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ompStat reports are produced by the New York Police Department on a weekly basis. We summarize the week’s statistics for the 61st Precinct reports every Friday. The 61st Precinct is the police command responsible for Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Kings Highway, Homecrest, Madison, Manhattan Beach, and Gerritsen Beach.
Source: aresauburn via flickr
While it seems that every major American city has its own brand of political corruption, New York’s scandal plagued politicians are marked by the high cost their misdeeds inflict on taxpayers. The New York Post is reporting that the accumulated cost of all the illegal and unethical actions of dirty politicians have cost taxpayers at least $49,710,630.64 since 2006.
The rogues gallery is led by former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who cost the state $36 million in pension-fund management fees after taking nearly $1 million in illegal gifts; ex-state Sen. Pedro Espada, who funneled $7 million to himself and family members through a Medicare-funded nonprofit; and Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who cost taxpayers $103,000 in secret settlements after staffers accused him of sexual harassment.
The huge sum of money does not include the $440,000 in bribes that have recently put State Senator John Sampson in hot water. It also doesn’t include money promised by politicians that was never distributed, including $80,000 in discretionary funds given to a dummy company by Councilman Dan Halloran in exchange for a bribe.
The list of crooked pols also includes former State Senator Carl Kruger, who was bribed into funneling $900,000 to certain nonprofits. Kruger is currently serving a prison sentence on federal corruption charges.
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CompStat reports are produced by the New York Police Department on a weekly basis. We summarize the week’s statistics for the 61st Precinct reports every Friday. The 61st Precinct is the police command responsible for Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Kings Highway, Homecrest, Madison, Manhattan Beach, and Gerritsen Beach.
Shaniesha Forbes. (Source: Facebook)
An arrest was made regarding the murder of Shaniesha Forbes, the teenager found naked and burned on the shores of Gerritsen Beach. The New York Daily News is reporting that the suspect in question had thought Forbes was pregnant with his child.
The 14-year-old Forbes had disappeared from her Flatlands home last January after saying she was going to school. Her body was found a few days later, badly burned, on Gerritsen Beach.
City medical examiners found that Forbes had been asphyxiated before being burned on her arms, hands and legs in an apparent attempt to disappear her body.
The man arrested, identified as 20-year-old Christian Ferdinand, is said to be from Maine. Police sources told the Daily News that he killed Forbes after fearing she had become pregnant with his child. Medical reports later indicated that Forbes was not pregnant.
The arrest is the first step in the long road to justice being sought by Forbes’ devastated family. Forbes’ mother, Sandra Price, had spoken at a January press conference and expressed frustration at the NYPD’s failure to make headway in the case.
Ferdinand was charged with second-degree murder.
A Brighton Beach family away on vacation was victimized by a burglar over the weekend, but the thief’s acts were all caught on a nanny cam.
On Satuday night around 9 p.m., the crook broke into the home of Alexey Chizhov by entering through a back window. He made off with cash, jewelry and computer, according to a Gothamist report.
There may not have been any lead on the thief’s identify, had Chizhov not turned on his nanny cam on a whim.
“That day when we were leaving to Washington, I decided to put it on. The cameras were not obtained for security purposes, because we’ve never had any burglars in our household, but I was like, ‘Why not?’” Chizhov told NBC NY.
Anyone with information on the crime is encouraged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. You can also visit the Crime Stoppers website by clicking here.
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CompStat reports are produced by the New York Police Department on a weekly basis. We summarize the week’s statistics for the 61st Precinct reports every Friday. The 61st Precinct is the police command responsible for Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Kings Highway, Homecrest, Madison, Manhattan Beach, and Gerritsen Beach.
Bennett Castello. Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice via nbcnewyork.com
A man suspected of attempting to rape a 13-year-old girl in a Gravesend elevator last week has been arrested. According to a report by NBC NY, the police arrested 40-year-old Bennett Castello, a registered sex offender.
According to authorities, on April 30 at a Gravesend building located on Avenue Z and West 2nd Street, Castello was riding down an elevator with the victim when he allegedly pulled a pair of scissors and attempted to rape her. When the elevator door opened, he ran off and the girl was unharmed.
Castello was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, burglary and rape.
In 1998, Castello was convicted of sex crimes against a victim who was over 21. As a result of his conviction, he was classified as a violent sex offender.
Levitis (Source: Facebook)
Rasputin owner and Russian Dolls co-star Michael Levitis pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy and was released on $1 million bail after his indictment yesterday. But, more interestingly, Levitis claims he’s a victim of government neglect who had tried to tip off authorities to malfeasance by “rogue employees.” He said he was ignored.
This nugget from the New York Times has all you need to know:
Mr. Levitis, who was charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud, pleaded not guilty and was released on $1 million bond. His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said by phone that his client had known about the investigation for several months, had cooperated fully and had tried to provide information to the government about certain employees he believed were responsible for wrongdoing. Mr. Lichtman said his client was ignored.
“The frustrating part about this is we repeatedly attempted to present evidence to the government that there were rogue employees that were working at Mission and were engaging in the sort of fraud that we now see in the indictment,” Mr. Lichtman said.
“We’re prepared to fight it to the end,” he added.
The Times also notes that the investigation into Mission Settlement Agency and Michael Levitis was aided by undercover agents and a cooperating witness who posed as a customer.
As we first reported yesterday, Levitis is alleged to be the ringleader of a fraud scheme, in which a company he controlled – Mission Settlement Agency – preyed on debt-laden victims. The company claimed to reduce a client’s debt to creditors and make payments on their behalf. In reality, prosecutors say, the company collected fees and did little or nothing to help clients, and Levitis used the fees to pay operating expenses at Rasputin Restauraunt, lease two luxury Mercedes and pay off his mother’s credit card bills.
Prosecutors have filed to seize approximately 40 bank accounts connected to Levitis, as well as Rasputin Restaurant and two properties he owns in Manhattan Beach. The assets would be used to pay back his victims if Levitis is found guilty.
Levitis and three other co-conspirators face 20 years in prison for each charge. Two additional employees were charged, pleaded guilty, and are aiding the investigation.
His attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, has represented high-profile clients including John Gotti, Jr., and rappers The Game and Fat Joe.
The 61st Precinct Community Council Meeting will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at the 61st Precinct stationhouse (2575 Coney Island Avenue).
The Community Council is comprised of concerned residents and top brass from the 61st Precinct, and offers neighbors an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns about crime and safety issues in the area. The monthly meetings are attended by Captain John M. Chell, the commanding officer of the precinct, who will present a report on incidents and trends in the neighborhood, and speak face-to-face with neighbors about specific concerns.
For further information, or if you have questions or comments concerning Community Affairs, call (718) 627-6847.
Levitis’ home at 1001 Oriental Boulevard. Prosecutors are moving to seize it to repay his alleged victims. (Source: Google Maps)
Prosecutors have filed papers to restrain approximately 40 bank accounts operated by Michael Levitis or those connected to him, and have moved to seize two Manhattan Beach properties in order to preserve funds for victims of his alleged fraud, according to statements by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
The home at 132 Norfolk, also owned by Levitis, which prosecutors are moving to seize. (Source: Google Maps)
According to the indictment, investigators have identified several bank accounts in the name of Levitis, Rasputin, Mission Settlement Agency and alleged co-conspirators which may be turned over to victims of the debt settlement fraud charges revealed this morning. They are also targeting his stake in Rasputin Restaurant, at 2670 Coney Island Avenue.
They also list two properties owned by Levitis – his home at 1001 Oriental Boulevard, and another property at 132 Norfolk Street.
If Levitis is found guilty and ordered to compensate as many as 2,200 victims of fraud through Mission Settlement Agency’s services, the properties will be liquidated to reimburse the victims.
The charges revealed this morning allege that Levitis and three co-conspirators offered debt settlement services, in which they collected fees without doing the services they advertised. Moreover, they are believed to have made false claims about their fees and their track record. And while clients forked over millions of dollars to be paid to their creditors, little if any ever made it that way. Instead, Levitis used it to pay operating expenses at Rasputin, lease two luxury Mercedes, and pay down his mother’s credit card debt.
Aside from the four that were charged this morning, two other Mission sales representatives were also charged: Felix Lemberskiy and Zakhir Shirinov. These two employees have been separately charged and have already pleaded guilty.
Mission Settlement Agency also went by the names Mission Abstract LLC and Alpha Debt Settlement.
View the U.S. Attorney’s remarks on the case, as well as the indictment.
