What’s News, Breaking: Monday, January 22, 2024

January 22, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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MEMBER OF ASSASSIN MILLAS GANG
GETS 45-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A MEMBER OF THE ELITE, EAST NEW YORK-BASED ELITE ASSASSIN MILLAS GANG HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 45 YEARS in prison for firearms offenses involving murder and assault in aid of racketeering. United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto on Monday, Jan. 22, in Brooklyn federal court sentenced Tyshawn Corbett, also known as “Reck.” According to court filings and transcripts, Corbett was a long-time member of the East New York-based Elite Assassin Millas (E.A.M.), a set of the Bloods street gang that operated primarily in East New York. The gang profited from fraud and drug dealing. Within the gang, Corbett developed a reputation as a “shooter” for being willing to shoot and kill other people. In September 2022, he pleaded guilty to three firearm offenses involving murder or assault in aid of racketeering.

The government’s case has led to the convictions of six members and associates of E.A.M. in addition to Corbett, including the gang’s leader, Quandel Smothers, who was convicted at trial and is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2024.

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CITY OPENS APPLICATION PERIOD FOR
SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

CITYWIDE — THE 2024 SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM application period is now open and runs until Friday, March 1, 2024, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard announced on Monday. The initiative, which provides 100,000 summer jobs and other paid opportunities to young people ages 14-24, runs for six weeks during July and August, giving youths paid opportunities to explore potential career interests and pathways, allowing participants to engage in learning experiences that help develop their professional, social, civic and leadership skills. Participants aged 14 and 15 receive a stipend for the summer; older youth aged 16-24 are paid the prevailing minimum wage. SYEP applications can be completed on SYEP’s webpage or through participating community-based organizations.

Last summer, participants got a jump start on their careers at nearly 18,000 worksites in industries ranging from business/finance and philanthropy to transportation, real estate, hospitality/tourism and media arts.

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GOODWILL EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY IN $2.3M EMBEZZLEMENT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A LONGTIME GOODWILL EMPLOYEE PLEADED GUILTY IN Brooklyn federal court on Friday to wire fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, after being caught scamming the nonprofit out of $2.3 million over a period of 16 years by creating a fake company and falsely billing her employer for job-finding services not provided. Marcia Joseph, the charity’s former senior fiscal officer, then used the embezzled money on personal expenses, including $235,000 spent on mortgage payments, $98,000 for car payments, $45,000 in Amazon purchases and $16,000 in cash to friends and family. The U.S. Attorney’s statement highlighted that Joseph withdrew a total of nearly $100,000 in cash from the stolen money.

The Daily News reports that, in a statement, Goodwill wrote, “Marcia Joseph was a trusted employee who defrauded and victimized Goodwill.” She faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing.

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CHARGED WITH MURDER
OF ELDERLY PARENTS

BOROUGH PARK — A MAN WHOM THE NYPD WAS HOLDING AS A ‘PERSON OF INTEREST’ IN THE DEATHS SATURDAY OF AN ELDERLY BOROUGH PARK COUPLE has now been charged with their murders, the Daily News reported on Monday, Jan. 22. Police have identified the man, 48-year-old Meyer Sperber, as the son of Jacob and Rachel Sperber, both 75, who were the victims of a double-stabbing in the relatively crime-free Borough Park neighborhood. Hatzolah EMS medics had rushed all three Sperbers to nearby Maimonides Medical Center, but the parents succumbed to the wounds. The son, whose age was previously estimated at 46, had barricaded himself in the apartment he shared with his parents before police convinced him to surrender.

Although the suspect, Meyer Sperber, had no prior arrests, neighbors described him to reporters as being “disturbed.” The motive for the stabbings was still under investigation as of press time.

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STRONG BROOKLYN ROOTS:
MOTHER CABRINI HEALTH FOUNDATION
AWARDS $500K GRANT TO MAIMONIDES

BOROUGH PARK — MAIMONIDES HEALTH HAS BEEN AWARDED A $500,000 GRANT FROM THE MOTHER CABRINI HEALTH FOUNDATION FOR ITS ADVANCED ILLNESS MANAGEMENT (AIM) PROGRAM, particularly for older adults. The award will be applied to Maimonides’ Integrating the Advanced Illness Management (AIM) in the Emergency Department — the AIM-ED Project (AIM-ED Project) — to improve patient outcomes by involving patients and their families early in defining their care objectives. This participation informs the development of the treatment plan considering their cultural, ethnic, religious and spiritual beliefs. Maimonides Health was recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in June 2023.

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is named for an Italian-American saint, St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini, who in the late 19th and early 20th centuries established schools for Brooklyn’s Italian immigrant community, working particularly at Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen Church in Carroll Gardens.

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FED-EX BUYS ‘MASSIVE DISTRIBUTION CENTER’ NEXT TO GOWANUS CANAL

SUNSET PARK — FED-EX HAS PURCHASED A “MASSIVE DISTRIBUTION CENTER” in Sunset Park bordering Red Hook, at the mouth of the Gowanus Canal, for almost $250 million, Crain’s reports. The company bought the 18-acre Sunset Industrial Park from Bridge Industrial and developer Dov Herz. FedEx plans to open a 246,000-square-foot distribution center at the address later this year, a company spokesperson told Crain’s.

Red Hook residents say the area is already overrun with trucks and delivery vans from the sudden influx of e-commerce warehouses. Three gigantic Amazon warehouses are currently in operation in Red Hook, and five more developments are in the works, including a 1.1 million-square-foot UPS distribution center.

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MARKET VALUE OF BROOKLYN REAL ESTATE ON FIRE IN 2023

BOROUGHWIDE — IT WAS AN ESPECIALLY STRONG YEAR for the market value of rental and commercial buildings in Brooklyn, The Real Deal reports. The value of Class 2 properties, which includes cooperatives, condominiums and rental buildings, was up 9.2% in the borough, compared with 5.3% citywide. Brooklyn also had the biggest jump in Class 4 commercial and industrial property value, which includes retail and hotels. These increased by 8% in assessed value, compared with 4.4% citywide.

The total tentative market value for all assessed properties in New York City rose to $1.491 trillion, up 0.7% from the current fiscal year, according to TRD.

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HOCHUL BUDGET INCLUDES PROPOSAL TO EXTEND 421A TAX ABATEMENT FOR DEVELOPERS

STATEWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL IS PROPOSING TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE for developers with ongoing housing projects to take advantage of the expired 421a tax abatement program, the Commercial Observer reports. The four-year program extension is part of the $233 billion state budget proposal the governor released Tuesday. Hochul also wants to create a $650 million fund to award communities that increase their housing supply, and proposed putting $250 million toward turning former correctional facilities and other state properties into affordable housing.

Hochul will also ask legislators to fund an incentive to convert underutilized office buildings into housing.

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STARRETT CITY WOMAN, PET DIE
IN APPARENT DOUBLE-STABBING

STARRETT CITY — A WOMAN WHO APPARENTLY HAD ARGUED WITH HER SON OVER A BARKING DOG WAS FOUND FATALLY STABBED on Friday night, Jan. 19, according to NYPD reports and the Daily News. The woman, who has since been identified as Donna Hyman, 58, of Hornell Loop, part of the Starrett City complex, within the 75th Precinct, had multiple stab wounds to the torso. A 36-year-old male was found in the lobby, also with wounds. The woman was pronounced deceased on the scene; EMS rushed the male to Brookdale Medical Center, where he was in critical condition as of press time. The woman’s dog was also found dead. The dog’s wounds were consistent with having fallen from a high place; investigators believe that its death is connected to the double-stabbing. Police identified the man as the victim’s son.

Neighbors told the Daily News that the woman and her son lived in the same household, and that they had argued over the dog’s continued barking. They also said that the dog was a support animal for the victim, who had been widowed six years earlier.

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MAN ARRESTED FOR STALKING TAYLOR SWIFT
HAD UNANSWERED BROOKLYN SUMMONS

TRIBECA — A MAN WHO FAILED TO SHOW UP TO A 7-YEAR-OLD DISORDERLY CONDUCT SUMMONS in Brooklyn was arrested while trying to enter Taylor Swift’s Tribeca townhouse on Saturday, Jan. 20, the Daily News reports. Police responded to a 911 call on a disorderly person on Franklin Street. The NYPD had not, as of Sunday afternoon, released the man’s identity. The previous disorderly conduct summons on the man had been issued in Brooklyn in 2007.

Swift’s home had been stalked before, including by another Brooklynite identified as Joshua Christian who, in June 2022, allegedly yelled threats into her intercom saying he would “hurt her if they weren’t together,” NYPD sources said.

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THOSE SMUGGLED SHRIMP BAGS HID COCAINE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A US CITIZEN ARRIVING AT JFK AIRPORT FROM GUYANA WAS ARRESTED Saturday, Jan. 20, for smuggling cocaine found inside bags of frozen jumbo shrimp packed in his suitcases during a secondary screening. Each of the shrimp packages contained a white powdery substance, which was revealed during a field test to be cocaine, with an estimated weight of approximately 18.45 kilograms. After being informed of his Miranda rights, the defendant, whom federal authorities have identified as Zacharie Scott, 22, of Guyana but with US citizenship, agreed to speak with investigators. He told investigators he had been promised payment of $5,000 to $6,000. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo, presiding Sunday, Jan. 21, at Scott’s arraignment, ordered him detained until a bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday. If convicted, Zacharie Scott could face a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Fern represents the government. Scott’s attorney is James Darrow of Brooklyn Federal Defenders.

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POPULAR BOROUGH PARK COUPLE FATALLY STABBED,
SON BEING HELD AS ‘PERSON OF INTEREST’

BOROUGH PARK — A DOUBLE STABBING OF AN ELDERLY COUPLE IN BOROUGH PARK ON SATURDAY NIGHT, Jan. 20, has neighbors in shock. Police responding to a 911 assault call around 5:20 found EMS first responders from the non-profit Hatzolah ambulance service trying to save the lives of an elderly man and woman, according to some reports, including the Daily News. The NYPD’s report identifies the victims as Jacob Sperber and his wife, Rachel Sperber, both 75. Both had stab wounds through their bodies and were rushed to Maimonides Medical Center but couldn’t be saved. The victims’ 46-year-old son barricaded himself inside the family’s second-floor apartment at 45th St. near 12th Avenue before surrendering to police, and as of Sunday morning was being considered a person of interest.

Neighbors told the Daily News and the NY Post that the couple were well-liked and that Jacob often gave food to needy persons. They described the son as “disturbed.”

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CITY LAUNCHES SCHOOL BUS APP

CITYWIDE — NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND MAYOR ADAMS THIS WEEK CELEBRATED the launch of a new school bus companion app after nearly five years of development, reports Chalkbeat; parents whose children attend public schools will now be able to track buses along their routes by GPS. While the system is now live, not all bus drivers have yet signed up for the app due to a contract negotiation struggle, according to a city spokesperson, meaning that not all buses are currently available for tracking; some critics also noted that the app is only accessible to parents who have an online NYC Schools Account, which not all parents are aware of — only two out of three public school families are registered with an NYCSA — and which can be difficult to sign up for charter school or private school students who ride public school buses.

The NYC School Bus App is available on iPhone and Android, and can be found through the App Store and Play Store; information about registering for the NYCSBA and NYCSA accounts can be found on the city’s public schools webpage.

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OVERNIGHT LANE CLOSURE ON BQE THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JAN. 26 & 27

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ONE QUEENS-BOUND LANE OF THE BROOKLYN-QUEENS EXPRESSWAY (BQE) will be closed from Grace Court to Clark Street in Brooklyn Heights from midnight to 5 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27, according to the NYC Department of Transportation. This will allow DOT access into the MTA chamber that houses the fan plant in order to carry out crucial column and beam repairs. At least one lane will still be available, according to DOT community contact Anita Navalurkar.

Photos provided by DOT show spalled concrete with exposed and broken rebar on the interior of the chamber.

One Queens-bound lane to be closed overnight Friday and Saturday.
Photo: NYCDOT

Repairs needed on the bearing wall under the BQE.
Photo: NYCDOT

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SUNY DOWNSTATE COULD BE DISMANTLED UNDER HOCHUL PLAN

EAST FLATBUSH — SUNY DOWNSTATE CHANCELLOR JOHN KING WARNED ON WEDNESDAY that big changes may be coming to the teaching hospital, which hemorrhages $100 million annually, Politico reports. King said his administration is working with Gov. Kathy Hochul to create a “transformation plan,” but the changes would involve relocating many services to neighboring facilities like Kings County. Brooklyn lawmakers are worried this could result in the elimination of services in the minority, low-income community. Assemblymember Brian Cunningham (D-Brooklyn) said the Brooklyn delegation is meeting with King next week.

“Let’s call this what it is: SUNY is closing Downstate,” United University Professions President Frederick E. Kowal said in a statement Friday. Public Employees Union President Wayne Spence also said Friday that he heard from SUNY that the transformation plan would result in all PEF healthcare workers being moved to Kings County Medical Center.

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FORMER NYC COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER EXPLORES RUN FOR MAYOR

CITYWIDE — FORMER NYC COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER HAS FILED PAPERS with the city’s Campaign Finance Board to create an exploratory committee for a possible mayoral run, according to NY1. Before serving as city comptroller, Stringer served as Manhattan borough president and a state assemblyman. Stringer said that city residents have “buyers’ remorse” after electing Eric Adams as mayor. “Crime is up, housing is down, education is flat,” Stringer said.

Stringer ran for mayor in 2021, but got derailed by sexual harassment allegations by lobbyist Jean Kim. Stringer denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Kim, which is under appeal.

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ADAMS VETOES ‘HOW MANY STOPS ACT,’ SETTING UP CONFRONTATION WITH CITY COUNCIL

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ON FRIDAY VETOED A BILL that would have required police to report lower-level interactions with the public, including stops and voluntary searches. Adams said in a release that though the “How Many Stops Act” had good intentions, it would cause a paperwork burden, slow police response times and cost tens of millions in overtime. The City Council had passed the legislation in December with a “veto-proof” majority, meaning that the council could override Adams in a second round.

Numerous community and legal advocates criticized the mayor’s veto, including Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, who said in a release Friday, “Either he is vetoing the bill without reading it, or he has been deliberately deceiving people to scare New Yorkers and justify his dangerous choice. I’m angered by his selfishness.” 

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DASHBOARD CAM SHOWS BROOKLYN WOMAN BARRELING INTO A COP WITH HER LEXIS

UPPER EAST SIDE — A DASHBOARD CAM CAUGHT THE MOMENT A BROOKLYN WOMAN ACCELERATED her Lexus and barreled into a police officer, sending him flying through the air, after he flagged her for driving the wrong way on an Upper East Side street on Wednesday, the NY Post reported Thursday. Sahara Dula, 24, is facing vehicular assault, assault, reckless endangerment and impaired driving charges.

The PBA said in a tweet the officer will be OK, but, “Another night, another hospital emergency room, this time with our brother police officer who was run down on the Upper East Side.”

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CITY COUNCILMEMBER FOR NEW DISTRICT 43 WILL BE INAUGURATED THIS SUNDAY

BENSONHURST — CITY COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN ZHUANG, THE FIRST BROOKLYN CHINESE AMERICAN ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, will be sworn in on Sunday, Jan, 21, at 3 p.m. at the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, 7802 Bay Parkway. Councilmember Zhuang was elected this past November to the position in the newly reconfigured 43rd City Council District, winning 57% of the vote — more than twice as many votes as her nearest competitor in the three-way contest. Councilmember Zhuang began her career in public service as a volunteer; her new 43rd Council District includes portions of Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, Borough Park and Bath Beach.

“Looking ahead,” says Zhuang, “I am eager to take on the issues that matter most to the people of my district: safer streets, better educational opportunities and affordable housing.”

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RESTLER: I PLAN TO PUSH FOR NEW STANDARDS, OVERSIGHT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — CITY COUNCILMEMBER LINCOLN RESTLER WELCOMED on Friday the news of his appointment to chair the council’s Committee on Governmental Operations and State and Federal Legislation, which oversees municipal government agencies and civil service, including the various community boards; the Tax Commission; the Board of Elections, the Law Department and others. This is the first such post for the freshman progressive Democrat, who took his seat in 2022. Restler, in a statement, pledged to focus on transparency and accountability and to keep a keen eye on “the mismanagement of our city under the Adams administration,” adding, “I plan to push for new standards for governmental efficiency and to bring real oversight to the Adams administration to ensure that we increase hiring, protect the integrity of our elections and campaign finance system, and eliminate political patronage.”

Restler’s appointment to Governmental Operations came as part of a major shakeup on the council this week that saw several other Brooklyn councilmembers lose or swap committee chairs in what some, including Councilmember Tiffany Caban, believed might be retaliation for voting against the mayor and speaker’s city budget proposal last year.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES DEBT RELIEF COMPANY FOR DEFRAUDING ITS CUSTOMERS

STATEWIDE — NEW YORK-BASED STRATFS LLC (STRATFS), FORMERLY KNOWN AS STRATEGIC FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, LLC AND A WEB OF RELATED SHELL COMPANIES, have been sued for running an illegal debt-relief enterprise scheme and defrauding consumers. New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a multistate coalition of six attorneys general are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming that the key operators, Ryan Sasson, CEO of StratFS, and Jason Blust, who controlled the purported law firms were also allegedly involved in the scheme. StratFS is accused of tricking consumers into paying exorbitant fees by claiming that the company’s network of law firms will negotiate down their debts, but most work is done by non-attorneys. Since 2016, StratFS is believed to have swindled thousands of financially vulnerable consumers out of more than $100 million.

The day after filing suit, Attorney General James, CFPB, and the coalition won a temporary restraining order immediately stopping the fraudulent scheme.

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COLTON DEMANDS BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS

DYKER HEIGHTS — FOLLOWING THE PEDESTRIAN DEATH LAST TUESDAY OF A 52-YEAR-OLD WOMAN in Dyker Heights, Assemblymember William Colton (D-47) is urging a crackdown on reckless driving and traffic infractions. Xiaohong Chen, 52, was struck and killed while in the crosswalk at 13th Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street), on the evening of Jan. 16. Although the 72-year-old male driver remained at the scene, news reports indicate he was making a left turn at an intersection with poor visibility due to parked cars close to the corner. “Our police officers need to be more vigilant about stopping motorists who flout driving laws and [about using] common sense,” said Colton.

Chen leaves a husband and teenage son bereft. She was the fourth pedestrian killed in New York City since the beginning of 2024, according to CrashMapper.org. In 2023, Crashmapper data showed there were 102 pedestrian deaths in New York City; 26 of which occurred in Brooklyn.

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MIDWOOD BABY DIES IN HORRIFIC RADIATOR SCALDING

MIDWOOD — A BABY WILL NEVER SEE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY AFTER BEING FATALLY SCALDED WHEN A RADIATOR PIPE BURST FRIDAY in his family’s Midwood apartment on Avenue I and East 14th St. The Daily News on Jan. 19 reported that the 11-month-year-old boy was scalded early that morning from the burst pipe. Although paramedics rushed the child to Maimonides Medical Center, efforts to save him failed. The child’s mother was at home but not injured.

The NYPD and Department of Buildings posted a Partial Vacate Order on the building with an address — according to the sign — of 890 East 14th St. According to PropertyShark, the building has an alternate address of 1315-1323 Avenue I, Brooklyn, NY 11230, and last changed owners in July 2021.

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BAY RIDGE REP. MALLIOTAKIS PRAISES BIPARTISAN TAX RELIEF ACT’S PASSAGE

CAPITOL HILL — THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS HAS PASSED THE TAX RELIEF FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES AND WORKERS ACT, RESTORING SOME EXPIRED PROVISIONS of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Congressmember Nicole Malliotakis (R-11), who sits on the committee, applauds the passage of what she identifies as bipartisan legislation that provides American workers, families, farmers, and small businesses much-needed tax relief. Rep. Malliotakis had co-sponsored or led several of the lapsed provisions, including increasing the Child Tax Credit, and indexing it to inflation so more families qualify – including nearly 100,000 families in New York’s 11th Congressional District – research and development deductions, interest deductibility, and 100% expensing for investments in facilities and equipment.

The new bill adds and improves the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and eliminates the Taiwan double tax that would have strengthened America’s competitiveness with China.

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ADAMS VETOES BILL THAT WOULD BAN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN CITY JAILS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ON FRIDAY VETOED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE BANNED SOLITARY CONFINEMENT in jails, drawing criticism from City Councilmembers and advocacy groups. Adams said the bill “would have jeopardized the safety of both those in the city’s custody and correctional staff, interfered with the restrictive housing program designed in consultation with the federal monitor in the Nuñez case, and contradicted best practices for correctional safety.” He also said that the Federal Monitor had expressed “deep concerns” about many of the bill’s provisions.

“Solitary confinement, by any name, has been proven to cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm, and its use has contributed to continued violence and deaths on Rikers Island,” Speaker Adrienne Adams and Criminal Justice Chair Sandy Nurse said in a statement, adding that the Council would continue to push to pass the bill. “We specifically sought the federal monitor’s feedback in advance, but our outreach was completely ignored,” they added.

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BROOKLYN MUSEUM SET TO OPEN NEWLY-RENOVATED EDUCATION CENTER

EASTERN PARKWAY — THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM WILL OPEN ITS NEW TOBY DEVAN LEWIS EDUCATION CENTER ON SATURDAY, JAN. 27. The center, which is newly renovated, is named in honor of philanthropist, collector, and curator Toby Devan Lewis and her tremendous contributions to the art world. The revamped 9,500-square-foot space will allow the Museum to better serve the more than 50,000 visitors who participate in the Museum‘s education programs each year, including early childhood learners, school groups, teen audiences, college graduates, older visitors and visitors with disabilities.

Three studios will offer expanded access to art-making and learning for all ages, and a dedicated gallery will host rotating family-friendly installations, kicking off with Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children.