Page 3 - Queens Times Edition #12

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 THE QUEENS TIMES PAGE 3

Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar’s 33 Reputed Gang Members

Statement on Fatal Shooting at Illegal Indicted on Murder, Gun

Smoke Shop in Richmond Hill Violence Charges

The robbery that ended in a fatal robbery, which now cost one man (Continued from page 2) Officer of the Queens County
shooting this week at Plug Smoke his life in my district. District Attorney’s Squad under
Shop in Richmond Hill is a wakeup These shops must close now. miller, Sergeant Jeff Liu and the supervision of Deputy Chief
call for the need to shutter illegal Warnings, fines or permission to Lieutenant Jonathon Zocchia of Jerry O’Sullivan Commanding
smoke shops. Each of our city’s keep operating pending a hearing the New York Police Depart- Officer of Detective Borough
estimated 1,400 illegal smoke shops are not going to stop these tragic ment’s Violence Reduction Task Queens South and the overall
is a powder keg for criminal activity, incidents. We must force the shops Force, under the supervision of supervision of New York City
putting all of us at risk. When they to cease operations, the same as Captain Ryan Gillis and Deputy Police Department Chief of De-
are not being robbed, these shops our city would force a restaurant Chief Jason Savino, Command- tectives James W. Essig.
are selling illegal cannabis products, to close for health code violations. ing Officer of the NYPD’s Gun Assistant District Attorney
some marketed to children and I applaud Mayor Eric Adams for Violence Suppression Division; Barry Frankenstein, Deputy
some containing fentanyl or deadly his ongoing work to shutter these Detectives Carlos Segovia and Chief of the District Attorney’s
contaminants. Of note, there was shops, and as a state representative Daniel Sjoberg of the New York Violent Criminal Enterprise Bu-
another fatal shooting last month at I will push for the resources and Police Department’s Queens reau along with Assistant District
a smoke shop in Harlem. The cash expanded enforcement powers the South Violent Crime Squad, un- Attorneys Diana Schioppi and
and drugs filling these shops create Mayor, the NYPD, and the Sheriff’s der the supervision of Sergeant Charles Dunn are prosecuting
an irresistible two-for-one combo Office need to close these shops Matthew Lewis and Captain the case under the supervision
for anyone looking to commit a once and for all. Robert D’Andrea; as well as De- of Assistant District Attorneys
tectives James Richardson and Jonathan Sennett, Bureau Chief,
Christopher Cruzado, under the Michelle E. Goldstein, Senior
Senator Gillibrand, Representative Meng & supervision of Lieutenant Sean Deputy Chief and Phillip An-
Advocates Lead Call For Action to Address Finnegan, Commanding Officer derson, Deputy Chief, and under
of the 113 Detective Squad; and the overall supervision of Senior
The Underreporting of Hate Crimes Det. Nicholas Sofokles, under Executive Assistant District At-
the supervision of Lieutenant torney for Investigations Gerard
William Negus, Commanding A. Brave.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and compliance with NIBRS will help ing, to metastasize threatening not Consumer Alert: AG James Reminds
Representative Grace Meng call capture accurate and timely crime only the Jewish community but
on the Department of Justice to data that both local and federal law the fabric of our democracy,” Veterans and Servicemembers to File
provide an overview of National enforcement agencies can use to said Elana Broitman, Senior Vice Claims to Receive Refunds From
Incident-Based Reporting System evaluate and identify solutions to President, Public Affairs, Jewish Harris Jewelry Settlement
compliance by law enforcement mitigate further hate crimes and Federations of North America.
agencies throughout the nation incidents. “We believe government has New York Attorney General Harris Jewelry used decep-
“Keeping up-to-date data for a critical role to play which is Letitia James today issued an tive marketing tactics to lure
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand these incidents is imperative for why Jewish Federations applaud alert reminding servicemembers active-duty servicemembers to
and U.S. Representative Grace law enforcement agencies to be Senator Gillibrand and Congress- and veterans to file claims to their financing program, falsely
Meng (D-Queens) were joined by able to do the work needed to com- woman Meng for leading this call receive refunds from the Har- claiming that investing in this
community leaders in calling for bat hate crimes,” said U.S. Senator for action, and have supported ris Jewelry settlement before program would improve service-
the Department of Justice (DOJ) Kirsten Gillibrand. “While we the passage of the Jabara-Heyer the April 15th deadline. In July members’ credit scores. Instead,
to look into the compliance of law commend the steps local law en- No Hate Act, advocate for annual 2022, Attorney General James servicemembers were tricked into
enforcement agencies with the forcement and the Department of NO HATE appropriations, and are and the Federal Trade Com- obtaining high-interest loans on
national system to report data on Justice have taken in responding working every day with local law mission (FTC) recovered $34.2 overpriced, poor-quality jewelry
hate crimes. to such incidents, reporting, col- enforcement across the country to million for servicemembers and that saddled them with thousands
Senator Gillibrand and Rep- lecting and maintaining the most accurately identify, prevent, and veterans who were scammed by of dollars of debt and worsened
resentative Meng led their col- accurate data available is crucial respond to antisemitism - espe- the jewelry retailer. The agree- their credit. Attorney General
leagues, Representatives Don in evaluating and responding to cially against individuals who are ment required Harris Jewelry to James and FTC co-led an 18-state
Beyer (D-VA), Dan Goldman hate-related crimes as well as more visibly Jewish and likely to provide more than $12 million agreement that requires Harris
(D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), keeping our neighborhoods safe be harmed.” in refunds for more than 46,000 Jewelry to refund tens of thou-
Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and from such reprehensible attacks. “Anti-Asian hate is widespread servicemembers who paid for sands of servicemembers for
Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), in Hate has no place in New York and bias crimes continue to impact lifetime protection plans. Eligible warranties they were tricked into
sending a bipartisan letter to the and it takes everyone, working all marginalized communities servicemembers and veterans purchasing, stop collecting mil-
Department of Justice (DOJ) together, to defeat it.” at alarming levels. It has always should file a claim online for a lions of dollars of debt, correct
requesting an overview of the “There is no place for hate in been difficult for victims to come refund before April 15. bad credit scores, and dissolve
status of National Incident-Based New York or anywhere in our forward and report what has hap- “I encourage active-duty ser- all its businesses.
Reporting System (NIBRS) com- country, and to help combat hate pened to them,” said Asian Ameri- vicemembers and veterans who Through the agreement, Harris
pliance among law enforcement crimes, we need accurate and can Federation Executive Director were misled by Harris Jewelry to Jewelry has stopped collecting
agencies across the country. The updated data to help law enforce- Jo-Ann Yoo. “What shouldn’t be apply for a refund from our settle- $21,307,229 in outstanding debt
letter also requests recommenda- ment keep our communities safe difficult for our communities is ment,” said Attorney General held by 13,426 servicemem-
tions to increase participation in from these despicable and heinous getting accurate insights when our James. “This is an opportunity for bers. The agreement required
order to ensure the accuracy of acts,” said Congresswoman Grace community members do report on servicemembers and veterans to the jewelry retailer to provide
future federal hate crimes data. Meng. “We look forward to re- what has happened to them. We’re get the justice they deserve after $12,872,493 in refunds to 46,204
The Federal Bureau of Investi- ceiving answers from the Justice grateful for Senator Gillibrand’s being defrauded. Our military servicemembers who paid for
gation’s (FBI) 2021 Hate Crimes Department to better understand and Congresswoman Meng’s members put our protection above lifetime protection plans. Eligible
Statistics report, originally re- the status of law enforcement leadership in inquiring on this their own and my office will individuals can file a claim online
leased late last year, found that a agencies transitioning to NIBRS, matter and look forward to bet- continue to protect them from on Harris Jewelry’s website to
significant number of law enforce- and I thank Senator Gillibrand for ter compliance when it comes to predatory businesses.” obtain a refund.
ment agencies had failed to report partnering with me on this crucial reporting on the hatred impacting
hate crimes through the FBI’s effort to better protect people from our community.”
NIBRS data collection system, bias crimes.” “The Asian American Founda-
resulting in unreliable data and “Senator Gillibrand, Congress- tion (TAAF) joins Sen. Gillibrand
artificially low numbers of hate woman Meng and members of and Rep. Meng in calling for accu-
incidents as compared to previous New York’s Congressional delega- rate data collection of hate crime
years. 2021 was the first year that tion are advancing crucial work to incidents,” said Norman Chen,
the FBI fully transitioned from confront hate crimes and the fear CEO of The Asian American
its original reporting mechanism, they cause in our communities,” Foundation. “These issues have
the Summary Reporting System said Karol V. Mason, president been decades long and we fear
(SRS), to NIBRS. While SRS of John Jay College of Criminal that without immediate action, we
allowed agencies to aggregate Justice. “Their efforts will ensure will continue to have incomplete
totals of several categories of that our researchers, practitioners data. Without the full picture, we
crime, NIBRS captures greater and the public have a vital tool cannot build effective strategies
specificity and context about -- accurate and robust data -- to in- to protect our communities from
each individual crime, including form solutions, including victims’ future hate crimes. Impacted com-
victim and offender demograph- services, that support safety for munities need to see full participa-
ics, location and timing, and all the residents of a community.” tion by law-enforcement agencies
information on separate offenses “We cannot allow antisemitism, with the National Incident-Based
within the crime incident. Bring- a pernicious hatred based on con-
ing law enforcement agencies into spiracy theory and fear monger- (Continued on page 10)