Tag:

US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Hudson
Police & Fire
Bogus Bean Counter Gets 5 Years For $1.5M Scam That Targeted NJ Schools, Nonprofits, More Bogus Bean Counter Gets 5 Years For $1.5M Scam That Targeted NJ Schools, Nonprofits, More
Bogus Bean Counter Gets 5 Years For $1.5M Scam That Targeted NJ Schools, Nonprofits, More 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Hoboken woman was sentenced to five years in federal prison for posing as an accountant to steal more than $1.5 million from nonprofits, private schools and religious institutions, among other victims across the state. Yezenia Castillo, 47, will have to serve at least 85% of her sentence -- a few months over four years -- because there's no parole in the federal prison system. From 2012 through 2021, Castillo "falsely claimed to be a CPA who could provide various financial and accounting services to non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey, including private schools and reli…

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by Jerry DeMarco
White Plains
News
First LGBTQ+ Friendly Affordable Housing Development Approved In Westchester First LGBTQ+ Friendly Affordable Housing Development Approved In Westchester
First LGBTQ+ Friendly Affordable Housing Development Approved In Westchester An all-new affordable housing complex meant to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ Westchester residents has been approved by the county's government, officials said.  Court Street Residences, a new affordable senior housing development that will be located in White Plains at 143 Grand St., was approved by the Westchester County Board of Legislators in a 17-0 vote on Monday, April 17.  The project, which will consist of at least 140 residential units for people aged 55 and older and will be built by a corporation formed by HANAC, Inc. and Monadnock Development LLC, had …

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by Ben Crnic
Hudson
News
Bogus Bean Counter Admits Pilfering $1.5M From Non-Profits In Englewood, JC, Elsewhere In NJ Bogus Bean Counter Admits Pilfering $1.5M From Non-Profits In Englewood, JC, Elsewhere In NJ
Bogus Bean Counter Admits Pilfering $1.5M From Non-Profits In Englewood, JC, Elsewhere In NJ A Hudson County woman admitted posing as a certified public accountant to con more than 100 private schools, religious institutions and other non-profit organizations in New Jersey out of $1.5 million, federal authorities said. Among those scammed by Yezenia Castillo, 46, of Hoboken, were a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing affordable housing to Englewood residents and a private elementary and intermediate school in Jersey City, a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark says. Posing as a CPA, Castillo got hired “to provide various financial and accounting services" th…

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by Jerry DeMarco
The Berkshires
News
Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges
Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges A former housing official in Massachusetts has been convicted in connection with a $2.3 million fraud scheme. Worcester County resident Jacklyn Sutcivni, age 47, of Dracut, was convicted of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and false claims, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Wednesday, Aug. 4.  The district attorney's office said Sutcivni used her position as an employee of the City of Worcester’s Housing Development Office and Executive Office of Economic Development for the scheme.  S…

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by Nicole Valinote
East Dutchess
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Here's When You Can Get Free Ice Cream When You Get Vaccinated In Dutchess COVID-19: Here's When You Can Get Free Ice Cream When You Get Vaccinated In Dutchess
Covid-19: Here's When You Can Get Free Ice Cream When You Get Vaccinated In Dutchess If you are still on the fence about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, maybe the hot weather and the offer of a free ice cream cone will seal the deal. Sun River Health in the City of Poughkeepsie, is doing just that, giving away free ice cream complete with an ice cream truck to anyone who shows up to receive a vaccine or consultations about vaccines. The Sun River Health Mobile Health Center and the ice cream truck will be parked at Dr. Martin Luther King Gardens 159 Washington St., Poughkeepsie, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30. The initiative is a partnership with the U.S. Depart…

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by Kathy Reakes
Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes
News
Feds: Wyckoff Man Busted Using Dead Brother's Identity To Get COVID Relief Loan Feds: Wyckoff Man Busted Using Dead Brother's Identity To Get COVID Relief Loan
Feds: Wyckoff Man Busted Using Dead Brother's Identity To Get COVID Relief Loan A Bergen County man stole his dead brother’s identity to get a $150,000 COVID economic disaster loan, said federal authorities who arrested him Thursday. Nathanael Zimmerman, 40, of Wyckoff also orchestrated a mortgage fraud scheme among applicants for Federal Housing Administration-FHA insured loans, submitting bogus bank statements and collecting a portion of the proceeds, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. The loans defaulted and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development lost more than $300,000, she said. Last year, Zimmerman used his deceased brother’s personal iden…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Union
Police & Fire
Prosecutor: North Jersey Landlord Had Sex With 13 Tenants In Exchange For Rent Relief Prosecutor: North Jersey Landlord Had Sex With 13 Tenants In Exchange For Rent Relief
Prosecutor: North Jersey Landlord Had Sex With 13 Tenants In Exchange For Rent Relief The owner of hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth has been arrested and criminally charged with forcing more than a dozen of his tenants into sexual acts in exchange for financial relief, authorities said. Joseph Centanni, 73, of Mountainside, is charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree attempted sexual assault, and 14 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact in connection with incidents taking place at various times from 2016 into 2020, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo …

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by Cecilia Levine
Hudson
News
Ex-Jersey City School Board Prez, Jersey Shore Lawyer Charged In $113,000 Embezzlement Schemes Ex-Jersey City School Board Prez, Jersey Shore Lawyer Charged In $113,000 Embezzlement Schemes
Ex-Jersey City School Board Prez, Jersey Shore Lawyer Charged In $113,000 Embezzlement Schemes A former Jersey City school board president pulled off a series of embezzlement schemes that netted more than $110,000 with the help of a Jersey Shore attorney, federal authorities said. Sudhan M. Thomas, 45, had previously been the acting executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP), which “received substantial amounts of funding from federal grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Thomas -- known as "Tommy" -- paid personal debts and expenses with $45,000 that …

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by Jerry DeMarco
New Haven
Police & Fire
New Haven Guidance Counselor Accused Of Rampant Fraud New Haven Guidance Counselor Accused Of Rampant Fraud
New Haven Guidance Counselor Accused Of Rampant Fraud An Avon counselor who worked in the New Haven Public School District allegedly billed Medicaid hundreds of times for services he never provided - and at least some of those charges were made while he was on a cruise to the Bahamas. Cortney Dunlap, 36, of Avon, was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and charged with health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Connecticut. Dunlap, a licensed professional counselor, allegedly used the identities of his clients, students, and employee to file false claims for psychotherapy…

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by Kristin Palpini
Union
Police & Fire
Consultant Admits Bribing Former NJ Assemblyman Consultant Admits Bribing Former NJ Assemblyman
Consultant Admits Bribing Former NJ Assemblyman A computer consultant admitted in federal court Wednesday that he bribed a former New Jersey state assemblyman currently under indictment in connection with a series of kickback schemes. Jeanmarie Zahore, 56, of Rahway told a U.S. District Court judge in Newark via teleconference that he made the corrupt payments when Willis Edwards III was the acting business administrator for the city of Orange. Zahore received a $350,000 contract without competitive bidding from the Orange City Council in September 2015 for JZ Nettech, a computer consulting business that he operated from his home, U.S. A…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Warren Hunterdon
Events
Employment Opportunities Available At Phillipsburg Job Fair Employment Opportunities Available At Phillipsburg Job Fair
Employment Opportunities Available At Phillipsburg Job Fair Get your resume ready — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is holding a job fair at the Phillipsburg EnVision Center this Saturday. The fair, scheduled for 11 a.m. through 2 p.m., features a number of companies in need of employees. Representatives from several local businesses will also be on site to provide information about training and other support services. The fair will host representatives from: Paramount Staffing Elwood Staffing The Arc of Warren County Romark Logistics The following employers will also offer job training information at the fair: Phillipsburg …

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by Valerie Musson
Union
Police & Fire
Feds In Newark Bust Contractor Who They Said Scammed Public Library Feds In Newark Bust Contractor Who They Said Scammed Public Library
Feds In Newark Bust Contractor Who They Said Scammed Public Library Federal authorities on Thursday arrested a Union County businessman who they said pulled off a pair of scams, one of which cost the Orange Public Library $40,000. Shenandoah Adams Sr., 54, of New Providence initially bought an East Orange site on Hilton Street in 2014 on behalf of his property management company, then arranged for a $153,562 loan to a “close associate” knowing that person didn’t have the money to pay his company the balance of the $225,000 purchase price, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. At the March 2015 closing, Adams had his associate write a worthless check to cover …

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by Jerry DeMarco
DV Plus - Fairfield
Politics
Officials Urge Fairfield County Residents To Complete Census For Vital Funding Officials Urge Fairfield County Residents To Complete Census For Vital Funding
Officials Urge Fairfield County Residents To Complete Census For Vital Funding A poor response can cost municipalities millions in key federal dollars, which is why states and local officials have been ramping up public efforts around Fairfield County to urge residents to complete the 2020 Census. The campaigns also remind residents that there is still time to apply — note the April 1 (Census Day) deadline — for the 3,000 census jobs, some paying as much as $25 per hour in Connecticut. By April 1,  an invitation will have arrived in the mail for residents to complete the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. Census data is used to distribute more than $675…

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by Donna Christopher
DV Plus - Fairfield
Politics
Fairfield County Town Seeks Public Input On Community Development Grant Funds Fairfield County Town Seeks Public Input On Community Development Grant Funds
Fairfield County Town Seeks Public Input On Community Development Grant Funds The Town of Fairfield is awaiting public input before it can develop a five-year plan on how to spend a nearly half-million dollar federal grant to address affordable housing. The Department of Community & Economic Development will hold the first of several scheduled workshops on Wednesday, Feb. 12 related to the Town’s continued participation in the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The purpose of the workshop is to solicit public input on housing and homeless needs in conjunction with the development of the town’s Five Year Consolidated Plan. Fairfield expects…

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by Donna Christopher
Essex NJ
Police & Fire
Feds: Belleville Real Estate Investor Nabbed In Million-Dollar Mortgage Scheme Feds: Belleville Real Estate Investor Nabbed In Million-Dollar Mortgage Scheme
Feds: Belleville Real Estate Investor Nabbed In Million-Dollar Mortgage Scheme A Belleville real estate investor doctored applications to obtain more than $1 million in mortgages that all defaulted, federal authorities said. Cabral Simpson, 43, and a group of co-conspirators left lenders and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development holding the bag by creating bogus bank statements and fake employee verification records for unqualified property buyers, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. They then transferred enough money into the buyers’ bank accounts to cover the property deposit, Carpenito said. The scheme "induced lenders to issue more than $1 million …

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by Jerry DeMarco
DV Plus - Fairfield
Schools
'Let's Fix Them,' Bridgeport Mayor Says To City Schools, Housing Authority 'Let's Fix Them,' Bridgeport Mayor Says To City Schools, Housing Authority
'Let's Fix Them,' Bridgeport Mayor Says To City Schools, Housing Authority In October, a family at Green Homes, an affordable housing community in Bridgeport, went without water several days through a weekend after a burst pipe flooded their unit and others.  When Mayor Joe Ganim got the news from his staff, he wanted to "find out the correct story" then work on a plan to improve the lives of city housing residents. "There's no reason a mother and two children should go without water the whole weekend. Mayor Ganim truly cares about folks and he's looking at these areas to improve quality-of-life conditions," said Rowena White in the mayor's office. To i…

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by Donna Christopher
Bridgeport
News
Discrimination Lawsuit Against Bridgeport Housing Authority Resolved By Justice Department Discrimination Lawsuit Against Bridgeport Housing Authority Resolved By Justice Department
Discrimination Lawsuit Against Bridgeport Housing Authority Resolved By Justice Department Federal authorities have reached a settlement with the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport to resolve discrimination allegations. The Justice Department announced that the Housing Authority (HACB), doing business as Park City Communities, has settled after complaints that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act. The agreement filed this week in U.S. District Court, requires HACB to institute broad reforms to safeguard the rights of individuals with disabilities, including revising its policies and processes for handling reas…

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by Zak Failla
Essex NJ
News
ICYMI: $20K Down Payment Grants Available For Home Buyers In Essex County ICYMI: $20K Down Payment Grants Available For Home Buyers In Essex County
ICYMI: $20K Down Payment Grants Available For Home Buyers In Essex County Wells Fargo has set aside $5 million to help create more than 180 new homeowners in Essex County, the bank said in a statement.  The NeighborhoodLIFT program will offer $20,000 grants to help with down payments. Qualified applicants will be required to complete a home buyer education course approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  A free event is planned for Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel, 1000 Spring St., Elizabeth. Interested home buyers who want to apply for a down payment assistance grant must register by clicking…

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by Paul Milo
Fairfield
News
Alleged Kidnapper Admits To Lying To Hide Identity, Get Federal Benefits Alleged Kidnapper Admits To Lying To Hide Identity, Get Federal Benefits
Alleged Kidnapper Admits To Lying To Hide Identity, Get Federal Benefits A Canadian man who allegedly kidnapped his toddler in Canada before changing his name and hiding in America for three decades before his arrest in Connecticut has pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court. Allan Mann, Jr., also known as Hailee Randolph DeSouza and Hailey R. DeSouza, 66, pleaded guilty to a false statement offense related to his living in the U.S. under an assumed name for approximately 30 years. Mann abducted his 21-month-old, Jermaine Allan Mann, in Canada in 1987 during a court-ordered visit in Toronto. He then came to America, and acquired counterfeit birth certificates …

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by Zak Failla
Fort Lee
Police & Fire
State AG: Couple Denied Palisades Park Apartment Because They Aren't Korean State AG: Couple Denied Palisades Park Apartment Because They Aren't Korean
State AG: Couple Denied Palisades Park Apartment Because They Aren't Korean A Palisades Park real estate agent refused to show an apartment to a prospective tenant who wasn’t Korean, state authorities charged. KayMax Realty, Inc. and the couple who own the basement apartment are listed in a complaint filed by the state Division of Civil Rights, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Tuesday. Anna Ceylan, who was seeking to move to New Jersey from New York City, saw a Zillow.com ad in mid-February 2018 and called KayMax to arrange a tour of the four-bedroom unit, Grewal said. The agent listed as the contact “said she was too busy to talk and would call her back,” h…

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by Jerry DeMarco
South Passaic
Police & Fire
Paterson Co-Op That Threatened Eviction Over Grieving Daughter's Support Dog Must Pay $20,000 Paterson Co-Op That Threatened Eviction Over Grieving Daughter's Support Dog Must Pay $20,000
Paterson Co-Op That Threatened Eviction Over Grieving Daughter's Support Dog Must Pay $20,000 A Paterson co-op and its property management contractor will pay a former tenant $20,000 for trying to evict her and her daughter over an emotional support dog the girl got after her father’s death. Jerrica Spence had given the Brooks-Sloate Terrace Cooperative Association and its property management contractor a physician’s letter explaining that the dog, who was a gift, was critical to the daughter’s “ability to heal,” state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Friday. The girl suffered from “conduct disorder,” which Grewal said was “exacerbated by the death of her father.” State …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Morris
Police & Fire
Morris Couple Admit $152,820 Superstorm Sandy Scam Morris Couple Admit $152,820 Superstorm Sandy Scam
Morris Couple Admit $152,820 Superstorm Sandy Scam A Morris County couple admitted pocketing $152,820 in taxpayer-funded Superstorm Sandy relief by claiming their damaged Jersey Shore home as their primary residence, state authorities charged. The home that Carmine Fusco and Lauri Fusco, 50, own on West End Drive in Point Pleasant that was damaged by the historic storm is actually a summer/weekend property, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Wednesday. Their primary residence at the time of the storm was, and continues to be, in East Hanover, he said. By lying on applications, the Fuscos received $2,280 from FEMA and $150,000 in …

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by Cecilia Levine
Paramus
Police & Fire
HUD: Paramus Landlord Refuses To Rent To Black Mom, Uses 'N' Word, 'White Power,' 'KKK' HUD: Paramus Landlord Refuses To Rent To Black Mom, Uses 'N' Word, 'White Power,' 'KKK'
HUD: Paramus Landlord Refuses To Rent To Black Mom, Uses 'N' Word, 'White Power,' 'KKK' A Paramus landlord texted racial slurs to a black mom while refusing to rent her an apartment, said federal housing authorities who’ve charged him with discrimination. John Graham “denied the opportunity to rent a two-bedroom apartment that was advertised on Craigslist because [the woman and her young son] are African-American,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said. Graham asked the woman to come see the apartment the same day that she called him after seeing the ad, the HUD complaint says. She said she couldn't and he hung up, it says. Then came a text exchange …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Fairfield
News
Alleged Child Kidnapper Who Used Fake Name To Live In Area, Receiving Federal Benefits Indicted Alleged Child Kidnapper Who Used Fake Name To Live In Area, Receiving Federal Benefits Indicted
Alleged Child Kidnapper Who Used Fake Name To Live In Area, Receiving Federal Benefits Indicted The man who allegedly kidnapped his toddler in Canada, changed his name and came to America to hide in Connecticut is facing a host of charges. Allan Mann, Jr., who has dual Canadian and Ghanaian citizenship, allegedly abducted his 21-month-old, Jermaine Allan Mann, in Canada in 1987 during a court-ordered visit in Toronto. He then allegedly came to America, and acquired counterfeit birth certificates for the two of them. He also changed his name to Hailee Randolph DeSouza. On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced that Mann has been charged on a seven-count indictment for making fa…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield
News
Man Who Abducted Son In 1987 Located, Arrested In Connecticut Man Who Abducted Son In 1987 Located, Arrested In Connecticut
Man Who Abducted Son In 1987 Located, Arrested In Connecticut A man who allegedly kidnapped his toddler in Canada, changed his name and came to America was arrested in Connecticut on Friday after more than three decades on the run. Allan Mann, Jr., who has dual Canadian and Ghanaian citizenship, allegedly abducted his 21-month-old, Jermaine Allan Mann, in Canada in 1987 during a court-ordered visit in Toronto. He then allegedly came to America, and acquired counterfeit birth certificates for the two of them. He also changed his name to Hailee Randolph DeSouza. It is alleged that Mann has been living in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development …

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by Zak Failla
Greenburgh
Real Estate
Proposed Elmwood Country Club Townhouse Development Up To 175 Units Proposed Elmwood Country Club Townhouse Development Up To 175 Units
Proposed Elmwood Country Club Townhouse Development Up To 175 Units The new owner of the former Elmwood Country Club in Greenburgh wants to build a 175-unit townhouse community for people age 55 and older.Ridgewood Real Estate Partners, which bought the 106-acre mostly open space along Dobbs Ferry Road for $13 million last year thinks that senior citizens remain an underserved population in Westchester County. Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development who battled former County Executive Rob Astorino for years over a HUD lawsuit settlement, mostly agree, as reported here by Daily Voice.  The former golf course's neighbors -- similar t…

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by Jon Craig
Fairfield
News
Former Head Of CT Nonprofit Charged With Stealing From Government Programs Former Head Of CT Nonprofit Charged With Stealing From Government Programs
Former Head Of CT Nonprofit Charged With Stealing From Government Programs A reverend in Connecticut is facing decades in prison after allegedly misappropriating funds for personal use from a non-profit organization dedicated to housing people living with HIV and AIDS. John Durham, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Tuesday that New Haven resident Steven Harvin, 53, has been arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and theft from programs receiving federal funds. According to the complaint, the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program is a federal program dedicated to the housing needs o…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield
Sports
Fairfield Ballroom Dance Sport Center Receives Economic Grant Fairfield Ballroom Dance Sport Center Receives Economic Grant
Fairfield Ballroom Dance Sport Center Receives Economic Grant There will be more dancing and swirling going on at the Ballroom Dance Sport Center now that it's received a grant from the Fairfield Department of Community & Economic Development. The grant, the latest micro-enterprise assistance grant will enable the center to purchase equipment and to cover tenant fit-up and marketing costs associated with its new business location in Fairfield, said the department. “We’re delighted to help, and always excited to welcome a new business to Fairfield,” said Mark Barnhart, director of the Department of Community & Economic Development. “Small busin…

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by Kathy Reakes