A Brooklyn not-for-profit group with ties to powerful New
York politicians is now the subject of two separate criminal probes, The Post
has learned.
Gov. Cuomo’s commission to combat public corruption referred
its investigative findings about Relief Resources Inc. a Borough Park-based
storefront charity that took in nearly $3 million in legislative grants but did
not seem to provide many services to US Eastern District Attorney Loretta
Lynch and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for potential prosecution,
sources close to the commission said.
The Moreland Commission panel made the “criminal referrals”
to federal and state prosecutors during a closed-door meeting last week,
sources said.
Relief Resources, which supposedly provides mental-health
services, was co-founded by powerhouse rabbi, lobbyist and charity chieftain
Shiya Ostreicher, who has a hand in four other groups, including two with the
same storefront address as Relief Resources: 5904 13th Ave.
The group has received legislative grants from two heads of
the state Senate $250,000 from ex-GOP Majority Leader Joe Bruno and $300,000
from former Democratic leader Malcolm Smith, as well as backing from Brooklyn
lawmakers Martin Golden and Simcha Felder.
Bruno was convicted of fraud in 2009, but the case was
overturned on appeal. Smith was indicted earlier this year for allegedly trying
to bribe his way onto the Republican line for mayor.
In its recent report, the panel said it installed a camera
outside the Brooklyn group’s office and reported little traffic in or out.
The
report did not name the group but when The Post identified it as Relief
Resources, the panel confirmed it as the charity being investigated. “The
Moreland Commission is aggressively moving forward with its investigations to
carry out its mission of rooting out public corruption,” said Moreland
Commission spokeswoman Michelle Duffy.
No comments:
Post a Comment