By LUKAS I. ALPERT
Posted: 5:08 am
August 23, 2008

He was more Gargamel than Papa Smurf.

The man who helped bring the Smurfs to America was busted yesterday for allegedly trying to shake down his son-in-law – a deep-pocketed executive at a top private equity firm – for $11 million, authorities said.

Stuart Ross, 71, of Aventura, Fla., was charged with unleashing a campaign of harassment against his son-in-law David Blitzer, a senior managing director at the Blackstone Group, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced.

Ross’s 79-year-old New York attorney, Stuart Jackson, was also charged with attempted grand larceny for his role in the scheme. Both face up to seven years in prison.

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by TERI THOMPSON and NATHANIEL VINTON

A multi-agency narcotics strike force tapped the cell phone conversations of Spanish Harlem boxer Edgar Santana as part of its year-long investigation into an alleged cocaine conspiracy, which prosecutors say used the U.S. Postal Service to ship multiple kilograms of the drug from Puerto Rico for distribution in New York City.

An indictment unsealed yesterday by the New York Special Narcotics Court contains references to numerous “coded and cryptic” phone conversations. Santana appears to have been recorded in mid-November brokering a deal between two acquaintances for a kilogram of cocaine.

Santana, a junior welterweight with a 24-3 record, remained in police custody after his arraignment yesterday. The 29-year-old’s next bout, scheduled for an August 6 broadcast on ESPN, is in jeopardy but has not yet been canceled.

A large contingent of the boxer’s friends and family were in the courtroom as Santana entered his not guilty plea to charges of conspiracy and sale of a controlled substance. Twelve others were named in the indictment.

Following the arraignment Santana’s family huddled in the marble hallway to discuss meeting the bail levied on the fighter – a $150,000 bond and $75,000 in cash. Santana’s lawyer, Dan Ollen, said collecting such amounts would cause hardship for the family.

“Mr. Santana couldn’t hide from the law even if he wanted to.” Ollen told the court. “He is a world-famous boxer. He’ll be the main event on a fight card on ESPN. He’s very active in the community in Spanish Harlem.”

Santana is accused of brokering a deal in November 2007 between Angel Colon, the alleged ringleader of the conspiracy, and Tommy Caraballo, whose lawyer Frank Ortiz said was one of Santana’s childhood friends.

According to the indictment, tape of a Nov. 12 phone call reveals Caraballo agreeing to purchase one kilogram of cocaine from Colon. The indictment states that Caraballo picked the drugs up the next day near Second Ave. and East 101st St., having agreed in exchange to pay an undisclosed sum to Colon by passing the money to Colon through Santana.

But as Caraballo came away with the kilo of cocaine in Nov. 13, he was intercepted by the New York Drug Enforcement Strike Force – an investigation unit that combines resources of the DEA, FBI, NYPD, New York State Police and other agencies.

Caraballo was arrested and the cocaine was recovered from his vehicle, the indictment said. Caraballo was indicted in November, but was reindicted yesterday along with other alleged conspirators.

In another recorded conversation on Nov. 14, Colon allegedly asked Santana if the fighter had heard anything from Caraballo since the previous day’s transaction. Colon then asked Santana to pay Colon for he cocaine. It is not clear of the two realized at that point that Caraballo had been arrested.

On Nov. 15, according to the indictment, Santana told Colon in yet another “coded and cryptic” conversation that Santana would indeed pay Colon, which Santana allegedly did at 8:12 that evening.

The Daily News was the first to report Friday on the arrests of Santana, Colon and other alleged coconspirators. A DEA source told The News that $450,000 and at least a kilogram of cocaine were recovered.

Colon’s lawyer, Matt Myers, said no drugs or significant cash were found at his client’s home Friday, but that several cell phones were confiscated.

Colon’s bail was set at a $2 million bond and $1 million in cash. There will be a surety hearing in the next three days to make sure that the bail money doesn’t come from ill-gotten gains.

Source: New York Daily News

Attorney for the defense of Mr. Colon: Matthew D. Myers

Pro Boxer Edgar Santana Busted As Part Of Alleged Major Cocaine Ring

By Teri Thompson, Michael O’Keeffe And Nathaniel Vinton
Daily News Sports Writers

Updated Friday, July 18th 2008, 4:58 PM
(Originally published on July 18 at 10:12 a.m.)

Edgar Santana, the junior welterweight boxer often billed as “The Pride of Spanish Harlem,” was arrested Friday as part of an alleged international cocaine distribution ring busted by the New York Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and the New York Office of the DEA.

Santana, 29, was picked up at his home at the George Washington Carver Houses on 102nd St. in Spanish Harlem in the early morning hours Friday. Friends and acquaintances were stunned.

“Everybody has been blindsided by this whole thing because it’s just not something that you would think Edgar could be involved in,” said Ernesto Dallas, Santana’s manager for the last six years.

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NEW YORK – A federal immigration official who was recorded demanding sex from a young Colombian woman in exchange for a green card was arrested on corruption charges, prosecutors said Friday.

The woman, who is married to an American citizen, said she gave in to one demand for oral sex because she was afraid, but she also used a mobile phone hidden in her purse to record the December encounter and the conversation that preceded it.

Days later she went to a The New York Times to tell her story. She also called the district attorney’s office.

“I want sex,” he said on the recording, according to the Times. “One or two times. That’s all. You get your green card. You won’t have to see me anymore.”

Queens prosecutors said Isaac R. Baichu, an adjudication officer at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Garden City, threatened to hold up the woman’s application and even deport her relatives if she didn’t acquiesce.

Baichu was arrested March 11 after meeting with the woman again, this time with prosecutors listening in.

His attorney did not immediately return phone messages Friday.

Baichu faces misdemeanor charges of coercion and sexual misconduct and a felony charge of receiving a reward for official misconduct. A judge released him on a $15,000 bond.

Baichu was suspended immediately after his arrest, and his pay will be halted, Citizenship and Immigration spokesman Shawn Saucier said. Baichu was hired three years ago and made about $50,000 annually.

BY Heidi Evans
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, February 19th 2008, 12:03 AM

The state attorney general and the Brooklyn district attorney have launched a joint probe into a nonprofit agency whose director allegedly squandered taxpayer dollars meant for disabled people on himself and his pals.

Seibert Phillips, executive director of the Evelyn Douglin Center for Serving People in Need (SPIN), paid his close personal friend, Carlos Ortiz, $250,000 for a no-show job over 2-1/2 years after the relationship soured, a report by the state Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities charges.

He also spent thousands of dollars of the agency’s money on business trips, booze, luxury cars, flat-panel TVs and iPods for a dozen staff members.

Phillips, 44, also lied that he had college and social worker’s degrees, and appears to have spun a tangled web of “waste, fraud and abuse” as the center’s $300,000 a-year director, the report charges.

The report’s findings – obtained by the Daily News – were sent to the law enforcement agencies two weeks ago.

An employee first reported Seibert’s alleged corruption 18 months ago.

“We have opened an investigation in cooperation with the state AG’s office to determine what crimes may have been committed,” said Jerry Schmetterer, spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes.

“There appears to be serious criminal intent here,” a law enforcement source said. “Phillips and others could face prosecution down the road.”

Reached Monday, Phillips said, “I have no comment” and hung up on a reporter.

He denied the allegations last week.

The Evelyn Douglin Center – and its sister organization for children’s services – have headquarters at 241 37th St in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

The tax-exempt centers serve more than 300 mentally retarded, autistic and disabled children and adults in a variety of group homes and day care centers.

Among the report’s other findings:

Three of SPIN’s directors did business with the agency, a conflict of interest in nonprofit laws. One board member, psychologist Merrith Hockmeyer, was paid more than $90,000 for services to Evelyn Douglin clients.

Phillips violated federal and state laws forbidding nonprofits from making campaign contributions. Records show Phillips has donated nearly $6,000 to Queens Assemblywoman Vivian Cook since 2002. Cook also received $1,550 in campaign contributions from the Evelyn Douglin Center.

The board of directors failed to “closely monitor” Phillips.

The board’s lawyer, Jack Kiley, could not be reached for comment.

Despite the revelations, Phillips and his board members were allowed to stay on. Phillips, who lives in Rockland County, is expected to leave at the end of this month.

He is being replaced by lawyer Charles Archer, his good friend and a longtime board member.

Attorney for the defense: Matthew D. Myers

Written by Heidi Evans for the New York Daily News – hevans@nydailynews.com

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