RyeCity REVIEW THE
August 23, 2019 | Vol. 7, Number 33 | www.ryecityreview.com
5 charged with fraud at Westchester retail stores
Who’s the champ? Walter’s Hot Dogs celebrates 100 years with none other than a hot dog eating contest. For more, see page 14.
County will offer free back-to-school vaccines The Westchester County Department of Health will book appointments now for its free backto-school vaccine clinics to assure children have the vaccines they need for school. On June 13, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school vaccine requirements for children who attend childcare programs or public, private or parochial schools through 12th grade. “This will be the first school year for which there will be no religious exemptions to vaccinations in New York State,” Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said. “Parents should schedule vaccine visits with their healthcare provider as soon as possible to be sure their children have the vaccines they need to stay in school.”
All children who do not have their required immunizations must have their first dose of vaccinations within 14 days from the first day of school. Parents and guardians of these children must show that they have made appointments for all required follow-up doses within 30 days of the start of school. The county Health Department can help. Families with no insurance, ChildHealth Plus or Medicaid should call the county Health Department to schedule an appointment for vaccines at no charge. Call 995-5800 to find out if you qualify and to make an appointment for one of the four special back-to-school clinics: • Friday, Aug. 30, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in White Plains • Tuesday, Sept. 3, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Yonkers
• Saturday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Yonkers • Tuesday, Sept. 10, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in White Plains In addition to these special clinics, the Westchester County Department of Health provides free immunizations by appointment in its White Plains and Yonkers clinics to eligible children and students of all ages who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. Vaccine visits can be scheduled on the first and third Fridays in White Plains or on the second and fourth Fridays in Yonkers, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Health Department clinics are located at 20 S. Broadway in Yonkers and at 134 Court St. in White Plains. Ask your healthcare provider which vaccines your children need. All 7th and 12th grad-
ers must get the meningococcal vaccine, and all students must be vaccinated against whooping cough, measles and mumps. Health Navigators available through the Health Department can help families and individuals sign up for the health insurance they need. Those without a regular doctor can learn where to go for ongoing primary care. For more information, call 995-6350. (Submitted)
Westchester County Police arrested five persons Wednesday and charged them with stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from TJ Maxx and other retail stores in recent months. Investigators estimate the loss of goods to be valued at more than $500,000. The five suspects are accused of engaging in identity theft and credit card fraud to commit multiple larcenies over the past five months. The suspects obtained numerous credit cards through fraudulent means and used the cards to purchase merchandise before the fraudulent cards were discovered and shut down. The ring would purchase several thousand dollars in merchandise a day, including high-end pocketbooks and clothing, televisions and furniture, the investigation revealed. The suspects are preliminarily charged with multiple counts of grand larceny and other offenses. The investigation into the scheme is continuing and additional charges are anticipated. Westchester County police detectives, assisted by members of the county Police Special Response Team and investigators from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, executed search warrants on Aug. 14 at one residence in Mount Vernon, three in the Bronx and one in Queens. The suspects were taken into custody at those locations and numerous items of stolen property, valued at more than $100,000, were seized. Several vans and a U-Haul truck were needed to haul away the seized stolen goods, and a complete inventory of the recovered items is still under way. In addition, devices used to make fraudulent credit cards and fraudulent identification were also seized. “I would like to commend the General Investigations Unit for the painstaking investigation it conducted in recent months to identify these thieves and bring them to
justice,” Police Commissioner Thomas A. Gleason said. “I am grateful to the prosecutors and investigators at the Westchester District Attorney’s Office for their invaluable assistance throughout this lengthy and complex investigation.” Gleason also thanked TJX Companies, the parent company of TJ Maxx, for its assistance and cooperation during the investigation. “This was a lucrative criminal enterprise that victimized numerous retail establishments in Westchester and beyond,” Gleason said. “We have evidence that this scheme was also utilized outside of Westchester and we will be sharing information and evidence with other jurisdictions.” Arrested in Mount Vernon were Hassan Miller, 46, of Chester Street, Mount Vernon, and Dawn Anderson, 48, of E. 143rd St., Bronx. They were each charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 2nd Degree, three counts of Criminal Possession of a Forgery Device and 76 counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, felonies. Miller and Anderson were arraigned Wednesday in Mount Vernon City Court and were remanded to the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla. The remaining three suspects were held overnight at county police headquarters in Hawthorne and will be arraigned today in Yonkers City Court. They are: Stanley Awala, 45, of 200th St., St. Albans, Queens, charged with Grand Larceny 4th Degree and Identity Theft 2nd Degree; Asanimo Riesa, 37, of East 146th St., Bronx, charged with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree and 4th Degree and Identity Theft 2nd Degree; Peter Onogwu, 63, of N. Oak Drive, Bronx, charged with Grand Larceny 4th Degree and Identity Theft 2nd Degree. The case is being prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Investigations Division Identity Theft Unit. (Submitted)