24 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo via Getty Images
Springfi eld Gardens teacher arrested
for stealing $8K worth of supplies
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
A teacher at a Springfi eld Gardens middle
school was arrested just before the fi rst
day of school for stealing thousands of
dollars’ worth of supplies from the school.
Sherran Fields, 44, was arrested on
Sept. 4 on charges of grand larceny and
criminal possession of stolen property,
according to the NYPD.
Fields, who reports say is a teacher at
I.S. 59, was allegedly caught on surveillance
video at the school, located at 132-55
Ridgedale St., taking $8,298 worth of science
equipment, including packages of teaching
materials and curriculum resources
between 10:20 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. Aug. 21.
“Th is alleged behavior is completely
unacceptable, and we reassigned this
teacher away from students when we
became aware of the allegation. She will
remain reassigned pending the outcome
of the case,” said Danielle Filson of the
Department of Education.
Photo via Wikimedia Commonsм
A 2011 view of Cross Bay Boulevard at 163rd
Avenue in Howard Beach
Cross Bay Blvd.
fi nally getting
new pavement
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Milling and resurfacing of 10 lane miles
of Cross Bay Boulevard began on Sept. 9
with the city Department of Transportation
kicking off the revamp between 156th and
165th avenues in Howard Beach.
At the end of the project, Cross Bay
Boulevard will have a fresh surface with
high-visibility crosswalks and other markings,
according to DOT, which has funded
the project through Councilman Eric
Ulrich’s offi ce.
“We are grateful for the signifi cant funding
from Council member Ulrich to allow
the agency to go above and beyond to
resurface this critical north-south corridor
in Queens,” Queens Borough
Commissioner Nicole Garcia said. “DOT
appreciates the patience of local residents,
businesses and others who use this roadway
as crews perform milling and paving
work over the next several weeks. We
look forward to the fi nished product of a
smoother, safer Cross Bay Boulevard from
Howard Beach into Broad Channel.”
Th e second part of the will begin Sept.
23 starting from the Congressman Joseph
Addabbo Bridge to West Fift h Road in
Broad Channel and will cost a total of
$2.125 million, according to the city agency.
Th e full scope of the resurfacing project
is scheduled for completion by October.
“Cross Bay Boulevard is the busiest
corridor in my district,” Ulrich said.
“Th ousands of cars, buses and trucks travel
on this road every day. Th e wear and tear
over the years is visible, and that is precisely
why I allocated this funding. We are
making a critical investment in the physical
infrastructure of our community and
it simply would not have happened without
the help, support and cooperation of
the DOT Commissioner and her dedicated
staff . I look forward to seeing the work
once it is completed in October. I think
everyone will agree it is taxpayer money
well spent.”
A press release from DOT said Cross
Bay Boulevard is long overdue for a
facelift , having not been resurfaced in over
20 years.
Astoria man busted in online teen sex sting
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com
@robbpoz
Federal agents cuff ed an Astoria man
on Th ursday night who allegedly tried
to arrange a sexual rendezvous with a
14-year-old boy who turned out to be an
undercover offi cer.
Jason Seto, 41, was picked up at the
Five Guys Restaurant at LaGuardia
Airport on Sept. 5 on federal charges
of attempting to lure a minor to engage
in sexual activity. According to the U.S.
Attorney’s offi ce, Seto works as a community
school director for the United
Federation of Teachers (UFT).
QNS further learned that Seto owns a
production company which developed
the opening number for the Pride Main
Event 2019 at the Jacob Javits Convention
Center during June’s WorldPride celebration.
A biography on the website further
notes that Seto works for the UFT at
P.S. 48 in the South Bronx.
Seto’s LinkedIn profi le includes a featured
image of him with Mayor Bill de
Blasio and others.
According to the charges, Seto fi rst
made contact with the undercover
NYPD offi cer, who posed as a 14-yearold
boy, on or about Aug. 21 through
a dating app. Seto allegedly sent the
undercover agent a picture of his face
and exposed genitalia, then engaged
with him in a 15-minute chat.
Aft er the agent told him he was 14,
prosecutors said, Seto allegedly asked
if he was free to meet up, then told him
to continue the conversation through
Telegram, an encrypted chat app.
During the Telegram chat that followed,
authorities noted, Seto allegedly
expressed a desire to have sexual relations
with the purported underage teenager,
and requested nude photos of him.
Seto is also accused of asking the “teenager”
if he wanted to watch child pornography
with him.
Federal agents said that Seto repeatedly
asked the agent, in conversations on
Aug. 23 and 24, to meet up with him for
an encounter. On Sept. 5, Seto allegedly
agreed to meet with the purported teen
at 6 p.m. that evening at the Five Guys in
LaGuardia Airport.
At about 5:50 p.m. on Sept. 5, law
enforcement agents observed Seto leave
his Astoria residence; he arrived at
LaGuardia Airport at about 6:07 p.m.,
then messaged the purported teen asking
where he was. When the agent replied
that he was in the bathroom, Seto was
spotted heading to one of the bathrooms.
Moments later, the agent texted Seto
that he was at the Five Guys restaurant.
Seto was taken into custody moments
aft er walking into the eatery.
During questioning, the criminal
complaint noted, Seto allegedly admitted
that he was the individual talking
with someone who said he was 14 years
old, and consented to a search of his
phone for the explicit chats.
In a statement to WABC-TV, the city’s
Department of Education noted that
Seto “was immediately suspended by the
UFT from his role when we were made
aware of these deeply disturbing allegations.
He is not a DOE employee and
will remain suspended pending the outcome
of this case.”
Photo via Google Maps
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