Help for N.Y.’s clemency push
Among the cases cited was a furniture mover who was arrested after stealing a customer’s identity and then using it to get a driver’s license in that person’s name. The suspect flew to Florida, where he got the fraudulent license, leased a car and took $50,000 cash from the victim’s account. He was arrested while receiving a shipment of fraudulently charged furniture.
Other examples cited included a man who was arrested after using a stolen ID and his own to collect Social Security benefits under both names; another person who used the identity of a man jailed in Puerto Rico when arrested multiple times for drunken driving, and another who collected unemployment benefits under a false name.
In addition to the 4,000 people arrested since 2010 under the program, an additional 16,000 or so face administrative action by the Department of Motor Vehicles. “The DMV is putting would-be fraudsters on notice: We will not allow people to manipulate the system with multiple licenses or stolen identities,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan.
A study found that about half of those whom facial recognition technology found had multiple license records got the second one when their original license was suspended or revoked.
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ALBANY — A state program that helps criminal offenders obtain clemency is gaining some major reinforcements.
Gov. Cuomo on Monday announced that the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a handful of other national legal advocacy groups will join the state’s ongoing effort to identify inmates who may qualify for clemency and help them apply.
Cuomo administration officials said it’s the first time these groups have teamed with a statebased clemency program.
They had been part of a similar federal program that the Trump administration recently discontinued. LONG-SHOT mayoral hopefuls are pushing to get into a debate against Mayor de Blasio.
Little-known Democratic contender Richard Bashner filed suit against the Campaign Finance Board on Monday, claiming the board erred by barring from debates candidates who didn’t raise enough money.
Mike Tolkin, another Dem hopeful, pushed the sponsors of Wednesday night’s faceoff — currently set to feature de Blasio and rival Sal Albanese — to let him appear. De Blasio said he’s fine with the current setup.