(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Police Vehicular Crime Unit detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash in Brentwood which killed a Brentwood man on Sunday, September 27.

Anthony Brody-Santos, 22, was driving a 1999 Nissan Altima southbound on Washington Avenue when he crashed into a 2001 Honda motorcycle that was turning onto Clarke Street.

Suffolk County Police announced the arrest of Anthony Brody-Santos, 22, of Brentwood for DWI involving a motor vehicle crash which killed a Brentwood man on Sunday, September 27. Photo Credit: SCPD.

The operator of the motorcycle, Jose Funes, 47, of Brentwood, was transported via Brentwood Legion Ambulance to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where he died from his injuries. Brody-Santos was not injured in the crash.

Brody-Santos, of Brentwood, was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated. He is being held at the Third Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned today at First District Court in Central Islip.

Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks and the investigation is continuing. Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is asked to call the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6555 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

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) Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who robbed a Yaphank gas station in August.

Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to identify the man who robbed a Yaphank gas station in August. Photo Credit: SCPD.

A man entered Shell, located at 482 Patchogue Yaphank Road, on August 11 at 3:52 p.m., displayed what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash.

A man entered Shell and displayed what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash. Photo Credit: SCPD.

The clerk gave the suspect cash from the drawer and the suspect fled in a dark green ATV with light-colored rims.

The suspect fled in a dark green ATV. Photo Credit: SCPD.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a crash that killed a motorcyclist in Holbrook on Sunday, September 27.

Victor Cinelli was operating a 1989 Honda motorcycle westbound on Portion Road in Holbrook last night at approximately 7:40 p.m. when he was struck by a 1997 Toyota Avalon, operated by Abdullah Ozturk, who was attempting to make a left turn onto Holbrook Road.

Suffolk County Police are investigating a crash that killed a motorcyclist in Holbrook on Sunday, September 27. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle.

Cinelli, 55, of Bohemia was transported via ambulance from the Ronkonkoma Fire Department ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Ozturk, 58, of Franklin Square, was transported via Centereach Fire Department ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital with neck and back injuries.

Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks and the investigation is continuing. Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

Mikhail Perlov Ordered To Cease Unlicensed Practice Of Law And Refund His Victims

(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today that his office reached an agreement with Mikhail Perlov to resolve an investigation that revealed Perlov was engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.  A consent order, signed by Supreme Court Justice Peter P. Sweeney, ordered Mikhail Perlov to stop illegally operating as an unlicensed attorney and to pay at least $52,000 to refund his customers and to pay the State of New York a civil penalty as well as the cost of the investigation.

“Practicing law without a license can have devastating consequences on unsuspecting victims seeking legitimate and honest legal advice and representation,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Mr. Perlov’s blatant disregard for the law is despicable. We have zero tolerance for this kind of illegal and deceptive business practice”.

By the fall of 2014, the Attorney General’s office began to receive complaints from consumers who had paid Perlov to be their lawyer. Based on Perlov’s incompetence and inactivity on their cases, the consumers suspected he was not an actual attorney. Their suspicions were entirely justified; Perlov was not licensed to practice in any jurisdiction and he had no legal training of any type.

According to documents filed in court, Perlov advertised his legal services in Ruskaya Reklama, a Russian-language newspaper, referring to himself as an “ATTORNEY AT LAW” in English and as in “адвокат,” the Russian word for attorney. In his advertisement, Perlov claimed that he held a “Jurisprudence Doctorate,” could “get charges dropped,” could “get you out of jail,” would “represent your interests in court,” and that he was licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida with extensive experience in the courts of those states. His advertisements also included a laundry list of claimed practice specialties, including criminal law, business law, real estate, DWI defense, immigration, accidents/injury law, domestic violence, divorce and family rights, division of property, and internet/e-commerce law.

The court found Perlov had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, deceptive business practices, false advertising, and fraud. The order provides the Attorney General 120 days to locate additional consumers harmed by Perlov’s unauthorized legal practice before the court makes its final restitution award.

According to the Attorney General investigation, Perlov defrauded at least fifty-one consumers and even appeared in court for many of them. Perlov appeared in criminal courts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Central Islip for charges including domestic violence, to larceny, to criminal trespass, to DWI and drug/alcohol related offenses. He also appeared in New Jersey courts in both Rahway and Belmar on DWI charges.

Perlov also represented clients in numerous civil issues. One complainant paid Perlov $4,600 to handle her divorce. She complained to Perlov as months went by without any progress on her case. Perlov responded by berating her and then offering her a childishly constructed document made to look like a letter from Chase bank. The letter, which specified no branch or contact at the bank, stated that the bank had frozen a safety deposit box belonging to the client’s husband. It was not signed but claimed to have been written by an unspecified “Chase Manhattan Branch Manager.” The letter was so blatantly fraudulent that the consumer immediately demanded a return of all of her payments. Perlov instead kept her money and insisted she seek another attorney to complete her divorce.

Perlov’s operation was brazen–he made absolutely no effort to hide his illegal activity. Perlov’s advertisement included the address of his “law office” and even a photo of his face. And he openly maintained a law office on the corner of Avenue U and East 19^th Street in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

Consumers who can substantiate claims that they were harmed by Mikhail Perlov’s illegal practice of law may be eligible for restitution and should contact the Attorney General Brooklyn Regional Office by calling (718)560-2040.

The investigation is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Matthew S. Eubank, from the OAG Brooklyn Regional Office, which is part of the OAG Regional Division led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Offices Martin J. Mack.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Police today arrested a Suffolk County Community College employee who secretly videotaped a student at the campus in Brentwood on Saturday, September 26.

David Marchese, a custodian, was sitting at a table during an awards ceremony held at the Grant Campus when he was observed by a witness holding his phone under the table at 2:30 p.m. The phone was pointed at a female student who was also sitting at the table. The witness notified security and police were called.

Suffolk County Police today arrested David Marchese, 32, of Islip, SCCC employee who secretly videotaped a student at the campus in Brentwood on Saturday, September 26. Photo Credit: SCPD.

An investigation by Third Squad detectives determined that Marchese had videotaped the female’s undergarments.

Marchese, 32, of Islip, was arrested and charged with Unlawful Surveillance 2nd Degree. He will be held overnight at the Third Precinct for arraignment tomorrow at First District Court in Central Islip.

The investigation is continuing. Detectives are asking anyone who has information about this incident or believes they could be a victim to call the Third Squad at 631-854-8352.

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) The Fourth Squad is investigating a Robbery that occurred on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 7:05 am in Cedarhurst.

According to detectives, a 57 year old male victim was walking near the Cedarhurst train station (southbound on Cedarhurst Avenue), when an unknown male subject approached him from behind and demanded that he kick off his shoes. The victim complied. The subject then demanded money. Again, the victim complied.

Nassau County Police are investigating a Robbery that occurred on Saturday, September 26 in Cedarhurst. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle.

The subject fled the scene in an unknown direction.

There were no reported injuries or further description of the subject. Proceeds were an undetermined amount of US currency and Nike sneakers.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding this crime to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today marked the 10^th annual  National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day by urging New Yorkers to dispose of unused drugs at Take-Back Day sites and drop boxes that are available year-round. Prescription Drug Take-Back Days are organized twice a year by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in conjunction with state and local officials to provide a safe, convenient, and legal way to dispose of unused prescription drugs so that they are not susceptible to abuse. Individuals can turn in drugs anonymously, whether the drugs were prescribed to them or not. In the last four years, the total amount of drugs collected was 4,823,251 pounds, or 2,411 tons.  Attorney General Schneiderman promoted the initiative at an event co-hosted by the Attorney General, Suffolk County Police Department, County Executive Steve Bellone and other local elected officials and community leaders.

Attorney General Schneiderman led the effort to enact the Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act, or I-STOP, a comprehensive law to fight prescription drug abuse that created year-round medication drop boxes. I-STOP expanded on the model of the take-back day to make medication drop boxes available year round for the safe and legal disposal of unused prescription drugs.

“One of the keys to stemming the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse is cutting off easy access to unused drugs in home medicine cabinets,” said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “That’s why New York’s groundbreaking I-STOP law expanded on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to make medication drop boxes available year round all across the state. I encourage all New Yorkers to dispose of unneeded drugs at a local site on Take-Back Day, and to visit the Department of Health website to locate a year-round drop box.”

“Stopping drug abuse before it starts is the most effective way to combat addiction,” said County Executive Steve Bellone. “Cutting off the access that many people, particularly our youth, have in their own homes is one of the most effective tools we have in our arsenal. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to do just that. By properly disposing of unwanted or unused drugs we can eliminate the easiest access many users have to drugs and continue to curb the problem. I thank Attorney General Schneiderman for hosting today’s event and am proud to be partnering with his office on this crucial initiative.”

“This initiative addresses a vital public safety issue,” said Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre. “There should be no reason to have prescriptions that are no longer in use at home. I’m proud to be part of this initiative”

“Prescription drug abuse is a growing epidemic in every community across Long Island, and is fueling the alarming rise in heroin abuse and overdose deaths,” said Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer. “This is the perfect opportunity for residents to clean out their medicine cabinets, make their homes safer, and protect our young people.”

Prescription drug overdoses, and the related problem of heroin overdoses, are a major problem on Long Island. Heroin and prescription opioid overdoses killed 341 people on Long Island in 2014.[1]As in previous years, the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. The goal of take-back days is to close that avenue of access.

New York State has been a leader in addressing the prescription drug abuse crisis in innovative ways. The Attorney General’s Internet System for Tracking Over Prescribing Act (I-STOP) legislation, signed into law in 2012, established New York as the first state in the nation to mandate that physicians consult a real-time database – where pharmacists report every prescription they fill for a schedule II, III, IV, or V narcotic – to check a patient’s history before prescribing one of these powerful drugs. I-STOP mandated the rescheduling of hydrocodone to Schedule II, which ended automatic refills for this highly abused drug. The law also made New York the first state in the nation to mandate eventual universal e-prescribing.

I-STOP has been credited with helping reduce prescription drug abuse by addressing the problems of doctor shopping and the use of stolen or falsified prescriptions. In just a few months, more than 45,000 prescribers conducted approximately 2.4 million searches in the database. In the first three days of operation, these searches identified more than 200 instances of apparent doctor-shopping. With the help of the medical community, the State of New York has made substantial progress in mitigating the problems associated with opioid drug abuse.

I-STOP vastly enhances the effectiveness of New York’s prescription tracking system. Its goal is to enable doctors and pharmacists to provide prescription pain medications, and other controlled substances, to patients who truly need them. At the same time, it arms them with the necessary data to detect potentially dangerous drug interactions, identify patterns of abuse by patients, doctors and pharmacists, help those who suffer from crippling addictions and prevent potential addiction before it starts.

A.G. Schneiderman thanked the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration and the New York State Department of Health for organizing National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day events across New York State.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Police arrested a gang member on Friday, September 25 in Mastic Beach who was wanted by the Wilson County Police Department in North Carolina for six counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill.

Members of the Suffolk County Police Robbery Task Force, assisted by officers from the Seventh Precinct Tri-Hamlet Initiative, located Shaki Darrell Jones, 26, of North Carolina, on Cranberry Drive at 9:30 p.m.

Suffolk County Police arrested Shaki Darrell Jones, 26, of North Carolina, a gang member who was wanted by the Wilson County Police Department in North Carolina. Photo Credit: SCPD.

Members of both task forces received information that Jones, identified as a member of the Nine Trey Gangstas, a Bloods street gang, had fled North Carolina to Mastic Beach following a shooting incident that occurred on April 1, 2015 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Robbery Task Force detectives located Jones, who attempted to deceive police by identifying himself as another person. Jones was arrested and charged with Criminal Impersonation 2nd Degree, and he will be held at First District Court in Central Islip on September 26 as a fugitive from justice. North Carolina authorities have been notified and extradition proceedings are pending.

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) On Tuesday, Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R,C,I-South Huntington) joined fellow lawmakers at Walt Whitman High School Performing Arts Center for a forum as a member of the Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction & Community Response. The task force was created to combat the widespread heroin epidemic in New York State. Rehabilitation and treatment organization representatives, law enforcement officials, and insurance companies attended the forum to provide feedback.

Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci addresses the audience at the forum. Photo Credit: NYS.

“It was a very moving and emotional forum, as we heard several personal accounts from members of our community who have firsthand experience dealing with the damage that heroin addiction causes them and their families,” said Lupinacci. “Now is the time to take action; we cannot allow our communities to fall victim to devastating drugs like heroin.”

The Assembly Republican Conference will continue to host forums throughout the year in different regions of the state.

“This task force will be very beneficial to every community in New York State. We will continue to work with experts to seek better answers to the rampant heroin epidemic our state is facing. We need to lend a helping hand to those suffering from heroin addiction, and the only way to do that is to listen to what’s going on and work together to find the best solutions,” concluded Lupinacci.

Two-day conference engages over 350 event participants and over 1,700 viewers via livestream to spark new ideas and advance REV’s goals and initiatives

(Long Island, NY) With all eyes on New York with the arrival of Pope Francis, the UN General Assembly, and Climate Week, REV4NY Exchange today concluded with a series of interactive, breakout brainstorming sessions.  The REV4NY Exchange, which had 350 attendees and over 1,700 unique viewers via livestream from across the country and State, provided an opportunity for participants to share ideas and co-create new energy solutions taking advantage of the ecosystem for innovation created by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’sReforming the Energy Vision strategy.  It sent a clear message that New York State is “open for business” with different elements of REV creating unprecedented opportunities for innovative approaches to advance clean energy and promote economic development.

The REV4NY Exchange was a featured event of Climate Week, proclaimed by Governor Cuomo from September 22-29 to raise awareness about the challenges faced from a changing climate and to highlight the steps New York is taking to increase resiliency and curb emissions.

As part of the conference, high ranking officials from New York utilities, a cross-section of business, technology and innovation sectors and the State were challenged to think “outside of the box” and beyond traditional notions of the utility and the electric grid.  Participants were asked to explore how new business models made possible by REV can create new revenue opportunities for their organizations while building a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.  In addition, the conference served as a launch pad for REV Connect, which will serve as a vehicle to match these smart ideas and project concepts from third parties with the needs of communities and utilities.

During his opening keynote, Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance for the State of New York said: “As world leaders gather in New York to discuss critical topics including climate change, 350 people chose to attend this conference with over 1,700 individuals watching the live stream because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They’re here to help bring about a cleaner, better energy system for New York, deploying first of their kind solutions here that can then be scaled around the country and around the world   Because unlike in Vegas, what happens in New York does not stay in New York — if they can make it here, they can make it anywhere.”

The first day of the conference started with a call to action by Kauffman, stating “we cannot complete our mission without creating a culture of innovation.”  REV Connect will offer expert guidance, feedback and facilitation to ensure a robust pipeline of future REV demonstrations, non-wire alternatives and other innovative projects. The unique event format then allowed the New York State energy leadership team to directly engage panelists and participants about key industry topics including community energy solutions, bolstering resiliency, building efficiency, platforms for distributed energy resources (DER) coordination, energy marketplace program development, and analytics for a transactive grid.

In a closing fireside chat, Audrey Zibelman, Chair of the New York State Public Service Commission, echoed the unique opportunities REV presents as part of the major regulatory reform associated with it: “We’re moving into an extraordinarily collaborative effort to reinvent our energy system and give consumers new options for cleaner, more affordable power.  That requires utilities, third-parties, and regulators to put their heads together and think in new ways, which is why we’re excited to have each of these actors represented here and doing just that today. ”

The panel session format offered a variety of perspectives on new ways to grow clean energy markets. Some of the major themes covered in the various panels included: putting individual customers at the center and working backwards from their diverse needs, desires, and interests; partnering in new ways and with new kinds of actors to accelerate clean energy markets; engaging and serving low-to-moderate income New Yorkers with clean energy solutions; and open-sourcing our challenges to foster innovative and disruptive solutions from conventional and non-conventional sources alike.

Companies participating on the panels, breakout sessions and as exhibitors included: Johnson Controls, Nexant, Smarter Grid Solutions, OPower, Clean Energy Collective, BlocPower and Siemens among many other established nationally-known brand named companies and growth companies already benefiting from the emergent clean energy economy.

Some highlights of remarks from panelists and participants during the first day included:

“The purpose of REV is to reduce energy costs and improve resiliency while making the system cleaner.” – John Rhodes, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

“REV is about placing the customers in the middle of the innovation.” – Gil C. Quiniones, President and CEO, New York Power Authority (NYPA)

“REV has validated our decision to select New York as our U.S. headquarters, and we have seen dramatic growth as a result.” – Bob Currie, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Smarter Grid Solutions

“It’s an exciting time to be working in the State of New York on energy projects.” – Kate Fish, Executive Director, Adirondack North Country Association

“There’s an opportunity to make it so simple for people to take action.” – Riggs Kubiak, Founder & CEO, Honest Buildings

“New York is taking a lead under REV showing the world exactly how working to protect the environment is proving to be good for clean energy businesses and New Yorkers” – Anne Reynolds, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York’s

During the second day, participants broke out into four different groups for in-depth three-hour sessions to share experiences and perspectives, discuss the root causes behind today’s barriers, and develop ideas on how new business models can meaningfully move REV forward. The sessions covered the four key areas that will impact the future of REV:

• New Models for Reducing Peak Load and Advancing Energy Efficiency
• REV-Enabled Solutions for Low-and-Moderate Income Customers
• Enabling The Active Customer
• Reaching and Serving the Passive Customer

The REV4NY Exchange also saw the premiere of a new video highlighting the story of Red Hook, Brooklyn, which is a community with significant numbers of low- to moderate-income residents who are often more vulnerable to extreme weather events. The community was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy and is now planning for a more resilient future with the help of the NY Prize community microgrid competition under REV.  View it at bit.ly/1OweSkD.

The REV4NY Exchange is just one of many opportunities through which the state is soliciting feedback and participation from clean energy markets and customers on a variety of REV issues. For instance, public statement hearings and information sessions have been scheduled throughout September and October on the PSC’s Low-Income energy affordability proceeding. Future events and community meetings are also being planned to directly engage a number of diverse constituencies, communities and consumers on the REV issues they care about most.

About Reforming the Energy Vision
Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) is New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s strategy to build a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. REV is transforming New York’s energy policy under new state-wide initiatives and regulatory reforms to grow the state’s clean energy economy, support innovation, ensure grid resilience, mobilize private capital, create new jobs, and increase choice and affordability for energy consumers. REV places clean, locally produced power at the core of New York’s energy system which protects the environment and supports the State’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% while generating 50% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Successful initiatives already launched as part of REV include NY Sun, NY Green Bank, NY Prize, K-Solar, and a includes a commitment to improve energy affordability for low-income communities.

To learn more about REV, please visit www.ny.gov/REV4NY or follow us at @Rev4NY.