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Good Morning, Brooklyn: Monday, September 26, 2022

September 26, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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SENTENCED FOR STOCK MARKET SCHEME: United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano, earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, sentenced Craig Josephberg, a former registered broker, to 36 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years’ supervised release, for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar market manipulation scheme. Josephberg, who worked at multiple brokerage firms in New York, New York, was also ordered to pay more than $16 million in restitution and $706,052 in forfeiture.

Josephberg had pleaded guilty to the charges set forth in a superseding indictment in March 2018, including two counts of securities and wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of securities fraud, and one count of wire fraud relating to his manipulation of stocks of multiple microcap or “penny” stocks, including the stock of CodeSmart Holding, Inc. (CodeSmart), Cubed, Inc. (Cubed), and others.

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GOVERNMENT OPPOSES SERIAL KILLER’S COMPASSIONATE RELEASE MOTION: A serial killer should be denied his motion for compassionate release because he has not provided compelling evidence for his reasons, states a letter from the Justice Department and Breon Peace, United States Attorney-Eastern District that was submitted Friday morning. The government opposes defendant Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols’ pro se motion for compassionate release, covered under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3582(c)(1)(A), on the grounds that “he has not exhausted his administrative remedies and he has not demonstrated extraordinary and compelling circumstances justifying early release.”

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 Nichols, who is serving a 40-year term for multiple murders to which he pleaded guilty in 1989, cited various factors in his request for compassionate release—including health ailments, migraine headaches, stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic, prison lockdowns, non-accommodation of his vegan diet, and deaths in his family.

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RALLY CALLS FOR REVERSAL OF BAIL REFORM LAW: Brooklyn merchants and small business owners who are concerned with the recent Apple Bank Robbery and a string of burglaries in Bay Ridge will rally with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11th District/southwestern Brooklyn) on Monday morning. The group will call on Governor Hochul and the State Legislature to reverse the state’s bail reform law that they say releases dangerous career criminals onto New York City streets. Expected participants are Dan Texeira, president of the Third Avenue Merchants Association and representatives from law enforcement.

By contrast, Legal Aid Society declared on Thursday, September 22 that bail reform is widely effective, following the release of data by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. That organization sought to debunk claims from its critics that bail reform led to any significant increase in crime.

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EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRES LOWER USE OF CARBON EMISSIONS: Mayor Eric Adams signed Clean Construction Executive Order 23, requiring the city’s capital project agencies to commit to actions that will lower embodied carbon — greenhouse gas emissions arising from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials — from municipal construction projects. The actions taken by this executive order will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and noise pollution citywide, and will further ensure that any construction receiving funds from the new federal infrastructure and climate bill will use sustainable materials, equipment, and practices.

The Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice will also incorporate milestones into the city’s long-term strategic sustainability plan, to be released on Earth Day 2023.

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THIRD PARTIES CAN NOW APPLY TO ADMINISTER COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE ROAD TESTS: Aiming to ease a critical shortage of bus and truck drivers, Governor Kathy Hochul has begun the second phase of her plan to allow third parties to offer the Commercial Driver License road test, expanding eligibility to public and private entities. Any qualified third party is now eligible to apply for certification through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

This next phase will allow any qualified third-party entities in New York State, including school bus, tour bus, and trucking companies, to administer Commercial Driver License road tests. The DMV has established a rigorous training and monitoring system to qualify CDL examiners to safely administer the road tests in compliance with state and federal regulations. 

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CITY AGENCIES TO ADDRESS VIRTUAL BROOKLYN HEIGHTS TOWN HALL: A virtual Brooklyn Heights Town Hall will take place on Thursday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. Organizing the Town Hall, to be held via Zoom, are the Office of City Councilmember Restler and the Brooklyn Heights Association. (Register and submit questions via https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfg1LuEAccSka_bOmgml3pvefzXov99MJNt0C-Rj1sa8xzSNA/viewform

City agencies have been invited to share updates on issues and time will be allotted for community members to ask questions, share ideas and raise concerns.

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COLTON: TRASH-FILLED VACANT SITE IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION: A proposed homeless shelter at 137 Kings Highway is in horrible condition and has dangerous health issues for the community, declares Assemblymember William Colton (D-47th District.) Colton, who represents Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights, reports that his office received “very serious complaints” about the vacant land at 137 Kings Highway, including the sighting of huge rats running on the premises.

Colton, who personally checked the premises, discovered that garbage was disposed on the property and that the fence was in disrepair with protruding metallic screws and ragged wood that could injure passersby. He contacted the Sanitation Department to rectify the problem.

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FREE ‘STOP ‘N’ SWAP’ AT BOROUGH HALL GREENMARKET: GrowNYC is hosting a free ‘Stop ‘N’ Swap’ Reuse Event in partnership with the Borough Hall, tomorrow, September 27 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso invites residents to donate new or gently used items such as clothing, shoes, books, toys, housewares and more, and swap them for items others bring. The donation timeframe is 8 a.m.-to-1p.m. at the Borough Hall Greenmarket; the swapping will take place from 11 a.m-2 p.m.

Participants are not limited to a number of items and it is not required to bring goods in order to take something.

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SCANDINAVIAN AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN BAY RIDGE: Brooklyn will be treated to a Scandinavian Høstfest (Autumn Festival) on November 5. The Scandinavian East Coast Museum presents the Høstfest, held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Ovington and Fourth Avenue. Highlighting the Høstfest, from 1 to 4 p.m. are a myriad Scandinavian autumn traditions and Lapskaus Auction (Penny Social) and Games with Crazy Carlsen.

Bay Ridge has a long history of Scandinavian heritage and each May is the setting for the Norwegian Independence Day Parade, on the Sunday closest to May 17.

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IN MEMORIAM: NEWTON ABNER HARRISON: Brooklyn-born artist Newton Abner Harrison, who with his wife was founder of the eco-art movement, has died at age 89, according to a New York Times obituary by Penelope Green. He and his wife, Helen Mayer Harrison, were pioneers in art that focused on the consequences of climate change long before public awareness grew.

The Harrisons’ first collaboration, a map of imperiled animals and newly extinct species, was exhibited in 1971 at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York City.


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