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.

Hits: 369

THE BEST IN WESTCHESTER NEWS COVERAGE

WHITE PLAINS WEEK

PETER KATZ, JOHN BAILEY AND JIM BENEROFE 

21st CENTURY NEWS–16TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR ON WHITE PLAINS TELEVISION –NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW EVERY WEEK

ON

THE NEW WHITE PLAINS MALL- 700 APARTMENTS PROPOSAL

THE NEW WESTMORELAND AVENUE  PUB-LOFT PROPOSAL

CITY SALES TAX DOES NOT MAKE LAST YEAR’S NUMBERS–WHY?

COUNTY SALES TAX UP–IT’S A MYSTERY?

THE CONVENTIONS WRAP UP FROM PETER KATZ

EXCLUSIVE BEST OF WESTCHESTER SOIREE ON THE SOUND

THE CITY CENTER GETS A MAMARONECK AVENUE ENTRANCE

THE CRANE CRASH ON THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE

COUNTY PLANNING TACKLES CHANGING TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS IN WHITE PLAINS DOWNTOWN

AND MORE

THE MOST RIVITING NEWS ON TV

www.whiteplainsweek.com

AND NOW

ON YOUTUBE AT

Hits: 356

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. BY JOHN F. BAILEY. July 26, 2016:

A $4,441,089 JUNE sales tax “handle,” 4.3% more than June, 2015 averted  a significant deficit as the City  of White Plains closed the books on 2015-16.

However the city closed the year $1,181,049 down from last year’s record sales tax revenues of $50,972,587, with the city generating $49,791,538 in sales taxes in 2015-16. This is a 2% decline.

This leaves the city with the decision whether to trim the adopted budget slightly or cross their fingers that revenues will rebound in back-to-school sales in August. The city earned $24,693,082 the second half of the fiscal year January to June, 2016, compared to $25,304,999, January to June, 2015, a decline of 2.4%.

Westchester County through the first six months of its fiscal year  generated 1.3% more sales tax revenues than the first half of 2015. In January to June of this year the county has earned $248,378,272 in sales tax revenues compared to $245,255,067 January to June 2015.

The Westchester County budgeteers predicted they would earn 14% more in sales revenues in 2016, which seems very unlikely to be met since they are only up 1.3%.

Hits: 354

Hits: 394

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.

Hits: 922