WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. NEWS AND COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. September 28, 2020:

The Westchester County Police released the following media advisory over the weekend:

“(Hawthorne, NY) – A motorcyclist was killed Friday night in a three-vehicle collision that occurred on the Hutchinson River Parkway near East Lincoln Avenue in Mount Vernon.

The collision, which occurred about 9:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes of travel, involved two automobiles and a motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle was ejected off his vehicle, went airborne over the center divider and landed in the southbound lanes of travel. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His identity is being withheld pending notification to his family. The full circumstances of the crash are under investigation by the Westchester County Police Accident Investigation Team.

Westchester County Police are also continuing the investigation into another deadly crash that occurred early Friday morning on the Cross County Parkway in Mount Vernon. In that incident, three persons were killed about 2:30 a.m. when the driver of a Toyota lost control of his vehicle, causing it to strike a guard rail and roll over.

The deceased in that crash are identified as: Garibaldi Reyes-Jerez, 22, of West 170^th Street, Manhattan; John Pena-Martinez, 24, of Creston Avenue, Bronx; and Maria Vasquez-Guzman, 16, of Grand Concourse, Bronx. They were passengers in a vehicle driven by Yordany Bautista-Hernandez, 21, of Tiebout Avenue, Bronx, who suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed at this time. Anyone who witnessed the crash on the Cross County Parkway is asked to contact Detective Brandon Amlung at 914-864-7728 or via email at bma1@westchestergov.com. All calls or emails are confidential.“

These two accidents are not isolated.

As a person who drives the Taconic Parkway regularly on the weekends, I am surprised there are not more of these tragedies. I have never seen the speeding, impatience, and poor judgment of impatient motorists and motorcyclists on the parkways of Westchester County than I have this year.

Motorists unhappy with vehicles ahead of them going 60 to 65 miles per hour (10 miles over the speed limit), routinely tailgate, look for an opportunity to cut into the lanes to the left or right of the slower car ahead (often cutting to the inside) and explode around the car ahead of them.

They narrowly miss cars they are cutting in front of to floor it more than the 65.

The wary driver, has to look frequently in the rearview mirror to be able to avoid or get out of the way of the Taconic cowboys heading for an early ticket to Heaven.

There is very little speed enforcement.

In the 40 miles I drive northbound and south bound, I see a lone Trooper Car, once in awhile. But obviously the trooper cannot catch too many. And getting into traffic, moving on out, to catch the cowboy, is not always safe or easy to do. They have a tough and dangerous job.

It is time the Westchester County put Overhead Speed Freeze Photo cameras on the Sprain, the Saw Mill, the Hutchinson River Parkways and the Taconic, and Route 9.

A speed camera would pay for itself even more than redlight cameras. Westchester County could wipe out its $150 Million deficit a matter of months and turn a surplus.

The fines would be increased and the violations would be amazing up.

Another behavior that skilled motocyclists seem unable to resist is flying up the highway as fast as they can possibly obtain. Hopefully not with your daughter riding behind the dashing young man. Hopefully no aging motorcycle enthusiast with a family would do that.

We have all seen the lone motorcyclist in the review mirror flying out of nowhere with the thundering whine and his cycle cutting in front of you narrowly missing the car he is cutting in front of. These are “closies” that often have a cyclists’ life saved by the prudent braking of the car the motorcyclist cuts off.

Another phenomena are the groups of weekend motorcycle friends roaring up the Taconic as a pack and they want to stay together and weave in and out of the passenger car traffic at a higher speed enjoying the freedom of the choppers. Most do this responsibly but at a higher speed. Sometimes the last cyclist in following the group, just manages not to get clipped by the car being bypassed.

I love the social distancing and comradeship the motorcycle convoys represent and the Harley mystique and the motorcycle jacket with the club names. But please be careful on the mass passes on your love of the openroad.

Motorists, you are the biggest offenders. You have to realize that if you tailgate at 80 you have no margin of error when you pass.

The happy individual motorcyclist obsessed with his or her speed and the adrenaline of flying down curvy Westchester highways and two lane roads, must realize this not a movie, you are going 90 miles an hour down a dead end street. When there’s sudden slower traffic ahead, to avoid you have no margin, and they may clip you. You are roadkill.

24 hour video tape cameras on the same overpasses can observe frequent motorist reckless behavior and have trooper technicians issue mail summonses, by the way.

I mean no disrespect to motorists in a hurry or motocyclists out for this romantic and satisfying experience.

I am not trying to take away your rights or your right to experience the edge of performance.

Just perform responsibly.

The County might consider motorcycle Saturdays on the Bronx River Parkway. Imagine thundering through Scarsdale the BRP all to yourselves.

The County though could open a supervised motorcycle park of tracks and paths strictly motorcyclists and bicyclists (on separate hours.)

Remember no one wants the next motorcycle or motorcar trip to be your last.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS “WEEK-ENDS.” September 27, 2020:

White Plains Week Friday News Roundups of White Plains beginning this week are now on www.wpcnr.com.

White Plains Week in its 20th year of reporting of county, state, and national news is a penetrating analysis look of the important developments Mr. and Mrs. White Plains need to be aware each week and the effect on residents’ future.

Each new Friday program going forward will now be rebroadcast worldwide right here on www.wpcnr.com, after each new program produced Friday is aired on White Plains TV countywide on Verizon Fios ch 45 and in White Plains on Altice Optimum channel 76

Now that White Plains Television has opened the new White Plains Community Media studios in the White Plains Library and production is in smooth glitchless stride with no hiccups or malfunctions from the first day, WPCNR is pleased tor introduce the Friday, September 25 telecast with John Bailey and Jim Benerofe in the video below.

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. September 26, 2020:

Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RUVIM KRUPKIN, a New York state-licensed doctor, pled guilty today to conspiring to illegally distribute large quantities of oxycodone from a medical office in Brooklyn, New York. 

As part of his guilty plea, KRUPKIN also agreed to forfeit $124,000 in proceeds obtained through his illicit distribution of oxycodone.  KRUPKIN pled guilty before United States District Judge Analisa Torres in Manhattan federal court.    

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As he admitted in court today, Ruvim Krupkin, for more than a decade, wrote thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone, enriching himself at the expense of others, while the country suffered from a devastating opioid epidemic.  He now awaits sentencing for his crime.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made during court proceedings:

KRUPKIN, a licensed internal medicine doctor with specialties in oncology and hematology, practiced at a medical office in Brooklyn.  From 2006 to July 2017, KRUPKIN prescribed over four million oxycodone pills to individuals he knew had no legitimate medical need for the pills.  KRUPKIN charged each patient $200 in cash for each visit, payable directly to him.   

As a hematologist, KRUPKIN treated patients who had, or claimed to have, sickle cell anemia – a medical condition that can cause pain for which oxycodone, in conjunction with other treatments, may be legitimately prescribed. 

However, KRUPKIN wrote thousands of prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone to patients, knowing that they in fact had no legitimate medical need for the prescriptions.  KRUPKIN generally performed little to no physical examination on these patients; indeed, the medical notes for each patient were largely the same from one visit to the next. 

In addition, KRUPKIN typically issued patients prescriptions for a large dose of oxycodone – typically 180 80-milligram pills, until approximately 2010, when the formula for oxycodone changed, reducing the street value of the 80-milligram pills. 

At that time, KRUPKIN began prescribing 180 or 240 30-milligram pills.  KRUPKIN’s patients filled their prescriptions at pharmacies throughout New York, and in certain cases, sold the oxycodone pills they received to drug dealers, who in turn re-sold the pills at high value on the street.  KRUPKIN knew that certain of his patients were diverting the oxycodone pills he was prescribing, but he nonetheless continued writing prescriptions of oxycodone for such individuals. 

*                *                *

KRUPKIN, 69, of Summit, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence for the defendant will be determined by the judge.

KRUPKIN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Torres on January 26, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI-NYPD Health Care Fraud Task Force.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the New York City Human Resources Administration for its work on the investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Tara M. La Morte and Alexandra N. Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.

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WPCNR CORONA VIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. September 24, 2020:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State will form an independent Clinical Advisory Task Force comprised of leading scientists, doctors, and health experts who will review every COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the federal government, and will advise New York State on the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in fighting the virus. 

In addition, the Governor established a Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force that is charged with designing the best COVID-19 vaccination administration program in the nation. 

The Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force is comprised of experts in public health, immunizations, government operations, data and other fields relevant to vaccine distribution and administration. 

“The federal government’s response to COVID and the White House’s dispute with the FDA raises serious questions about whether or not the vaccine has become politicized,” Governor Cuomo said. “Frankly, I’m not going to trust the federal government’s opinion and I wouldn’t recommend to New Yorkers based on the federal government’s opinion. We’re going to put together our own review committee headed by the Department of Health to review the vaccine, and I’m appointing a committee that is going to come up with a vaccine distribution and implementation plan on how we will do it. New York’s response to COVID has been a model for this country, and we should also be the model vaccination program for the country.”

The Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force will develop a plan for vaccine administration that will include:

• Prioritization of vaccine recipients based solely on clinical guidance
• Distribution network capable of providing two doses of vaccine to all New Yorkers
• Qualified professionals and organizations to administer the vaccine
• Data and IT infrastructure for scheduling appointments and tracking program metrics
• Public education regarding vaccination program
• Procurement of necessary supplies and equipment

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. September 24, 2020:

Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that MICHAEL R. WEIGAND, pled guilty to making false statements to federal agents about his involvement in, and his work for, the “Silk Road” online illicit black market, which was responsible for distributing hundreds of millions of dollars of narcotics and other contraband. 

WEIGAND’s false statements concealed his role in the operation of the Silk Road website.  WEIGAND surrendered today and pled guilty before United States District Judge William H. Pauley III.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Silk Road was a secret online marketplace for illegal drugs, hacking services, and a number of other criminal activities. 

Michael Weigand helped Silk Road by, among other things, identifying technological vulnerabilities in the site, supplying technological advice directly to Silk Road’s leadership, and travelling overseas to remove Silk Road evidence from a co-conspirator’s residence.  When Weigand was questioned by law enforcement in 2019, he falsely claimed not to have done anything at all for Silk Road.  For his various false statements, Weigand now faces potential prison time.”

IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Joleen Simpson said:  “During its years of operation the Silk Road website allowed thousands of individuals to anonymously conduct narcotics transactions, launder money, and facilitate other illegal transactions.  This investigation took law enforcement above and beyond its traditional role in financial crimes.  In effect, it put us squarely in the middle of the high-tech world of cyber-crime and the dark web.  When given the opportunity to provide truthful statements to the agents, Weigand knowingly and willfully attempted to deceive the agents of the role he played in providing technical expertise to the Silk Road operators.  I hope that this guilty plea will discourage others from providing false information to law enforcement officers in the future.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: 

“Weigand and others used their skills and savvy to create a secret online enclave for criminals to trade in illegal drugs and illicit goods and services.  They thought they were smart enough to evade law enforcement, but they were wrong.  When Weigand was confronted, he lied about his involvement – once again thinking we weren’t smart enough to catch him.  With today’s plea, he’ll have time to contemplate the truth as he awaits his sentence.”

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: 

“Criminal activity on the dark web continues to be more prevalent, allowing easy accessibility to narcotics and illicit goods with the click of a button.  With online criminal enterprises growing, law enforcement technologies are advancing, and HSI with its partners are infiltrating the dark web, intercepting online dealings and locating the perpetrators.  Today’s guilty plea should stand as reminder to those criminals who have a false sense of security behind their computer screen, that they too will one day face the consequences of their actions.”

According to the allegations in the Information, court filings, statements made in court, and evidence presented during the 2015 trial of Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road’s founder and chief administrator:

Ulbricht created Silk Road in approximately January 2011, and owned and operated the underground website until it was shut down by law enforcement in October 2013. 

Silk Road emerged as the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet at the time.  During its more than two-and-a-half years in operation, Silk Road was used by several thousand drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to well over one hundred thousand buyers, and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars deriving from these unlawful transactions. 

Silk Road was specifically designed to allow its users to buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services anonymously and outside the reach of law enforcement through the use of the Tor network and a Bitcoin-based payment system. 

WEIGAND – who is a computer programmer and electrical engineer – worked with Roger Thomas Clark, the senior adviser to Ulbricht, on certain aspects of Silk Road. 

For instance, WEIGAND and Clark worked to identify technological vulnerabilities in the Silk Road website.  WEIGAND also supplied technological advice directly to Clark and Ulbricht. 

In January 2019, WEIGAND was questioned by an IRS Special Agent and an FBI Special Agent.  After being specifically warned that it is a federal crime to make a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer, WEIGAND attempted to cover up his involvement in Silk Road by falsely stating, among other things, that (1) he never opened an account on Silk Road; (2) he never used the online pseudonyms “Shabang” or “~Shabang~”; (3) he never transferred Bitcoin to Silk Road; (4) he never exposed computer security vulnerabilities in the Silk Road website; (5) he never communicated with anyone who used the online pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” “DPR,” or “Silk Road”; (6) he never performed any services for the Silk Road website; and (7) he did not know the true identity of “Variety Jones” (one of Clark’s pseudonyms) on Silk Road.  WEIGAND also falsely stated that the purpose of his trip to London in late 2013, following the takedown of the Silk Road website and arrest of Ulbricht, was to meet with Clark’s associate regarding a marijuana seed business.  In fact, WEIGAND traveled to Clark’s London residence and removed Silk Road evidence.

WEIGAND, 56, of Kirtland, Ohio, pled guilty to one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  WEIGAND is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Pauley on December 18, 2020, at 2:00 p.m.

The founder and operator of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, was previously convicted of seven offenses after a jury trial: distributing narcotics, distributing narcotics by means of the Internet, conspiring to distribute narcotics, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to commit computer hacking, conspiring to traffic in false identity documents, and conspiring to commit money laundering.  Ulbricht was sentenced principally to life imprisonment and $183 million in forfeiture. 

The senior adviser to Ulbricht, Roger Thomas Clark, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics and his sentencing is currently pending; Clark faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

*            *           *

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding joint efforts of the IRS-CI, the FBI, and HSI.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI’s Cleveland Office for its assistance.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.