FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • THE COURIER SUN 11 Largest cockfi ghting takedown in state history BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] Thousands of roosters were recovered and dozens of people taken into custody after offi cials busted “Operation Angry Birds” wide open. Over a two-day period, city and state offi cials raided a Richmond Hill cockfi ghting ring, a Brooklyn pet store housing 50 birds and a farm storing as many as 3,000 roosters for future fi ghting. Nine felony arrests were made. “Cockfi ghting is a cruel, abusive and barbaric practice that tortures animals, endangers the health and safety of the public and is known to facilitate other crimes,” said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) spearheaded the raids. On Saturday, February 8, city and state offi cials raided a Richmond Hill cockfi ghting event on Jamaica Avenue, according to a police source. Birds were bred, trained, plied with performanceenhancing drugs, had razor-sharp gaffs attached in place of their natural spurs and were locked in a small pen where they would fi ght to the death. “No animal should be forced to fi ght to the death for human entertainment and profi t,” said ASPCA President and CEO Matthew Bershadker. The ring had operated bi-monthly since at least May, according to Schneiderman. Wagers of up to $10,000 were made on various fi ghts. At that same time, investigators discovered 50 roosters, in poor condition and showing physical signs of having been altered for fi ghting, underneath the Brooklyn pet shop. The owner, Jeremias Nieves, 74, was arrested and charged with a felony. The three-county-wide sting ended north of the city in Plattekill, where offi cials raided a 90-acre farm, and the ASPCA recovered as many as 3,000 fi ghting birds in makeshift cages. Manager Manuel Cruz, 60, and farm hand Jesus Cruz, 37, were arrested. The farm allegedly charged rent to board, feed and care for the roosters that were bred and ultimately trained for fi ghting all around the tri-state area and up to Massachusetts. The multi-faceted bust is the largest cockfi ghting takedown in New York State history and is among the largest in national history. The ASPCA established a temporary, undisclosed location to care for the recovered birds. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ASPCA As many as 3,000 roosters and nine felony arrests resulted from the largest cockfi ghting bust in New York State history. BUS TIME COMING TO BORO BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] Queens commuters will soon be able to track when the next bus will arrive. MTA Bus Time, which allows riders to follow the real-time location of buses through any web-enabled smartphone or computer via GPS, should be coming to the borough within weeks, according to the agency. “We have completed borough-wide installations in Queens and Brooklyn and are currently fi ne-tuning software. We are on schedule to go online in the next several weeks,” MTA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz said. MTA Bus Time users can also text an intersection or street address to 511123 to receive a message listing local bus routes or fi nd out information by using a smartphone with a QR-code reader. The QR-code is printed on the Guide-A-Ride schedules posted at bus stops. The technology started serving all of Staten Island’s bus routes in January, 2012. It was later expanded to include all Bronx and Manhattan routes, as well as Brooklyn’s B63 and B61 lines. The MTA said in October, 2013 it would be expanding Bus Time to Queens and remaining routes within the next six months. Assemblymember Phil Goldfeder has been pushing for the MTA to implement the technology throughout Queens and to set a start date for its launch. He sent a letter to MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast last week asking him to immediately expand its use to the entire borough. “Waiting for a bus in Queens should not be a guessing game,” Goldfeder said. “Bus Time is the perfect solution to make public transportation more accessible and effi cient to keep traffi c moving. I’m excited to see a successful program come to Queens residents.” Checking that earns like savings. BestRate Checking1.00% APY1 Plus, get up to $ 1 5 0 when you open a new checking account.2 Additionally, a BestRate Checking account provides you with: Free online banking and bill pay, Free Mastercard® ATM/Debit card, Free direct deposit and more. For more information or to find a branch near you, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. On balances of $5,000 or more. 1 New accounts and new money only. 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An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new checking account is $100. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $75 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments OR Direct Deposit – You will receive $75 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal OR signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Online Bill-payments, Debit Card Purchases and Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $150. 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