Day: November 25, 2024

East Flatbush residents gathered at P.S. 135 Sheldon A. Brookner High School on Nov. 23 for a Thanksgiving celebration that blended wellness workshops, community support and holiday cheer.

Hosted by LinkNYC, Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman, IAmWonda Woman, and East Flatbush Village Inc. the event — “Harvesting Health & Harmony” — kicked off at 11 a.m. with workshops led by LinkNYC’s community liaison, Tony Parent. The sessions focused on mental health, reducing gun violence, and managing trauma and stress, especially during the holiday season.

The celebration concluded in the schoolyard with a free concert featuring performances by the Ross Boyz and rapper Special Ed, followed by a headline set by East Flatbush native and P.S. 135 alumnus Busta Rhymes.

Nicole Robinson Etienne, senior director of external affairs for LinkNYC, noted that the organization partnered with Chandler-Waterman in 2023 to establish a 988 dial feature on LinkNYC kiosks, connecting New Yorkers experiencing mental health crises directly to the suicide and crisis lifeline.

“We partnered together today to have mental health workshops to help address seasonal depression and other issues during the holiday time,” Robinson Etienne said.

Noderea John, a licensed clinical social worker and chair of Assembly District 58’s mental health task force, emphasized the importance of making resources accessible, particularly during the holidays, when many face loneliness, depression or food insecurity.

“This event is all about coming together as a community and making sure that people have a sense of social network,” John said, adding that inflation has made it harder for families to meet basic needs. “When you have food insecurities, when you have limited resources, it is a stressor, and it impacts everyone’s mental health.”

Dr. Mida Leacock, president of IAmWonda Woman, shared that her organization hosted a workshop for young women in foster care.

“We pick 10 foster girls every year, and we focus on them for the year,” Dr. Leacock said, “so we’re doing a workshop on financial literacy, mental health and wellness and career path.”

After the workshops, volunteers distributed more than 600 frozen turkeys in the school cafeteria. Representatives from the FDNY, the Department of Education, and MetroPlusHealth were among the organizations offering information about community resources.

Assembly Member Chandler-Waterman, an alumna of P.S. 135, said the event aimed to foster hope and unity in the community. “Today is all about giving thanks and making sure that people know there’s hope and bringing love and life to them as well,” she said.

Chandler-Waterman explained that the turkey giveaway was about more than just addressing food insecurity.

“The turkey for the meal, but it’s [also] a symbolism of, ‘You’re loved, you’re appreciated.’ Someone took the time out to think about you, and this is what this event is about,” she said.

East Flatbush resident Anita Lawrence said the holiday season remains difficult for many, particularly those who lost family members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Giving back to the community, this is something that we need, and it’s going to uplift everyone,” Lawrence said. “So I think this is amazing, you know, for everybody to just celebrate, you know, and give thanks.”

Before Rhymes and longtime friend hip-hop artist Spliff Star took the stage, local officials honored the musicians for their contributions to the community and the genre.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who showcased his beatboxing skills for the crowd, presented Edward “Special Ed” Archer and William “Spliff Star” Lewis with citations and Busta Rhymes with a proclamation.

“It’s an honor for me to give out the citations and the proclamations to people I looked up to,” Williams said.

Chandler-Waterman presented Rhymes with a proclamation from the State Assembly, and a representative for Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso declared Nov. 23, 2024, “Busta Rhymes Day.”

After the concert, Rhymes reflected on his connection to Brooklyn.

“We give back to the community regularly because it’s home, and it’s not really something that we do for recognition,” he said. “We just sometimes do it for peace of mind and comfort.”

A local business owner was convicted Thursday of defrauding taxpayer-funded mortgage lenders out of millions of dollars in a years-long scheme involving fraudulent short sales of distressed properties.

Queens resident Avraham Tarshish, 40, now faces up to 30 years in prison after a Brooklyn jury found him guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, as well as related wire fraud charges.

The verdict was announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, following a 12-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie.

According to prosecutors, Tarshish, an employee of My Ideal Property Inc. and owner of several real estate companies — including Exclusive Homes Realty Group, Inc. and Homeowners Solutions Group LTD — conducted the scheme between March 2013 and November 2018.

Authorities said the Brooklyn business owner and his four co-conspirators manipulated short sale transactions, which allow distressed homeowners to sell properties for less than the mortgage owed, typically with the lender agreeing to forgive the remaining balance. The scheme involved artificially deflating property values and immediately reselling the homes at much higher prices.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Tarshish paid homeowners in foreclosure to ensure exclusive access to short sales, blocked competitive offers by failing to market the properties as required, and placed fraudulent liens on homes to lower their perceived value. He and his co-conspirators also intentionally damaged properties, removing toilets and plumbing and creating other issues — calling it a way to make the homes “pretty,” according to trial testimony.

False documents were provided to mortgage lenders, concealing payments to homeowners and side agreements to flip properties at inflated prices. Many affected loans were insured by the Federal Housing Administration or backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, entities funded by taxpayers.

Prosecutors presented specific evidence from 11 fraudulent short sales in Brooklyn that caused lenders more than $2.4 million in losses.

“The defendant defrauded taxpayer-funded mortgage loan holders out of millions of dollars and took advantage of programs designed to help distressed property owners in need,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Short sale mortgage fraud not only harms lending intuitions, it also depresses real estate values throughout our
neighborhoods and prevents community members from gaining fair access to housing.”

Tarshish’s co-conspirators who previously pleaded guilty, Iskyo Aronov, Michael Konstantinovskiy and Tomer Dafna are also facing the maximum sentence of 30 years when sentenced. The fourth co-conspirator, Brooklynite Michael Herskowitz, could serve up to five years in prison for his role in the scheme.

Brooklyn detectives are investigating a deadly shooting late on Sunday night that claimed a man’s life and left another seriously wounded.

Police say they received a slew of 911 calls at around 10:25 p.m. on Nov. 24 of multiple people shot at the corner of Albany Avenue and Decatur Street in Stuyvesant Heights.

Officers from the 79th Precinct raced to the scene to find two men on the ground: one unidentified man suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his body, while the other, aged 19, sustained a bullet wound to his back.

EMS rushed both men to Kings County Hospital, where the unidentified man was pronounced dead. The teen is listed in serious but stable condition.

The motive for the shooting remains unknown and under investigation. Sources familiar with the case said the 19-year-old victim is being uncooperative with detectives.

Police sources did not have a description of the shooter but say the gunman may have fled in a gray four-door sedan.

No arrests have been made in the ongoing probe, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident or the suspect’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.