UPDATE: The Missing Persons Squad reports the missing juveniles have been located in good condition and returned to the school.

Below is the original release.

(Long Island, NY) The Missing Persons Squad is investigating two (2) missing juveniles that occurred on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at 8:30 pm in Syosset.

Vanessa Callahan, 15. Photo Credit: NCPD.

According to detectives, Samiyah Spencer, 14, a female black and Vanessa Callahan, 15, a female white, were last seen leaving Mercy First Group Home located at 525 Convent Road at approximately 8:30 pm on Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

Samiyah Spencer, 14. Photo Credit: NCPD.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding the above missing juveniles please contact the Nassau County Police Department Missing Persons Squad at 516-573-7347 or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Chad A. Lupinacci (R,C,I – South Huntington) recently met with representatives from the 4201 Schools Association of New York State. The 11 member schools serve approximately 1,500 New York students who are deaf, blind and/or severely physically disabled. 4201 Association schools have shown high success rates through achievement-oriented programs, and have resulted in many students graduating with New York State Regents diplomas and being accepted into college or vocational programs.

Lupinacci meets with representatives of the 4201 Schools Association. Photo Credit: NYS.

“Thank you to the students, teachers and administrators who came to Albany to share their thoughts with my colleagues and me,” Lupinacci said. “Participation in state government is extremely important and the 4201 Schools Association has set a precedent to emulate. I applaud the dedicated administrators, faculty and staff at the 4201 Schools Association. Excellence in education is imperative, and these schools are examples of highly effective, tailored educational programs for students living with disabilities.”

Defendant Ronald Ustica, Jr., Owner of R&U Auto Body, Inc., Pleads Guilty to Felony Tax Fraud, Will Forfeit $1.5M To Be Paid As Restitution; Company Also Expected To Plead Guilty to Felony Insurance Fraud

(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Department of Taxation and Finance Commissioner Boone announced today the guilty plea of Ronald Ustica, Jr., 47, owner of R&U Auto Body, Inc., headquartered in Merrick, New York.  Ustica pleaded guilty today in Albany County Court to Criminal Tax Fraud in the Second Degree, a Class C felony.  His company is expected to plead guilty to felony Insurance Fraud charges in Nassau County later this month.  As part of his plea, Ustica agreed to forfeit over $1.5 million in restitution, to be paid to the Department of Tax and Finance and to auto insurance companies.

“This defendant attempted to skirt the rules, and in the process hardworking New Yorkers who already pay their fair share picked up the tab,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “We will continue to work with Commissioner Boone to root out tax fraudsters who try to skip out on their tax bill.”

“Let this case serve as a warning to those who consider stealing the sales tax that they collect from their customers,” said Commissioner Boone. “We will continue to partner with Attorney General Schneiderman and all levels of law enforcement to bring tax evaders to justice and ensure a level playing field for law-abiding businesses.”

Today’s conviction is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the Auto Insurance Fraud Unit (AIFU) of the Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau, together with the Criminal Investigation’s Division of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (CID).

As a result of the joint investigation, Ustica and R&U were indicted in June 2015 in Albany County on charges including Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Criminal Tax Fraud in the Second Degree, both Class C felonies, for collecting but failing to remit to New York State over $570,000 in sales taxes between June 1, 2007 and March 21, 2011.  According to the indictment, Ustica and R&U also intentionally filed false quarterly sales tax returns which grossly underreported millions of dollars in taxable sales at R&U.

Simultaneous with Ustica’s arrest on the Albany indictment, investigators from AIFU and CID executed search warrants at Ustica’s home, at the headquarters of R&U, and at half a dozen banks where Ustica maintained safe deposit boxes, recovering over $1 million in cash.  The Attorney General’s Office also initiated civil asset forfeiture proceedings against Ustica and R&U, for a total seizure of over $1.5 million in criminal proceeds.

In addition to the tax case, AIFU conducted a parallel investigation into auto insurance fraud by R&U and its employees.  According to a felony complaint filed in Nassau County this January, an undercover investigation by AIFU allegedly revealed that an employee of R&U fraudulently enhanced the damage to a BMW sedan brought to the shop for repairs.  According to the felony complaint, R&U then allegedly fraudulently invoiced GEICO for over $3,000 for work that was not actually performed and work that did not need to be performed on the sedan.

Today, Ustica entered a guilty plea before the Hon. Roger D. McDonough in Albany County Supreme Court to one count of Criminal Tax Fraud in the Second Degree, a class C felony.  Ustica admitted that on or about December 18, 2010, he intentionally and willfully filed a false quarterly sales tax return on behalf of R&U, knowing that it contained materially false information, all in an effort to defraud the New York State Tax Department by underreporting the sales tax collected by him and R&U during the previous quarter.

Under the plea terms described by prosecutors today in court, R&U Auto Body is expected to plead guilty later this month in Nassau County to one count of Insurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony.

As part of his plea, Ustica agreed to forfeit the over $1.5 million previously seized by the OAG to pay restitution to the New York State Tax Department and auto insurance companies who overpaid for services performed by R&U.  Ustica is scheduled to be sentenced by Hon. Roger D. McDonough to 5 years’ probation on May 6.

The Attorney General thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau and GEICO for their valuable assistance in this investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Benjamin S. Clark of the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau. The Auto Insurance Fraud Unit is led by Chief Joseph D’Arrigo. The Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Gary T. Fishman and Deputy Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton.  The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan.

The Attorney General’s investigation was conducted by Investigator Kyle Vitale-O’Sullivan, formerly of the Auto Insurance Fraud Unit, and Investigator Patrick Lubin, under the direction of Investigators Edward Keegan and Natalie Shifrin and Deputy Chief Leonard D’Alessandro. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Dominick Zarrella. Forensic auditing was performed by Dmitry Temis of the Auto Insurance Fraud Unit.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone applauds the fast action of a Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services dispatcher trainee who provided instructions to a mother who was about to give birth today.

“Thanks to the knowledgeable response from Emergency Service dispatcher Joseph Pucci, a baby boy was delivered safely this morning,” the County Executive said. “Good training and clear thinking helped this couple and their baby just as it was needed. Congratulations to this family on their newest arrival.”

The husband of the 38-year-old woman, who was in active labor, called 911 on his way to the hospital after his wife indicated delivery was imminent. The man pulled their Dodge Caravan to the side of the road in front of 3990 Nesconset Highway in East Setauket. Pucci took the call at 9:53 a.m., and verified the couple’s location and that the woman was 36 weeks pregnant. He then instructed the husband on delivery and the baby arrived a 9:56 a.m.

The dispatcher provided further life support instructions to the father including checking the baby’s breathing, keeping the baby warm and using a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord. Pucci remained on the line until Suffolk County police officers and the Setauket Fire Department arrived.

Pucci has been in training for five months.

The mother and baby appeared healthy and were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital by Setauket Fire Department Rescue.

For further information on this incident, contact Suffolk County Fire, Rescue, & Emergency Services at 631-852-4815.

(Long Island, NY) The Third Squad reports the details of an arrest for Assault that occurred on Wednesday, March 09, 2016 at 3:02 am in Hempstead.

According to detectives, a male victim, 27, was involved in a verbal argument at the El Mariachi Bar located at 269 Fulton Street with another male. The argument continued outside of the bar and escalated when defendant Pedro Mendez-Ramos, 21, of Baldwin displayed a knife and stabbed the victim in the right side of his chest.

Nassau County Police reports the arrest of Pedro Mendez-Ramos, 21, of Baldwin for Assault that occurred on Wednesday, March 09 in Hempstead. Photo Credit: NCPD.

The defendant fled the scene and the victim was transported to a local hospital where he is listed in stable condition. After an investigation the defendant was placed under arrest in Oceanside at 4:07 am without incident.

Defendant Mendez-Ramos is being charged with Assault 1st Degree and Possession of a Danger Weapon 4th Degree. He will be arraigned on Wednesday, March 09, 2016 at First District Court, 99 Main Street, 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.

(Long Island, NY) Expecting a new baby is a time filled with excitement, anticipation and hope for the future. However, for parents who have received a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, this can be a time filled with uncertainly, fear and devastation. Parents who choose to continue the pregnancy may find themselves isolated with limited support, information and resources. Parents do not have to walk this journey alone.

Catholic Health Services’s Gabriel’s Courage is a family-centered perinatal program, providing a comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach to care, affirming the role of parents and providing support throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, life and remembrance. The team welcomes and honors the life of each child and celebrating his or her uniqueness and place in this world. The team includes nurses, social workers, chaplains, child life and bereavement specialists partners with medical providers, keeping them informed and involved.

“We are guided by something greater than ourselves, “said bereavement specialist Michelle Graff, LCW.  “To be able to walk alongside families on their intimate journeys of grief is a privilege for which I can’t express enough gratitude.”

Gabriel’s Courage:

• Offers an initial evaluation in the hospital, doctor’s office or at home
• Coordinates care among multiple medical providers
• Develops an individualized Birth Plan, honoring parent’s desires, needs and values
• Assists with spiritual and cultural rituals
• Creates memory-making and creating cherished keepsakes
• Provides individual and family counseling
• Offers siblings support through visits with a certified child life specialist
• Delivers Home Health and/or Hospice care, if appropriate
• Assists with funeral and/or memorial planning
• Provides bereavement support
• Facilitates access to community resources

Any woman in Nassau or Suffolk County who has received a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis is eligible for Gabriel’s Courage services. Generally, there are no costs to families for these specialized services.

If you wish to learn more about this program or would like to make a referral, please call (631) 465-6363###

Catholic Health Services (CHS) is an integrated system encompassing some of the region’s finest health and human services agencies. With 22,000 staff members, six acute care hospitals, three nursing homes, a home nursing service, hospice, a community-based agency for persons with special needs and a regional lab, CHS’s high standards have resulted in a 23% market share.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,I,C-Glen Head) has joined his colleagues and advocates in calling for increased state funding for local bridges, roads and highways.

During the week-long, annual advocacy campaign “Local Roads Matter,” hundreds of bi-partisan state legislators, county and town highway superintendents and road workers gathered at the NYS Capitol to express their support for parity in infrastructure funding throughout the state.

“Our roads and bridges are suffering because of the lack of parity in funding – it’s as simple as that,” said Montesano. “Local roads and bridges account for nearly 90 percent of the roads, 52 percent of the bridges, and 48 percent of miles traveled by New York State residents.

“We need to fix our crumbling roads for the mothers traveling to a doctor’s appointment, the bus drivers shuttling students to school, and the young professionals hurrying off to work. Until we get the funding we need, my colleagues and I will keep fighting. New York residents and visitors deserve roads and bridges that will get them from one place to another safely.”

Montesano recently signed on to a letter to the governor reiterating the dire need of assistance for local infrastructure throughout the state. The legislators outlined the importance of increasing state funding for infrastructure through the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and creating a new, four-year state aid program to be adopted in this year’s budget.

Long Island delegation members back new effort to ensure combat veterans with PTSD have full access to benefits and comprehensive health care

(Long Island, NY) U.S. Representatives Kathleen Rice (NY-04), Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Peter King (NY-02) and Steve Israel (NY-03) joined local veterans and advocates today at the Veterans Memorial in Eisenhower Park to call on Congress to pass H.R. 4683, the Fairness for Veterans Act, which was recently introduced in the House by Reps. Mike Coffman (R-CO) and Tim Walz (D-MN) and has been cosponsored by all four members of the Long Island congressional delegation. In recent years, tens of thousands of servicemembers suffering from combat-derived Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have received other-than-honorable discharges for minor misconduct and disciplinary issues such as tardiness or alcohol use – behaviors that can be directly linked to these mental health conditions. As a result, combat veterans with these “bad paper discharges” can be denied access to federally-funded benefits and health care services. The bipartisan Fairness for Veterans Actwill make it easier for combat veterans to upgrade their discharge status by creating a presumption in their favor – so that if a combat veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD or TBI appeals his or her discharge designation, military Discharge Review Boards (DRBs) must consider the appeal with the presumption that this condition contributed to the veteran’s discharge.

U.S. Representatives Kathleen Rice, Lee Zeldin, Peter King and Steve Israel joined local veterans and advocates today at the Veterans Memorial in Eisenhower Park to call on Congress to pass the Fairness for Veterans Act. Photo Credit: U.S. Congress.

The Long Island congressional delegation members were joined today by Kris Goldsmith, an Iraq War veteran from Rice’s district who received a general discharge, one step below honorable, because of behavior related to his previously undiagnosed PTSD, and as a result, has been denied access to educational benefits through the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Goldsmith, along with fellow veterans of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has worked extensively to raise awareness about this issue and build support in Congress for the Fairness for Veterans Act.

The Fairness for Veterans Act has earned the support of several organizations, including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), United Soldiers and Sailors of America, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). IAVA’s full letter of support is available here.

“It’s an absolute injustice that anyone who serves our country honorably in combat and suffers from a mental health condition as a result of that service would be other-than-honorably discharged and cut off from key benefits and health care services because of actions that were directly linked to that condition,” said Representative Kathleen Rice, a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “But we know that’s exactly what’s happened to tens of thousands of combat veterans in recent years who are now stuck with these bad paper discharges that can prohibit them from accessing mental health services through the VA, deny them federally-funded benefits and opportunities to advance their educations, and discourage employers from hiring them. The bipartisan Fairness for Veterans Act will make it easier for these combat veterans to appeal their discharge status, get the bad paper off their records, and get full access to the benefits and health care they’ve earned. I want to thank Kris Goldsmith, Congressmen Coffman and Walz, my fellow members from Long Island and all of our Democratic and Republican colleagues who worked together to move this bill forward, and I’ll keep working to make sure we get it passed as soon as possible with the strong bipartisan support it deserves.”

“This bill’s introduction in today’s Congress is proof that Congress works,” said Iraq War Veteran Kris Goldsmith. “Veterans are the one thing that Republicans and Democrats, even in these hyper-partisan times, can work together to support. The Fairness for Veterans Act is a bill that would help veterans who receive less than honorable discharges gain access to the benefits that they earned while serving in combat.”

Congressman Zeldin, member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said, “It is so important to fight for our veterans who have fought for us.  The Fairness for Veterans Act is absolutely essential for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who were separated from military service with a less than honorable discharge.  We must ensure that our nation’s most vulnerable veterans receive the care, treatment and benefits they have both earned and deserve. I will continue working with my colleagues in the House to ensure passage of this critical bill.”

“We owe it to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to ensure that they have the support and access to the very best in resources, treatment and outreach. The Fairness for Veterans Act will do just that and make sure our veterans are treated fairly and afforded every opportunity,” said Representative Peter King.

“Our veterans should never be denied the benefits they deserve to cover mental health care needed after their service.  When our men and women come home with invisible wounds of war, we need to support them and help get them back on their feet. I am proud to stand with my Long Island colleagues to support this legislation and will continue to fight to deliver for New York veterans and their families,” said Representative Steve Israel.

The full text of H.R. 4683, the Fairness for Veterans Act, is available here.

Global Entrepreneur/Foreign Policy Voice/Author – Focus of Talk to be on the “Next Silicon Valley” and International Entrepreneurship

(Long Island, NY) Elmira Bayrasli – internationally noted entrepreneur, author, and advocate for giving women a media voice on foreign policy – will speak on replicating the success of Silicon Valley both in the U.S. and internationally, at Farmingdale State College on Thursday, March 31.

The event will be held in Gleeson Hall Room 104, from 10:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.  Sponsored by Farmingdale’s Artists & Lecturers Speaker Series, the talk is open to the public, at no charge.

Bayrasli has spent the last 20 years working on international development, global startups, and foreign policy.  She is the author of From the Other Side of the World: Extraordinary Entrepreneurs, Unlikely Places (Public Affairs, 2015), which examines the growth of innovation beyond Silicon Valley, focusing on talented individuals around the world who have overcome insurmountable obstacles to lead high-growth businesses.

Bayrasli is co-founder of Foreign Policy Interrupted, an education and media startup dedicated to increasing female foreign policy voices in the written and electronic press; a Visiting Fellow at the New America Foundation; and a Fellow at Global Entrepreneurial Ecosystems.  She worked at the U.S. State Department from 1994 – 2000.

About her lecture, Bayraslisays: “Everyone is eager to replicate Silicon Valley’s success.Silicon Valley has succeeded as a startup hub because of certain conditions. What are those conditions? What is the environment necessary to unleash globally competitive startups?Where and how will the next Silicon Valley will emerge?”  She will also discuss the complicated dynamics of entrepreneurship and economic development, and the conditions necessary to create globally-competitive companies and industries in less-likely places.

Farmingdale State College has several programs that encourage student entrepreneurship.  The Small Business Development Centerprovides professional business advisement, education, and network resources.  The annual DARE competition encourages students to think like entrepreneurs, and provides them with tools and resources to develop their prospective businesses.

The Artists & Lecturers Speaker Series was created to enrichcultural, intellectual, and social life of the campus and the greater community.  ALSS sponsors lectures, art exhibits, and performances.

Farmingdale State College prepares students with the education, skills, and critical thinking needed to meet tomorrow’s challenges. As the largest of SUNY’s colleges of technology (with almost 8,700 students), FSC equips students with the resources and knowledge sought by today’s emerging industries. Offering bachelor and associate degrees, FSC will soon offer its first graduate program.  At FSC, students learn in small, personalized classes and have abundant opportunities for applied learning—internships, clinical training, and guided research—that provide practical instruction and personal growth. Located an hour east of Manhattan, the campus offers residential halls, a lush 380-acre campus undergoing major renovation, and a highly successful NCAA Division III athletics program with modern facilities to make FSC one of the fastest-growing colleges in the region. In addition, in 2015, 2014 and 2013, FSC was listed one of the best colleges in the North and in 2013 FSC was the only SUNY school (and the only LI school) listed in the LEAST debt category in the section titled Student Debt Load at Graduation for regional colleges in the north. In 2015 UniversityPrimeTime.com again listed FSC the fifth safest college in the nation. Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/farmingdale.

April 3 at 2 pm in the Koenig Center

(Long Island, NY) On Sunday, April 3, at 2:00 pm, the Oyster Bay Historical Society welcomes author, photographer, and literature professor Judith Tabler for a discussion of her just-released book, Foxhunting with Meadow Brook. The program takes place in the Society’s Angela Koenig Center at 20 Summit Street in Oyster Bay.  Attendance is free and open to the public. Copies of Foxhunting with Meadow Brook will be available for purchase and signing. Light refreshments will be served. Contact the Society at 516-922-5032 or obhsdirector@optonline.net. For details, visit oysterbayhistorical.org.

About the Book
Foxhunting with Meadow Brook was always about more than the fox, the hounds, or the horses. Meadow Brook was about its people—some powerful, some idle, many wealthy—and their shared joy in galloping across beautiful country, only minutes outside New York City.

Foxhunting with Meadow Brook by Judith Tabler. Photo Credit: The Derrydale Press.

Following its 1881 founding, the Meadow Brook Hunt managed to survive for ninety years in spite of poor scenting, sandy soil, angry farmers, quirky millionaires, trolleys, trains, automobiles, and airplanes. Foxhunting with Meadow Brook tells the story of the people who, for almost a century, rode behind the Meadow Brook Hounds.

About the Author
Judith Tabler grew up near the Meadow Brook Hunt and now lives in McLean, Virginia. She has been a professor of literature and languages at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.