DEVELOPER UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IN MANHATTAN TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING IN MOUNT VERNON; MAYOR YOUNG'S HENCHMEN EXPECTED TO BE IN ATTENDENCE

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY MEETING-CON ARTIST ALERT

Corrupt Real Estate Broker James A. Dickerson

Embattled Businessman Kenneth Plummer of Kensworth Consulting

When: Monday, March 22nd, 2010 7 P.M.


Where: Community Church at the Circle (Corner of Gramatan & and Lincoln Avenues)

Why: Mount Vernon taxpayers to speak in opposition of proposed massive low income housing development
          being proposed in downtown Mount Vernon

Con Artist Alert

A Manhattan developer that had their offices raided in April 2009 by the Manhattan District Attorney’s and the New York City Department of Investigation (see New York Daily News, April 24^th, 2009) is holding a public meeting in Mount Vernon.  Atlantic Development is being probed for paying bribes to city Building Department officials, hiring undocumented workers, and illegally influencing local politicians to win approval for its many projects. 

Disguising under a different name, (Blue Rio, LLC) Atlantic Development has decided to move north of Manhattan into a city notoriously known for its corrupt politics and development practices.  A search of NYS Board of Election records has revealed that Peter Fine, Marc Althiem, and other company execs have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to NYS pols including Senator Jeff Klein, NYS Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, and Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton Young. 

Many residents suspect that impropriety is taking place with this project and they have a legitimate reason for doing so.  Kenneth Plummer, an extremely close friend of Mayor Young, has been retained by Blue Rio, LLC (Atlantic Development) as a lobbyist, at a rate of $1000.00 per month to gain approval the low income project being proposed.  Plummer has also received over $24,000 in payments from Mayor Clinton Young and Westchester County Legislator Lyndon Williams as compensation for working on their campaigns.  Many residents view such a relationship as a conflict of interest. 

Another unsavory individual associated with this project is James A. Dickerson, currently under criminal investigation by MVPD for harassing a Mount Vernon resident that has written negative articles about Dickerson and the Atlantic Development project.  (See MVPD report #10-15431).  Dickerson is also a close friend of Mayor Clinton Young. Mayor Young hired Dickerson’s girlfriend as his executive secretary who is also the daughter of NYS Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson.  Dickerson has come under fire lately, for his role in the $1.7 M Mount Vernon Urban Renewal Agency scandal. 

While employed at the agency, Dickerson and others engaged in a major pay-to-play scheme that resulted in Mount Vernon overbilling HUD $1.7M.  Dickerson working along with others, and also with an inspector would intentionally fail apartments without any legitimate reason.  The inspector would notify Dickerson and others of the apartment and then Dickerson would rent the apartment and submit an invoice to the Westchester County Department of Social Services for a broker’s fee.  The fee would then be divided amongst the conspirators. 

One local resident, Bob Dadarria has decided not to wait for Mount Vernon officials to rubber stamp this proposed development.  Dadarria has spent thousands of dollars and has worked countless hours informing the public about the impact that this development will have on the local school system and existing neighborhoods.  Dadarria has personally spoken with about 5000 people at neighborhood churches, schools, businesses, and train stations that are opposed to this project and personally thanked Dadarria for bringing the matter to their attention.  Dadarria has also started a petition drive and has secured a significant amount of signatures of Mount Vernon taxpayers opposed to the proposed project.  “This is not the Bronx”, said Dadarria.  “I am not opposed to change”, “The developer should build a project that incorporates Hartley Park and the character of the existing neighborhoods” he added.