WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.
Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled a “New York State Licensed Cannabis Dispensary” verification tool that will be posted in the windows of legally licensed retail dispensaries, which are set to begin opening before the end of this year. The designation will ensure consumers know they are buying from a dispensary regulated by New York State. A universal symbol on each product sold will also show that it is up to standards set by the state. The combination provides consumers certainty that they have acquired a tested, regulated product.
“It’s critical for New York’s cannabis consumers to understand the risks of buying untested, illicit products and to have the tools to guide them to the safer, legal market that’s poised to open,” Governor Hochul said. “These tools will help to protect public health and strengthen our ability to deliver the equitable cannabis market our law envisions. We will continue to work with our partners in municipalities across the state to enforce the law and shutdown illicit operators who are selling products that put New Yorkers at risk.”
As stores continue to open in the first quarter of 2023, the state will also be releasing a public education campaign called “Why Buy Legal New York,” which will explain the benefits of purchasing legal adult-use cannabis for cannabis consumers in New York State. The campaign will discuss the risks of buying untested illicit products, and how those products undermine the goals of New York’s cannabis law to build the most equitable and inclusive cannabis market in the nation.
Tremaine Wright, Chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said, “The dispensary verification tool unveiled by Governor Hochul today combined with requirements for the universal symbol on regulated products sets us off on the right foot. It is critical that consumers know and trust that the new, legal cannabis market offers tested products and follows protocols designed to protect public health. These efforts combined with rigorous enforcement, will help build a stable, legal marketplace.”
Trust in public health is eroding, and the implications are far reaching. We, as a field, have to fix this.
Over the weekend
Any forward-facing scientist can tell you that receiving dangerous messages has been a common occurrence throughout the pandemic. But the hate, resentment, frustration, and anger was crystallized in one instance over the weekend: Elon Musk—the world’s richest man and new owner of Twitter—wrote the post below.
Five words, that were wrong on so many levels, garnered more than 1.17 million “likes,” 177,000 retweets, and international attention in mass media. Anyone who dared to disagree received a wave of truly grotesque comments. Even Musk noticed as he followed up on his original tweet with: “Truth resonates…”
Of course, the viral reaction is due to many things: social media algorithms, a polarized country, politics, misinformation, disinformation, opinions about Twitter, opinions about Elon. I also think Musk is trying to deflect negative attention from himself.
It’s also a reflection of humans’ difficulty coping with randomness—people need someone to blame for the pandemic, the fear they experienced, the people they lost, or the jobs and livelihoods that were changed. The viral reaction was also an indication that people finally felt heard.
But all of the above also overlap with public health. And, their accumulation has been funneled into one sentiment towards our field: distrust.
Change in trust
Every year, the Pew Research Center conducts a survey with Americans on public confidence in certain groups. Overall, trust in scientists has decreased throughout the pandemic, but ever so slightly. Interestingly it remained higher than public confidence in business officials, the military, public school principals, religious leaders, police officers, and elected officials.
If we compare the responses based on political affiliation, though, the story becomes jarring: confidence in scientists among Republicans dropped significantly. In fact, 1 in 3 Republicans have no confidence at all.
Furthermore, declines in trust in science were most pronounced among White adults. Americans with higher levels of education expressed more positive views of scientists than those with lower levels of education.
This is a huge problem, as trust equals lives
An Oxford report continually assesses country-level factors that most strongly predict COVID-19 deaths. The answer?
Not pandemic preparedness. Not government. It was interpersonal trust—a measure of how much people think they can trust another citizen who they don’t already know. In other words, public health worked better in high-trust countries.
We cannot have one group trust public health and another not.
This is not how viruses work.
Infectious diseases violate the assumption of independence—what one person does directly impacts the person next to them.
This is unlike cancer or diabetes, for example. Everyone has to be against a virus, or the virus thrives.
Perhaps most concerning is that this isn’t going to be our last pandemic. Since the 1918 flu, we’ve seen diseases emerge faster and faster. Public health also touches on our daily lives beyond infectious diseases: what we eat, social problems, gun violence, and all other acute and chronic medical problems. We need the trust of the community to move the needle for any of these.
What to do?
As the field of public health copes, self-reflects, and digests the past three years and weighs how to build for a better future, we have to make it our goal, our opportunity, to improve trust.
As one scientist said, “You earn public confidence in small drops and you [lose] it in buckets.”
Bottom-up engagement is absolutely necessary. We need to enter conversations with humility.
A conversation about false dichotomies (lock down vs. throwing caution to the wind) is necessary.
A conversation about disease vs. the needs of a community is necessary.
An honest conversation on what we (CDC, state epi, local epi, leaders, communicators) got wrong, got right, and why.
What does this look like? I have a few ideas:
Listening sessions. Not hearing and not telling, but listening to people and trusted messengers who are not in “our world.” Bringing them into the solution. It will be painful. It will be time consuming. But it has to be done.
A COVID-19 commission that is congressionally mandated, like the 9/11 commission. There is text in the PREVENT Act, but it’s not clear if PREVENT will pass.
Preparation for the future. Putting communication at the center of pandemic preparedness. This is still not being done. Building capacity for effective scientific communication needs to be a core of our national strategy. As I’ve written before, a lot needs to be done in this area.
I’m sure there are more and even better ways. And I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. But the fact of the matter is there is no one solution.
And this is going to take a whole lot of time.
Bottom line
We need to understand why five words in a Tweet carry so much weight in public health and threaten our entire profession. Will trust in science survive the pandemic?
Maybe. It depends on what we, as a field, do next.
If we don’t win hearts and minds, we won’t win against this virus or the next. Trust is key in public health.
Our scientific work depends on it. Our health depends on it. Our lives depend on it. Now everyone needs to act like it.
That includes, you, Mr. Musk.
(Editor’s Note:Locally, on Sunday December 11 in Westchester County, 299 persons tested positive to start the week of covid surveillance. Rockland County had 72 new cases. Orange County, 56, Dutchess, 42 and Putnam County 37, Ulster, 17. The Mid-Hudson Region saw 540 person test positive for covid of 9,863 Lab-verified tests an infection rate of 5%. Nassau County and Suffolk County reported 1,158. Of 19,797 tested in those 9 counties (Mid-Hudson and Nassau and Suffolk) there were 1,678 positives in one day an infection rate of 8% . New York City reported 2,376 new cases. )
OFFERS ALTERNATIVE WESTCHESTER TOBACCO FREE EDUCATION PROGRAM AND WESTCHESTER TOBACCO FREE ENFORCEMENT TO “STAMP OUT” ILLEGAL SALES TO THOSE UNDER 21.
WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger.By John F. Bailey. December 13, 2022:
Westchester County Executive George Latimer has vetoed the County Board of Legislators bill that would ban sale of flavored tobacco products in Westchester County.
Mr. Latimer cited strong objections received from community leaders in African American and Middle East communities that the law was not fair.
As an effort to support the spirit of the legislators’ bill he announced a sweeping Tobacco Education Program to involve communities, youth groups, educators, health and law enforcement to delvelop a program that would educate children about the dangers of tobacco.
The Education program will be supplemented by establishing a Tobacco Enforcement Program in cooperation with county and local police throughout the county to “stamp out” sales of tobacco to persons under 21.
The County describes the two programs this way:
Westchester Tobacco Free – Education
The County will fund and implement a robust $3 million dollar public education campaign to all residents, highlighting the dangers of tobacco usage, offering efforts to help smokers quit smoking, and to support local community efforts to reduce smoking. This will include a new direct grant Program to community-based non-profits directly involved in tobacco-cessation as part of their anti-addiction efforts, and particularly those groups like local NAACP branches who have advocated for efforts to reduce smoking in communities of color.
The Program will be crafted with the assistance and oversight of members of the Board of Legislators to ensure the County is reaching all smokers, regardless of their geographic or demographic status. This effort will involve our Health Department, Community Mental Health Department, Youth Board and other related departments and offices of Westchester County Government to ensure its success.
Westchester Tobacco Free – Enforcement
The County will develop a multi-level Program, working with state and local government resources to ensure improved enforcement of our existing Tobacco 21 age limit. Under the leadership of Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, the County will convene a conference with representatives from law enforcement agencies, prosecutorial and judicial offices, business leaders and youth organization leaders to develop a thorough plan to make sure no person under the age of 21 is able to obtain any type of tobacco product, which is clearly illegal by means of County, State and Federal law.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed his 2023 Westchester County Budget, cutting the County Property Tax Levy by $6 million dollars, flanked by members of the Westchester County Departments of Emergency Services, Corrections, Probation and Public Safety. The Budget was passed by the County Board of Legislators earlier in the day, bipartisan 17-0.
Latimer said:“I am signing this budget today and thinking of all the families who are preparing for the holidays – this budget is for them. We have cut taxes again and have done so while also expanding the programs and services they have come to depend on. I am proud of this budget, and our collaboration with the Board of Legislators; this is what honest and fair governing is, that is who we are as an administration and as a County.”
The total budget is $2.365 billion and includes Latimer’s fourth County property tax cut in a row.
Editor’s Note:The 2022 County Budget was 2.2 Billion. The new 2023 budget increases spending 9% to 2.4 billion. The inflation rate announced today by the U.S. government for the first 11 months of 2022 was 7.3%. If the budget continues on this trend of increasing at 9% the budget will exceed $3 Billion in 2026.
Closing 2022 with projected $65.9 million operating surplus
No borrowing for tax certs
No borrowing for pension
No use of fund balance
2023 Budget contains no borrowing or one-shots
No borrowing for tax certs
No use of fund balance
No borrowing for cash flow
County Board of Legislators Chairwoman Catherine Borgia: “Westchester County is stronger and in a better state financially, and we are paying it forward to our residents. We’ve prioritized meaningful investments in areas that affect our constituents every day. Parents receiving subsidies can now pay less out of pocket to afford better quality childcare. We’re closing the digital divide by expanding internet access throughout the County. We’ve increased funding for community-based organizations providing services directly to those who need them. I am excited for all that we will accomplish in 2023 through mutual commitment and collaboration with the County Executive’s Office.”
The 2023 Budget funds the Departments of Corrections, Public Safety, Probation and Emergency Services at the highest levels in Westchester County history:
· Correction $156.6 million
· Public Safety $59.1 million
· Probation $50.2 million
· Department of Emergency Services $13 million
Acting Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor said: “I am pleased and proud to stand with County Executive Latimer as he signs a budget that not only fully funds our Department, but exceeds where we were last year. The 2023 Budget enables us to provide the critical law enforcement services that the people of Westchester expect and deserve.”
The County is also focusing on food assistance, the Budget has $2 million in funding for Feeding Westchester and food pantries around the County. Additionally, for Child Care, the Budget reduces the parent share from 27% in 2018 to 5% in 2023.
Economic Development accounts for $6 million in the 2023 Operating Budget, with a focus on the Life Sciences, Tourism and Healthcare Sectors. This includes $1.4 million for the Downtown Improvement Grant (DIG) Program.
Economic Development Director Bridget Gibbons said: “The County Executive’s consistent investment in economic development to support our existing businesses and inspire the launch of new businesses in Westchester creates a business friendly environment in the County. Life sciences companies, advanced manufacturing companies, tech startups and others are thriving here, and we are proud to provide training, education and other resources to support them.”
The Budget allots $218.7 million for the County Health Department, that includes $1 million for maternal mortality. Additionally, the budget is expanding funding to Federally Qualified Health Centers/Neighborhood Health Centers by $1 million bringing the total to $3 million.
The 2023 Budget has $17.2 million for the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH), specifically the Project Alliance Mobile Crisis Response Team, $6.1 million for Crisis Network and 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline, $565,000 for Opioid Response and Overdose Prevention Initiative and $737,892 Early Childhood Mental Health Services.
DCMH Commissioner Michael Orth said: “Through County Executive Latimer and the Board of Legislators’ ongoing commitment to serving the people of Westchester County, they have made a statement that mental health matters. They have made a statement that addiction and co-occurring disorder need attention. And, they have told all of us here in the County that we matter.”
The Budget has $1.3 million for the Human Rights Commission, money that will be used to fund an additional investigator.
Youth Bureau funding is $4.7 million dollars in the Budget, including $3.1 million for Invest in Kids and funding for new programs based on the youth needs assessment.
31 CASES A DAY COUNTYWIDE. POSSIBLE 8,000 CASES JANUARY 9.
Thanksgiving 2022 socializing infections parallel a year ago.
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE.Statistics from the New York State Covid Tracker. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey December 12, 2022:
The verdict is in on Westchester County Thanksgiving performance.
Guilty of spreading covid at a rate 1 person to 6 others.
The 1,379 persons who tested positive for covid the week of November 20 to November 26 lead up to Thanksgiving spread of covid to 2,102 persons in the 7 days after Thanksgiving weekend from Sunday through the holiday.
In the two week contagious period of those 1,379 persons, 2,184 more new persons were infected with covid.
The week after Thanksgiving generated new cases at the average rate of 300 new persons testing positive lab-verified a day. That rate was sharply up from 200 a day the previous 2 weeks.
LAST WEEK SAW ACCELERATED INFECTIONS BEGINNING SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NOTE THE RISE NOT ONLY IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUT IN ORANGE, ROCKLAND, DUTCHESS AND ULSTER COUNTIES.
The second week of December ended Saturday continued the 301 daily new infections rate.
What does this mean for Westchester County in the coming weeks?
The covid tracker provides the only real indicator of where infections are headed.
We no longer have school district reports of number of student, faculty and staff cases which was such a help last year enabling the district to reopen safely in the spring. Now, we have no idea where the schools are in student & staff infections of covid.
This unsubstantiated decision was caused by the State Health Department that decided school districts did not have to report infections of school populations.Why not?
That was not a good decision.
Now, I repeat we have no idea how infections of school children and teachers and staff are managing this obvious spread that is happening. I only assume parents are confident that their children are O.K. Assumptions are not facts.
We do know that Long Island and New York City hospitals are overrun with respiratory, covid and flu cases, ccording to sketchy reports last week. The Center for Disease Control named Westchester a high risk area and urged return to mask-wearing indoors. Note the word urged. Urging is not enforcing.
The Purchase College is complying sendingout an email Friday saying that on all buildings on campus persons must wear masks indoors.
We also know that the 6 other counties in the Mid-Hudson Region are up sharply in infections. Orange, Rockland Dutchess Ultser Counties were up. Orange reported 136 cases Thursday, 87 Friday, 58 Saturday. Rockland 111, Thursday, 110 Friday, 43, Saturday; Dutchess 104 Thursday,46 Friday,28, Saturday.
Now where is Westchester heading?
Will the laissez-faire covid attitude of Westchester continue? What happens if it does?
Last year at exactly this time, Westchester reported 1,960 new cases the 6th of December; and 2,791 the 11th of December. The daily rate of infections was 280 the first week, and the second the daily infections averaged 400 a day. The infections those first two weeks of December one year ago numbered 4,751. Those infections were from a population that did not have vaccines.
This year in Westchester County ,the first two weeks of December with full vaccinations, and boosters available, children vaccines available, for a year, What were the Westchester infections?
The last two weeks were 2,102 last week and 2,184, a total of 4,286, just 465 less that last year this week when there were no vaccines! How can this be?
The weeks ahead.
THE 277 DAILY RATE OF INFECTIONS THE LAST 7 DAYS PRIOR TO SATURDAY MEANS AN ADDITIONAL 300 A DAY GET COVID AND START SPREADING IT TO 6 PERSONS. THE POTENTIAL FOR THOUSANDS OF CASES BY JANUARY 9 FOR WESTCHESTER ALONE IS A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY 7,000 TO 8,000 OR MORE CASES BY MID-JANUARY.
Currently Westchester County last Friday was averaging of 27.6 daily new infections (per 100,000 of population)
To translate that for you, Westchester has 1,004,477 people you divide that by 100,000 and you multiply that daily figure of 27.6 for Westchester that gives you 277 new cases daily.
In one week, you get 1,939 infections by next week, December 17 (note very close to the 2,184 this week). Now if those 1,939 new cases spread it from each of them to 6 others you will get by December 24, 3,102 cases.
Bear in mind infections accumulate each day at varying rates. If each person socialized more irresponsibly, did not wear a mask and goes into crowds a lot, unmasked those new infections a week could balloon.
That is what happened last December. By December 31, the County– conservatively– given the present 1 person spread to 6 others you would get 4,963 infections and by January 8, 7,942.
With the same number of infections as we have this year (with no vaccines available), Westchester took the blow of 5,397 infections the week of December 18 of 2021, 12,063 on the week Christmas; 26,002 the week of Dec 25 to January 1, 2021, 25,294 the week of January 2 to 8, 2022, and 16,782 the week of January 9 to 15, 2022. We had to lock down.
Is there any official in the state, any State Senator or Assemblyman going to do that?
HAMILTON GREEN STARTS CONSTRUCTION, WHITE PLAINS MALL FALLSOVER 100 ATTEND GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY. ON THE SCENE PETER KATZ REPORTTHE HOLIDAY TRAVEL FORECAST COMING UP: BUSY AND AGGRAVATING IN WESTCHESTER GROUND TRAFFIC AT WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT.BE PREPARED TO ARRIVE EARLY FOR A FLIGHT AND LONG LINES FOR PICKING UP SIGNIFICANT OTHERSFARRELL ESTATES OPENING NIGHT CANCELLED AT PLANNING BOARD POSTPONED. SOME OBSERVATIONS ON HOW TO PLAN AND DEVELOP THE FARRELL ESTATES SMART AND EFFICIENTLY. MASKS RECOMMENDED INDOORS IN NYC, WESTCHESTER, ROCKLAND, NASSAU, SUFFOLK BY CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL. NY METROPOLITAN AREA HAS 3 STRAIGHT DAYS OF 5,000 NEW INFECTIONS A DAYYOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON SPREAD OF FLU AMD COVID SURGE OUT AND WHAT SHE THINKS LIES AHEADWHITE PLAINS LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EYE-OPENING REPORT ON NEW NEW YORK INITIATIVES TO EVEN FINANCIAL INQUALITY IN NEW YORK WITH MATCHING FUND PUBLIC FUNDS FOR SMALL DONORS. JOHN BAILEY EXPLAINS THIS CONCEPT THAT HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY REPORTED. BUT THANKS TO THE CRUSADING LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IT NOW IS OUT THERE–AT LARGE. THE NEW POWER RATES: FAIR OR UNFAIR AND HOW DID POLITICIANS LET THIS HAPPEN. DOES ONLY PAUL FEINER PAY ATTENTION TO THIS. JOHN BAILEY RAISES SOME OBVIOUS QUESTIONS.BRITTANY BRANDWEIN, CRUSADING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WHITE PLAINS BID IS MOVING ON. SHE WILL BE MISSED. HER PROMOTIONS LIKE THE BEST WINGS CONTEST IN WHITE PLAINS ABOVE MADE NEW FRIENDS, BROUGHT IN CUSTOMERS DURING COVID. TIRELESS INTREPID ORGANIZER SHE WAS THE GO-TO-GET-IT-DONE PERSON WHEN WHITE PLAINS DOWNTOWN NEEDED HER. JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS
WESTCHESTER AVERAGES 333 NEW CASES A DAY SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ROCKLAND AVERAGING 127 A DAY.Mid-Hudson, Long Island and New York City produce 5,000 new covid cases three consecutive days.
WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE.Statistics & Analysis by John F. Bailey. December 9, 2022 4:30 P.M.
The Westchester County new covid case count was 356 Wednesday a total of 1,333 Westchester residents lab-test verified infected Sunday through Wednesday.
Rockland County Sunday Tuesday and Wednesday was covid-tracked with an average 127 cases.
The Center for Disease Control has designated Westchester and Rockland as high risk and advised the county residents to mask indoors.
For the third consecutive day, the 9 counties of the Mid-Hudson Region and Nassau and Suffolk County over 2,000 new persons lab-verified tested for covid while New York City five boroughs was confirmed for 3,203 cases making Wednesday December 7 the third day that the Metropolitan area in New York State suffered over 5,000 new cases (5,568).
Westchester County and the rest of the Mid-Hudson region and Nassau and Suffolk counties are showing new infections at 42% of New York city with 40% less population. The Mid-Hudson Region counties are demonstrating positive infection rates of 8% of those tested, while Nassau and Suffolk Counties are showing positive infection rates consistently just shy of 9%
This is not good.
The sharp rise in new cases made the first 4 days of this week the largest number of infections in the first days of week in 4 weeks, although the infections have popping up higher earlier in each the last four weeks.
This is the strongest growth of new infections happening quicker and in greater numbers right after a weekend in 4 weeks.
At this rate of 333 infections a day in Westchester could bring Westchester a second week of over 2,000 new infections. Previously the county has averaged 1,000 new cases of covid a week for the last 40 weeks back to late March. The week of Thanksgiving November 20 to 26 showed 1,339 cases in a week. Last week cases up a third to 2,102 (300 a day)
The county is approximately 2,000 cases ahead of last November which started the strongest wave of covid the county has had by the last week of December and first two weeks of January.
At 333 cases a day, the county may record 2,331 cases this week through Saturday.
Latest figures on December 7:
Westchester infections, 356 positives of 4,354 tested, 8% INFECTION RATE
ORANGE, IS UP SHARPLY at 216 new covid positives of 2,124 tested, 10.5% INFECTION RATE
ROCKLAND: 165 POSITIVES OF 3,453 TESTED, 3.2% INFECTION RATE
DUTCHESS, 91 new cases in 820 tests, 11.6% INFECTION RATE A REAL SPIKE
ULSTER 37 positives in 582 tests, 7% Infected
Putnam 38 positive of 407 tested, 9% infection rate
Sullivan, 20 positives of 466 tests, 4.3% positive
It should be considered that Nassau and Suffolk are spear-heading the gathering momentum of covid: Nassau reported 626 covid cases of 6,776 tested, 8.7% infection rate.
Suffolk recorded 806 new infections of 7,365 tested, an 8.8% infection rate.
THE MOST HEARD, INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE WHEN YOU HEAR HIM –MOST SAVVY BROADCASTER IN RADIO — SPORTS- NEWS – “MR. WESTCHESTER SPORTS” POLITICS TALKS ABOUT HIS GROWING UP IN THE BRONX
WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. December 8, 2022:
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing today of an indictment charging RIKESH THAPA with operating a scheme to defraud a start-up technology company (the “Victim Company”) of over $1 million worth of United States currency, cryptocurrency, and utility tokens.
THAPA used proceeds of his crime on personal expenses, including nightclubs, travel, and clothing, and falsified records and deleted evidence to conceal his theft. RIKESH THAPA was arrested earlier today in the Southern District of California. The defendant is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin this afternoon. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Rikesh Thapa allegedly betrayed his company’s trust, as he was responsible for the safeguarding of substantial amounts of money. Thapa went to great lengths to cover up his frauds, but, thanks to the dedicated work of this Office and our law enforcement partners, he will now have to answer for his crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As we allege today, the defendant repeatedly stole from and defrauded the victim company – which he cofounded – in order to fund a luxurious personal lifestyle. In an attempt to hide his crimes, he also deleted and falsified records. The FBI will continue to work to ensure individuals willing to scam and steal from private businesses are held accountable in the criminal justice system.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
RIKESH THAPA co-founded and was the Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) of the Victim Company, which during the relevant period was involved in using blockchain and other technology to provide a ticketing platform for live events. Between December 2017 and September 2019, THAPA used his position to carry out a scheme to defraud the Victim Company.
In 2018, the Victim Company sought to diversify its banking because of its understanding that certain financial institutions were reluctant to maintain relationships with companies, such as the Victim Company, involved in cryptocurrency transactions.
In furtherance of that effort, THAPA agreed to receive and hold $1 million of the Victim Company’s money in his personal bank account (the “THAPA Account”) while the Victim Company explored banking options.
Soon after receiving the $1 million, however, THAPA began using the funds on personal expenses. Nevertheless, THAPA repeatedly acknowledged what was supposed to be the temporary nature of his possession of the funds, representing to a colleague, in substance and in part, that the money was “a stationary 1 mil in my account” that was held “for safe keeping.”
THAPA then falsified records to conceal his theft, providing the Victim Company with a forged bank statement, which falsely represented that THAPA held over $21 million, approximately $1 million of which was held in a particular savings account (the “Purported Account”).
In fact, THAPA did not have the Purported Account and held much less than $21 million at the relevant bank. In 2019, THAPA refused to return the $1 million, which he spent on, among other things, nightclubs, travel, and clothing.
In addition, between December 2017 and September 2019, THAPA used his control over the Victim Company’s cryptocurrency holdings to embezzle at least 10 Bitcoin from the Victim Company.
For example, in August 2018, THAPA diverted at least one of the Victim Company’s Bitcoin for his own benefit, selling the Bitcoin for approximately $6,500 and depositing the proceeds into the THAPA Account (the “August 2018 Bitcoin Transaction”). To avoid detection, THAPA falsified trading records and deleted emails.
In July 2019, THAPA sent the Victim Company’s CEO a fraudulent transaction report that misrepresented the August 2018 Bitcoin Transaction. After the CEO, copying THAPA, thereafter requested and received a transaction report directly from the Victim Company’s cryptocurrency brokerage, THAPA disabled the CEO’s email account at the Victim Company (the “CEO Email Account”), deleted the cryptocurrency brokerage’s email from the CEO Email Account, and then deleted the entire CEO Email Account.
In yet another facet of the scheme, THAPA stole the Victim Company’s utility tokens. Such tokens are a type of cryptocurrency that can be used to access particular services, products, or features.
In July 2019, unbeknownst to the Victim Company’s CEO, THAPA set up a meeting in Italy between THAPA and individuals who claimed to be interested in purchasing the Victim Company’s utility tokens. Before the meeting, THAPA provided account information for the THAPA Account so that the purported investors could wire him funds.
During the meeting, however, THAPA agreed to receive cash in exchange for utility tokens. After the meeting, THAPA transferred, without authorization, approximately 174,285 of the Victim’s utility tokens to the purported investors. THAPA later determined that the cash he had received from the purported investors was counterfeit.
* * *
RIKESH THAPA, 28, of San Diego, California, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE. DATA FROM NY STATE COVID TRACKER. Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey December 8, 2022:
The Center for Disease Control today called for a return to wearing masks in the City of New York, Nassau and Suffolk Counties due
THE THANKSGIVING COVID SURGE IS ON AS PREDICTED. WESTCHESTER, ORANGE, ROCKLAND, DUTCHESS, ULSTER PUTNAM SULLIVAN, NASSAU AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES AND THE 5 BOROUGHS OF NEW YORK CITH REPORTE 5,258 NEW PERSONS WITH COVID MONDAY.
WESTCHESTER POSTED 379 NEW COVID CASES MONDAY.THE FIRST TIME WESTCHESTER HAS PUSHED THE 400 NEW CASES ON ONE DAY SINCE DEC 7, 2021 WHEN THE COUNTY POSTED 366 AND DEC. 8, 2021 WHEN WE HAD 441. THE TUES CASE COUNT IS NOT IN YET FROM NEW YORK STATE.
THE TREND OF MORE INFECTIONS FASTER AFTER WEEKENDS CONTINUES. WESTCHESTER FRIENDS WE ARE INFECTING EACH OTHER AT THE RATE OF 300 PERSONS A DAY WHICH WILL PUSH WESTCHESTER OVER 2,000 INFECTIONS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK, MARKING 40 WEEKS OF OVER 1,000 CASES A WEEK.
DR. KATELYN JETELINA, WHO WRITES YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST NEWS LETTER WEEK IS VERY CONCERNED. COVID, RSV AND FLU ARE INFECTING AT THE HIGHEST RATE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR EVER SHE WRITES
NOTE NEW INFECTION RATES POSTED ON SUNDAY RESULTS OF TESTING FOR THE 5 BOROUGHS OF NYC. NOTE THE CONSISTENTLY INFECTIOUS TRENDS OF NASSAU AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES CONTRIBUTING 1,309 CASES OVER 600 A DAY THE TWO LONG ISLAND COUNTIES. IN WESTCHESTER WE AVERAGED 8% SUNDAY. THE SOBERING OBSERVATION THE 9 COUNTIES OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY ARE INFECTING AT A 10% POSITIVE RATE ON LAB-VERIFIED POSITIVES.
