Timelines 9/8/16

Local Man Sentenced for “Ponzi” Scheme

A Valley Cottage man who plead guilty to securities and wire fraud charges earlier this year was sentenced to more than three years in jail. William Wells, 43, convinced more than 30 investors in his firm, Promitor Capital LLC, to give him money telling them he had consistently received positive returns. Wells lied about his returns, according to authorities, and lost more than half a million dollars. United States District Judge Kimba M. Wood sentenced Wells to a 46-month prison term, ordered him to pay a yet-to-be-determined restitution, forfeit the proceeds, and have a three year supervised release.

Film about 9/11 Hero to Hit the Big Screen

A lunch between a banker and lawyer in 2006 led to the creation of a documentary, “Man in Red Bandana,” telling the tale of a hero who died in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Jefferson Crowther spoke about his son, Welles, to Matthew Weiss. Weiss wasn’t a filmmaker at the time; he was and is still a lawyer in Manhattan helping people fight traffic tickets. “People say there are filmmakers who look for stories,” Weiss said. “This was a story that found a filmmaker.” Ten years later the film, narrated by Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, is ready for an audience. It pulls together eyewitness accounts, showing his mother and father along with Nyack friend Harry Wanamaker who searched for months until Welles’ body was found. “We show you what Welles did, where he did it and how he did it.”

Cuomo Signs School Lead Testing Legislation

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on Tuesday mandating New York’s almost 700 school districts to conduct lead contamination testing. He also ordered the state Health Department to require the districts test for lead by Oct. 31, but for elementary schools the deadline is the end of the month. Schools will need to report their findings to the public, state and local governments. In June, the state Legislature passed the bill because of growing fear about lead in school water systems and the impact lead has on childhood development. The state is paying for most of the testing and remediation and an electronic reporting system will allow districts to inform the Health Department of their findings. According to the state any schools reporting high lead levels will have 10 business days to inform parents and staff.

Expected Announcement for Port Jervis “Medical Village”

Next week the Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, which is a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, will formally announce a “transformative $40 million-plus investment.” The expected announcement will discuss plans to develop a medical village in Port Jervis “to transform healthcare delivery in the region and lay the groundwork for a healthier community.” Bon Secours Community Hospital joined the Westchester Medical Center Health Network last year after being a part of the Bon Secours network for many years.

Nyack Motorist Dies After TZ Bridge Accident

On Wednesday Aug. 31 a 38-year-old Nyack motorist died after an accident on the Tappan Zee Bridge. According to Trooper David Howard, Jose Capo died from severe head trauma after the accident. State police investigators explained Capo was recklessly weaving through traffic on his 2007 Suzuki when he lost control, crashed into the rear of a pickup truck, was thrown from the bike and then hit by a tractor-trailer. The morning accident blocked two southbound lanes for five hours from approximately 11:23 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. as officers questioned witnesses.

No one else was injured in the accident.