Village of Nyack Adopts New Budget

The Village of Nyack adopted a new $5.3 million budget for the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year on Thursday.

Homeowners in different parts of the village can expect to see slight property tax increases when the new budget takes effect depending on where they live. For example a house assessed at $200,000 would see a 7 percent tax increase if it were located in the part of Nyack that falls in Clarkstown. Whereas another home, assessed at the same value, but located in Orangetown would see a significantly smaller increase.

This 2012 – 2013 budget is about 2 percent higher than this year’s budget.

Nyack’s new budget will have a $3.2 million tax levy, but falls within New York State’s new 2 percent tax cap law.

With the new budget there will be no cuts to municipal services or any layoffs.

Rockland County Firehouses to Open Their Doors to Prospective Volunteers

Firehouses in Rockland opened their doors last weekend to prospective volunteer firefighters as part of the Recruit New York Campaign.

The goal of the Recruit campaign is support local fire departments in attracting and retaining those who might be interested in volunteering. Rockland County has an exceptionally high volunteer rate.

In other parts of New York volunteers are retiring, moving away, or losing interest. However volunteers in Rockland are treated to a variety of incentives to get them volunteering and keeping them volunteering. A federal grant for fire department recruitment has allowed local departments to offer tuition reimbursement for volunteers attending Rockland Community College.

Those volunteers who are eligible can receive up to 100 percent of their RCC tuition reimbursed by the fire department depending on the grade they received. However students must promise a year of service for each semester reimbursed.

Volunteers also have access to various housing programs across the county that offer rent subsidized housing in exchange for service. Due to these efforts Rockland has seen an average 2 percent to 5 percent volunteer increase in recent years.

Those interested in volunteering should contact their local fire department or call the Office of Fire and Emergency Services at 845-364-8800.

Clarkstown Board of Education Cleared of Wrongdoing

Clarkstown Board of Education members Phil DeGaetano and Donna Ehrenberg have been cleared of allegations of wrongdoing.

The two allegedly contacted a principal in the district pressuring the principal to fire a particular teacher. The report also looked into how a memo containing those allegations found its way to the public.

The investigation concluded that the trustees did not break the law because the exchanges with principal had no ill intent and were informal staff communication.

This week the board voted unanimously to the post the report on its website and email it to residents.

Friends Remember Crash Victim

Friends this week remembered Edward Vogt, 23, of New City who was killed when his car collided with the median on the Palisades Parkway near Exit 8 in Nanuet, on late Sunday night.

Vogt graduated from Clarkstown South in 2007 and was an avid sportsman. During High School he play soccer and ran track. Vogt had also been involved with the Challenger Little League, a baseball league for young people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

After graduation Vogt attended St. Thomas Aquinas College in Orangeburg. He also worked at the Blu Fig restaurant in New City.

The Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home in New City is handling arrangements.

Putnam Resident Charged With Running Illegal Dumps

Authorities indicted Anthony Adinolfi for running two illegal dumps in the town of Carmel, and poisoning a nearby reservoir, according to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Adinolfi faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Adinolfi owner of Dirtman Enterprises Inc., allegedly charged truck drivers $75 for each load of debris, such as tile, plastic, coal, and coal ash, which he deposited at 737 Croton Fall Road and 618 Barrett Hill Road in Carmel.

Some of the debris has been washed into the Croton Falls Reservoir, which is part of New York City’s reservoir system. That debris could contain hazardous and cancer causing materials.

On November 29 Adinolfi was arrested, and was arraigned early this week. He was released without bail and is due in Putnam County Court on June 5.

In 2007 Adinolfi pleaded guilty to illegally dumping construction debris at Eastchester High School and Anne Hutchinson School. In a civil suit related to the incident, the school district received $600,000.

The property owners at 737 Croton Fall Road are so far not facing charges.

Summer Camp Comes to the Nyack Center

The Nyack Center will play host this year to the Village of Nyack’s summer camp for disadvantaged children.

Village trustees selected the Nyack Center from among three organizations bidding for the $125,000 contact for the summer camp. This is the first time the village has gone out to bid for running its six seek summer camp.

This summer the camp will only serve Nyack residents after an audit by the New York State Comptroller found that village money had been used in the past to pay for non-village residents to attend the camp.

Officials cited logistical and bureaucratic difficulties for the other two bidders former Camp Nyack director Deidre O’Hagen, and Keith Phillips general manager of The Sports Place in Blauvelt.

The Village of Nyack will continue each year to go out to bid for camp operation following a recommendation by the state comptroller.

Walking Into Town Hall Saves Man’s Life

James Kiley, 67, of Nanuet was not feeling well on Tuesday Morning. He walked into Clarkstown Town Hall seeking help for chest pains.

Within minutes an ambulance had been called and Kiley was on his way to Good Samaritan Hospital. While on the way to hospital Kiley suffered cardiac arrest.

Using the latest technology, the ambulance crew was able to communicate precise data about Kiley condition directly to the hospital where doctors were waiting when they arrived.

Doctor’s cleared a blockage in one of Kiley’s arteries and installed a cardiac stent to keep it clear.

A Long Election Season With Cost Voters

This year in New York four major elections will be taking place. This week’s presidential primary, primaries for U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives on June 26, primaries for state and local offices on September 11, and finally the general election on November 6.

While the bounty of elections will keep voters engaged, each election costs the taxpayers something. The New York State Board of Elections estimated that it costs about $50 million to conduct a general election statewide.

County election commissioners in the lower Hudson Valley are feeling the pinch to find money for these elections. Some districts will be consolidated to reduce the number of poll workers for the elections.

Some politicians in New York would prefer to have been able to consolidate the four elections into three. But political grid lock and party politics in Albany prevented that from happening.

Eric Lau, (DOB 11/17/77) of One Church Lane, Apartment 1-F, Valley Cottage, New York has admitted to murdering his former neighbor Jami Erlich. He pled guilty to the top count of the indictment against him; one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony, and faces 22 years to life in prison.

Lau agreed that on November 29, 2009 at approximately 9:30 p.m., he entered and remained unlawfully in the victim’s townhouse unit with the intent to commit and cause the murder of the popular elementary school physical education teacher. The defendant then eluded law enforcement officials for nearly 48 hours following the commission of the crime. Lau was taken into custody by Clarkstown Police on Lansdale Drive in New City at about 7:30 p.m. December 1, 2009.

The defendant will be officially sentenced on June 22, 2012 and remains remanded at the Rockland County Jail. Executive Assistant District Attorney Stephen Moore and Supervising Assistant District Attorney Dominic Crispino prosecuted the case. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said Erlich’s family was agreeable to the 22 year sentence, down from the maximum 25, in return for the guilty plea.

It has been noted that murderers are not usually released after their first few parole hearings, so the 22 year sentence will more likely be closer to 30 years or longer.

The man who got off the hook for murder because the judge could not pinpoint whether it was he or his girlfriend that killed their infant daughter Michelle, or how exactly it happened, has been sentenced to five to 15 years in prison

Michael Aviles (DOB 04/12/69) of 153 Hudson Avenue, Haverstraw was found guilty of one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class “C” felony and one count of Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class “E” felony, for which he received the sentence.

Prosecutors said that in the early morning hours of January 16, 2011, in the Haverstraw apartment Aviles shared with Lissette Capellan (DOB 01/01/89), the infant suffered multiple fractures to her skull and ribs and internal bleeding following a savage beating by the defendant. The unresponsive infant was later driven to Nyack Hospital by the defendant, wrapped in a towel and wearing a diaper.

After being transferred to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, the victim was pronounced dead at approximately 11:45 a.m. that same day. In addition to the five to 15 years in state prison, Aviles will serve 1 1/3 to four years on the Criminally Negligent Homicide count.

At the time of the verdict Supreme Court Judge Alfred J. Weiner said that the circumstances of the death were not proven adequately for him to uphold a murder charge. Even though the prosecution was able to show that only Cappellan and Aviles were present during the hours the trauma occurred, the judge said it was not enough to prove exactly what happened.

Aviles’ alibi was that he was too drunk to remember anything. His girlfrind Cappellan was acquitted of all charges and claimed to have slept through anything that happened that night.

Executive Assistant District Attorney Stephen Moore and Senior Assistant District Attorney Patricia Gunning prosecuted the case.

They are lovers of larceny but there is no evidence this wannabe Bonnie and Old Clyde duo are anything more than “friends.”

On April 27, 25-year-old Jessica Rodriguez of 406 Call Hollow Rd. in Stony Point and her pal, 55-year-old Jeffrey T. Feuerstack, of 1 Squadron Blvd. in New City, were busted by Stony Point cops for allegedly shoplifting several prepaid cellular phones from the local Walgreens.

Feuerstack, to be exact, is the guy who nabbed the goods, while Rodriguez helped with the getaway. But the cops caught their trail and followed them to Call Hollow Road, near Rodriguez’s home. They refused to slow down and then stopped suddenly, fleeing the vehicle.

Rodriguez was apprehened promptly, while Feuerstack made a brief escape before getting caught a shortwhile later picking up a cab to get out of the area. He still had the cellular phones on his person. Feuerstack also had a $5,000 bail warrant on him from the Rockland Sheriff’s Department.

Rodriguez was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the 3rd. Feuerstack was charged with Petit Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 5th degree and Obstructing Government Administration. They are both scheduled to appear in court on May 17.

Neither defendant received any bail.

John Desir, age 28, residing at 132 Third Avenue, Nyack was sentenced May 30, 2012, before New York State Supreme Court Justice William A. Kelly to a state prison term of 8 years and 3 years of post release supervision after pleading guilty to Manslaughter in the 1st Degree. District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe stated that on or about June 25, 2011 at approximately 3:00 a.m., the defendant the defendant stabbed Wykeme Corker in the neck with a sharp object during an altercation on Franklin Street in the Village of Nyack. Corker was transported to Nyack Hospital in a taxicab and died shortly after his arrival.

The Clarkstown Police Crime Prevention Unit is sponsoring a free VIN (vehicle identification number) etching program to be held on Saturday, June 2 at the Clarkstown Police Department, 20 Maple Avenue, New City from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“Watch Your Car” VIN program is a nationwide program in which vehicle owners can have the Clarkstown Police etch the vehicle’s VIN number into the windows of the vehicle. These etched numbers are difficult to remove and have been proven effective in making vehicles less likely to be targeted by car thieves.

“Watch Your Car” decal program allows owners of cars that are not normally operated during the morning hours to place two decals on their cars. The owner signs a consent form saying if the vehicle is seen being driven between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m., the police can stop the car and make sure it is not stolen or being used illegally.

New York State law provides for insurance premium discounts ranging between 2 to 5 percent when owners VIN-etch their car. This program is offered to all town residents. For more information or to make an appointment contact the Clarkstown Police Community Policing Unit at 639-5980.

Defendants Jesse Harris, male, 37, of 8 Brainerd Dr., Stony Point and Michael Ramos, male, 29, also of 8 Brainerd Dr., Stony Point, are charged with Grand Larceny 4th for allegedly stealing a golf cart from Patriot Hills Golf Course and then…parking it in their own driveway.

As if they wouldn’t get caught? On June 2, 2012, the defendant’s were arrested, processed, arraigned and remanded to the Rockland County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail (Harris) and $15,000 bail (Ramos).

BY ANTHONY MELÉ

Imagine 236 Independence days ago the inhabitants of Rockland County in 1776 heard the news the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Loyalist to King George knew this was a crime of such magnitude it meant an instant death sentence to all involved.

The men we call founding fathers and the unnamed multitude of rebels we’ll never know, risked all they had. Imagine the names they were called and slander they endured, in return for acknowledging “these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights…” They fought for an idea and forfeited all comfort to realize it.

Revolutionary War battles took place in Stony Point. General Washington’s Army operated right here, losing many lives. Ask yourself, do you think they would have done it for us, if they could see what has become of Rockland County 236 short years later?

Would General Washington approve of what the Office of the President has become today?

Are our elected representatives like-minded to the framers of the Declaration of Independence today as they were then?

Rockland County’s credit worthiness has been classified by the leading credit rating agencies as fluctuating between; “Are you kidding and don’t even think about it.” The Rockland County government in 2012 actually accomplished running out of other peoples’ money.

Here where the ghosts of Revolutionary War soldiers still haunt the places where they lost their lives fighting against tax slavery; 236 years later, we celebrate their sacrifices as tax slaves.

If we are to preserve all they won us, in trade for their life, then we should at minimum be as like-minded as they were.

The lesson learned is, yes, challenging the status quo invites attack, but if none dare face it or step up to lead it or risk it all to fight it, then all that can be expected is, more of the same.

“If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the fathers who created it.” — Calvin Coolidge
Anthony Mele is a TEA Party activist and was the 2010 GOP candidate for Congressional District-17. He is a former intelligence staff NCO for high ranking national security officials at the Pentagon.

STONY POINT CRIME:

Ryan Ashford, age 22, residing at 109 Jay Street, Stony Point, NY, was arrested on July 5, 2012 for petit larceny as a result of a domestic dispute. The defendant was arraigned before the Honorable William F. Franks and ROR’d on an appearance ticket returnable on July 12, 2012 after posting $500 cash bail.

Miguel Batista-Quiroz, age 29, residing at 16 Rockland Street, Haverstraw, NY, was arrested on June 23, 2012 for aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree. The defendant was released after being issued numerous traffic tickets.

Edward C. Cooper, age 45, residing at 192 McDonnel Road, Pleasant Valley, NY, was arrested on June 15, 2012 for aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree. The defendant was operating a motor vehicle was his NYSDLIC was revoked x4. He was released after being issued numerous traffic tickets and posting $150 cash bail. He is due back in court on July 17, 2012.

Phillip Garabo, age 23, residing at 52 Tomkins Avenue, Stony Point, NY, was arrested on June 27, 2012 for leaving the scene of a personal injury auto accident. The defendant was released after being issued numerous traffic tickets returnable August 2, 2012 at 9 a.m.

Ian Goode, age 26, residing at 33-1-6 Town Green Circle, Elmsford, NY, was arrested on July 2, 2012 on an active warrant out of Stony Point for soliciting without a permit and on an active bench warrant out of the Town of Haverstraw for soliciting without a permit. The defendant was arraigned by the Honorable William F. Franks and released on an appearance ticket returnable August 2, 2012 after posting $500 cash bail. The defendant was then turned over to the Town of Haverstraw Police Department to answer charges in their jurisdiction.

Rebecca Hernandez, age 30, residing at 16 Rockland Street, Haverstraw, NY, was arrested on June 27, 2012 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration. The defendant was released after being issued numerous traffic tickets.

John M. Hessian, age 39, residing at 5D Hoover P1ace, Stony Point, NY, was arrested on June 6, 2012 for aggravated DWI x2, a felony, as a result traffic stop. The defendant did operate a motor vehicle While he was in an intoxicated condition and in excess of .08 BAC, and having been convicted for DWI within the preceding 10 years. The defendant was released after being issued numerous traffic tickets returnable August 2, 2012 at 9 a.m.

Steven Marty, age 20, residing at Wiles Drive, Stony Point, NY, was arrested on June 29, 2012 on an active bench warrant for criminal impersonation in the second degree. The defendant was arraigned before the Honorable Frank Phillips and ROR’d on an appearance ticket returnable July 7, 2012 at 9 a.m. after posting $300 cash bail.

Junior Mata, age 33, residing at 174 Rarnapo Road, Apt. PC, Garnerville, NY, was arrested on an active bench warrant out of the Town of Stony Point on June 21, 2012 for facilitating aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree and several other traffic infractions. The defendant was arraigned by the Honorable Judge William F. Franks and matter was resolved after defendant paid an outstanding $85 fine. The defendant was released without any further court appearance.

David Pondi, age 28, residing at 327 Bruyn Avenue, Pine Bush, NY, was arrested on June 20, 2012 for burglary in the second degree. The defendant was arraigned before the Honorable Frank Phillips and remanded to the Rockland County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Simon Rodriguez, age 50, residing at 7 Clinton Street, Haverstraw, NY, was arrested on June 30, 2012 for aggravated DWI x2, a felony, as a result traffic stop. The defendant did operate a motor vehicle while he was in an intoxicated condition while a child was a passenger in said vehicle. The defendant was released on an appearance ticket returnable August 2, 2012 after posting $750 cash bail.

Thomas Smith, age 21, residing at 185 Route 210, Stony Point, NY, was arrested on July 8, 2012 for assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree as a result of a domestic dispute. The defendant was arraigned before the Honorable Frank Phillips and ROR’d on an appearance ticket returnable on July 17, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.

Sabrina Towona Richard, age 33, residing at 26 Route 59, Room 129, Nyack, NY, was arrested on July 8, 2012 for criminal impersonation in the second degree and on an active bench warrant out of South Nyack/Grandview for aggravated unlicensed in the third degree. The defendant was released on an appearance ticket returnable on August 2, 2012 and was then turned over the south Nyack/Grandview Police Department to answer the bench warrant charges in their jurisdiction.

Theodore J. Zurla, age 50, residing at 90 Wayne Avenue, Stony Point, NY, was arrested on June 9, 2012 as a result of active arrest warrants for dog at large and failure to license dog in violation of the code of the Town of Stony Point. The defendant arrested and released after posting $450 cash bail and is reappear in the Stony Point Justice Court at a later date to answer said charges.

Anton Naumkin, a 27-year-old Suffern resident and Michael Punch, a 25-year-old Pomona resident, are charged with burglary and criminal mischief for allegedly stealing copper wiring from a home in Monsey.

On Wednesday August, 26 at about 3 p.m. Ramapo Detectives observed a suspicious vehicle parked on Kupperman Lane in Monsey. Detectives with assistance from the Anti-Crime Unit and the patrol force determined that a burglary was in progress at 73 Carlton Rd. Two males were observed exiting the home with a large bag and a recycling pail containing copper and wiring. As the officer approached the suspects they dropped the property and began running towards Carlton Rd.

Naumkin was arrested by officers near Carlton Rd and Punch was arrested by Ramapo Detectives after a foot pursuit through a wooded area between College Rd. and Kupperman Ln.

Both suspects were charged with:
Burglary 3rd degree (Class D felony)
Criminal Mischief 3rd degree (Class E felony)
Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th degree (Class A misdemeanor)
Possession of Burglar Tools (Class A misdemeanor)

DA’s Office confirms family members will likely be charged with labor trafficking in addition to abuse

Vikas and Parveen Jagota, again accused of abuse and involuntary servitude

A Ramapo family whose matriarch recently was convicted of labor trafficking charges is accused of more of the same.

Ramapo police have charged Vikas Jagota, 36, of 26 Butternet Dr. in New City, with forcing a 32-year-old female victim’s hand through a glass door of a cabinet and then preventing her from calling police. Neighbors have told the Rockland County Times that the 32-year-old woman is Vikas’ wife.

Vikas is charged with assault in the second degree, a class D felony, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor, and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor. The child endangerment charge refers to an incident in which he allegedly struck a 3-year-old child.

Vikas’ mother Parveen is charged with criminal mischief for preventing the victim from calling police in a separate incident. Assistant District Attorney Arthur Ferraro told the Rockland County Times that the DA’s Office will likely charge Vikas and Parveen for labor trafficking. In a recent case, the DA’s Office said the family made inappropriate marital arrangements that rendered the wife of Vikas younger brother Vishal, a servant. It is likely a similar course of action will be pursued in this case.

In the original case Parveen and her daughter Rajani were both convicted of assault and labor trafficking. Rajani was sentenced to two years prison and Parveen awaits sentencing. Vishal received probation for an assault charge.

On Friday night, January 4, around 8:15 p.m. a SWAT team raided an address at the Barnaby Square Co Ops on Main Street in Garnerville, a witness reported to the Rockland County Times.

Haverstraw Police confirmed the tip, and that drugs were part of the arrest, but Lt. Martin Lund said the department could not offer further details until later.

At the scene was a large black SWAT team vehicle, several SWAT police in camoflauge gear with large guns, as well as a Haverstraw ambulance, a few Haverstraw police cars, and a few undercover cars.

The witness reported seeing at least one man arrested, a caucasian in his late 30s and a woman taken away by ambulance, possibly his wife or girlfriend, in her mid-30s.

PRESS RELEASE

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe and Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef announced on Wednesday that two Village of Nyack store owners and several clerks have been charged in connection with the fraudulent use of the Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps.

District Attorney Zugibe said, “These defendants exploited a program designed to help our neediest residents. By unlawfully exchanging food stamps for cash, these individuals perpetrated a fraud on the hardworking taxpayers of Rockland County.”

The charges cover the period between March 29, 2012 and January 15, 2013. According to documents filed in court, Nissar Ahmed (DOB 04/02/53) and Shafaqat Ali (DOB 12/09/66), owners of the Nyack Food Mart, 4 Waldron Avenue, Nyack, New York, and several store clerks, were engaged in a scheme to unlawfully exchange food stamps for cash.

SNAP is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Benefits are distributed to low‐income recipients in New York through the use of electronic benefit transfer cards. Individuals enrolled in the program are only allowed to purchase eligible items with their EBT cards, such as milk, bread and eggs. Recipients are not permitted to purchase items such as alcohol and cigarettes. They are also not allowed to obtain cash from merchants in exchange for SNAP benefits.

According to the charges, Ahmed, Ali and the other defendants would permit individuals to use their electronic benefit transfer cards to receive cash back from the card and/or purchase alcohol, cigarettes and other prohibited items in the aggregate amount of $1,402.

In some instances, the clerks would swipe the customer’s EBT card and enter fraudulent information on a dedicated EBT terminal, indicating that the customer purchased groceries. The clerks would allegedly furnish cash to the customer for a portion of what was charged to the EBT card account, providing the store with a profit on each fraudulent transaction.

For example, a customer would enter the store and ask the merchant for $60 in cash. The defendants would ring up a fictitious sale of $120 in qualifying groceries, and then pay out $60 in cash to the customer. The store’s account would subsequently be credited with $120 from the customer’s EBT SNAP account, providing the store a $60 profit on the illicit transaction.

County Executive Vanderhoef said, “I want to compliment District Attorney Zugibe and Department of Social Services Commissioner Susan Sherwood’s Special Investigations Unit for their critical work in sending an important message to SNAP store owners, vendors and program participants that they not engage in this type of criminal activity.”

The defendants are variously charged with the crimes of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class “E” felony, Misuse of Food Stamps, Food Stamp Program Coupons, Authorization Cards or Electronic Access Devices a Class “E” felony, both punishable by up to four years in state prison, and Petit Larceny, a Class “A” misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.

All defendants are scheduled to appear in the Town of Clarkstown Justice Court on January 30, 2013.

This case was investigated by the Special Investigations Unit of the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Rockland County Department of Social Services and the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Office of Audit and Quality Improvement. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ameenah Karim.

After a series of religious Jews charged with sex abuse crimes evaded prison time, law enforcement finally appears to be turning the corner in the effort to provide equal protection to children of the community.

David Kohn of Monsey pled guilty on Monday of performing oral sex on a then 12-year-old girl who was friends with his daughter. The 60-year-old Israeli-national is expected to face a sentence of eight years in state prison, 10 years probation and placement of the sex offenders registry. He also is likely to be deported following his sentence, as he’d overstayed his immigration VISA.

Kohn admitted to Judge William Nelson in the county courthouse that he’d perform sex acts on the girl between the years 2004 and 2006 when she was between the ages of 12 and 14. The girl did not report the crimes until 2012.

Prosecutors outfitted the girl with a body wire and recorded conversation between she and Kohn which verified her version of events and led to his arrest.

Kohn pled guilty to 35 counts of sexual abuse.

In the last year and a half Samuel Dym and Moishe Turner of Monsey and Herschel Taubenfeld of New Square were all charged with various sexual crimes against children, but evaded jail time. The probation sentences of Taubenfeld and Turner were announced within the last two weeks.

Prosecutors have faced challenges in securing justice for children in the religious community that have been victimized. Sometimes there is pressure from persons within the community for victims to deal with such matters internally, and not include the justice system.

Statement from Help Rescue Our Children

In response to the guilty plea of Moshe (Moishe) Turner (of Monsey) last Friday, Jan. 18, Help Rescue Our Children (HROC), an Orthodox Jewish children’s advocacy organization, released the following statement by HROC founder, Rabbi Noson S. Leiter:

“We thank the Ramapo Police once again for the painstaking and sensitive work they did on the prosecution of Mr. Turner, as well as on numerous other molestation cases in the community. We also commend the courageous survivor who came forward here, as well as all of the people – within and outside of various Orthodox, including Chassidic, communities – who assisted in this prosecution.

“Several critical points concerning this case in particular, and molestation in general, must be made:

“Turner’s arrest and prosecution proceeded with the direct support and encouragement of leading Orthodox Rabbis, going back to before his arrest well over a year ago. According to reports, Turner has been molesting children for over 30 years. Turner had become widely known to be a threat to children. The continuing involvement of leading Rabbis brings us closer to properly confronting child-molestation, and rooting out perpetrators who destroy lives and cast our beautiful communities in a bad light.

“It cannot be emphasized enough that secondary abuse—the disbelief, indifference and lack of zealousness by community members (and sometimes even family) to pursue and prosecute perpetrators — can have as devastating, and sometimes even more devastating effects on victims than the molestation itself.

“Incarceration of dangerous perpetrators is crucial for many reasons:

1. It helps victims heal, as their injury is validated, and they see that there is some measure of justice (“Iss Din v’is Dayan”).

2. It encourages other victims to fulfill their Torah-obligations to prosecute.

3. It plays a pivotal role in detering other perpetrators.

4. Most critically, incarceration is crucial to protect the innocent from being victimized. As long as the perpetrator is not behind bars, innocent

children are at risk.

“Plea-deals lacking jail time fail on all four counts.

“This applies to heterosexual molesters, and even more so to homosexual molesters. That is because homosexual child-molesters have far more free access to their victims, especially in communities like the Orthodox community, where access to the opposite gender is greatly constrained.

“Additionally, sentencing must acknowledge the full extent of the crime’s impact. Even those who don’t subscribe to the Biblical worldview, and the prohibition of homosexuality, must concede the following: For the benefit of understanding what victims go through, we must emphasize that homosexual molestation, given its aberrational nature in many communities, takes an even more immense psychological toll on victims, in many cases (see further Talmud Sanhedrin 73a bottom, Rashi “D’lav ur’chei”). This is all the more true in Orthodox society. The impact on the victim must be gauged by the perception of the victim and his society, not that of outsiders.

“We must insist on greater stringency in sentencing of all types of molesters within our communities, as well as on the extension of the statue-of-limitations.

“We condemn in strongest terms the outrageous interference of certain reckless individuals, who – in direct contravention of leading Rabbis (Da’as Torah) – put pressure on family members of the courageous victim who advanced this prosecution. That interference is evidently responsible, in great measure, for the scandalously lenient plea-deal that Mr. Turner got away with – specifically the shocking absence of jail-time – despite his own admission of sodomizing an underage boy.

“The bleeding-heart enablers who suddenly get inspired to help perpetrators must be viewed as actively aiding and abetting the horrific physical, psychological and spiritual damage of sexual molestation. Interestingly, these same “activists” are strikingly absent when victims need help.

“Those with credible information or leads that could help reveal precisely who was complicit in the aforementioned molester-enabling interference are asked to contact us, in confidence. Inasmuch as other prosecutions of dangerous perpetrators are in process – and may be impeded by recidivist enablers – information you provide may actually save lives.

“Remember: The child you save – by the preventive measures to be taken – may be your own.”

Those who seek the help of select, qualified Rabbinic authorities in the process of prosecution of a molester, or in opposing intimidation or molester-enablers, may contact Help Rescue Our Children: 845-642-1679. Ramapo residents who seek to stop a molester or enabler may call the Ramapo Police directly at 357-2400.

BY DIANE DIMOND

If you follow the news, you’ve heard that violent crime rates are down all across the country.

I know it is hard to believe after news of mass shootings in Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., and the current murder spree in Chicago, but facts are facts. The instances of crime have been slowly and surely declining for the last two decades.

Back in 1994, a Gallup survey found that more than 50 percent of Americans cited crime as the nation’s biggest problem. In another Gallup survey conducted last year, that number was down to just 2 percent.

I keep wondering why. What caused the rate of murder, rape, armed robbery and other violence-inspired crimes to plummet so dramatically? Did we just get lucky, or is there a specific reason (or reasons) for the improvement?

Opinions are as varied as the number of scholars researching the issue. The theories range from the conventional to the controversial. Most criminologists agree on a group of factors that caused the decline.

-The U.S. incarceration rate is among the highest in the world. Plainly put, we have taken record numbers of criminals off the street.

-The increased number of police on the beat and proactive policing. Bottom line, it is now harder to commit a crime. Citizens are more alert these days, and their calls to 911 bring immediate help. Also, surveillance cameras are everywhere, and they are believed to be a real deterrent.

-The “graying of America.” Young people commit most of the crime, and the U.S population has gotten progressively older.

-There are now many more social programs for youth that help keep young people occupied and focused on positive goals.

-The government’s stepped-up aid programs — such as unemployment, food stamps and rent-controlled housing — means recipients are less likely to turn to financial or stress-motivated crime.

But there are lots of other theories from learned sources about why America continues to experience a drop in violent crime. Some might seem farfetched to you; others may be hard to swallow.

Rick Nevin, a Virginia economist who consults with the National Center for Healthy Housing (among other studious pursuits) maintains that the decline in crime can be traced to the U.S. ban on lead in gasoline and house paints.

In a series of graphs, he demonstrates how the drop in the crime rate coincides perfectly with the coming of age of the first generation protected from lead exposure. The theory has not been widely researched because, how do you study a group that has not been exposed to something? But lead has long been associated with violent behavior, and Nevin insists his research proves a link between the lead ban and a drop in crime not only here in the U.S., but in nine other countries, as well.

Richard Rosenfeld, the former president of the American Society of Criminology at the University of Missouri, St. Louis also cites the decline in opportunities for criminal behavior. He told reporters a while back that, “during severe recessions like the current one, with chronically high unemployment rates, more people are at home and can act as guardians for their home.” That translates into fewer home burglaries and property crimes. Rosenfeld also says the poor economy has left people with less cash and valuables, making criminals less likely to target them for robbery or theft.

Some ardent NRA and other gun owners say the decline has occurred because so many Americans have chosen to arm themselves and have, therefore, created safer streets and homesteads. Anti-gun proponents point to the increase in the number of gun laws as being the reason violent crimes are on the downswing. There are no firm statistics to back up either theory.

Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago, offers what is probably the most controversial hypothesis for the two-decade long decrease in violent crimes. Levitt believes that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion in January 1973 has had more to do with the drop in crime than any other factor. I have to admit, I winced when I read that. So I kept reading to learn more about his theory.

Levitt and co-author John Donohue published a controversial paper that highlighted the year 1992 when crime in the U.S. first started to inch downward. They noted that it was a full 18 years after the high court’s historic decision on Roe v. Wade. Levitt and Donohue theorize that the legalization of abortion resulted in fewer unwanted children who would have gone on to commit youthful violent crimes.

The pair studied the states that had been the earliest adopters of legalized abortion — Alaska, California, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Washington state — and found that those locations began to experience steep drops in the violent crime rate 18 years later. They also found that those states with the highest abortion rates experienced the greatest reduction in crime.

So, “What is responsible for the reduction in crime in the United States?” Clearly, it’s some sort of a combination of the various theories floating around. Take your pick. Please, make a pick, because if Gallup survey numbers hold and only 2 percent of Americans continue to see crime as a problem, we’re in trouble. Our complacency could easily allow crime rates to inch back up again, carrying with it all manner of human suffering.

Rockland resident Diane Dimond is a syndicated columnist, author, regular guest on TV news programs, and correspondent for Newsweek/Daily Beast. Visit her at www.DianeDimond.net or reach her via email Diane@DianeDimond.net.

Six years in stir for local pusherman

Emmanuel “Dough Boy” Quezada, age 29, of 145 Broadway, Haverstraw, was sentenced to six years in state prison this week by Rockland County Court Judge William K. Nelson. He pled guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree after being found with 10 ounces of cocaine.

District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe stated that on or about March 21, 2012 at approximately 6:25 p.m., a NYS Trooper observed a vehicle with tinted windows and an illegal sticker on the rear window operating on the NYS Thruway in the Village of Nyack. The defendant was the passenger of the vehicle and the trooper observed the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana and a dagger. At the police station, the defendant was found to be in possession of approximately 10 ounces of cocaine in his waistband.

At the time of his arrest Zugibe said Quezada was one of the most important drug busts of 2012. Quezada is a repeat violent felon and, according to authorities, a long time major source of illegal narcotics for Rockland County. Zugibe said that Dough Boy’s criminal record includes prior arrests for criminal sale and criminal possession of controlled substances, along with assault, robbery, sodomy, bail jumping and child endangerment.

On May 6, a Stony Point Police Officer responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident at Central Highway at Washburns Lane, where two males were arguing in the roadway. Upon completion of a police investigation of the accident, the defendant was charged with intentionally colliding into the victim’s vehicle with his vehicle causing damage.

The male defendant knew the male driving the second vehicle from a female relationship-in-common. The defendant was placed under arrest, processed and charged with reckless endangerment in the second degree, criminal mischief in the second degree and reckless driving. Defendant was arraigned at the Stony Point Justice Court, released on $2,000 bail and issued an appearance ticket to reappear in court on May 15, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe announced on May 14 that Jeremy Barrett (DOB 11/12/75) of 256 Westside Avenue, Haverstraw, New York has been arraigned on an indictment charging him with:

• One count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a class “B” Violent Felony
• One count of Assault in the First Degree, a class “B” Violent Felony
• One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a class “D” Felony
• One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor
• One count of Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, a class “A” Misdemeanor

District Attorney Zugibe said, “In a violent rage, the defendant unleashed a vicious attack on an innocent man looking to de-escalate an argument and protect his mother. He now faces the possibility of prison for a very long time if convicted.”

On April 22, 2018, at approximately 11:39 p.m., Barrett got into a verbal dispute with his girlfriend. According to the charges, the argument quickly turned physical. When the woman’s son attempted to intervene, the confrontation grew in intensity and moved outdoors.

During the course of the argument, Barrett walked to his car and retrieved a machete from the trunk. He then allegedly threatened to kill the son before striking the young man in the head with the weapon.

According to the charges, the victim received a severe laceration to his head and began bleeding profusely. Family members managed to pull the son back into the residence and lock the door. The defendant returned to his car and fled the scene.

Barrett was located a short time later by Haverstraw police officers – in his car – on Lincoln Avenue in the Village of Haverstraw. Responding officers recovered the machete used in the assault from the front-seat passenger floor of the defendant’s car.

He was arrested without further incident.

Barrett was arraigned in the Village of Haverstraw Justice Court and remanded to the Rockland County Jail.

Bail was set at $100,000 cash/bond pending future court appearances.

He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison on the top count of the indictment.