(Long Island, NY) The Nassau County Police Department has reported the details of an arrest for Burglary that occurred on December 23, 2012 at 7:38 AM in Massapequa.

According to Seventh Squad detectives, police officers responded to a burglary report at Tutal Convenience Store, 576A Broadway. The owner stated upon arrival to the store he noticed that his air conditioner had been pushed inward. Upon entering the store, he found that unknown subject(s) had taken several lottery scratch off games.

According to Seventh Squad detectives, DNA evidence left at the scene of a Burglary that occurred on December 23, 2012 led investigators to John Terriberry, 39 of 136 Reiss Avenue, Massapequa Park. File photo by Christopher Boyle.

DNA evidence left at the scene was collected with positive results. On February 16, 2014 at 4:45 PM John Terriberry, 39 of 136 Reiss Avenue, Massapequa Park was placed under arrest at his home without incident.

The defendant is being charged with 2 counts of Burglary 3rd Degree and was arraigned on February 17, 2014 at First District Court, Hempstead.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

(Greenvale, NY) Homes By Mara Realty of Syosset, NY is pleased to welcome John Clerkin of Greenvale as its newest licensed sales associate. Though new to real estate sales, Clerkin brings with him a strong mortgage background. In addition to being an agent at Homes By Mara, he is currently vice president with mortgage consultant company Matchbox LLC in Woodbury, NY.  His prior work includes serving as operations manager with national mortgage lender Premium Capital Funding in Jericho, NY and as trade support analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York, NY.

Clerkin says his mortgage insight is a great complement to his additional concentration in real estate sales. “In working on the financial side of real estate transactions within today’s mortgage arena, I have a strong understanding about mortgage guidelines and the finances associated with home ownership,” he explains. “Since mortgages are a mainstay when it comes to real estate, I can share with home buyers and sellers my personal mortgage knowledge and perspective as it relates to the current housing market and their specific homes of interest.”

As a Long Island native who has lived within various communities that include Seaford, Massapequa, Oyster Bay, Port Washington and Huntington, Clerkin plans to capitalize on his familiarity of these areas to help broaden Homes By Mara’s reach and accessibility.

Homes By Mara Owner and President Mara Navaretta says Clerkin mortgage intuitiveness and vast Long Island neighborhood connections are a great asset to her team and clientele. “In having someone like John working with our home buyers and sellers, they are able to gain an even greater real estate perspective and direction,” comments Navaretta. “Adding to this benefit is John’s knowledge regarding Long Island’s various communities, which enables Homes By Mara to continue its mission in broadening its reach and accessibility to more north and south shore areas.”

Clerkin is a C.W. Post Long Island University graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. His work with the mortgage sector recently resulted with his designation among National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals.”

About Homes By Mara
Homes By Mara is a boutique real estate agency spearheaded by licensed broker and real estate veteran Mara Navaretta. Featuring a team of highly-skilled and trained agents, Homes By Mara specializes in servicing North Shore’s residential market on both the selling and buying sectors. Located at 567 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, NY, the agency offers convenience and a turn-key solution in accommodating all real estate needs by sharing its office space with the law firm, Navaretta & Howard LLP. Navaretta and Howard, LLP has a special focus in real estate law and provides counsel and representation for all Homes by Mara agents to assure the homeowner receives quick and accurate answers to legal questions that may arise in the course of today’s real estate transaction. Also available is a concierge service that consists of recommendations for every trade associated with the real estate industry including movers and contractors.

For more information about Homes By Mara, please call 516-364-2500 or visit www.homesbymara.com.

(WILLISTON PARK, N.Y.) TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, has named John D. Granath as Vice President, Store Manager of the store located at 700 Willis Ave. in Williston Park, N.Y. He is responsible for new business development, consumer and business lending, managing personnel and overseeing the day-to-day operations at the store serving customers throughout the area.

Granath has 25 years of retail banking experience. Prior to joining TD Bank, he served as a Branch Manager at JPMorgan Chase in Carle Place, N.Y.

A resident of Mineola, N.Y., Granath is a 1985 graduate of Mineola High School.

TD Bank focuses on delivering legendary customer service by providing seven-day branch banking with extended hours, Penny Arcade coin-counting machines, hassle-free products, free online banking and bill pay at www.tdbank.com, and treats for kids and dogs. Customers also have access to a network of 2,700 ATMs from Maine to Florida.

About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^®
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth^®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD.” To learn more, visit www.td.com.

(Port Jefferson, NY) The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is announcing $5,000 in grant money available for Long Island-based Non-Profit music education organizations and institutions. Non-Profit Scholarships are designated to organizations promoting music performances, therapy or appreciation.

The purpose of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame grants program is to further the creation, performance and study of music. LIMHoF Education Chairman, Tom Needham said, “The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is very excited to financially assist other not-for-profit organizations who share in our mission to spread an appreciation of music throughout the region.”

Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is a 501(c)(3) museum organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. Since 2010, LIMHoF has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships annually to selected members of Youth Orchestras and Universities and is proud to announce the addition to fund non-profits that support our core initiatives.

Organizations seeking funding are encouraged to download and complete the attached LIMHOF Non-Profit Grant Application at limusichalloffame.org. Each form will be reviewed and funding decisions will be made by the LIMHoF Board of Directors. Organizations will be contacted if selected.

(Port Jefferson, NY) The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is offering student scholarships for graduating Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens high school students who have shown an interest in pursuing a music career.

Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is a 501(c)(3) museum organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations.  Since 2010, $5,000 in scholarships has been awarded annually to selected members of the Gemini Youth Orchestra of Melville, Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Manhasset and Children’s Orchestra Society of Queens. In 2013, a special scholarship was awarded to a selected student at Hofstra University.

“Long Island Music Hall of Fame is honored to have the opportunity to assist in the education of high school seniors who are pursuing a future in music, said LIMHof Education Chairman, Tom Needham.

Students and organizations seeking funding are encouraged to download and complete the attached designated LIMHOF Student Scholarship Application at limusichalloffame.org.  Each form will be reviewed by the LIMHOF Education Committee to determine which programs and/or students will receive grants.  You or your organization will be contacted if selected.

(Long Island, NY) The following statement was released today from Senator Adriano Espaillat in Support of Vision Zero Plan to Address Upper Manhattan Traffic Fatalities:

“Reckless driving has already claimed a shocking number of lives, and caused unimaginable suffering for New York families this year – we have to take urgent steps to make our streets safer,” said Senator Adriano Espaillat. “Traffic fatalities in our city are concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, and communities of color are disproportionally paying the price. We need greater investment in safety and a new approach. And we need local ‘home rule’ control, so New York City doesn’t require permission from Albany to install speed cameras and other lifesaving measures. I applaud Mayor de Blasio for taking steps to correct the traffic safety inequality in New York City, and I am committed to supporting his administration’s plan.”

“La conducción temeraria ya ha cobrado un alarmante número de vidas y causado sufrimiento inimaginable para las familias de Nueva York este año – tenemos que tomar medidas urgentes para hacer que nuestras calles sean más seguras”, dijo el Senador Adriano Espaillat. “Las fatalidades de tráfico en nuestra ciudad se concentran en los barrios de bajos recursos y las comunidades de color están desproporcionadamente pagando el precio. Necesitamos una mayor inversión en la infraestructura de seguridad, y un nuevo enfoque. Y necesitamos control local, para que la ciudad de Nueva York no necesite el permiso de Albany para instalar cámaras de velocidad y otras medidas que salvan vidas. Aplaudo al alcalde de Blasio por tomar medidas para corregir la desigualdad de la seguridad del tráfico en la ciudad de Nueva York, y me comprometo a apoyar el plan de su administración”.

Senator Adriano Espaillat represents parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, including Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, Hamilton Heights, the Upper West Side, and Hell’s Kitchen.

Conviction Secures $500K Restitution For 16 Underpaid Workers; Employers Banned From Public Construction Work In New York State For Five Years; Schneiderman: Employers Who Steal From Their Workers Face Serious Consequences

(NEW YORK) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the sentencing of Applied Construction Inc., its owner, Mohammad T. Riaz, its manager, Mohammad Arshad, and two foremen, Zbigniew Lakomiec and Socrates “Tony” Carrera, for failing to pay prevailing wages to workers on a public works construction project at a residential building in the Bronx. The project was financed and overseen by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).Applied Construction Inc. and Riaz pleaded guilty to felony charges and paid nearly $500,000 in restitution. That money will go to 16 workers. Applied and Riaz are barred from government construction jobs for five years.

“Development of affordable housing is critical for New York City, but it must be done with contractors and subcontractors who follow the law and pay workers properly,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “These employers who flouted the law will be barred from New York State government projects starting now.”

Applied Construction Inc., based at 677 Morris Park Avenue in the Bronx, and its owner, manager and foremen were required by law and by their contract with the city to pay prevailing wages to workers on an affordable housing project, located at 2865 Kingsbridge Terrace in the Bronx, between November 9, 2011, and August 30, 2012. Rather than pay the workers at the legally required hourly rates, the defendants paid the workers a fraction of the lawful rate and did not provide supplemental benefits.

Riaz, 35, lives in Westbury, N.Y.; Arshad, 40, is of Hicksville, N.Y.; Lakomiec, 59, lives in Brooklyn; and Carrera, 39, is of the Bronx.

To conceal their scheme, Riaz and Arshad underpaid some of their workers by paying them in cash and excluding those workers on certified payroll reports submitted to HPD. In addition, some workers who were listed on the reports were given the amount of money as listed on the certified payroll reports but were then required to return a portion of their wages to the defendants.

The defendants were arrested on March 6, 2013, and March 11, 2013, and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, which carries a maximum term of 5 to 15 years in prison. Riaz was also charged with three counts of Money Laundering in the Second Degree. Other charges include Scheme to Defraud, Falsifying Business Records, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Violation of Workers Compensation Law.

The project, funded in part with taxpayer dollars, was administered by New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and was subject to prevailing wage requirements.

On November 20, 2013, Applied Construction Inc. pleaded guilty to a violation of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, Penal Law § 190.65(1)(b), a class E Felony, and Riaz pleaded guilty to a violation of Workers Compensation Law § 52(1)(a), a Class E felony. These defendants paid $490,000 in restitution and will be barred from doing any government work in New York for five years. In addition, the defendants paid more than $2,000 to the New York State Department of Labor for unemployment insurance taxes, and defendant Riaz will have to complete 200 hours of community service. The defendants were sentenced to a conditional discharge.

Defendant Arshad’s company, Spindle Construction Inc., pleaded guilty to a violation of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, Penal Law § 190.65(1)(b), a class E Felony, and defendant Arshad pleaded guilty to Facilitation in the Fourth Degree, Penal Law § 115.00, a class A misdemeanor. These defendants had to pay a fine of $1, 500 and were sentenced to a conditional discharge. Defendant Arshad has completed 100 hours of community service.

Defendant Lakomiec pleaded guilty to Facilitation in the Fourth Degree, Penal Law § 115.00, a class A misdemeanor and was sentenced to a conditional discharge. Lakomiec completed 40 hours of community service. Defendant Carrera pleaded guilty to Petit Larceny, Penal Law § 155.25, a class A misdemeanor and was sentenced today to a conditional discharge and 10 days of community service.

The Attorney General thanked the Mason Tenders District Council for their assistance with the case.

Robert Bonanza, business manager of the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York, said, “Once again, Attorney General Schneiderman and his office has sent a clear signal to anyone who wants to do public construction work on affordable housing projects in New York State – play by the rules, don’t break the laws, and don’t exploit your workers or you will face the consequences. Exploiting workers is always wrong, but Applied Construction, and its officers, has brought this criminal activity to a new low on affordable housing work performed through the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Honest, hardworking New Yorkers have a true ally in Attorney General Schneiderman, and on behalf of the 17,000 members of the Mason Tenders District Council, I want to thank him for his leadership and courage in protecting all New Yorkers. ”

New York’s prevailing wage law seeks to ensure that government contractors pay wages that are comparable to the local norms for a given trade. The law requires hourly rates for construction work performed for public agencies that are well above the state minimum wage of $8.00 per hour, along with benefits. Under Labor Law §220(3), any contractor or subcontractor who fails to pay prevailing wages to workers on a public works construction project may be prosecuted, with severity of the charges depending on the aggregate amount stolen from the workers.

The sentencing in this case follows the civil resolution of two unrelated cases also involving underpayment of workers at affordable housing projects developed by HPD. In March 2013, Attorney General Schneiderman announced a settlement of nearly $1 million from Procida, a general contractor on two affordable housing projects for seniors in Brooklyn, followed by a $600,000 settlement with another contractor, Masonry Services, Inc., in August 2013.

This case was investigated by New York State Office of the Attorney General Associate Auditor Percy Corcoran and Investigator David Negron under the supervision of Supervising Investigators John Sullivan and John Serrapica, Deputy Chiefs John McManus, Kenneth Morgan and Vito Spano, and Chief Dominick Zarrella.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Felice Sontupe and Meredith McGowan under the supervision of Bureau Chief Terri Gerstein of the Labor Bureau, Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Alvin Bragg and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Kelly Donovan.

(Long Island, NY) The competition for funding will be intense this budget season and hospital advocates will make their voices heard in Albany in the weeks leading up to a final budget deal.  On March 5, 2014, hospital leaders from the Suburban Hospital Alliance regions will bring their concerns directly to lawmakers in Albany.  In January, Governor Cuomo unveiled his $142 billion executive budget for state fiscal year 2014 – 2015.  It calls for total Medicaid spending growth of about 3.8 percent, which is the spending cap set for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Medicaid Global Spending cap was enacted as part of the state budget two years ago.  Since that time, despite significant increases in Medicaid enrollment, Medicaid spending has remained under the cap.  Hospitals have done their part through delivery reforms and new payment structures to ensure that statewide Medicaid spending did not pierce the cap.  This is in spite of the fact that hospitals endured an annual across-the-board, two-percent cut to Medicaid reimbursements.

Language in last year’s state budget calls for eliminating this two-percent Medicaid cut to hospitals effective April 1, 2014, if the cap is not pierced.  Hospitals also seek a portion of the savings to be gained by acceptance by the federal government of the state’s Medicaid waiver.  An agreement in principle reached last week with the federal government would send $8 billion in federal savings to New York to help it continue to implement Medicaid reforms.  In its last communication with the state, the federal government indicated that reinvestment in New York’s Medicaid program would come by way of strategies to reduce potentially preventable hospitalizations, existing and enhanced managed care contract requirements, and more reforms designed to better coordinate care.

Published bi-monthly by the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State, LLC, a consortium of 51 not-for-profit and public hospitals advocating for better health care policy for all those living and working in the nine counties north and east of New York City.

(Long Island, NY) Extending the two-percent annual Medicare sequestration cuts to hospitals has become a convenient way to pay for the reversal of cuts imposed on other sectors and also as a funding mechanism to avoid proposed cuts on any particular sector.

This past week this scenario played out once again as Congress, as part of its debt ceiling extension, approved an additional year of Medicare sequestration cuts, into 2024, to restore funding to military pensions. In December 2013, lawmakers approved a budget deal to fund the government through September 30, 2014 and part of that deal included cuts to cost-of-living increases for younger military retirees – a very unpopular provision. This latest Medicare sequestration cut will cost New York hospitals and health systems $280 million in new Medicare cuts atop the more than $2.6 billion in Medicare sequestration cuts already in law.

The expiration of the temporary “doc fix” on March 31, 2014 means hospitals are extremely vulnerable to more Medicare cuts, as Congress looks for ways to either fix this perennial funding problem or once again delays the onset of this massive physician Medicare pay cut (24 percent). As recently as December 2013, Congress extended Medicare sequestration cuts and deepened the cuts tied to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) disproportionate share (DSH) payments to hospitals. DSH payments help hospitals offset part of the cost of care for the uninsured. The ‘doc fix” refers to the situation Congress and the nation’s physicians find themselves in when Medicare physician reimbursement is set to readjust based on the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. Enacted in 1997, the SGR formula directs Medicare physician reimbursement. It is tied to an inflationary factor economists agree is no longer feasible.

Published bi-monthly by the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State, LLC, a consortium of 51 not-for-profit and public hospitals advocating for better health care policy for all those living and working in the nine counties north and east of New York City.

Stony Brook Medicine to Partner with Hyperbaric Medical Solutions First of Its Kind Research Study to Treat MS Relapse With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Addition to Conventional Steroid Therapy; Stony Brook MS Comprehensive Care Center Director Dr. Patricia Coyle Is Principal Investigator

(Stony Brook, NY) Stony Brook Medicine is pleased to announce that it will be conducting an IRB-approved research study in conjunction with Hyperbaric Medical Solutions to determine whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy when added to conventional steroid therapy will improve recovery from multiple sclerosis relapse. Stony Brook MS Comprehensive Care Center Director Dr. Patricia Coyle will be the Principal Investigator for this first research study of its kind. Dr. Coyle will work with Hyperbaric Medical Solutions’ (HMS) Medical Director Dr. Henry Prince.

The six-month study will include 30 volunteer patients who have suffered an MS relapse. It will include steroid therapy, physical exams, neurological exams, questionnaires, MRIs and possible hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Participants will be asked to visit Stony Brook MS Comprehensive Care Center for six study visits and offsite facilities for MRI and possible hyperbaric treatments. Fifteen patients will be randomized to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy and 15 will not.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms of the disease include numbness and weakness in extremities that can disable a person. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are approximately 400,000 people living with MS in the United States. Women are almost three times more likely to have the disease.

Notes Stony Brook’s Dr. Coyle, “This is the first time hyperbaric oxygen is being examined to determine whether it can, when used acutely, lessen the damage associated with an MS attack”.

HMS Medical Director Dr. Prince said, “We are excited to work with Dr. Coyle and Stony Brook University exploring the role of Hyperbaric Oxygen as a tool for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. We hope to show that Hyperbaric Oxygen along with steroids reduce the objective and subjective damage often seen after exacerbations of MS.”

The ground-breaking study is sponsored by the Cure MS Foundation of New York, which was founded by Filomena Lombardi who was first diagnosed with MS over 17 years ago. After trying numerous treatments, Lombardi found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy was extremely effective. Lombardi notes, “The FDA has approved hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of a number of health conditions such as radiation injury, diabetic wounds and carbon monoxide poisoning; however, it has not approved it for the treatment of MS. Hopefully this study will help reverse that.”

For additional information regarding this study, please contact Jessica Lamb at 631-444-8068 Jessica.Lamb@stonybrookmedicine.edu

Stony Brook MS Comprehensive Care Center (Stony Brook)
The Stony Brook Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Comprehensive Care Center was the first center of its kind on Long Island. Started in 1990 by Dr. Patricia K. Coyle, an internationally recognized expert in MS, the Center has about 1,700 patient visits a year. It is comprised of a team of individuals with extensive experience in MS.

Hyperbaric Medical Solutions (Medford and Woodbury)
Founded in 2011, Hyperbaric Medical Solutions is the only freestanding, full-service hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy provider on Long Island, with locations in Medford and Woodbury. HMS features an experienced medical team whose mission is to create access to HBO Therapy for all individuals who may benefit from the therapy’s tremendous healing properties. While, the majority of HBO Therapy facilities on Long Island are hospital-based, HMS offers hospital-level care in the comfort and convenience of a private office setting. And unlike hospitals, HMS treats all medical conditions that may benefit from HBO Therapy.