FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com NOVEMBER 14, 2013 • The Queens Courier 33 Grand jury indicts bikers in Sept. attack BY CRIS TABELLE TUMOLA AND ANGY ALTAMIR ANO [email protected] An undercover Queens detective and 10 other bikers were indicted by a grand jury last week on charges in connection to an attack on an SUV driver in Upper Manhattan, according to published reports. Wojciech Braszczok was charged with gang assault, criminal mischief, riot and other charges, according to the indictment, the Associated Press reported on Friday, November 8. According to court records, he is free on $150,000 bail and is due back in court for a November 20 arraignment. Braszczok, who, according to the New York Daily News, is from Long Island City, was off-duty at the time of the September 29 incident and claimed he didn’t want to help the driver because he was afraid of blowing his cover, according to published reports. He reportedly turned himself in after he was identified in a video where he can be allegedly seen striking the SUV’s driver’s side window with his helmet multiple times and kicking the passenger side of the vehicle. According to reports, the SUV and the group of motorcyclists were both on the Henry Hudson Parkway when one of the bikers and the vehicle bumped, setting off the altercation. In a YouTube video, the SUV can be seen slowing down and then, according to reports, running over biker Edwin Mieses Jr., leaving him paralyzed. The driver reportedly has claimed he felt threatened by the surrounding motorcyclists and that’s why he accelerated. After the SUV hit Mieses, said police, several of the motorcyclists chased the car, slashed its tires and did other damage to the vehicle. When the driver stopped, some of the bikers pulled the man from his Range Rover and assaulted him. Councilmember Julissa Ferreras’ district manager, Ivettelis Rodriguez, was under investigation for her alleged involvement with a group raising money to free one of the bikers indicted in connection to the assault of the SUV driver. The councilmember’s office has now confirmed Rodriguez is no longer working for the official, but declined to comment further. According to an online blog, Rodriguez was trying to raise money via her Facebook account to get Robert Sims out of jail. The blog showed screenshots of Rodriguez’s posts from a Facebook name “Bandolera Ryderz LdyStickey Pro,” which showed pictures of her on motorcycles, supporting a group to raise money to get Sims out of jail and also showed photos of Rodriguez at her district manager job. COMMUNI TY BOARD CON TRO VERS Y BY LIAM LA GUERE AND MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] Controversial Community Board 9 member Sam Esposito is here to stay, which sent several other members walking out the door. A vote to remove Esposito from the board was shot down at the November meeting, 34 to 10. Rumors of infighting circled the board for months, “I would like the board not to be as divided as it is, and concentrate on the issues.” beginning in June with the potential removal of District Manager Mary Ann Carey. “I would like the board not to be as divided as it is, and concentrate on the issues,” Carey told The Courier prior to the vote. But at the November 12 meeting, the main point of issue was Esposito. Multiple board members alleged Esposito made anti-Semitic remarks following a lunch meeting, in which said members felt their food was not “glatt kosher,” a higher standard than average. Esposito shot back at Wallace Bock, Jan Fenster and Evelyn Baron. Bock responded, and wrote a letter to have Esposito, who has been on the board for decades, removed. However, Esposito claims he was being targeted for his longtime support of Carey. “I am in no way prejudiced against anybody,” he said. “All they are trying to do is get back at me for sticking up for Mary Ann Carey. This has nothing to do with the board.” At November’s meeting, as the vote for removal approached, Esposito and Chair James Coccovillo screamed back and forth across the room. “This is personal, Jim. This is about Mary Ann,” Esposito said, standing from his seat. Coccovillo said he was adhering to “a demand” for Esposito’s termination. “Do you want to sit down? There’s a little sign of aggression when you stand up,” he MARY ANN CAREY said. “There’s no reason for yelling out.” After the votes were counted and Esposito was off the chopping block, he turned to his neighbors and said, “of course we won.” Wallace Bock then stood up and addressed Coccovillo. “I cannot in good conscious consider to sit on a board that condones the behavior of Sam Esposito. I resign,” he said. Fenster and Baron followed him out the door, but offered no comment on their own resignation. Full Service Web Design Free Consultation �� Are you happy with your current turn around time for updates? �� We specialize in doing updates quickly! �� Are you still running your business without a website? �� Economical solutions to meet your needs 516-541-3616 888-656-6141 www.NextWave-Solutions.com Iaso Physical Therapy: On The Road To Healing BY JOHANN HAMILTON IASO Rehabilitation is a physical therapist owned private practice providing in-home physical therapy services to their clients. Therapists provide treatment to you in the convenience of your own home, apartment, assisted living facility, etc. You will no longer need to worry about transportation to/ from a facility, looking for parking, etc. The treatment sessions provided are one-to-one, 45-60 minute sessions. IASO therapists are NYS licensed therapists with years of experience working with a variety of conditions and ages. 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