Latest news with #EricGonzalez
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
9 alleged Brooklyn gang members arrested as part of NYPD takedown effort
Police say a group of young gang members who terrorized Brooklyn neighborhoods is now off the streets. It's part of a major gang takedown effort by the New York City Police Department. Suspects involved in 10 shootings According to police, the young gunmen, all between the ages of 17-20, are part of the Road to Riches gang, known as R2R. "It's a dangerous crew. I take no satisfaction in arresting teenagers and young people, but this crew, they're rash, they're impulsive," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. At a news conference Thursday, officials said nine members were charged in a 68-count conspiracy indictment. We're told they were involved in 10 shootings, including a homicide. Surveillance videos show gunmen opening fire in East New York and Brownsville, Brooklyn. "Every single subject charged in the case has been involved in a shooting," NPYD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. "R2R seems to be fighting with everyone," Gonzalez said. "What we are seeing is obscene violence." "These nine gang members, it's really not only an indictment on their action, but it's an indictment on our city," Mayor Eric Adams said. Gun violence down in Brooklyn The NYPD says it conducted more than 40 gang takedowns so far this year, which resulted in over 300 arrests and 230 illegal guns off city streets. The police commissioner and Brooklyn DA say gun violence in the borough is at an all-time low. City data shows homicides in Brooklyn are down one-third, shootings incidents are down 20% and shooting victims 15%. But officials admit there's still work to do with the city's youth and gun violence. Since 2018, police say arrests of children with guns have gone up 136%, confirmed shooters under 18 are up 92% and young victims are up 81%. "Those numbers speak for themselves, and they point to a system where accountability has been weakened by this change in the law, and gangs have adapted by targeting younger recruits," Tisch said. "We are willing to offer services, we're willing to meet you halfway if you lay down your guns," Gonzalez said in a message to the youth.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- New York Post
Baby-faced Brooklyn gangbangers terrorized neighborhood with gun violence — and boasted about carnage: prosecutors
A band of baby-faced gangbangers who dubbed themselves 'Road 2 Riches' allegedly shot an innocent 68-year-old woman, opened fire inside a bodega and brazenly boasted about murdering a rival gangster as they terrorized their Brooklyn neighborhood with gun violence, prosecutors said Thursday. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and NYPD cracked down on nine members of the 'Road 2 Riches' crew — who are all 20 years or younger — as they threw down a disturbing 68-count indictment on the pack of brutes on Wednesday. The gangsters were allegedly behind ten different shootings over the past couple of years — at one point striking an innocent 68-year-old woman in hopes of taking out warring gang members in East New York and Brownsville, District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said during a press conference Thursday. Advertisement Nine alleged gang members all under the age of 21. Brooklyn District Attorney Office 'And this kind of indiscriminate gun violence is what makes people in Brooklyn afraid, and this is why this indictment is so important,' the top Brooklyn prosecutor said, adding, 'No one should have to live with the fear of bullets whizzing by them.' In one brazen shooting, King Downing, 18, allegedly opened fire inside a bodega when he and other R2R members saw two unarmed brothers they believed were part of another gang walk inside in August 2023. Advertisement Victim Abdoulaye Ba, 24, was shot in the head and later pronounced dead, prosecutors said. R2R was quick to celebrate the fatal shooting on social media. 'Your homie died, them shot on us,' an Instagram post said, while other posts bragged about 'smoking' the victim, Gonzalez said. 'Now, typically, when someone commits a homicide or a murder, they don't want to be identified as the person who did it,' Gonzalez said. Advertisement 'But in this gang violence arena, people need to take credit for the shooting of rival gang members, and this is what you see here.' In another shooting, DeAnthony Ortiz, 18, allegedly took aim and fired at two men in territory controlled by another gang in Brownsville in broad daylight. The gunfire struck a 68-year-old woman who was simply trying to get home from grocery shopping in October 2023. Brooklyn's top prosecutor decried the gun violence. X/NYCMayor Advertisement She survived the attack and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Other shootings involved injuring a 14-year-old boy, a perceived R2R enemy, in March 2023 and hitting two moving vehicles when gangsters allegedly shot at a possible rival on a scooter in April 2025, prosecutors said. One car was an Uber that had a father and his two daughters inside. The trio and driver were unharmed when the bullet hit the front passenger's seat. Gangsters also shot at a group of people on another opponent's turf, wounding a 23-year-old man in November 2024, according to prosecutors. R2R has been at war with 'Pistol Packin Pitkin' (PPP) and the 'WOOO' and 'CHOO' Folk Nation gangs, according to the district attorney's office. 'They've been fighting with everyone,' Gonzalez said of R2R. The nine suspects are facing a wide array of charges, including second- and fourth-degree conspiracy, second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment, prosecutors said. Mayor Eric Adams tore into the alleged gangsters and pleaded with city and state lawmakers to pass tougher laws that could help authorities clamp down on violent offenders. Advertisement 'These nine gang members are really not only an indictment on their action, but it's an indictment on our city,' Adams said. 'Younger and younger people are becoming victims of crimes and participating in crime.' Downing, Ortiz, Mikeem Echevarria, 18, Jevonte Jaime, 17, Qvon Weaver, 19, Quinn Parker, 19, Anthony Wilkinson, 20, Korey George, 19, and Samuel Gaiter, 18, were held on remand or high bail, according to the district attorney's office.
Finextra
19-06-2025
- Finextra
US cops bust cryptocurrency scam that used Facebook advertisements and scam websites
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services Adrienne Harris, today announced that a multi-agency long-term investigation resulted in the disruption of a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scam that targeted members of the Russian community in Brooklyn and across the country. 0 Stolen cryptocurrency was sent to domain registrars as payment to create fake cryptocurrency investment domains and to Meta as payment for Facebook advertisements that promoted fraudulent cryptocurrency investment opportunities. After learning of the investigation, Meta shut down more than 700 accounts associated with the 'Black Hat' advertiser promoting the scam. Court orders have led to the seizure of $140,000 worth of cryptocurrency, the freezing of approximately $300,000 worth of cryptocurrency, and the dismantling of a cluster of scam websites and registrar accounts. District Attorney Gonzalez said, 'As crypto scams continue to proliferate, it is crucial for law enforcement agencies to work together in order to stop them. That's what happened in this case, with the fraudulent network being shut down, victims warned to stop investing and some of the stolen money getting recovered. I am grateful for the partnership with the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Financial Services that led to this successful outcome. My office will continue to investigate every reported scam in Brooklyn and to educate residents about how to protect themselves from these dangerous frauds.' 'Hundreds of New York investors thought they were putting their hard-earned money in safe, high-return investments, only to be defrauded out of millions of dollars,' said Attorney General James. 'These scammers targeted Russian speakers on Facebook with enticing ads and my office together with DFS and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office took action to stop these scammers and protect New Yorkers. I urge all New Yorkers to be vigilant of online cryptocurrency investment ads.' New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris said, 'Through partnership and collaboration with the Brooklyn District Attorney and New York Attorney General, hundreds of thousands of dollars were returned to victims and these criminals were held accountable for their deplorable actions. As a preeminent global regulator of cryptocurrency, banks, insurers, and other financial services providers, the Department will continue to work every day to build a more equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system for all New Yorkers.' The investigation began in October 2024 when NYDFS became aware that a fake cryptocurrency investment website was displaying what looked like a BitLicense certificate, purportedly issued by the agency (these certificates are issued to legitimate virtual currency businesses operating in New York to ensure compliance with state laws, consumer protection and transparency). The first site NYDFS identified was and further investigation revealed that the domain name was linked to a large network of related domains and accounts that were part of a scam campaign targeting Russian-speaking residents of Brooklyn and across the state and country. The scammers involved in this scheme lured victims with deceptive social media ads, many in Russian and primarily on Facebook, featuring popular names and personalities. Once victims showed interest in investing, scammers responded and moved the conversation to encrypted private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. After the victims made an initial investment on the fraudulent platforms, scammers then falsely showed the victims that their investment accounts were increasing in value and encouraged victims to send more money. After making more investments, sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and were told they needed to pay more in false withdrawal fees or taxes. Eventually, the scammers cut off contact with the victim and pocketed their money. In the course of the investigation, more than 300 victims were identified, and many were personally contacted by Brooklyn District Attorney and New York State Department of Financial Services investigators and alerted to the fraud so that they would stop sending funds to fake investment platforms. It's estimated that the scheme caused over $1 million in losses in Brooklyn alone. To disrupt the scheme and prevent future harm, the DA's Office executed a series of warrants that resulted in the seizure of over 100 domains and 17 registrar accounts; terminated scammers' access to their web-based email, effectively disconnecting their communications with victims; seized $140,000 that was stolen from victims that can now be returned; and was able, with NYDFS, to monitor blockchain activity in real time and warn dozens of victims who had just started engaging with the scammers, preventing the future loss of funds. In addition, DA Gonzalez appeared in Russian media to explain these types of frauds and advise community members on how to protect themselves. The scammers targeted Russian speakers by launching a campaign of advertisements on Facebook which promised high returns on cryptocurrency investments. To avoid revealing their real identity to Facebook and to evade restrictions on misleading and fraudulent advertisement, the scammers paid individuals based in Vietnam for 'Black Hat' advertising services. 'Black Hat' advertising on Facebook refers to deceptive online tactics used to promote services that violate Facebook's advertising policies. The investigation revealed that the scammers used over a million dollars' worth of cryptocurrency stolen from victims to pay 'Black Hat' advertisers for the placement of the deceptive advertisements. The Office of the Attorney General joined the investigation, focusing on the payment of funds to the 'Facebook Black Hat' advertisers. Their investigation revealed that a 'Black Hat' advertiser was converting Bitcoin sent by victims into local Vietnamese currency, which was used to purchase more fraudulent ads on Facebook. The OAG successfully obtained a court order to freeze $300,000 in cryptocurrency accounts linked to the 'Black Hat' advertisers. Residents of New York who want to verify the legitimacy of a cryptocurrency exchange or file a complaint about a cryptocurrency company, product, or service can visit the DFS website, visit or call (800) 342-3736. DFS continues to set the bar for prudential regulation of virtual currency, protecting consumers; preserving markets; and rooting out financial crimes like money laundering and terrorist financing. New Yorkers who have been affected by deceptive conduct in cryptocurrency markets should also report the conduct to OAG by filing an online complaint. Brooklyn residents who believe they've been scammed are encouraged to report to the DA's Office by calling 718-250-2340. Attorney General James also encourages workers in the cryptocurrency industry who may have witnessed misconduct or fraud to file an online whistleblower complaint, which can be done anonymously.
CBS News
04-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Cook Children's sees spike in gun injuries, urges parents to lock up firearms
With school out and more children spending time at home, officials at Cook Children's in Fort Worth are urging families to secure their firearms, as the hospital reports a rise in gun-related injuries involving kids. So far, in the first six months of 2025, Cook Children's has treated 40 firearm injuries. That's compared to 62 total for all last year. "That's a lot," said Eric Gonzalez, the program coordinator at Cook Children's. "And that's probably more than we've seen in the three years prior to that as well." Gonzalez said the increase likely stems from the number of firearms in homes, especially in Texas, and the fact that many of them aren't stored safely. "I think it's just because there are more guns out there every day," he said. "Guns are very prevalent here in our community, especially in Texas, and when we don't lock our guns up, we open that door." Doctors say it's not just handguns they're concerned about. BB guns, airsoft guns and even paintball guns have sent children to the emergency room. "I think what we hear all the time is, 'It will never happen to me,' or 'My child knows better,'" Gonzalez said. "But a child is still a child. They're always curious and getting into things." The injuries can be serious. Gonzalez said an airsoft gun can cause two to three inches of penetration, and a 9mm handgun can do far with the potential to be fatal or cause lifelong injuries. To help prevent that, Cook Children's encourages parents to follow the "Three T's": Talk to your kids Teach them about gun safety Take action by locking up firearms. In the emergency room, they hand out free cable locks to families as part of a push to turn moments of crisis into teachable ones. "Since we started this last year, we've given out close to 1,000 cable locks, just in the emergency department," Gonzalez said. He emphasized that the message isn't political, it's about protection. "At the end of the day, they're kids, and they're going to do what comes to their minds. Sometimes it's impulsive," he said. "So, if we lock them up, we really minimize that risk of them unintentionally hurting themselves." Gun Violence Awareness Day is Friday, June 6. Supporters across the country will wear orange to honor those impacted by gun violence and promote education around gun safety.
BreakingNews.ie
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Actor Michael Pitt charged with sexual abuse and assault of ex-girlfriend
Actor Michael Pitt, known for his TV roles in Boardwalk Empire and Dawson's Creek, has been accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, choking her, and attacking her with a cinder block and a piece of wood at his New York City home, according to a grand jury indictment. Pitt, 44, whose lawyers denied the allegations, was arrested on Friday on nine counts including first-degree sexual abuse, criminal sexual acts, assault, attempted assault and strangulation. Advertisement The indictment cites four incidents between April 2020 and August 2021 at Pitt's home in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez's office declined to comment on Wednesday beyond the allegations listed in the indictment. Pitt's lawyer, Jason Goldman, said he already had exonerating evidence and expected the case to be dismissed. 'Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr Pitt – an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes – can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unreliable individual,' Mr Goldman said in a text message to The Associated Press. Advertisement He added: 'In reality, this baseless claim is suspiciously raised some four or five years after the alleged incident, from a time when the two parties were in a completely consensual relationship.' Pitt pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday and posted 100,000 dollars bail, Goldman said. He is due back in court in Brooklyn on June 17. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, which the woman in Pitt's case has not done. The indictment alleges Pitt forcibly touched his ex-girlfriend sexually in April 2020. In August 2020, the grand jury alleges Pitt forced oral sex on the woman and assaulted her with a four-inch-by-four-inch piece of wood. Advertisement The indictment also says Pitt attacked her with a cinder block twice in June 2021 and choked her in August 2021. TMZ reported in 2022 that Pitt was arrested in Brooklyn for allegedly punching a man after taking his phone and, two months later, was brought to hospital under police escort after a public outburst in New York. Pitt, who grew up in New Jersey, played the character Jimmy Darmody for two seasons on HBO's Boardwalk Empire, with the cast led by Steve Buscemi winning Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2011 and 2012 for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series. The show also won a Golden Globe for best drama series in 2011. His first major role came in the 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch. In 2005, he starred in Last Days, director Gus Van Sant's film about a fictional rock star inspired by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Advertisement He also played Henry Parker in one season of The WB's Dawson's Creek in 1999-2000.
