By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC-Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN NY Mag
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 23 – Victor Rivera was charged with stealing $1 million from the Bronx Parents Housing Network and pleaded guilty.
On May 23, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Sidney H. Stein held his sentencing. Inner City Press attended and live tweeted it here:
OK- at sentencing for bribery of Victor Rivera of Bronx Parent Housing Network. Out in hall a woman is crying and kneeling in prayer.
In courtroom, sexual harassment is raised. Rivera's lawyer says he cooperated. AUSA says he lied, repeatedly. Rivera is now running a food truck. Judge Stein: You didn't have to steal. You made over $450,000 a year. Rivera: I made only $70,000 a year before that.
Rivera: My consulting company was legal. Judge Stein: It was run by your son. It took kickbacks. Rivera: That was only for 2 years. Judge: You pled to 2013 to 2020. Rivera: I say only since 2018. [So much for acceptance of responsibility]
Rivera: I only own one car. I give away my unused food truck food in Hunts Point. I am no longer in the jewelry business. I have been with Jesus Christ for 27 years. I am asking for mercy. Judge Stein: You stuffed your pockets with money & undermined public trust
Judge Stein: I sentence you, Victor Rivera, to 27 months in prison.
Previously: RIVERA was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Organization-1, which annually spent millions of dollars in public funds on real estate, security, cleaning, construction, and food expenses, among other costs related to the housing and social services Organization-1 provided. From at least in or about 2013 until in or about 2020, RIVERA engaged in a scheme to enrich himself and his relatives by soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from contractors doing work related to or for Organization-1. The scheme yielded RIVERA at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit gains. RIVERA laundered some of the corrupt payments through intermediary entities he controlled, including through a purported consulting company nominally owned by one of RIVERA’s relatives.
The case is US v. Rivera, 21-cr-221 (Stein)\
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