They lived in Deer Park.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Police Officer Emilia Rennhack, whose life was taken far too soon,” City Police Commissioner Edward Caban said. “We offer our support to Emilia’s family, friends, and co-workers during this incredibly difficult time. Please keep our officer and her loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
Courtesy of Councilwoman Ariola Ariola is urging her constituents to get involved and have their voices heard.
Photo Courtesy of NYPD Police Officer Emilia Rennhack
Photo Courtesy of Hawaii Nail & Spa
Rennhack and three Queens residents were killed when an SUV blasted through the front section of a Deer Park, L.I. nail salon.
Leaders Push for New Swim Safety Measures
By Forum Staff
Following the June 21 deaths of city teens Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins in the waters off Rockaway Beach, Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and area leaders called for the implementation of new swim safety measures to prevent future loss of life.
According to Richards’ office, approximately a dozen people have drowned in the waters off Rockaway Beach in the last five years, including seven individuals in 2019 alone — more than half of whom were teenagers.
Three other young people in their late teens and early 20s lost their lives off Rockaway Beach between 2022 and 2023, while 13-year-old friends Daniel Persaud and Ryan Wong drowned in Jamaica Bay in 2022.
During a Tuesday morning press conference on the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk at Beach 94th Street, Richards said the City needs to:
• E xtend the time lifeguards are on duty until at least 7pm. During heat waves, people stay
at the beach longer, so our lifeguards should too.
• E xtend the beach season beyond early September. Summers are only getting longer and hotter as climate change creeps in.
• Build more community pools, which is what my office is working on doing in locations across Rockaway.
• Keep existing pools within schools open all summer long for community swim.
• Invest in groups like the Swim Strong Foundation and help more kids learn to swim.
• Come to the table with the lifeguards’ union and negotiate a way to scale up the number of lifeguards our City can hire. We’re an oceanfront city of 9 million people. Under no circumstances should we have a shortage of lifeguards every year.
“Lastly, it’s on us to keep ourselves safe at the end of the day. If you’re at the beach and there isn’t a lifeguard on duty, DO NOT SWIM,” Richards cautioned. “The ocean is NOT a pool. Even on sunny and calm days, those rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away in seconds.”
Photo Courtesy of Borough President Richards
Approximately 12 people have drowned in the waters off Rockaway Beach in the last five years.
Photo Courtesy of Borough President Richards
keep
safe at the end of the day,” Borough President Richards said.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities Rise Sharply in NY: Report
By Forum Staff
Motor vehicle fatalities in New York state rose 25.8 percent from 2019-2022, with fatalities at the highest level in a decade in 2022, even as the number of vehicle miles travelled, licensed drivers, and traffic accidents have declined, according to a report released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
“Traffic fatalities in New York have grown at an alarming rate since the pandemic,” DiNapoli said. “While there are fewer drivers on the road and vehicle safety features have greatly improved, more fatal crashes are occurring. As New Yorkers hit the road for the Fourth of July holiday and summer vacations, let’s drive cautiously and arrive safely.”
There were 1,175 traffic fatalities in New York in 2022, which was the highest number since 2013, according to the report, titled “Moving in the Wrong Direction.” Nationwide traffic related deaths grew by nearly 17 percent while New York’s fatalities soared by 25.8 percent between 2019-2022. This increase coincides with a 7 percent decrease in vehicle miles travelled and a 12.5 percent decline in traffic accidents in New York in this period.
Most fatal car crashes occur on urban roadways, which increased 68 percent in New York since 2017. In 2022, Long Island led the state in the number of deaths (164 in Suffolk and 81 in Nassau). Regionally, the North Country had the highest per capita
fatality rate in 2022 at 12.9 per 100,000 people, while New York City was the lowest at 2.9 per 100,000 people, likely because it has a large number of residents who do not own vehicles, DiNapoli noted.
Three out of four vehicles involved in fatal crashes were passenger vehicles and light trucks in 2022. Overwhelmingly in fatal accidents, occupants who were not wearing a seat belt or helmet were killed (64 percent).
Approximately one-in-three deaths in New York involved speeding, and another one-inthree involved a driver with a blood alcohol content above the federal legal limit of 0.08. There was a 45 percent increase in fatalities involving drivers above the legal limit from 2019-2022.
The federal and state governments have numerous safe highway efforts underway. For example, New York was allocated nearly $641 million over 5 years from the federal government for the Highway Safety Improvement Program. The enacted state budget for State Fiscal Year 2024-25 also included Sammy’s Law, which allows New York City to reduce its speed limits. DiNapoli’s report notes that other states have advanced policies that New York could consider and urges policymakers to consider giving more local governments the ability to adjust their minimum speed limits to help reduce traffic fatalities in the state. For example, in 2017 Utah became the first state to lower their blood alcohol limit from the federal and NYS limit of .08 to .05. According to a 2022 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Utah’s change had a demonstrably positive impact on highway safety in the state. Fatal crashes and the fatality rate in Utah dropped by nearly 20 percent and 18 percent respectively in 2019, the first year the legal limit was changed. A bill introduced in New York State in 2022, if enacted, would make New York the second state to implement the .05 BAC limit.
Courtesy of State Comptroller DiNapoli In 2022, NYC experienced the lowest per capita fatality rate at 2.9 per 100,000 people.
Probe Exposes Mismanagement in Combating Mail Theft
The target implementation dates for the recommendations range from October 2024 to April 2025.
By Forum Staff
Congresswoman Grace Meng (DFlushing) announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service has agreed to implement the recommendations outlined in a new federal probe that revealed major mismanagement in how the agency is addressing the rise of mail theft in Queens.
The investigation – which was the first ever probe into mail theft in Queens – was launched in January by the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General after Meng urged the agency to conduct an audit. The results were released in a report in late May and it found numerous issues with the deployment and installation of mail theft mitigation initiatives throughout the borough. It also provided several recommendations to improve the situation, and Meng last month called for these recommendations to be implemented in letters she sent to the head of the Postal Service, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the district manager overseeing postal operations in Queens, John Tortorice. The Postal Service told Meng that it will implement the recommendations.
“The Postal Service has clearly not been doing enough to fix the problem,” Meng said.
The Office of Inspector General is an independent entity within the Postal Service. It oversees the integrity and efficiency of the nation’s postal system, ensuring the accountability and transparency of postal operations.
The green relay boxes are used to store mail and are located next to many of the blue collection boxes throughout Queens.
Specific findings of the investigation disclosed that local postal facilities failed to track and secure keys to green relay boxes. Nor did these facilities properly track and deploy the installation of high-security
boxes and electronic locks – technologies that are designed to better protect blue collection boxes and green relay boxes. Furthermore, they failed to maintain the condition of collection and relay boxes including those with cracks and gaps in the doors that contributed to the persistent theft.
The report makes seven recommendations to address these failures by the Postal Service:
• Develop and implement a plan, including communication strategy and available staff, for the timely deployment and installation of mail theft initiatives nationwide.
• Add the f unctionality to the Collection Point Management System to differentiate between blue collection and high security collection boxes.
• Direct the vice president of Delivery Operations to update the Collection Point Management System to differentiate between blue collection and high security collection boxes in the New York 2 district.
• R eiterate arrow key security policies and responsibilities to managers and supervisors in Queens.
• R equire the New York 2 District Manager to confirm all arrow keys are added to the inventory in the Retail and Delivery Analytics and Reports system.
• R equire the New York 2 District Manager to establish procedures to complete annual safety inspections, remediate deficiencies, and document the results for blue collection and green relay boxes.
• Develop a process to define roles, responsibilities, and frequency for inspecting green relay boxes, and to record and track the location and condition of green relay boxes.
The target implementation dates for the recommendations range from October 2024 to April 2025, and officials are now working to make these changes, Meng noted.
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Ariola Secures Funding for New BCVFD Firehouse
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) has secured the resources to fund the construction of a new firehouse and emergency relief center for the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department & Ambulance Corp., the councilwoman announced on Sunday.
“Thank you Mayor Adams! This will go a long way towards improving the safety of residents in Broad Channel!” said Ariola, chairwoman of the Council Committee on Fire and Emergency Management.
Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Ariola
File Photo
Mayor, Council Speaker Reach Agreement on $112.4B Budget
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, members of the City Council, and senior members of the Adams administration on Friday announced an agreement on a $112.4 billion Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
The balanced and on-time agreement closes a $7.1 billion budget gap, Mayor Adams noted.
On top of investments already announced in the November 2023 Financial Plan and the Preliminary and Executive Budgets, new investments in the FY25 Adopted Budget and joint priorities with the New York City Council include: Investing in an Equitable Education for All Students
In addition to investing over $600 million in new funding to protect critical programs that were funded with temporary stimulus dollars and protect schools with declining enrollment from budget reductions, the FY25 Adopted Budget builds on recently announced invest
ments by:
• R estoring Summer Rising extended day and Friday programming for middle school participants ($19.6 million).
• Supporting community school programming ($14 million).
• Providing free MetroCards to this summer's Summer Youth Employment Program participants ($11 million).
• Investing in teacher recruitment efforts that are critical to meeting state mandated class-size legislation standards ($10 million).
• Continuing the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development Adult Literacy Education contracted programs ($10 million).
• Funding Restorative Justice programming designed to reduce the reliance on suspensions or punitive discipline across city schools ($6 million).
• Continuing the cross-agency Mental Health Continuum partnership to provide mental health support to all students ($5 million).
• Supporting digital learning resources for students and teachers ($5 million).
• E xpanding arts education in schools ($4 million).
• Supporting tutoring for kindergarten through second grade literacy and sixth through eighth grade math education at select schools across the city ($4 million).
• Funding for immigrant family engagement to address potential communication gaps between schools and support parents who do not speak English fluently ($4 million).
• Continuing support for incorporation of LGBTQ+ inclusive topics, history, and wellness into student curricula ($2.8 million).
• Funding fee waivers for community organizations using New York City Public Schools' space ($2 million).
• Providing resources for parent and family engagement to support New York City Public Schools' “Family and Community Engagement” initiative, which focuses on parent empowerment and engagement ($1 million).
Supporting Libraries and Cultural Institutions
After making multiple investments in NYC’s cultural sector by allocating more than $22 million to the City Department of Cultural Affairs for the Cultural Institutions Group and Cultural Development
Meals ($11.1 million).
• S upporting the Shelter to Housing Action Plan that provides staffing to c onnect eligible New Yorkers with legal services and help New Yorkers find and maintain stable housing ($10.1 million).
• Investing in CUNY Accelerate, Complete, Engage Program that helps students overcome barriers to graduation through academic advisement, career development, tuition scholarships, textbooks, and transportation assistance ($9.1 million).
• Continuing support for the Jobs NYC employment sprint monthly hiring
Fund, the FY25 Adopted budget goes even further to:
• R estore the FY25 November Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) and add funding for the Cultural Institutions Group and Cultural Development Fund recipients ($53 million).
• R estore operations support funding for New York City's libraries citywide ($58.3 million).
Making the City More Affordable
According to Mayor Adams, the FY25 Adopted Budget includes commitments to make the city more affordable and support working-class New Yorkers’ economic mobility by:
• Supporting over 700 food pantries across the city to maintain current funding levels ($31.9 million).
• Adding funding for ‘Fair Fares NYC' and increasing the eligibility rate from 120 percent to 145 percent of the Federal Poverty Level to build on the resounding success of the program and make public transportation more affordable for even more New Yorkers ($20.7 million).
• Providing operational support to help The City University of New York (CUNY) adjust to declining enrollment ($15 million).
• Funding food and services for Older Adult Centers and Home Delivered
halls in communities experiencing high unemployment ($2.5 million).
• Supporting legal services for New Yorkers facing wage theft and unemployment insurance hearings ($1.9 million).
• Funding housing navigators who assist runaway and homeless youth with safe and permanent housing placements ($1.6 million).
• Providing small businesses support with grant and loan applications, marketing assistance, business strategy, accounting and legal services, and digital tools ($1.5 million).
• Supporting the Brooklyn Recovery Corps at CUNY Medgar Evers College, which provides 200 students a year with internship opportunities that contribute to the ongoing economic recovery of Brooklyn and the city ($1 million).
• Funding CUNY STEM, a yearlong enrichment program in Inwood to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields ($1 million).
Keeping New Yorkers Safe and Improving Quality of Life
• Funding for City Department of Parks and Recreation’s Brownsville Recreation Center demolition and construction ($160 million).
• Continuing current levels of litter basket pick-ups citywide ($25 million).
• Add ing staff to complete a second cleaning shift at hotspot park locations during peak days and hours ($15 million).
• Continuing part-time security at 55 NYCHA buildings for senior residents ($6.8 million).
• Helping manage and adjudicate growth in administrative legal cases related to the crackdown on illicit cannabis sales ($4.2 million).
• Continuing support for 50 Urban Park Rangers ($4.1 million).
• Ongoing support for GreenThumb gardens with new soil, new raised beds, and other resources utilized by gardeners ($2.6 million).
• Providing additional resources for tree stump removal ($2 million).
• Funding for Civilian Complaint Review Board's staffing ($2.1 million).
• Funding of 32 civilian positions to staff the new 116th Precinct in Southeast Queens, which is scheduled to open in October 2024 ($1.2 million).
Keeping New Yorkers Healthy The FY25 Adopted Budget further invests in programs to help keep New Yorkers healthy by:
• R estoring the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene contracts for HIV related programs ($5.4 million).
• E xpanding the Office of Health Care Accountability to bring rising health care costs down and ensure hospitals and health care providers are not gouging New Yorkers ($2 million).
• Continuing programming for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, including direct services, mental health support, youth programs, and other culturally-competent services ($5 million).
• R aising meal reimbursement rates to help the city's contracted nonprofit home-delivered meal providers with the rising costs of food and labor ($4.8 million).
• Supporting existing Trauma Recovery Centers, which provide case management, therapy, and crisis intervention services to underserved victims of violent crime ($4.8 million).
• R eplacing expiring stimulus dollars that currently support the Mayor's Office of Food Policy staffing and food research projects ($800,000).
The Adams administration previously announced funding for three new police classes to add 1,800 additional recruits in April, July, and October classes, putting New York City on a path to have 35,000 uniformed officers in the coming years. Continuing to build on the double-digit decrease in shootings and homicides in 2023 and 2024, and the decrease in overall crime in 2025, year to date, the FY25 Adopted Budget includes upstream solutions to protect public safety and make the city more livable by:
Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams on Friday reach handshake agreement on FY 2025 Adopted Budget.
Addabbo Encourages Students to Participate in Senate Summer Reading Program
Visit nysenate.gov/nyread to participate in this year’s
By Forum Staff
State Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Woodhaven) on Tuesday invited parents from across the 15th District to track their children’s summer reading activity.
By going to nysenate.gov/nyread and fi lling in the names and information of three books read by your child this summer, the participant will receive a Certificate of Achievement from Addabbo.
This year’s theme is, “Adventure Begins at Your Library.”
The deadline for submissions is Sept. 1, 2024. More resources and facts about sum-
mer reading can be found at:
• New York’s libraries: summerreadingnys.org/
• Scholastic's Kids and Families
Reading Report: scholastic.com
According to Addabbo, reading during the summer is important for children for several reasons:
• Preventing the “Summer Slide”
– The “summer slide” is a common term used to describe when students forget some of the skills and knowledge that they learned throughout the school year while they are on break for the summer.
and
Reading during this time allows children to maintain or improve their reading abilities.
• Practice leads to improvementReading during the summer months helps children improve their literacy skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. It can also enhance their writing skills and critical thinking abilities.
• Creating a reading spark - Summer reading can spark a lifelong love for reading and learning. When children enjoy reading, they are more likely to continue reading throughout their lives, which can have numerous benefits for their academic and personal development.
• Becoming a well-rounded person - Reading allows children to explore new ideas, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. This broadens their views and en-
hances their creativity, leading to empathy and understanding of others.
• Boosting confidence and independence - Regular reading during the summer can increase children's confidence in their ability to read and promote independent learning. It challenges them to explore topics of interest on their own and become more self-reliant learners.
“Reading during the summer helps keep children’s minds sharp, and opens up new worlds of learning and adventure,” Addabbo added. “Every year I am proud to participate in the Senate’s Summer Reading Program, which provides a great incentive to get youth to read by allowing them to track their progress, and then they get a certificate from me. Hopefully that gives them a sense of accomplishment and I always enjoy seeing what books children are reading.”
Courtesy of State Senate
Senate Summer Reading Program.
Courtesy of Scholastic
More resources
facts about summer reading can be found at: scholastic.com.
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Three Borough Residents among 11 Arrested in National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action
By Michael V. Cusenza
On Thursday, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace announced that a national health care fraud action had netted 11 defendants—including three who call Queens home—variously charged in schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid.
On June 26, 2024, Feng Jiang was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering in connection with an alleged $24 million scheme involving multiple New York pharmacies. As alleged in the indictment, Jiang, 42, and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks in the form of supermarket gift certificates and cash to Medicare beneficiaries and Medicaid recipients who filled medically unnecessary prescriptions at Elmcare Pharmacy Inc. and NY Elm Pharmacy Inc. in Flushing. The indictment further alleges that Jiang, known as “Jeff” to his Oakland Gardens neighbors, and others wrote checks to various “trading companies” to obtain cash that was distributed as profits amongst the pharmacies’ owners and used to pay illegal kickbacks and bribes.
Forest Hills resident Albert Muratov pleaded guilty on June 11, 2024 to health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for undispensed cancer medication. Muratov, 46, who operated Ave M Pharmacy in Brooklyn, along with Artom Rafaelov and others, handled the pharmacy’s finances and payments and, together with
As alleged in the indictment, Jiang, 42, and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks in the form of supermarket gift certificates and cash to Medicare beneficiaries and Medicaid recipients who filled medically unnecessary prescriptions at Elmcare Pharmacy Inc. and NY Elm Pharmacy Inc. in Flushing.
others, caused the submission of approximately 253 claims to Medicare for Targretin Gel 1 percent. Targretin is a prescription drug used to treat skin conditions caused by Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, a rare skin cancer. The average wholesale price for a 60-gram tube of Targretin Gel 1 percent was over $34,000. From 2017 to 2021, the defendant and his co-conspirators, including Rafaelov, billed Medicare
for Targretin that was medically unnecessary, not ordered by a professional, or that they did not dispense; as a result, Medicare paid Ave M Pharmacy more than $4 million.
Artom Rafaelov pleaded guilty on September 28, 2022 to a criminal information charging him with health care fraud. Rafaelov, 41, owned and operated Ave M Pharmacy in Brooklyn. Between approximately February 2017 and September 2021, the Fresh Meadows resident and co-conspirator Albert Muratov defrauded Medicare by causing Ave M to submit fraudulent claims for Targretin Gel 1 percent (described above) that were neither purchased nor stocked by Ave M; and not medically necessary or not prescribed by the doctors that Ave M claimed had prescribed the medication. In March 2024, Rafaelov was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 37 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution to Medicare.
“These defendants have been charged with treating the Medicare and Medicaid programs like cash registers they could use to ring up withdrawals from the public treasury straight into their pockets,” Peace said.
“Health care fraud affects every American,” added Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri. “It siphons off hard-earned tax dollars meant to provide care for the vulnerable and disabled. In doing so, it also raises the cost of care for all patients. Even worse, as the prosecutions we announce today underscore, health care fraud can harm patients and fuel addiction.”
Borough President Touts Diverse Community Boards
By Forum Staff
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. on Monday announced the release of his office’s 2024 Queens Community Board Demographic Report, providing both an overview of the current demographic profi les of Queens community boards and a detailed, multilayered breakdown of this year’s diverse class of community board appointees.
Richards said his initiative to digitize the community board application in 2021 continues to be “a major success” in generating a deeper and more diverse pool of candidates for appointment to Queens’ 14 community boards. Since 2021, over 3,600 applications were submitted — the vast majority of which came from individuals who had not previously served on a board.
Richards said that the heightened interest also stems from his 2021 announcement of a series of good-government reforms aimed at establishing a centralized code of conduct for all 14 community boards, as well as a call for a holistic review of each board’s bylaws, making boards more welcoming places for new members.
“I am thrilled to see our efforts to create community boards that look like the communities they serve are generating great results,” Richards said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I am confident that we’re building better representation on our boards with every passing year.”
As detailed in the report, there were significant achievements across the community board appointment process in 2024. In total, the Queens Borough President’s Office received 848 applications. Of this year’s 355 appointees,
117 are new members who were not previously serving on a board — the largest number of new members appointed during the Richards administration so far.
People of color were strongly represented amongst
the 117 new members. People who identify as Hispanic/ Latinx make up 27.4 percent of new appointees; African Americans make up 26.5 percent of new appointees; and East Asian/Pacific Islanders or South Asians make up 23.9 percent of new members. Over 80 percent of new appointees do not identify as “White” or “European,” a demographic category that has been historically overrepresented on community boards. Overall, this year’s class of new community board appointees is likely the most racially and ethnically diverse in Queens history.
In line with Borough President Richards’ efforts to appoint younger members to their local community boards, more than half, or 54.7 percent, of new appointees are under the age of 45, and nearly a third, or 31.6 percent, are 35 or under The youngest new appointee is 19 years old, reflecting persistent growth in interest among young people in community board membership. Prior to the Richards Administration, less than 25 percent of community board members were younger than 45.
Of the 117 new community board members this year, nearly 55 percent identify as female. When combining all four of Borough President Richards’ community board application cycles, more than 52 percent of his new appointees have identified as female. Prior to the Richards administration, just 43 percent of board members identified as female.
Additionally, 24.7 percent of new members are parents or guardians of a school-age child, while 17.9 percent are immigrants. In terms of LGBTQIA+ representation, 10.3 percent of new members identified as such, up from 3.4 percent of community board members as of 2020 prior to Richards taking office.
Photo Courtesy of Google
Courtesy of Borough President Richards
serve
generating great results,” Borough President Richards said.
Forest Hills Man Charged in Brutal Beating of Woodside Deli Worker
By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Osvel Diaz has been arraigned on a criminal complaint charging him in the beating of a 62-year-old worker at the Sunnyside Mini Mart in Woodside on June 17.
Diaz allegedly pummeled the victim until he was rendered unconscious and then continued to kick him as he lay motionless on the deli floor.
Diaz, 29, of Forest Hills was arraigned Thursday night on a complaint charging him with attempted murder in the second
degree and assault in the first and second degrees.
According to the charges:
On June 17, at approximately 11:17 p.m., video surveillance shows Diaz at the Sunnyside Mini Mart at 63-20 Broadway repeatedly punching and kicking employee Abdul Alshawish, 62, in the face, body and head to the point where the victim appears to be unconscious.
Diaz was then seen on video continuing to kick Alshawish in the face and head numerous times as the victim was motionless on the ground. The victim’s head appears to be striking against a store counter after be-
ing kicked.
The victim was taken to an area hospital where he is still being treated for his injuries including a brain hemorrhage, facial fractures, a mid-face separation and fractured eye socket, nose and sinuses.
Diaz was arrested Wednesday at his home.
He was also charged in two separate complaints with criminal mischief in the fourth degree, making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments. He was allegedly seen on video surveillance on Jan. 24, between approximately 1:18 and 1:29 a.m., spraying paint on the side of
a florist at 62-06 Flushing Ave. in Maspeth.
On Jan. 25, at approximately 1:53 a.m., he was seen on video surveillance spraying black paint on a private home on 71st Street in Woodside.
“Business owners and their workers should never have to fear that they will be the targets of violence,” Katz said.
“We will do everything we can to protect shopkeepers because when our local businesses thrive, our communities thrive.”
If convicted, Diaz faces up to 25 years in prison.
City Urges Supreme Court to Uphold ‘Commonsense’ Ghost Gun Regulations
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr. on Tuesday announced the fi ling of an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Garland v. VanDerStok, in support of federal regulations issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that require ghost gun parts to have serial numbers and compel background checks for prospective buyers of ghost gun home-assembly kits.
According to Adams, co-chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, ghost guns are just as dangerous as traditional firearms, as they are “functionally indistinguishable from pre-assembled guns,” and “home-assembled firearms recovered by the NYPD have typically corresponded to specific models of commercially available pre-assembled guns.” Furthermore, “easily assembled ghost guns have become increasingly prevalent among individuals who would otherwise be banned from possessing firearms in New York,” and “home-assembly firearm kits are explicitly marketed as a means of bypassing guncontrol laws.”
The brief argues that both the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have been at the forefront of combating the proliferation of ghost guns. Since the start of the Adams administration, the
NYPD has already removed approximately 17,000 illegal guns from city streets, including more than 1,050 ghost guns. In 2020, the NYPD also created the Major Case Field Intelligence Team, which works closely with the city’s five district attorneys, as well as state and federal law enforcement, to stop the flow of ghost guns.
The brief also states that, “in just six years, the number of ghost guns in New
York City has exploded by nearly 30 times.”
The lack of federal regulation of “ghostguns kits and components has allowed these firearms to fall into the hands of dangerous individuals who would otherwise be ineligible to possess these weapons under New York law.”
“Ghost guns are guns, plain and simple, and they are dangerous,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg.
“Ghost guns are one of the fastestgrowing threats to public safety, and this Supreme Court case threatens to open the doors wide open for even more of them to flow into our communities,” Adams said. “President Biden and ATF Director Dettelbach have led the strongest gun safety administration in history, and the ghost gun rule they finalized saves lives. It’s commonsense: ghost guns are guns, so they should be regulated like guns — and we’re grateful to our state lawmakers for passing laws that recognize that. We will continue to do everything in our power to dam every river that feeds the sea of gun violence and endangers New Yorkers, especially our young people.”
Shootings and homicides were down by double-digits in each of the administration’s first two years in office. Both shootings and homicides remain down across New York City year to date as well.
CORRECTION
In last week’s edition of The Forum, a story (“Homeless Man Indicted for Allegedly Shooting Two Cops in East Elmhurst”) mistakenly featured a photo of Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach).
It was an honest blunder. The Forum regrets the error.
File Photo
“Business owners and their workers should never have to fear that they will be the targets of violence,” DA Katz said.
Photo Courtesy of Google
The alleged assault occurred last month at this deli in Woodside.
Photo Courtesy of Caroline Willis/Mayoral Photography Office
“Ghost guns are one of the fastest-growing threats to public safety, and this Supreme Court case threatens to open the doors wide open for even more of them to flow into our communities,” Mayor Adams said.
Legal Notices
Notice of Formation of FOUR LEAVES GROUP LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/21/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process to: 53 14 94th street, ELMHURST NY, 11373 Purpose: Any lawful activities.
Notice of formation of 130 BEACH 137 LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 2/27/2024. Office located in Nassau. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to:THE LLC, 140 BEACH 137TH STREET, BELLE HARBOR, NY, 11694, USA. PURPOSE: ANY LAWFUL ACTIVITY.
A Notice of Formation of W & H United Capital LLC. Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/13/2023. Office location: Queens County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: The LLC, 51-71 Codwise Place 2Fl, Elmhurst, NY 11373. Purpose: any lawful activity.
A Notice of Formation of 166 LAFAYETTE AVENUE LLC. Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/30/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 166 LAFAYETTE AVENUE LLC 5043 MORENCI LANE, LITTLE NECK, NY, 11362, USA. Purpose: any lawful activity.
Notice of formation of Senjun Pilates LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 5/16/2024. Office located in Nassau. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 43 Glen Cove Rd Ste B #171, Greenvale, NY 11548 Purpose: any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of KOOBASE LLC Arts of Org filed withSecy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/04/2024. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to ZENBUSINESS INC., 41 STATE STREET, SUITE 112, ALBANY, NY, 12207, USA. General Purpose
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Notice of formation of Senjun Pilates LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 5/16/2024. Office located in Nassau. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 43 Glen Cove Rd Ste B #171, Greenvale, NY 11548 Purpose: any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of EDC MAX CLEANING SERVICES LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 01/20/2024. Office located in Nassau. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to:EDWIN ROSENDO RIVEROS CHAPARRO, 112-15 76TH ROAD APT 2, FOREST HILLS, NY, 11375, USA. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
2821 30TH AVENUE, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/15/24. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o
Richard Howard, 9 Sheila Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of formation of 130 BEACH 137 LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 2/27/2024. Office located in Queens. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to:THE LLC, 140 BEACH 137TH STREET, BELLE HARBOR, NY, 11694, USA. PURPOSE: ANY LAWFUL ACTIVITY.
LADY BUBBLES LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/04/2024. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Charisma Chaitram, 12710 102nd Avenue, Richmond Hill, NY 11419. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
1-47 126 LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 6/6/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Devi Lisa Hariprasad, Navindra Ramsaran, 111-47 126 St, South Ozone Park, NY 11420. General Purpose
57-01 Northern Boulevard Realty LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/23/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Hochheiser & Akmal PLLC, 910 Franklin Avenue, Ste 220, Garden City, NY 11530. General Purpose
Notice of formation of OM TARE LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 5/13/2024. Office located in Nassau. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to:nTASI SHER[A 3115 68TH ST., WOODSIDE, NY, 11377, USA. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
WHITEPOINT VALET LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/13/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 16309 29th Ave Flushing NY 11358. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
KETONE RECORDS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/04/18. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to : Zenbusiness Inc.41 State Street, Suite 112 Albany, NY, 12207, USA Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
MANSTA’S CARD HOUSE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/04/18. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to : Zenbusiness Inc.41 State Street, Suite 112 Albany, NY, 12207, USA Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Pretect Solutions LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 6/7/2024. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Mr. Angelo Mottola, Claddagh/Pretect, 10-21 47th Rd, Long Island City, NY 11101. General Purpose
JLL 93 SOUTH COUNTRY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 05/01/18. Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Lenny Pereira, 106-17 153rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11433. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
FENIX DESIGN CONSULTANTS LFG, LLC, filed articles of organization with the NY Secretary of State on MARCH 10,2024. Office: QUEENS COUNTY. SARA NGAN is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. NY Secretary of State shall mail copy of process to SARA NGAN at 5-11 47TH AVENUE, APT 4Y, LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of REMYV LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/30/2024. Office in Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to RENE VIVALDO, 8309 BREVOORT ST, APT. 1B, KEW GARDENS, NY, 11415, USA Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
KAKES BRANDS LLC. Filed 10/5/2023. Office: Queens Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 54 STATE STREET, STE 804, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: General.
Notice of Formation of ASSETACE LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/24/2024. Office in Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Zenbusiness Inc.41 State Street, Suite 112 Albany, NY, 12207, USA Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of TN CONSULTING LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/21/2024. Office in Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Zenbusiness Inc.41 State Street, Suite 112 Albany, NY, 12207, USA Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of PARADIES LAGARDERE @ JFK T1 RETAIL, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/25/24. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of formation of RISING ESTATE of MP LLC. Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 06/17/24. Office in Queens Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 24-30 46th Street, Astoria, New York 11103. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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