Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Legionnaire’s Disease

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Legionnaire’s Disease: Health Scare Panic or Coverup? Why Didn’t Officials Inform Community About 2 Confirmed Cases of Legionnaire’s Disease By Michael Hor...

Legionnaire’s Disease

Health Scare Panic or Coverup?

Why Didn’t Officials Inform Community About 2 Confirmed Cases of Legionnaire’s Disease

By Michael Horowitz

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 6- Two Co-op City shareholders living in a Section 5 building have come down with a severe form of pneumonia that bacteria in the building’s water system may have caused, Levi Fishman, deputy press secretary for the city’s Health Department confirmed this week.

The two who contracted the disease, both of whom live in Building 27, came down with Legionnaire’s Disease in May 2012 and June 2013, correspondence between the Health Department and the Riverbay Corporation has confirmed.

The Health Department’s suggested protocols for guarding against Legionnaire’s Disease, which can be fatal in as many as 15 percent of cases, calls for taking shower heads and water faucets in apartment apart and disinfecting them with bleach and maintaining specific temperatures in the building’s hot- and cold-water supply.

Management officials are insisting that there is no problem in any of Co-op City’s water systems, and Fishman said, this week, that there is no evidence of any current problem with the water that Co-op City’s shareholders use.

Fishman said, this week, that the suggested protocols for stopping the spread of Legionnaire’s Disease are suggestion only --- that the building’s management and shareholders are not required to follow them.

The News, after learning about possible cases of Legionnaire’s Disease in Co-op City from an informed source who wished to remain unidentified, waited for more than two weeks for Health Department officials to respond to the newspaper’s pointed and meticulously drafted questions.

Correspondence between the Health Department and the Riverbay Corporation, which Herbert Freedman first supplied to the News, confirmed that officials of both Co-op City’s management and the city’s Health Department have known about the potential health risk to shareholders in Building 27, where the two who contracted Legionnaire’s Disease lived, and Buildings 26 and 30, which are connected to the same water system, since at least Dec. 3 of last year.

An estimated 1,400 families use the water system that may be at issue. 

However, at this time, Fishman said that the Health Department can’t be sure that the victims of Legionnaire’s Disease got it from bacteria in their building’s water system or from other sources.

The Health Department is concerned about the water system serving Building 27 because the two Co-op City shareholders who contracted Leionnaire’s Disease live in that building.

In response to questions from the News, which Herbert Freedman found out about secondhand, the Co-op City official angrily accused the newspaper of spreading “panic” in the local community.

In response, Christopher Hagedorn, editor and publisher of the News, called Freedman’s charge outrageous, saying, “The people of Co-op City have a right to know what’s going on in their community. They certainly have a right to know about potential health risks. We have an obligation to alert shareholders to potential risks to their health once we confirm that they may exist.”

In an e-mail to the News, Freedman strongly indicated that information about a potential health risk from Legionnaire’s Disease should be withheld.

He stated, “Hate to mess up your lead story this week, but I am hoping you are responsible enough not to attempt to start a panic in coop (Co-op) City.”

In a direct response to Freedman, Hagedorn stressed, “We obviously have more confidence in the ability of the people of Co-op City to process information than Mr. Freedman does. We intend to report this extremely important story in the great traditions of the free press, which our nation’s Founding Fathers guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. We will not be silenced by diatribes or sarcastic comments from Herb Freedman or anyone else.”

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Bundled Up Burglar Wanted

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Bundled Up Burglar Wanted: Bundled Up Burglar Wanted By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 5- Providing few details, police hope that surveillanc...

Bundled Up Burglar Wanted

Bundled Up Burglar Wanted

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 5- Providing few details, police hope that surveillance photos will lead them to the identity of a burglary suspect who broke into two homes over a three-day period.

Investigators will only say that the two break-in's took place on January 6 and January 9.

One crime was committed within the confines of the 52nd Precinct and the other in the 50th Precinct and both locations were within walking distance of each other.

After gaining entry the suspect flees with cash and jewelry.

The individual is described as a 40-year-old male white or Hispanic, 5 foot 9 and weighs 170 pounds. On both days the subject was wearing a black North Face-type coat, blue jeans and black cap and ski mask.

Anyone with any information on the suspect's identity is asked to call the 52nd Precinct's detective squad at (718) 220-6134.   

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): 280 Gang

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): 280 Gang: Facebook Fools Gangs Bragged, Recruited Through Social  Media BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- A Bronx street gang bragged about shooting...

280 Gang

Facebook Fools

Gangs Bragged, Recruited Through Social

 Media

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- A Bronx street gang bragged about shootings, posed with cash and recruited through social media.

Bridget Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor, New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton and Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the arrest and indictment of 10 leaders and members of the “280” gang, based in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, who are charged with conspiring in numerous shootings during turf disputes with rival violent narcotic gangs. An eight-count indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit murder, assault, narcotics possession and weapons possession.

The new indictment is the final in a series of four prosecutions since 2012 targeting rival gangs operating in close proximity 

to one another in Morrisania: “280”, “Dub City,” “WTG” and “6 Wild.” These investigations were conducted by the Special Narcotics Gang Prosecution Unit, the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) 44th Precinct Field Intelligence Sergeant, Assistant Field Intelligence Officers and Strategic Enforcement Team, and the Bronx District Attorney's Office.

Conducted under the auspices of the NYPD’s “Operation Crew Cut,” these investigations focused on multiple warring gangs within a targeted zone and have contributed to significant declines in shootings in the 44th Precinct and surrounding areas. In all, a total of 50 individuals were indicted and 24 guns seized in the past 18 months.

Arrests related to the new indictment charging members of the “280” gang took place on Friday. The defendants are expected to be arraigned this morning in Manhattan Supreme Court before Judge James Burke, 111 Centre Street, room 948. Police apprehended 10 high-ranking members of “280,” including gang leader Diamond Brown, aka "Debo," aka "Bo Gotti" and top lieutenants Jesus Perez, aka "Justice Bambino" and Guess Carter, aka "Guess Loc."

Since at least 2011, four rival gangs have been engaged violent, protracted turf battles in Morrisania. “280”, “WTG” and “6 Wild” are based in the NYPD’s 44th Precinct, while “Dub City” territory falls just over the border of the neighboring 46th Precinct.

Over the past three years, these four warring gangs together were linked to 34 shooting incidents in which 43 individuals were shot. In some instances, gang members brazenly fired their weapons in public areas, including busy streets, at apartment buildings and in one case into a crowded restaurant. Several victims were innocent bystanders.

The NYPD’s 44th Precinct Field Intelligence Division spearheaded investigations into all four of these gangs. The investigations involved a close examination of social media, including Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, which the gang members used to attract new recruits, fuel rivalries and brag about victories.

Fifty leaders and members of these gangs were charged under four indictments filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor over the past 18 months. The first indictment, unsealed in August 2012, charged 17 members of “Dub City.” The second indictment named 10 members of “WTG” in December 2012. A third charged 13 members of “6 Wild” in June 2013. The final indictment targets 10 members of “280.”

As successive waves of arrests occurred over the past 18 months, the NYPD’s 44th Precinct, where the majority of these gang members’ criminal activity occurred, experienced a significant decline in shootings. Between 2011 and 2013, the 44th Precinct recorded a dramatic 34% drop in overall shootings. (Overall shootings include incidents in which one or more individuals are shot, and are not limited to gang-related shootings.)

The 44th Precinct recorded an overall total of 51 shooting incidents (involving one or more victims) in 2011. By the end of 2013, following the completion of the “Dub City,” “WTG” and “6 Wild” investigations, the number of overall shooting incidents in the 44th Precinct had dropped to 34. The neighboring 46th Precinct experienced similar declines. This is compared to a 27 percent drop citywide in overall shooting incidents between 2011 and 2013.

Over the same time period, the NYPD recorded a 75 percent decline in shooting incidents specifically linked to these four gangs throughout the Bronx. In 2011, the four gangs were responsible for at least 15 shootings in which 18 individuals were shot. In 2012, the gangs were responsible for at least 16 shooting incidents in which 22 individuals were shot. By the end of 2013 – after three waves of arrests, but before the “280” arrests – there were 3 shootings linked to members of the “280” gang and none to “Dub City,” “WTG” or “6 Wild.”

As detailed in the four indictments, rivalries between these gangs date back to at least 2011. The intensity of these disputes varied as priorities and alliances shifted over time. While the “280” gang engaged in violent conflicts with all three rival gangs, “Dub City” was the gang’s primary rival. The gangs posted coded messages and photographs on social media to coordinate criminal activity and fuel the violence.

Shootings among the four groups frequently spilled into the community and resulted in innocent bystanders being shot. On July 28, 2011, a member of “6 Wild” fired into a crowded restaurant where members of “280” were gathered. One “280” member was shot. Later that year, on September 11, 2011, members of “280” and “WTG exchanged gunfire at a “WTG” YouTube videotaping session. Two bystanders watching the videotaping were shot. Windows of a livery cab in which members of “280” were riding were also shot out during the gunfire.

The following year, on May 18, 2012, a member of “Dub City” and a juvenile gang member fired shots through the window of a first floor apartment at a residential building at 1555 Grand Concourse, where they believed “WTG” members were living. Rounds were recovered from the window and from a wall inside the apartment. Another example occurred on July 16, 2012, when a “WTG” member fired shots into a crowd of bystanders near 1880 Valentine Avenue.

The “280” criminal street gang operates in the vicinity of 168th Street and College Avenue. Leaders and members participated in numerous acts of violence, including murder, assaults and attempted assaults using firearms, razor blades and other dangerous weapons. The indictment contains conspiracy charges related to 12 shooting incidents involving 17 victims. Members of the gang sold narcotics, including crack cocaine, heroin and other drugs, in part to pay for communal firearms.

As the leader of the “280” gang, Diamond Brown, aka "Debo," aka "Bo Gotti," authorized and directed numerous shootings. A review of communications through social media and text messages, combined with other evidence, show Brown and his two top lieutenants, Jesus Perez, aka "Juice Bambino," and Guess Carter, aka "Guess Loc," controlled communal firearms and directed juveniles to transport the weapons from place to place. Leaders of “280” relied heavily on social media to recruit new members, incite violence and intimidate witnesses.

On August 12, 2012, Brown sent a message by phone to a new recruit demanding a cash payment for guns and stating that the money would help cover the costs of “beefs” or disputes with other gangs. Brown wrote, “YU GOTTA ATLEAST PUT IN MONEY 4 dhat set severy chance yu get...cause dhis beef shit aint cheap” and “im supplyin dha hood soo wee can stay on dha map.”

Brown also oversaw the gang’s narcotics activity, with assistance from his top lieutenants. The gang leader used social media to brag of about the large sums of money he was making and posted numerous photos of cash on Facebook. Members of opposing groups often “friended” each other on Facebook in order to view one another’s postings.

During the investigation, Brown became a target of violence and was shot at least three times between October 2012 and June 2013. Three days after he was shot in June 2013, BROWN posted a message to his Facebook profile stating, “IT REALLY COST TO BE THE BOSS.”

The charged murder conspiracy in the “280” indictment begins with an escalation of violence on April 12, 2011, when “Dub City” member Dontae Murray, aka “TAY” was fatally shot. The shooter, a member of “280” was arrested and prosecuted by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Following the homicide, members of “280” sought to kill additional members of “Dub City,” often bragging about their efforts on Facebook and plotting additional attacks through text messages. Meanwhile, members of “Dub City” swore revenge. Numerous retaliatory shootings went back and forth between “280” and “Dub City,” including a shooting on August 2, 2011 targeting the brother of the “280” member who killed Murray.

The gangs were still warring the following summer when “280” members were targeted in serious shootings. Defendant Jaquan Murray, aka “MTB JA,” a member of “280”, was shot in the back on June 11, 2012. Extensive Facebook comments threatening retaliation followed this shooting. Another defendant, “280” member Anton Pye, aka "Max Payne," was shot in the face on July 1, 2012. The following month, Pye sent a text message to a “Dub City” member who he believed was involved, stating, “80 High Or DUCC LOW ...I’M NOT DEAD!”

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G, Brennan said, “Reckless, wanton shootings detailed in the indictment forced innocent bystanders to take cover and neighborhoods to conduct daily business in great fear for their safety and security. Targeting drug gangs involved in violence has significantly

diminished shootings in these neighborhoods. We commend our partners in the NYPD and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their perseverance in rooting out this problem.”

Police Commissioner Bratton said, “Today’s indictments are the culmination of a much larger investigation into four of the city’s most violent street crews, who since 2011 were responsible for murders, shootings, gun trafficking and narcotic distribution throughout the communities of the Bronx. I want to thank the members of the 44th Precinct, The Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their relentlessness efforts in bringing these criminals to justice.”

Bronx District Attorney Johnson said, “No one should have to live in a community surrounded by drug dealers and shootings. These arrests and indictments are well deserved outcomes for the hard working, law abiding citizens who are trying to provide for their families and educate their children. Our respective agencies are committed to doing everything in our power to root out and punish those responsible for these violent criminal acts that put innocent men, women and children in harm’s way.”

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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Monroe Mustangs Take Championship

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Monroe Mustangs Take Championship: Monroe Mustangs Take Championship By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- Utilizing their deep and talented front line, not to mention...