After NYCHA Extortion Take Down Tapia Pled Guilty to a Felony Now US Wants Retirement Funds

After NYCHA Extortion Take Down Tapia Pled Guilty to a Felony Now US Wants Retirement Funds by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 13  – For days Inner City Press had heard from its sources there would be a "takedown" on February 6, each SDNY Magistrate Judge would handle seven to 10 defendants. Arrests happen at 6 am. So at 5:55 am Inner City Press tweeted it, first to X subscribers with the spoiler alert: the expectation was that each of the current or former NYCHA employees would be released on bond the same day.   And then hours later at 9:39 am the prosecutors announced it. Media rushed around reporting it.  Inner City Press had it first, and after discretely waiting, published it first. Then this thread of presentments, here. On March 27, another guilty plea, by Joseph Fuller for taking $37,800 in bribes. The guideline, Magistrate Judge James L. Cott said, is 18 to 24 months, with a June 26 control date before Judge Dale E. Ho. On April 8, a plea by NYCHA defendant Michael Davis, to a misdemeanor: defrauding HUD. He took $4000 for contracts worth $29,000. He will be sentenced by (Chief) Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, with a July 8 control date. On April 9, a plea by NYCHA defendant Elizabeth Tapia to a felony, for taking $11,000 in bribes for contracts worth $66,000.  Somewhere between the two is the Office's line between misdemeanor and felony, with all its consequences. The US wrote in asking for nine months. On January 27, 2025 Tapia's lawyer wrote in asking for a non-custodial sentence, potentially to include home detention; sentencing was set for January 31. On January 31, Judge Marrero sentenced Tapia to four months in prison, then six months home detention, restitution of $11,000. On July 13, 2026 the US Attorney's Office filed for the turnover of her retirement funds as restitution. This case is USA v. Tapia, 1:24-cr-216 (Marrero)  Watch this site - and these feeds: X and  X for subscribers. And Substack here *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222NY NY 10017 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com