JFK passenger indicted on hate crimes charges

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The Queens District Attorney (DA) Richard A. Brown announced last week that a Massachusetts man has been indicted on hate crimes charges for attacking a Muslim employee inside the Delta Sky Lounge at JFK Airport in January.

The defendant, 57-year-old Robin A. Rhodes of Worcester, was arraigned on Thursday, March 16. He faced a four-count indictment, including third-degree assault as a hate crime, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, third-degree menacing and second-degree aggravated harassment.

He faces up to four years in prison if convicted, the DA says. Rhodes was released on bail and was ordered to return to court on June 12.

“The defendant is accused of physically and verbally attacking a woman for no apparent reason other than because of her religion,” Brown said. “Crimes of hate will never be tolerated in Queens County and when they do, regrettably occur, those responsible will be brought to justice.”

According to the criminal charges, the Delta-contracted employees was sitting in her office inside JFK’s Terminal 2 at about 7:10 p.m. Rhodes, who had arrived from Aruba and was awaiting a connecting flight to Massachusetts, came up to the door.

“Are you [expletive] sleeping? Are you praying? What are you doing?” Rhodes said to the victim, before punching the door, which hit the back of the woman’s chair.

The charges also say when the victim asked Rhodes what she did to him, he said, “You did nothing but I am going to kick your [expletive] ass.”

Rhodes then kicked the victim in the right leg. The victim tried to get away, moving into the corner of her office. Rhodes then allegedly kicked the door, stepped into the office and prevented her from leaving.

When someone came to intervene and calm Rhodes down, the Worcester man moved away from the door. The victim ran out toward the lounge’s front desk.

What happened after was equally as shocking.

According to authorities, Rhodes followed her, then got down on his knees and mockingly bowed down in imitation of a Muslim prayer. He shouted, “[Expletive] Islam, [expletive] ISIS, Trump is here now.”

“He will get rid of all of you,” he continued. “You can ask Germany, Belgium and France about these kinds of people. You will see what happens.”

According to the charges, the victim suffered pain and redness in her right leg.

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Queens Symphony Orchestra to perform in south Queens

Astoria fireworks 2016 best shot of QSO w large crowd

In the next few weeks, you’ll get a chance to listen to the sweet sounds of the Queens Symphony Orchestra for free.

Councilman Eric Ulrich announced the third annual Queens Symphony Orchestra concert series will kick off on Thursday, March 23rd. They will play in neighborhoods including Woodhaven, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park.

“I am a proud supporter of the arts and know how important it is to have quality musical performances in our community,” Ulrich said. “I encourage all my constituents to join us for this wonderful concert series.”

The free events are funded by the City Council’s Cultural Immigrant Initiative.

Each concert will begin at 7 p.m.

Here’s the schedule for the concert series:

  • Thursday, March 23: All Saints Episcopal Church, 85-45 96th Street, Woodhaven,
  • Wednesday, March 29: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 101-41 91st Street, Ozone Park,
  • Tuesday, April 4: West End Temple, 147-02 Newport Avenue, Neponsit,
  • Thursday, April 27: Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, 111-10 115th Street, South Ozone Park,
  • Monday, May 15: Russo’s on the Bay, 162-45 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach.
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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with U2NYC Tribute Band @ Resorts World Casino NYC!

Picture 1Come Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with U2NYC Tribute Band! Come celebrate one of New York’s greatest traditions in Queens!

Come out to Resorts World Casino New York City (RWCNYC) this weekend for the perfect after-parade destination at Bar 360 with U2NYC Tribute band!

Enjoy St. Patrick ’s Day themed Apple Martinis and Green Beer while you watch U2NYC perform a special show paying homage to the classic music of U2. Resorts World will be offering Green Beer for a special price of $5.

And of course all guests can try their hand at RWCNYC’s popular electronic video blackjack machines!

RWCNYC will also be offering the following gaming promotions throughout March:

  • Good Morning Slots: Guests who earn 50 points while playing any slot machine will be eligible to redeem a $15 free play voucher. If points are earned consecutively, guests will receive a $5 increment on their free play up to $35.
  • Bally’s Green Machine: The first 1,000 guests to earn 50 points will have a chance to enter the Bally’s Machine for 20 seconds on Saturday, March 18th. Others will receive $15-$50 in free play valid only on the Bally’s machine.
  • Car & Cash Giveaway: Guests who earn 100 points between March 1st and March 30th may receive an entry for the BMW X3 Car & Cash Giveaway drawing on the 31st.

Resorts World Casino NYC is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica.  www.rwnewyork.com

 

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NYPD Faces Off in Annual Boxing Tournament @ Resorts World Casino!

2370_NYPD_Boxing_3_16_17_275x275NYPD FACES OFF IN ANNUAL BOXING TOURNAMENT

Proceeds Will Benefit Atlas Cops & Kids Foundation to Fun Free Boxing gyms for Officers and Local Children

Join Resorts World Casino New York City for NYPD Boxing Team’s “The Luck of the Irish” boxing tournament at the largest event space in Queens – the casino’s very own Central Park event space –  on Thursday, March 16 at 8 p.m. “The Luck of The Irish” will benefit the Atlas Cops & Kids Foundation, which offers free boxing gyms to police officers and local children.

The annual event will feature approximately 18 police officers from across New York City, including the 23rd, 106th and 113th precincts, facing off to raise funds for the Atlas Cops & Kids Foundation.  Hundreds of police officers will attend the event to support their fellow officers with the help of transportation arranged by RWCNYC.

The “Cops vs. Cops” tradition was founded in 2000 by Dave Siev of the 67th Precinct in Brooklyn. This is the second year in a row the event will be held at Resorts World Casino New York City; last year, it raised $70,000. In 2017, Atlas Cops & Kids Foundation hopes to open a new gym in the Bronx and eventually operate at least one gym in all five boroughs. Currently, the three gyms serve around 300 kids in total.

Enjoy watching New York’s finest duke it out for a good cause and the title of top fighter of the NYPD! For more information and directions to the 2017 Queens All-In Smoker, please visit www.nypdboxing.com, call 646-377-0846, or email smokecop@yahoo.com.

Tickets may be purchased via www.rwnewyork.com or at the Resorts World Casino Gift Shop. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Resorts World Casino New York City is located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd in Jamaica, NY.

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Jamaica Town Hall Against Hate

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Elected officials in southeast Queens are hosting a town hall against hate on Friday night at the Jamaica Muslim Center.

At the event, speakers from city government will update residents on efforts to keep all New Yorkers safe.

With the rise in hate crimes in the city, many residents have expressed concerns about their safety. Officials hope to reassure community members of their rights and protections under the law with this event.

The sponsors of the event include: State Senator Leroy Comrie, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, Assemblyman David Weprin, Councilman Rory Lancman, Councilman I. Daneek Miller, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Human Rights Commission, Queens DA’s office and the New York Immigration Coalition.

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Burglary call leads to weapons arrest

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Sgt. Calvin Fergus , Lt. Frank DiPreta, P.O. Patrick Cahill, P.O. Timothy Winter, P.O. William Sutherland and Sgt. Joseph Muir pose with the contraband recovered.

A burglary call lead police to bust three individuals on weapons charges in South Ozone Park on February 28.

According to police, they received a call of a burglary in progress in the vicinity of the Van Wyck Expressway and 105th Avenue at around 1:15 p.m.

Plainclothes officers from the anti-crime unit responded to the scene to interview the complainant and received a description of the suspects, two males and a female. Responding officers canvassed the area and discovered individuals fitting the described heading westbound on 107th Avenue.

As the officers attempted to stop the suspects, one of the males dropped a gun to the floor and they continued to walk away. At that time, police exited their vehicle and took all three individuals into custody without incident.

At the scene, they recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver from the waistband of the Shawn Baker, 33, of Richmond Virginia and a loaded .22 caliber revolver from the purse of Tiffany Rutledge, 22 of Richmond Virginia.

Police also recovered a 9MM Hi-Point handgun dropped by Jamel Lewis, 39 of Richmond Hill, Queens.

Upon further investigation, police discovered the individuals had exited a Lincoln Navigator parked near the initial incident location. After viewing ammunition in plain sight in the vehicle, they were able to obtain a search warrant from the Queens County District Attorney’s Office.

A search of the vehicle yielded as .40 caliber Hi-Point handgun as well as approximately 200 rounds of various ammunition.

All three individuals were charged with two counts of weapons possession and criminal trespassing. Baker was additionally charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

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Zara Realty seeking nominations for people to be the focus of “Jamaica Profiles”

Zara Realty, a leader in the Jamaica community, plans to highlight residents who are special to Jamaica.

Each month, this noteworthy resident will be featured in a local newspaper, and receive ticket vouchers to an off-broadway show or sports event.

This is one of many new Zara initiatives. Another is a $200 referral fee for referring a friend to live at one of Zara’s luxury apartments.

Zara’s Corporate Office address is 166-07 Hillside Avenue Jamaica, NY 11432. They can be reached at 718-291-3331 or via email at application@zararealty.com.

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Pols host Black History Month events

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February is Black History Month, and elected officials from southeast Queens are celebrating with an array of events.

Today, State Senator Leroy Comrie, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel and Councilman I. Daneek Miller are hosting a screening of Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s PBS documentary “Black American Since MLK: And Still I Rise” at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL).

The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the following civil rights intellectuals:

  • Dr. George White, CUNY York College
  • Natasha Merle, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
  • Ronald Day, David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy
  • Wilbert Kirby, Congress of Racial Equality
  • Dante Barry, Million Hoodies Movement
  • Norman Siegel, civil rights attorney

The documentary will begin at 6:45 p.m., and the panel discussion will begin at 7:15 p.m.

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The film screening will be followed by a military Black History Month celebration on Thursday.

State Senator Comrie’s Veterans Advisory Committee, in collaboration with Assemblywoman Hyndman, Assemblyman Vanel, Councilman Miller and Councilman Donovan Richards, VFW Post 1896 and American Legion Post 438, are hosting a presentation on the contributions of African Americans and Caribbean Americans to the United States Armed Forces.

The event will take place at American Legion Post 438 at 240-08 135th Avenue in Rosedale from 6 to 9 p.m.

Food and light refreshments will be available.

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Police classify October incident as homicide

RMA # 2969-16 103 SQD ASSAULT 10-15-16 PICDo you remember this case?

Back in October, 29-year-old Richard “Kwasi” Springer from South Jamaica was caught on video punching a 69-year-old woman walking out of a store at 107-60 Sutphin Boulevard.

He punched her in the head with a closed fist, causing her to fall to the ground.

She sustained a serious injury to her head, was taken to Jamaica Hospital and was listed in stable condition.

Springer was charged with 1st degree robbery and 2nd degree assault.

Today, after an examination by the Medical Examiner’s Office, the incident has been reclassified as a a homicide, police said.

 

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