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STOP INFLATION. BEFORE “PHANTOM RECOVERY” EVAPORATES.
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WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY. News & Comment by John F. Bailey. March 6, 2022:
$4.29
That was the price of a gallon of unleaded regular at Sunoco in Peekskill NY Saturday afternoon on March 5.
Is our besotted, distracted leadership in Washngton in both houses of congress, the White House the Supreme Court jesters in their marble columned sanctuary of isolation and pontification, and the Federal Reserve stat followers, aware of what this self-inflicted inflation virus is doing to every day Americans? Right here right now?
Take gasoline alone.
Companies in the New York metropolitan area want workers to come back to work and end zooming employment. Well, to do that the vast majority have to drive. Another myopic organization the MTA feels the high price of gas will bring covid-fearful workers back to mass transit. Maybe, baby.
The higher gas goes the more it will constrict the economy.
Gas isn’t the only thing going up.
The cost of obtaining needed products according to the inflation watchers is up 25%.
The precious recovery that the politicians are once again jawboning about making possible by lifting covid prevention mandates with vows of reinstituting covid restrictions if the virus spreads again will skid to a deflating halt.
That will kill the recovery if there really is one going on.
The recovery will stop because with inflation on necessities, gas, fuel oil, heating oil, inflated “Delivery” expenses of electricity, especially in the summer heat wave that’s sure to come.
Yet, the only people talking about inflation are opponents of the Democratic majority in congress.
Inflation is the signature rhetoric of a Republican Party as out of touch with reality as the Democrats.
If American businesses continues ratcheting up price of their goods to maintain their profit margins in the face of demand, whining they have a lack of supply of critical components of the products, oh, that is O.K.?
Where is the congressional committee on that issue?
Do we really think a 1% rise in interest rates will stop inflation? Please, it is money to be paid back later by companies in the future meanwhile we face Wiemar Republic (Germany in the 1920s) inflation.
Really, it is time to stop wasting time harassing Donald Trump out of spite.
The New York D.A. said he would not prosecute Trump for alledgedly misstating assets this week because he felt his prosecutors could not prove intent to deceive. So, if a New York D.A. says there is nothing there, there’s nothing there.
Any conviction obtained on Mr. Trump, though is a finesse that will not stand. We know it would be overturned by the hear-no-evil, see-no-evil, decide-no-evil Supreme Court.
Trump is dead politically.
He like Mitt Romney spoke the truth about himself through his own mouth he has handed the floundering Democratic leadership of the party (please lead?) a priceless nugget.
His admiration of Mr. Putin, should be the red herring to make every person vote for any person opposing a Republican.
I have a dream.
It is a marvelous spot. Run Trump on Fox News admiring Mr. Putin and put up a picture of a Urkranian refuge say “Would you put America in the hands of this man, again?”
Or run spots of Putin and Trump together: The announcer-spokesperson saying “What were they talking about? Do we know? What did they say and what did they decide?”
Or make the spot with Muppets—one as Mr. Trump and one of that lovable strong smart Leader discussing plans for the future of our two countries and how they can work together.
Ahhhh but I digress.
Inflation.
With the oil companies jacking the price of gasoline because of the price of crude oil being speculated up and “supply uncertain,” this is unbelievable.
At this rate of price increase, (40 cents a gallon in week for cash regular you could hit $5 a gallon by April, $6 a gallon by June when the cost of gas always goes up for summer vacations. That is going to affect the driving vacation market. It is going to skyrocket air fares (jet fuel will go up). It will drive up food transportation costs raising food prices. Cooking steak out will be expensive. Seafood will rise due to marine gas increases for the fishing boats.
All of a sudden the Washington that never seems to see what is going on and the speed at which a trend can accelerate, because they are always churning in political discord and power aggrandizing, will not know what to do. Democrats will be portrayed as confused and unable to govern, not like Republicans who are decisive and will have a slogan like “FINISH THE JOB, AMERICA” or something equally obnoxious but appealing.
First, in my opinion, you have to hold business accountable for reckless price gouging, raising prices, firing staff and not bringing them back, and though not all companies have done this, the responsible company will not be hurt while the profit horders and extorter companies will be.
There should be an emergency summoning to Washington of corporate titans demanding the reasons for the price increases, documenting it and showing whether supplies (lack of) really caused it and give them April and May to stabilize prices.
If inflation rate does not go down, tell them you will establish price and profit controls. To my understanding, profit controls have never been instituted.
Corporations are essentially cowards they do what they do because they can and by buying politicians they insure sympathetic treatment. Well they deserve no sympathy now. They are killing us. (Con Ed seeks a 14% increase in their electric rates, are they serious?)
The government bailed banks, airlines, corporations out with our money.
Now record earnings are being experienced.
Many corporations trimmed workforces to stay profitable during the pandemic, and did not bring them back. They were not supposed to do that. There was no enforcement of their cruel rapacious conduct. Now they are reaping stockholder windfalls with their cavalier price increases.
The President has the right to impose such a Price and Profit control. President Richard Nixon invoked them in 1971 before the Presidential election .
The Cato Institute arguing against the wage and price controls that Nixon imposed talks about it here in the time when inflation was only 1%.
Now it is running 25%! Perhaps now would be a good time to bring the new robber barons under control?
You can read about the Nixon Price control action and how it was done at the Cato Institute website:
https://www.cato.org/commentary/remembering-nixons-wage-price-controls
Price controls (above) combined with rationing lowered inflation in World War II, and kept it half the amount it was in World War I. You can read the complete arguments on price control effectiveness here on Economics Help:
https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/621/economics/price-controls-advantages-and-disadvantages/
Inflation is more and more being voiced as a problem especially by Republicans. If price controls are not brought up by the Democrats to stop this egregious windfall profit taking in the face of adversity, the Republicans will, invoking the Nixon precedent. If they do that, they will solidify their campaign in the fall with a legitimate issue that will rile up their supporters and seduce independents.
Do something, Washington!
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NO SCHOOL TAX INCREASE IN WHITE PLAINS PROPOSED 2022-23 SCHOOL BUDGET, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ANNOUNCES IN FRIDAY SCHOOL BRIEFING.
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AFFIRMS NO MASK POLICY EXCEPTIONS.. NOTES ERROR IN STATE SCHOOL COVID INFECTIONS REPORT ON WHITE PLAINS
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey March 5, 2022:
There will be no increase in the Proposed School Budget Property Tax Rate Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Ricca announced in his Friday Noon virtual Update Facebook Friday.
The Superintendent said the proposed budget to be introduced to the Board of Education planned a new capital spending program to upgrade all buildings grounds, athletic facilities across the school district properties, which will be funded by debt obligations being retired and then renewed on to continue modernizing the district at no cost to tax payers in the 2022-23 budget. Details are expected to be provided Monday evening at the regular Board of Education Meeting.
He also affirmed nuances of how the district no mask policy is being implemented (after six months of the school district “masking policy”) and the exceptions going forward. The complete 41-minute meeting can be seen on the White Plains City School District Facebook site on this link:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=2207872909352087
He began the the 41 minute update from his office at Education house with thank you’s to school district staff and County Executive George Latimer and Commissioner of Health for helping the White Plains District get to this point and strongly reinforced the policy that student violence in school and promotions of student and staff violations in social media posts highlighting incidents violating such conduct in school facilities were banned by the District Code of conduct. He warned that students and anyone associated with the district would face unavoidable consequences in the future as a result of such violations that would affect their future success or lack of it.
During the question and answer period of the public tuning in to the virtually-held briefing, a parent questioned the number student positive covid cases at Mamaroneck Avenue School. Dr. Ricca said this was an error due to an input error (assumed to be from the state), and said it would be corrected. As of March 3 (Thursday) of this week, the state had reported 22% 1,734 of White Plains 7,964 students, teachers and staff had tested positive for covid through February 28. The correction would be forthcoming, Dr. Ricca said.
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WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE MARCH 4 REPORT. ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org
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PLUS THE GEDNEY FARMS MASTER PLAN PLAN
WP SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS: MASKING STUDENTS ABOUT 50-50 ON FIRST DAY BACK WITH NO MASKS REQUIRED. DETAILS SITUATION MOVING FORWARD.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. MARCH 3, 2022:
Dr. Joseph Ricca detailed questions the White Plains Schools Reopening Committee had at their meeting Wednesday morning. He reported from his observations that March 2 was very joyous for the students and staff with half the students at White Plains schools he visited wearing masks, and half, not. He said barriers would be removed in future weeks, testing and test to Stay programs would continue, and covid tracing would continue though the schools do not have to do that.
He said that covid infections which are to be expected, would be monitored closely. If spikes in covid positives occur, the Superintendent said that the school would follow the CDC guideline for determining Low or high rates of infection , and if infections surged, the district would not hesitate to reinstate previous restrictions.
Here are three clips from the Reopening Committee meeting which appeared as part of the complete video of the meeting which is viewable on the School District Facebook page.
On Friday at noon, Dr. Ricca will provide another live community update on the School District Facebook page.
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New State Guidelines on Masklifting issued Tuesday Night.
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WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. From the New York State Department of Health. March 2, 2022:
(Editor’s Note: WPCNR has learned from the Rochester news outlet Channel 10, that the Department of Health of New York State issued the following guidelines to School Districts Tuesday evening. The following is a copy of those guidelines printed in a Ch. 10 news website under the New York State Department of Health letterhead. The White Plains City School District Reopening Committee met Wednesday morning to consider those guidelines. Michelle Schoenfeld, Clerk to the School Board advised WPCNR that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Ricca will address the school district on the District Facebook website Friday at noon to update parents and interested parties on how the district will proceed with implementing these guidelines. Herewith, the guidelines, dated March 1.)
I. Implementation of the Removal of Mandated Masking in the School Setting
The state requirement for universal masking in P-12 school settings ended on March 2, 2022. Decisions on masking that are more protective than state requirements may be made by local, health departments, guided by local conditions.
Attention should be given to equity in the adoption of more protective measures, particularly testing.
Schools in NYS have been operating safely during the COVID-19 pandemic through adoption of recommended public health measures, including but not limited to masking. Additional mitigation measures should remain in use, including improved ventilation, widespread vaccination, testing and use of home test kits, maintaining physical distance as feasible, hand hygiene and cough/sneeze etiquette,encouraging students and staff to stay at home when ill or symptomatic, and voluntary mask wearing for those who prefer the extra protection.
This updated guidance aligns with the new CDC Community Burden Framework which guides state and local jurisdictions on COVID-19 mitigation measures based on level of community burden. Counties are designated “Low” COVID-19 burden when there are fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 residents over the previous 7 days, there are fewer than 10 new admissions per 100,000 persons total over the previous 7 days, and less than 10% of all occupied inpatient hospital beds are occupied by someone with COVID-19.
CDC guidance recommends masking for all individuals, including in schools, when a jurisdiction is at “High” community burden. Local health departments are strongly encouraged to implement universal masking when the county COVID-19 community burden is high.
MASKING:
Students, staff and teachers must wear masks on return to school during Days 6 – 10 of their isolation period.
NYSDOH recommends students, staff and teachers wear masks when:
They feel more comfortable wearing a mask for personal reasons.
They were in the same room within the school as someone diagnosed with COVID-19 for 15minutes or longer and were thus exposed or potentially exposed, when group contact tracing isused (see below).
They are known to have been exposed to COVID-19 in any setting within the previous 10 days.
They are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised and have discussed the need to maskwith their healthcare provider(s).
Masks should be well-fitted and appropriately worn (to cover nose and mouth) and should conform to CDC guidelines for masks and respirators.
Masking is no longer required on school buses or vans. Individuals who are required to wear masks in school should wear masks on school transport.
School monitoring of masking compliance should focus on ensuring anyone returning from a new COVID-19 infection is appropriately wearing a well-fitting mask on days 6-10.
Masked and unmasked people will be working and learning alongside each other in schools. It is essential that schools establish “mask positive” environments so those who wear masks, whether
choice, expectation, or requirement, are not stigmatized, bullied, or made to feel uncomfortable, and likewise, those for whom masks have not been required or recommended are not stigmatized, bullied,or made to feel uncomfortable.
Pursuant to the Dignity For All Students Act, students have the right to a school environment free from harassment and bullying.
School officials should communicate mask policy changes to the local community to manage expectations. School officials also should communicate about and plan for a possible return to universal mask wearing should community burden increase.
Whenever persons are expected or required to wear masks, masks may be removed when eating,drinking, singing, going outside, or playing a wind instrument. When masks are removed for these purposes, physical distancing of 6 or more feet should be maintained to the extent possible.
NYS aligns with the CDC definition of close contact in schools.
In the school setting, with universal masking, a close contact was generally defined as less than 3 feet from an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.
The exception allowing 3-feet of distance to determine exposure in schools does not apply to unmasked individuals
, nor does it apply to teachers, staff, or other adults regardless of masking.
This means that in settings where masks are not worn, anyone within a 6-foot radius of an infected person should be considered exposed.
This “zone of exposure” does not mean schools should rearrange the physical footprint or space students six feet apart.
NOTIFICATIONS:
To protect themselves and others and stop the spread of COVID-19 in the household and community,schools should notify through either group or individual level contact tracing affected school staff,students, and their parents/guardians whenever an individual:
- Was in the same room as an infected individual and so was exposed or potentially exposed (i.e.,in the same classroom as an infected individual for longer than 15 minutes), if schools are employing group level contact tracing, or
- Was identified as being exposed because they were a close contact of an infected individual ifschools are employing individual level contact tracing.Note: Group level contract tracing (e.g., classroom, school bus), in #1 above, is expected to alleviate the need for most classic (individual) contact tracing in schools. Criterion #2 above should be used if the school is conducting individual-level contact tracing to reduce the number of students affected by masking/testing and in some situations where there might have been exposures outside the classroom setting, such as non-classroom-based extracurricular activities. NYSDOH recommends exposed or potentially exposed individuals follow NYSDOH Isolation andQuarantine Guidance for testing and masking.
II. Testing in a school setting with reduced mask usage
In the absence of a statewide masking requirement, COVID-19 testing remains a recommended publichealth strategy for surveillance and to identify infected individuals quickly so that they can isolate andavoid spreading COVID-19 further.
New York State has provided schools with over 20 million tests tosupport this strategy. Whenever someone in school – student, staff or teacher – is determined to havebeen exposed or potentially exposed, the individual should be tested for COVID-19 as follows:
Consider testing immediately upon learning of the exposure or potential exposure, At least 5 days after the last date of exposure or potential exposure, regardless of vaccination status,
If the individual is not fully vaccinated and attending or working at school after an exposure or potential exposure, frequent testing (e.g., daily, every other day, at least twice within 5 days from the date of the exposure or potential exposure (Day 0) through at least day 5 should be strongly considered and encouraged,
Exclude from school if a test is positive and/or exclude from school and test as soon as possibleif symptoms develop,
Exception: Individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 within the past 3 months do not need to get tested unless they develop symptoms.
Symptomatic individuals, regardless of vaccination status or recent infection, should stay home until tested and if positive or not tested, should isolate for 5 days, or until other criteria are met for school attendance (e.g., resolution of fever), whichever is longer.
The NYSDOH flow chart addresses school attendance and requirements for children who have symptoms consistent with vaccine side effects shortly after receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Exposed school staff and students and/or their parents/guardians are primarily responsible for ensuring that recommended testing occurs. Schools may supply testing kits to affected families for testing at home and/or provide access to existing testing programs at the school. To ensure that all families can comply with recommended testing, schools should conduct (if able and with consent) or facilitate /make available the recommended testing when families express concerns about their ability to do the testing.
Schools should track testing, including at-home testing, and may choose to prioritize or limit tracking to cases in which testing compliance is of the greatest importance (e.g., higher risk exposures such as presence of someone with COVID-19 in the household, unvaccinated individuals, large clusters of cases).In the setting of COVID-19 outbreaks with ongoing transmission, schools should take a more active role to ensure that the recommended testing occurs.
State-provided school specialists can assist in efforts to track cases and testing as needed.Schools must remain current on their reporting of all COVID-19 test results that they conduct or that they become aware of, including results of home testing, to the New York State COVID-19 Report Card,in addition to their other reporting obligations under Public Health Law.
Exposed individuals, regardless of vaccination status, may remain in school by appropriately wearing a well-fitting mask and undergoing recommended testing and may participate in school-based extracurricular activities. These individuals also may continue to ride the school bus and attend school-administered childcare programs and programs licensed or permitted by OCFS to care for school age children (whether on-site at the school or off-site at a different location and whether they include students from a single or multiple schools).
OCFS-licensed or permitted programs may have additional recommendations or requirements on masking or testing. Those childcare programs should contact their regional office or regulator if they have questions. A list of OCFS Regional Offices can be found here.
TESTING RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS
There are many resources available to support testing for the school population. Please visit the CDCGuidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools which provides a list of resources for screeningtesting programs in schools and the New York State Department of Health Isolation and Quarantinewebpage for additional information.
III. Exemption to weekly unvaccinated staff/teacher testing for recently recovered persons
School staff/teachers who were diagnosed with and recovered from COVID-19 within the past 3 months are not subject to the weekly testing requirement established in 10 NYCRR 2.62, which remains in effect.
Asymptomatic individuals exposed to COVID-19 who have been previously diagnosed with laboratory confirmed COVID-19, and have since recovered, are not required to retest and quarantine within 3 months after the date of symptom onset from the initial COVID-19 infection or date of first positive diagnostic test if asymptomatic during illness.
Schools will have to keep track of when the 3 months is over, at which time the staff person should resume testing.Under these regulations, local health officials are given the duty and accompanying discretion as to howthe requirements will be enforced.
Use of Over-the-Counter Tests
There are numerous COVID-19 antigen tests that have received United States Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), including over-the-counter (OTC) tests authorized for home or self-testing. The Department allows the use of such OTC tests for school purposes;
however, schools or LHDs are empowered to impose prohibitions, restrictions, or conditions on their use based on a consideration of the benefits and drawbacks. Schools must follow guidanceissued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and guidance from LHDs with regard to use of OTC tests,
including the possible imposition of stricter criteria for their use if required by the LHD. If OTC tests are used, schools/districts/ LHDs must follow the instructions found on the package inserts for serial testing (if applicable). Many brands of OTC tests include two tests, both of which should beused as instructed by the manufacturer for asymptomatic individuals.
V. School exclusion
Schools should monitor mask wearing and track the use of recommended testing and may focus these activities on those at higher risk.
When schools become aware of failure to comply with recommended testing, then individuals who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccination should stay home for 5 days after exposure.
Individuals who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination should be encouraged to complete the recommended testing but are not required to be excluded from school unless by policy of the school or local health department, as long as they wear a mask as recommended.
Some individuals may be medically unable to wear a mask. Schools or local health departments may decide on a case-by-case basis whether these individuals should be excluded from school or allowed to remain in school if exposed or potentially exposed. Examples of factors to consider include:
The level of risk of the exposure (e.g., ongoing household exposure imposes a higher risk than exposure within six feet of distance or classroom exposure),
Brooklyn Man and Yonkers Woman Charged with Production, Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography
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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 2, 2022:
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Miriam E. Rocah, Westchester County District Attorney, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and John Mueller, the Commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department (“YPD”), announced today that JONATHAN RIVERA and DILICIA AGUIRRE-ORELLANA were charged with production and receipt and distribution of child pornography.
AGUIRRE-ORELLANA was also charged with possession of child pornography. RIVERA was arrested on or about February 26 in Manhattan, and will be presented today in federal court in White Plains.
AGUIRRE-ORELLANA was arrested on or about February 22 in Yonkers, presented on local charges on or about February 23, and detained; she will be presented on the federal charges at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Allegedly at the behest of Jonathan Rivera, Dilicia Aguirre-Orellana is accused of one of the most heinous acts imaginable – the sexual assault of prepubescent children – including the sexual abuse and video recording of her four-year-old son. The harm that child sex abuse can inflict on the most innocent of victims is something no child should bear. We believe there may be more victims of these alleged crimes, and implore anyone who may have information helpful to law enforcement to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “The level of depravity alleged in the charges filed today against Mr. Rivera are nearly unfathomable. The FBI and our partners remain committed to bringing to justice all those who would seek to harm our society’s most vulnerable members. We are asking anyone with information about Mr. Rivera or his alleged activity to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.”
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said:
“Crimes committed against children, especially ones perpetrated by a parent or caretaker, are deeply disturbing and those who prey upon and sexually exploit children will be aggressively prosecuted. As alleged in this case, Dilicia Aguirre-Orellana sexually violated and exploited her own child in unspeakable ways.
This case shows how law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels can work together to protect the most vulnerable victims. My office is proud to have partnered with the Yonkers Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on this remarkable collaborative effort which put an end to the alleged abuse of a young victim, and will help any other potential victims come forward.”
YPD Commissioner John Mueller said: “It is at the core of every law enforcement officer to protect the vulnerable and innocent, most of all children. We must hold these alleged criminals accountable to the maximum extent of the law for the abuse they inflicted on the smallest members of our society; the Yonkers Police will always continue to put victims first. I am grateful for the sustained multi-agency collaboration on the County, State, and Federal levels that ensures safe communities in Westchester and the City of Yonkers, and applaud the efforts of the investigators and attorneys who worked this case.”
According to the Complaint[1] filed on February 28, 2022, in White Plains federal court:
In or about December 2021, RIVERA communicated online with AGUIRRE-ORELLANA and persuaded AGUIRRE-ORELLANA to make videos of herself performing sex acts on her four-year-old child (“Victim-1”). At RIVERA’s direction, AGUIRRE-ORELLANA made videos of herself touching Victim’s genitals and herself performing oral sex on Victim-1, and sent them to RIVERA over a social media messaging application. In conversations with law enforcement, RIVERA stated that he engaged in similar conversations with other women online. RIVERA may have used various social media platforms to communicate with victims, including WhatsApp, Badoo, Telegram, and Facebook. The usernames of some of RIVERA’s various accounts include:
Jriv3ra718
Jriv3ra11
Jaid3nrivera718
Thebrimbrothers
Jano59fifty
Nathan
On or about February 23, 2022, AGUIRRE-ORELLANA was charged in Westchester County with sexual abuse in the first degree and criminal sexual act in the first degree. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting these charges.
Anyone who may have encountered JONATHAN RIVERA (or someone who may have been using the social media usernames identified above), is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
* * *
RIVERA, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
AGUIRRE-ORELLANA, 22, of Yonkers, New York, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography involving images of a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force which includes Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, US Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DA’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County DA’s Office, the NYPD and the Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Greenburgh, New Rochelle, White Plains, Clarkstown and Ramapo Police Departments. This investigation is ongoing.
This case began as an investigation in the YPD Special Victim’s Unit, working jointly with the Special Prosecutions Division Child Abuse Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, including Bureau Chief Christine Hatfield and Acting Deputy Bureau Chief Owein Levin. The federal prosecution is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Simon is in charge of the prosecution.