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Hudson Valley Employment up 2.4% in Year. Record Number of Jobs in Private Sector (803,900)

Posted on July 25, 2016 by John Bailey

WPCNR ECONOMIC NOTES. From the New York State Department of Labor. Jul 25, 2016:

For the 12-month period ending in June 2016, private sector employment in the Hudson Valley increased by 18,700 or 2.4 percent, to 803,900.

Jobs were added in educational and health services (+7,700), professional and business services (+2,800), leisure and hospitality (+2,700), trade, transportation and utilities (+2,700), natural resources, mining and construction (+2,200), and other services (+2,200). Job losses were mostly centered in financial activities (-1,200). The government sector added 1,200 jobs over the period.

The job numbers came in fairly strong in June 2016. Private sector job count reached an all-time record high level at 803,900.

Year-over-year, educational and health services grew by 4.0 percent or 7,700 jobs – its fastest June growth since 1999. Growth in that supersector is mostly attributed to a strong health care component.

After eight consecutive months of reporting year-to-year job losses, the region’s leisure and hospitality sector rebounded nicely with a gain of 2.9 percent or 2,700 jobs.

Private sector job growth was seen throughout the region. Year-over-year, job growth was fastest in the Kingston MSA (+2.7 percent), followed by the Orange-Rockland-Westchester labor market (+2.5 percent), the Dutchess-Putnam MSA (+2.1 percent), and Sullivan County (+1.0 percent).

Alleged Forger Arrested.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by John Bailey

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the Westchester County District Attorney. July 25, 2016:

Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty announced Monday that Devante Rainey (DOB 06/02/92) of 34 Snowden Avenue, Ossining, New York has been arraigned on a twenty seven count felony complaint charging him with the following:

sixteen counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, class “D” Felonies,
two counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree, class “D” Felonies,
two counts of Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, class “D” Felonies,
two counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree: Assume Another’s Identity-Commits or Attempts to Commit a “D” Felony, class “D” Felonies,
one count of Criminal Possession of Forgery Devices, a class “D” Felony,
one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class “E” Felony,
one count of Tampering With Physical Evidence, a class “E” Felony,
one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class “E” Felony,
one count of Identity Theft in the Second Degree: Assume Another’s Identity-Commit or Attempt to Commit a Felony, a class “E” Felony.

Rainey has been the target of a two year investigation by this office. He is a prolific check forger who has a distinct modus operandi: it is believed he purchases photographs of co-defendants payroll checks, then he uses the routing numbers and checking account numbers on those checks to create forged checks using Versacheck small business software.

He then deposits the checks via mobile deposit into co-conspirators bank accounts, making the fraudulent activity one step removed from him. He uses fictitious payor names and addresses on the checks to further mislead law enforcement.

In March 2016, search warrants were executed on two premises that Rainey was using as forgery “mills.” Computers, printers, forged checks, and phones were recovered.

Forensic analysis of the phones and computers revealed large scale fraudulent activity. Search warrants were also executed on Rainey’s Facebook page that resulted in the recovery of additional evidence.

The defendant was arraigned on these charges in Ossining Village Court on July 12, 2016 and in Cortlandt Town Court on July 18, 2016.

Rainey pled not guilty.

The defendant is remanded to the Westchester County Jail.

His next court date is July 26, 2016.

The defendant faces a sentence of imprisonment, the minimum of which is two years, up to a maximum of seven years in state prison.

Assistance in this investigation was provided by the Village of Ossining Police Department.

Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Lee of the Investigations Division is prosecuting the case.