4 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 4, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Rapper Fetty Wap arrested at Citi Field
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Rapper Fetty Wap is among six who
were arrested for conspiring to sell and
possess drugs throughout Long Island
and New Jersey, prosecutors announced
Oct. 29.
Th e 30-year-old New Jersey rapper,
whose legal name is William Junior
Maxwell II, was arrested alongside
23-year-old Anthony Cyntje (of
New Jersey), 47-year-old Anthony
Leonardi (Coram, NY), 26-year-old
Robert Leonardi (Pennsylvania),
26-year-old Brian Sullivan (Lake
Grove, New York) and 26-yearold
QPL grants accessible Wi-Fi hot spots to help visitors in underserved communities
BY BENEDETTA TOMMASELLI
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Queens Public Library President and
CEO Dennis Walcott announced on
Th ursday, Oct. 21, that QPL will be supplying
more than 255 internet-enabled
hot spots for visitors who don’t have internet
access at home at four library branches
in underserved communities.
QPL’s Lefrak City, South Jamaica,
Astoria and Long Island City branches
will now have Wi-Fi hot spots thanks
to Sterling National Bank, National Grid
and the Th omas & Jeanne Elmezzi Private
Foundation for their generous donations
totaling $85,000 to the library.
Th e donated fundings were secured as
part of QPL’s broader goal to grow its supply
of internet-enabled hot spots. Since,
in the past, many of the loaned hot spots
either got lost or damaged, the devices
will now be checked out for one month
and renewed up to three times.
“Th e COVID-19 pandemic has brought
into sharp focus the need for reliable
home internet access for so many individuals
and families in Queens and elsewhere
in New York City, and it is critical to position
the library to lend hot spots and other
technology to them,” Walcott said. “We
are extremely grateful to Sterling National
Bank, National Grid and the Th omas &
Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation for
their partnership in addressing the digital
divide in our communities.”
Founded about 125 years ago, Queens
Public Library is one of the three public
library systems serving the city of New
York and the largest and busiest public
library system in the United States.
Th is independent, nonprofi t organization
off ers free access to over 5 million
books and other materials in many diff erent
languages, along with technology and
digital resources, and more than 80,000
educational, cultural and civic programs.
Th e library has 66 locations across
Queens, which include branch libraries,
a central library, seven adult learning centers,
a technology center and two teen
centers.
In 2019, QPL provided nearly 3 million
free computer sessions and attracted over
11 million visitors. Even during the height
of the pandemic, thousands of people sat
outside the closed library buildings to be
able to catch a Wi-Fi signal. From March
2020 to May 2021, the library recorded
498,810 Wi-Fi sessions.
Sterling National Bank made a donation
of $50,000 for 18 laptops and 100
hot spots in the QPL Lefrak City location,
which is now temporarily closed
due to the damages done by Hurricane
Ida. To meet the demand for computer
and internet service, QPL distributed the
loaning devices at a special event on Oct.
21 outside of the library, located at 98-30
57th Ave.
Karina Saltman, senior managing director
of CRA Administration, said Sterling
is proud to partner with QPL to bring
the program to fruition at the Lefrak City
branch.
“Now more than ever, Sterling believes
in the importance of bridging the digital
divide in underserved communities,”
Saltman said. “Supporting digital literacy
programming allows parents to help their
children with remote learning, prevents
isolation with access to online communities,
promotes workforce development
opportunities and enables other essential
services like telehealth and online banking.
Th e National Grid donated $25,000 for
75 hot spots, mainly targeted at customers
participating in workforce development
programs at the South Jamaica Library.
“National Grid is proud to partner with
Queens Public Library on this important
initiative, which is core to our commitment
of supporting local communities
and workforce development. Th e hot
spots will allow job seekers in South
Jamaica to access the library’s virtual
workforce and job skills training, as
well as search and apply for employment
opportunities online,” said Mauri Myers-
Solages, corporate citizenship manager.
Th e Th omas & Jeanne Elmezzi Private
Foundation gave a $10,000 donation for
30 hot spots to be loaned out by the
Astoria and Long Island City branches.
“Th e Th omas and Jeanne Elmezzi
Private Foundation has been a longterm
supporter of Queens Public Library
and its programming,” said Pooja Joshi
O’Hanlon, executive director of Th e
Elmezzi Foundation. “Th e COVID-19
pandemic has heightened the need for
many services, supports and resources
for residents in western Queens, access
to technology being one of them. Th e hot
spots provided by Queens Public Library
will go a long way towards alleviating
some of this.”
Kavaughn L. “KV” Wiggins
(Coram, New York).
“As alleged, the defendants
transported, distributed and
sold more than 100 kilograms
of deadly and addictive drugs, including
heroin and fentanyl, on Long Island,
deliberately contributing to the opioid
epidemic that has devastated our communities
and taken too many lives,” stated
United States Breon Attorney Peace.
“We will continue to work nonstop
with our law enforcement partners to
keep our neighborhoods safe from the
scourge of dangerous drugs and gun
violence.” Peace thanked the United
States Postal Inspection Service for its
assistance during the investigation.
According to court documents and
proceedings, from June 2019 through
June 2020, the defendants distributed
more than 100 kilograms of
cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine and
fentanyl across Long Island and
New Jersey, which they allegedly
obtained through the United States
Postal Service and drivers with
hidden vehicle compartments to
transport the controlled substances
across the country to Suff olk
County, where they were stored.
Th e drugs were then allegedly distributed
to dealers who sold the
controlled substances.
Five of the defendants allegedly
used fi rearms to
protect their drug
organizations
and distribution
chain, which landed them with
gun charges as well. Both Anthony and
Robert Leonardi, alongside Sullivan and
Wiggins, allegedly participated in the
purchase and transport of the drugs from
the West Coast to the East Coast, where
they were processed, stored and ultimately
resold. Maxwell was an alleged kilogram
level redistributor for the traffi cking
organization and Cyntje, who is a corrections
offi cer in NJ, transported kilograms
of cocaine from Long Island to
New Jersey.
Search warrants allegedly found and
recovered approximately $1.5 million in
cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms
of heroin, numerous fentanyl pills,
two 9mm handguns, a rifl e, a .45-caliber
pistol, a .40-caliber pistol and ammunition.
Sullivan was arrested on Sept. 30,
arraigned and detained pending trial.
Anthony Leonardi and Cyntje were
arrested on Oct. 13 and arraigned, and
both were detained pending trial. Robert
Leonardi was also arrested on Oct. 13 in
Pennsylvania and arraigned and detained
pending trial. Wiggins was arrested on
Oct. 27 and arraigned, while Maxwell
was arrested at Citi Field on Oct. 28 —
Maxwell was remanded to custody on
Oct. 29.
If convicted, all six defendants face a
maximum of life imprisonment.
Photo via Getty Images
REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
Fetty Wap
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