White Plains CitizeNetReporter

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. July 19, 2021:

Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEVEN WHITTICK, the former treasurer of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (“LEEBA”) and an officer with the New York City (the “City”) Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), pled guilty today before United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel, to charges of conspiring to evade more than $250,000 in federal taxes, including payroll taxes owed by LEEBA and its employees, and his own personal income taxes. 

WHITTICK also pled guilty to lying to federal officers during the course of the investigation in this case.  LEEBA is a labor union that represents certain law enforcement officers employed by the City, including officers from DEP, the City Department of Sanitation, and the City Department of Transportation. 

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Steven Whittick today pled guilty to charges that reflect a betrayal of his duties as a law enforcement officer, his legal obligations as a union official, and his responsibilities as a taxpayer.  As a police officer, Whittick swore to uphold the law, not to obstruct it.  As a union official, he betrayed the rank-and-file membership by paying himself off the books.  As a taxpayer, Whittick evaded his legal obligation to pay what was owed.  Now, Steven Whittick awaits sentencing for his crimes.”

According to the Indictment and the underlying complaints filed in this case, as well as other publicly available information and prior court filings, and recent court proceedings:

Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association

LEEBA is a labor union that has acted as the collective bargaining representative principally for law enforce­ment personnel at various City agencies, and has entered into agreements on behalf of those law enforcement employees, including agreements for insurance and retirement benefits.  The City agencies whose employees LEEBA represented included, at various times, DEP, the Department of Sanitation, and the Department of Transportation.           

WHITTICK

WHITTICK is a DEP police officer, the former treasurer of LEEBA, and a member of the board of directors of LEEBA and the boards of trustees of the LEEBA Annuity Fund and the LEEBA Welfare Fund.  As LEEBA’s treasurer, WHITTICK had responsibility for LEEBA’s financial matters and accounts, including arranging for LEEBA to pay its payroll through an outside payroll processing firm (the “Payroll Processor”) starting in 2016.  WHITTICK also held signatory authority over LEEBA’s main operating bank account.

            The Tax Evasion Conspiracy

As charged in Count Two of the Indictment, to which WHITTICK pled guilty today, from at least in or about 2015 through 2019, WHITTICK participated in a conspiracy with Kenneth Wynder Jr.,[1] the president of LEEBA, to cause LEEBA to make payments to WHITTICK and Wynder, by check and in cash, and to conceal such payments from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).  WHITTICK further conspired to ensure that such payments were made outside of LEEBA’s Payroll Processor.  He then concealed these payments from the IRS – including off-the-books payments to himself of more than $100,000 and off-the-books payments to Wynder of more than $400,000 – in order to evade his own personal income taxes and the personal income taxes of Wynder, and to evade the payroll taxes that were owed by LEEBA and certain LEEBA employees.

WHITTICK’s False Statements to Federal Agents

In or about October 2019, while serving as LEEBA’s Treasurer and after learning of a federal investigation into LEEBA’s finances – including the investigation of an alleged embezzlement scheme that ultimately resulted in wire fraud charges against Wynder – WHITTICK repeatedly lied to federal agents in an effort to obstruct that investigation.  WHITTICK did so despite personal involvement in some of the financial improprieties with which Wynder is charged.  For example, as alleged, on at least two occasions, on or about February 1, 2018, and March 30, 2018, WHITTICK withdrew $16,000 in cash from a LEEBA bank account, and on each occasion deposited $15,000 cash into Wynder’s personal bank account and $1,000 cash into WHITTICK’s own personal bank account. 

            After the FBI executed a search warrant of LEEBA’s offices in September 2019, WHITTICK attempted to obstruct and to influence the ongoing federal investigation by making, in two different interviews with law enforcement agents, false statements about, among other subjects, cash withdrawals he made from LEEBA’s bank accounts, unauthorized withdrawals from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund and from the individual retirement accounts of Fund participants, and LEEBA’s payment for certain travel and entertainment expenses for union officers, including WHITTICK and Wynder.

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WHITTICK, 51, of Kingston, New York, pled guilty today to: (1) one count of conspiracy to evade personal and payroll taxes for the tax years 2015 through 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019; and (2) one count of lying to federal investigators.  Each of those charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and an order of restitution.  WHITTICK is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Castel on November 17, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Labor Office of Labor Managements Standards.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Raymond Lewis and Eli J. Mark are in charge of the prosecution

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS MONITOR. By John F. Bailey Based on New York State Covid Tracker July 19, 2021:

On Saturday, the New York State Covid Tracker reported 55 of 3,808 persons in Westchester County  tested positive for corona virus.

 The one day crossover into the volatile spread infection rate of 1.4% positive based on 3,808 tests (1.1% results in stable case rate of the disease according to the New York State Department of Health a 1.1% new case rate  maintains a covid new case level that does not spread).

Sunday test results on the covid tracker indicated that with 1,608 less tested, 34 of 2,678 tested positive for covid, with the infection rate staying at the 1.3% (postive spread of the disease)..

On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday the county averaged 50 new infections for 4 straight days.  Fifty-five persons of 3,808 tested in the county 1.4% of those tested positive.  In the five days through Saturday infection rate doubleded  to 1.1, 33 a day average new cases turned into 50 a day average. In 4 days ending Saturday.

The results for Sunday will be in this afternoon.

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. NEWS & COMMENT By John F. Bailey. Updated with chart July 17, 2021 UPDATED WITH FRIDAY TEST RESULTS, 3:45P.M. EDT

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Westchester new covid case percentage of positives tested has  doubled from a low of .3 testing positive the previous late April 12 weeks through June 30.

The new case rate is   back  to 1.1% of  24,310 tested in last 7 days. That 1.1% continued when Friday Test results were posted on the New York State Covid Tracker showing another 4, 632 persons were tested and 51 or 1.1% were found positive with Covid.

The rate of 1.1% positives is the start of the infection rate that builds cases exponentially, 2 for every infected person.

The spread of new coronavirus has suddenly  gone from less than 30 a day   to 50  a day in Westchester alone in 7 days. It was only 7 days from the end of a very loose holiday three-day weekend that new positives starting going up instead of continuing its previous continued steady-controlled number of 1/2 % and significantly growing number of infections.

The  number of daily  cases averaging slightly over 30 new cases a day (34,32,33,37,32  from July 9 to July 13, has gone to 51 new cases Wednesday July 14 to 47 on Thursday July 15, paralleling the incubation period of exactly 12 days since the end of the July 5^th 3-day holiday weekend in Westchester.

The spread of the disease is now ahead of reduction in new covid cases.

The concern is with less Westchester  people getting tested, an average of 3,501 a day the last seven days, there may be more than just 50 persons a day with new cases who are coming down with covid but simply have not shown full symptoms, and are spreading it bigtime.

This raises the question of how many other super spreader weekends coming  up in this hottest of all summers in Westchester is going to spread coronavirus and how quickly the new cases will be arriving in hospitals, threatening a healthy fall school opening.

The days paralleling the standard recognized incubation period of 10 to 14 days from the end of the July 5 weekend demonstrates how quickly the disease can reinfect  and come back.

The  “Anything Goes” policy  by authorities in in the state, counties, towns and businesses and the state of  reducing wearing masks, allowing in-person gatherings with unlimited persons, heavy beach and swimming facility usage, restaurant and movie  restriction liftings is perhaps accelerating this jump.

The unwillingness to get vaccinated, as lamented each week by County Executive George Latimer, is another factor.

A reporter I was having lunch with yesterday wondered aloud Will the Governor as the Governor of California did yesterday bring back close-down restrictions, masks and require vaccination proof before Covid seizes upon the vulnerability of Westchester and all counties reckless wishful thinking?

In the sudden rush to go back to normal, and follow wishful politicians’ thinking that the vaccine is controlling the virus, and politcians’ eagerness to claim credit from the governor for opening up the economy again, are coronavirus and its delta variant reasserting its spread?

The 7 days of spread spread (going up everyday for 7 days) say that.

 We need to know whether persons coming down with the new cases had been vaccinated.  

Two letters from caregivers of covid cases appeared in the New York Times letter column this morning said that all persons they were treating from covid had not been vaccinated. That tells me it is time to require vaccinations of eligible children before schools start. That tells me there has to be vaccination drives in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County.

It also tells me that if you have not been vaccinated or have not gone back for you second shot, you are going to get the disease if you are not careful

As a study published in The New York Times today pointed out celebrations of birthdays and special occasions have pointed out as leading spreaders of the disease

The   horrifying 50 cases a day figures tell me that vaccinations have to be ramped up and required.

When Friday test results from yesterday for Westchester come out at 2 PM today, I hope they do not show more of an infection rate.

I just worry about wishful thinking that covid is over because it restart the disease bigtime..

Because people are already out there spreading covid but do not know it.

Governor Cuomo has to wake up and smell the coffee.

If we start  to whistle past the graveyard, we will have more hospitalizations and  graveyards to fill in less than a month at this rate in Westchester.

In 7 days, it already has.

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With temperatures are expected to reach 95 degrees today and hover close to 100 degrees on Friday afternoon, the Westchester County Health Department is issuing a heat advisory. As humidity and temperatures rise, residents should avoid strenuous activity, drink lots of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and take precautions to prevent heat-related illness.

“Pace yourself — don’t overdo it in the heat,” said County Executive George Latimer. “If you spend a lot of time outdoors, take breaks in an air-conditioned place and drink lots of water. And during a heat wave, remember to always check in on your elderly or ailing neighbors.”

Sherlita Amler, MD, Westchester County Commissioner of Health, said people who are most vulnerable to adverse effects from the heat include the very young, seniors, people who are obese and those with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or lung conditions.

“By now we should all know what to do, but heat stroke and dehydration can take you by surprise,” Amler said. “High humidity, chronic health conditions and some medications can also increase a person’s risk for heat stroke.”

Heat stroke is a serious and life-threatening condition that claims many lives nationwide each year. Symptoms include hot red, dry skin, shallow breathing, a rapid, weak pulse and confusion. Anyone suffering from heat stroke needs to receive emergency medical treatment immediately. Call 911 if you suspect heat stroke and immediately cool the overheated person while waiting for emergency help to arrive.

Amler reminded residents never to leave children, pets or people in a car. Temperatures can quickly rise to unsafe levels, so motorists should always look before they lock their vehicles.

“To avoid tragedy, it’s also vital to never leave infants, children, seniors or pets in a closed car no matter how brief the time,” Amler said. “Closed vehicles can quickly heat up to a life-threatening 140º F or more.”

Another concern during a heat wave is heat exhaustion. Seniors, young children, people who are overweight or who have high blood pressure, people who work outside or in other hot environments are most at risk. Frequent breaks and drinking lots of water can help prevent heat exhaustion. Signs include headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness and exhaustion, as well as cool, moist, pale or flushed skin. Anyone suffering from heat exhaustion should move out of the sun and apply cool, wet cloths to their skin.

“During a heat wave, seniors, young children and people with compromised immunity especially should avoid vigorous outdoor activity, seek the shade, spend time in air-conditioned locations and drink lots of water throughout the day,” Amler said. “Especially when they’re swimming and playing in the water, children often forget to drink, so parents and caregivers should prompt children to take breaks to hydrate.”

Those who plan to travel by car should prepare their vehicle before hitting the road. Always travel with a spare battery, and avoid leading radios, phone chargers and other accessories running when the engine is not.

Check to make sure your air conditioning is properly functioning and coolant is at the proper level. If you plan to travel in less populated areas, bring water and an umbrella for shade if it becomes necessary to leave the car. Always keep air flowing throughout the vehicle, and try to park in the shade. 

For tips to prevent heat-related illness and places to stay cool, residents can visit the Health Department website at www.westchestergov.com/health. 

Residents who need a place to cool off can go to an indoor mall. Senior centers, libraries and community centers often serve as cooling centers, but call before you go.

Elevated heat and humidity can also lead to unhealthy levels of ozone, a gas produced by the action of sunlight on organic air contaminants from auto exhaust and other sources.  The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forecasts daily ozone conditions at (http://www.dec.ny.gov), or call the New York State Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345.

The County’s Department of Emergency Services is monitoring the weather forecast, tracking the opening of local Cooling Centers and is in contact with Con Edison and NYSEG concerning the potential for power outages. 

For tips to prevent heat-related illness and places to stay cool, residents can visit the Health Department website at www.westchestergov.com/health. 

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