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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.

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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.

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 6^th of December; and 2,791 the 11^th 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.

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?

What do you think?

We are on our own.

Be careful out there.

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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.

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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.    

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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.

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Frank Okunak Embezzled Over $16 Million and Caused Publicly Traded Corporation to Keep False Book and Records

WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation.December 7, 2022:

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FRANK OKUNAK, the former chief financial officer of one of the world’s leading global public relations firms, was sentenced today to 52 months in prison by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.  

OKUNAK pled guilty on July 27, 2022, to one count of wire fraud and one count of falsification of the books and records of a public corporation, in connection with a decade-long scheme to embezzle over $16 million from his employer.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated: “Frank Okunak conducted a nearly decade-long conspiracy to embezzle millions of dollars from his employer and the public shareholders of his employer.  Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to executives that if they use their company’s money as if it were their own, they will face lengthy prison time.”  

According to the allegations in the Information, statements made in court, and court filings:

For nearly a decade, FRANK OKUNAK, who was the chief financial officer and later chief operating officer of a leading global public relations firm (the “PR Firm”), embezzled over $16 million from the PR Firm and, ultimately, the shareholders of the PR Firm’s publicly traded parent corporation.  

OKUNAK used the embezzled funds to finance his personal lifestyle and his own private business ventures.  

OKUNAK concealed and facilitated his theft by preparing and causing others to prepare materially false accounting books and records, including invoices and payment records that falsely described expenditures as having been undertaken for the benefit of the PR Firm, when funds were actually used for OKUNAK’s personal benefit or for the benefit of his personal business associates.

Specifically, from 2011 through 2020, OKUNAK used his authority as an officer of the PR Firm to cause the PR Firm to make unauthorized payments for OKUNAK’s personal and business ventures unrelated to the activities of the PR Firm or its corporate parents.  

OKUNAK used the PR Firm’s assets to provide the start-up capital for his personal, independent business ventures, to purchase tickets and luxury boxes at sporting events, and even to cover donations to his alma mater.  

To hide the illicit nature of these expenditures, OKUNAK frequently prepared or caused others to prepare false or misleading invoices and other documentation to suggest, falsely, that the funds were used for legitimate corporate purposes.

*                *                *

In addition to his prison sentence, OKUNAK, 56, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  As part of his guilty plea, OKUNAK also agreed to forfeit $10,823,575.57 and to pay restitution of $16,043,603.71.