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Computer Scam: Seven from Ramapo plead guilty, face prison and thousands in fines

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Photo: John Meore/The Journal News

“Nearly four years after hundreds of FBI agents and law enforcement officers raided Ramapo businesses and private schools, seven Rockland residents have pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal million of dollars from a federal program designed to provide computer technology to schools.

Prosecutors got guilty pleas to conspiracy from Peretz Klein and his wife Susan Klein, both of Spring Valley; and five Monsey residents, Simon Goldbrenner, Moshe Schwartz, Ben Klein, Sholem Steinberg and Aron Melber. [Read more…]

East Ramapo trustee Bernard Charles pleads guilty in fake town rental case, will quit school board

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Bernard Charles LoHud File Photo

“East Ramapo school board member Bernard Charles, accused of pretending to be a Ramapo town official, renting out the town’s Cultural Arts Center and pocketing the $1,100 fee, pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor petty larceny as part of a plea deal with the Rockland District Attorney’s Office.

Charles also will pay back the town of Ramapo $1,100 and will resign from the East Ramapo school board. He will also be on probation for two years. [Read more…]

New York slumlords thrive as political leaders look away: Preserve Ramapo Chairman

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Photo of Bob Rhodes Chairman of Preserve Ramapo

Robert Rhodes Chairman Preserve Ramapo

The following editorial by Robert Rhodes appeared in The Journal News December 31, 2018

Our housing market is broken. Improving economic conditions have not led to the construction of affordable housing. The cost of two-bedroom apartments in Manhattan went up by 30 percent in 2016 and the outer boroughs were not far behind.

As rents have increased the marginal middle class is moving down into less desirable housing and paying more and more money for housing while competing with poorer families. This is what happens when more money chases the fixed supply of an essential product. [Read more…]

Some Light at the End of Ramapo’s Audit Tunnel?

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Front Page of the Journal News Magic Numbers

At the last Town Board meeting, a possible schedule for finally getting the Ramapo annual audits for the last four years was divulged. Yes, the town does not have audited annual financial reports for the last four years. You have to go back to 2014 to peruse a certified accounting of the Town’s financial numbers. Why has this happened? Well, you have to start with the number 77363-054. That’s the audited prison ID for our past Supervisor, and master chef of Ramapo’s cooked books–currently serving 2 ½ years at US Federal Prison in Waymart, PA. [Read more…]

Fonvil sentenced, but Spring Valley still seeks responsible governance

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Vilair Fonvil at his sentencing Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News

The following editorial from Nancy Cutler appeared in Thursday’s Journal News.

“Another public official in Ramapo — Spring Valley this time — got time for abusing the public trust.

Former village Trustee Vilair Fonvil was sentenced on Sept. 17 to a year in the county jail — he faced up to 15 years in prison — for pocketing some $11,000 in precious village taxpayer dollars. He spent two days there until he was released pending an appeal.

A conviction is another stumble along the troubled path of Ramapo and Spring Valley’s ruling class: Remember when the village’s former mayor and deputy mayor got popped for taking separate, unrelated bribes on the same development project? Or when the state installed a monitor to ensure the local school district, East Ramapo, provide even the most basic education for children? Or when former town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence’s securities fraud trial was closely watched in hopes it would shed some light on the town’s mysterious and sinking finances? [Read more…]

Ramapo tech scam: Monsey businessman once cited as a NYC slumlord

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Peretz Klein photographed during the 2016 FBI raid

Peretz Klein during 2016 FBI raid Photo/The Journal News

“A Monsey businessman charged in a $14 million scheme to rip off a federal program to provide computers to yeshivas was once cited as a New York City slumlord.

Peretz Klein, who ran the Bridgestone Group LLC, in 2012 and 2013 faced 144 infractions of the New York City health code for a 46-unit apartment building at 1645 Grand Ave. in the Bronx, according to the New York City Public Advocate’s Office.

The company is no longer listed on the office’s “NYC Worst Landlord Watchlist” for 2017. The company’s corporate address is Klein’s home at 44 Ellish Parkway. [Read more…]