Yonkers Tribune

A.G. Schneiderman Files Groundbreaking Tax Fraud Against Sprint for Over $300 Million

Acting On Whistleblower Information, A.G. Uncovers Telecom Giant’s 7-Year Failure To Collect & Pay Sales Taxes

First Ever Tax Enforcement Action Under Schneiderman's Landmark "False Claims Act" That Increases Tax Fraud Penalties & Rewards Whistleblowers

Sprint's Unlawful Actions Cost NYS $210,000 Per Week, Over $30,000 Per Day

 NEW YORK, NY -- April 19, 2012 --  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman (pictured) today filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against Sprint-Nextel Corp. for deliberately under-collecting and underpaying millions of dollars in New York state and local sales taxes on flat-rate access charges for wireless calling plans. Brought under the New York False Claims Act, the Attorney General’s lawsuit requires Sprint to pay three times its underpayment of over $100 million, plus penalties if found liable. All of Sprint’s major wireless competitors, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS, have followed the law regarding these taxes.

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Major Lawsuit Against Nation’s Largest Banks

Complaint Charges Use of MERS By Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo Resulted In Fraudulent Foreclosure Filings

Servicers and MERS Filed Improper Foreclosure Actions Where Authority to Sue Was Questionable

Schneiderman: MERS and Servicers Engaged in Deceptive and Fraudulent Practices That Harmed Homeowners and Undermined Judicial Foreclosure Process

NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today filed a lawsuit against several of the nation’s largest banks charging that the creation and use of a private national mortgage electronic registry system known as MERS has resulted in a wide range of deceptive and fraudulent foreclosure filings in New York state and federal courts, harming homeowners and undermining the integrity of the judicial foreclosure process. The lawsuit asserts that employees and agents of Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, acting as "MERS certifying officers," have repeatedly submitted court documents containing false and misleading information that made it appear that the foreclosing party had the authority to bring a case when in fact it may not have. The lawsuit names JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as well as Virginia-based MERSCORP, Inc. and its subsidiary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.

Siding With A.G. Schneiderman, Feds Deny Indian Point's Requests For Over 100 Fire Safety Exemptions

Schneiderman: The Safety and Security of 17 Million People Living and Working Near Indian Point Must Be Assured

 

Decision Follows Release of New Federal Study Revealing Significantly Higher Risks of "Earthquake-Caused Ground Motions" in The Central and Eastern U.S.

NEW YORK, NY -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sided with Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today by rejecting Indian Point’s request for more than 100 exemptions from critical fire safety requirements. The Attorney General filed a petition last year over Indian Point’s continued failure to comply with federal fire safety regulations established to keep plants secure in an emergency.

A.G. Schneiderman Secures $1.8 Million from Michaels Stores for Misleading Consumers

AG's Investigation Of Continuous "Sale" Secures $1.8 Million, Including $1 Million For Public Schools Statewide

Schneiderman: For Years, Consumers Were Deceived Into Thinking They Were Receiving Huge Discounts When They Were Paying Regular Prices

ROCHESTER, NY -- As students and teachers returned to school this month, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that retail chain Michaels Stores, Inc. has agreed to enter a $1.8 million settlement for engaging in deceptive advertising practices by misleading consumers into thinking they were receiving steep discounts over a two year period. As part of the settlement, the company will change its advertising practices and contribute $1 million in art and craft supplies to public schools throughout New York State, in addition to $800,000 in civil penalties.

Statement from NY Attorney General’s Office on DoJ’s Lawsuit to Block AT&T, T-Mobile Merger

NEW YORK, NY – Antitrust Bureau Chief of the New York Attorney General’s Office Richard L. Schwartz today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit to block the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile:

“Attorney General Schneiderman looks forward to reviewing the Department of Justice’s complaint to determine the best course forward on behalf of New York consumers and businesses.

Attorney General Schneiderman Announces Sweeping New Initiative to Crack Down on Public Corruption

Attorney General Unveils Innovative Plan to Investigate Earmarks, Contracts, and Other Government Spending Through Cooperation with Comptroller

New Initiative Aggressively Enhances Powers of AG to Combat Crimes in Government

 

NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a sweeping new initiative that will give the Attorney General the authority to investigate and potentially prosecute any wrongdoing involving government spending, including member items, contracts, and pension fraud. By working with the Comptroller to police public integrity in Albany, the Attorney General is building on his multi-pronged approach to root out waste, fraud and corruption in state government.

 

A.G. Schneiderman Launches New Initiative to Bolster Recovery of Taxpayer Dollars and Fight Government Fraud

A.G. Will Establish a New "Taxpayer Protection Unit" to Target Pension Rip-Offs, Corrupt Government Contractors, & Large Scale Tax Cheats New Initiative

Also Includes Bolstering Medicaid-Fraud Control Unit to Increase Recoveries; Plan Will Pay for Itself

new York, NY, 27 January 2011 -- With the state facing a budget crisis and a loss of confidence in its government, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced an aggressive plan to root out fraud and return money illegally stolen from New York taxpayers and their government.  Schneiderman's initiative consists of a one-two punch, establishing a new "Taxpayer Protection Unit" (TPU) to target corrupt contractors, pension con-artists, and large-scale tax cheats who rip-off New York State government and its taxpayers -- and bolstering his office's award-winning Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with dozens of additional prosecutors, investigators, and auditors, using federal funds and increased recoveries, an initiative that will pay for itself and cost state taxpayers no additional money.

Attorney General Cuomo nd U.S. Attorney Lynch Announce Indictment of Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada

Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. and his son Pedro G. Espada charged withembezzling funds from Bronx healthcare clinics

New York, NY -- Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomoand United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch today announced a six-countfederal indictment against Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr. andhis son Pedro Gautier Espada (“Gautier”) for stealing in excess ofhalf a  million dollars from Bronx clinics. This action is the result ofa joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, the UnitedState Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, theFederal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.

Statement from the Office of the Attorney General

The Office of the Attorney General and Jerry Weiss have entered into an Assurance of Discontinuance related to the pension fund investigation.  The agreement is available at http://www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2010/dec/Weiss.pdf.

A.G. Cuomo's Investigation About Pension Padding

ALBANY, NY -- July 8, 2010 -- In March 2010, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo commenced an investigation into a recurring problem known as “pension padding" or “pension spiking”– the manipulation of salary and overtime payments to inflate the ultimate pension benefits paid to retirees.

The New York State Office of the Attorney General (“NYSAG”) collected data from various State and local agencies, municipalities, and authorities, from across the State, which participate in the New York State Common Retirement Fund.

Cuomo Arrests Two Port Chester Contractors for Allegedly Stealing $2 Million Plus on Local Government Contracts

 Officials at Leed Industries Corp. Also Charged with Falsifying Records to Cover Up Crime

May 13, 2010, New York, NY - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the arrests of two Port Chester contractors for allegedly failing to pay approximately $2 million in wages to workers who performed roofing work on numerous schools and other public buildings in Westchester, Dutchess, and Putnam counties.

Attorney General Cuomo Announces Over $100,000 in Restitution from New Rochelle’s JM Hyundai

Sold Former Rental Cars without Informing Customers of Prior Use

 New York, NY -- Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his office is distributing more than $100,000 in restitution to customers of two auto dealerships in the Hudson Valley and Long Island that misrepresented used cars for sale. The dealerships, without telling customers, sold cars that had been used principally as rental vehicles.

Attorney General Cuomo Issues Subpoeana to State Senate for Employee Records in Ongoing Espada Investigation

 Albany, NY -- April 22, 2010 -- Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today served the New York State Senate with a subpoena calling for the production of records related to ten Senate employees who also served on the board or were employed or retained by the Comprehensive Community Development Corporation (“Soundview”), or its affiliated companies.

A.G. Cuomo Charges Espada of Siphoning More than $14 Million Over 5 Years

 Espada Packed Board with Family Members and Senate Employees to Rubber Stamp Expenditures

New York, NY -- April 20, 2010 -- Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo  (pictured)today announced his office has filed suit against Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. for looting the Bronx based not-for-profit where Espada serves as President and CEO. Nineteen current and former officers and directors of the Comprehensive Community Development Corporation (“Soundview”) are also named in the lawsuit.

Attorney General Cuomo’s “Pension Padding” Investigation Expands with Letters to 25 Localities Across NYS

 Investigation Aimed at Artificial Inflation Compensation to Boost Pension payout

City of Yonkers in Receipt of Letter 

Albany, NY -- April 1, 2010 -- Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his investigation into the manipulation of salary and overtime payments that leads to inflated pensions at the expense of taxpayers, known as “pension padding” or “pension spiking,” has expanded to include more than two dozen additional localities across New York State.