Press Release - Rental Scam

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

RE: PRESS RELEASE - BEWARE THE RENTAL SCAM

The Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs is warning prospective tenants of the online rental scam, popular on Craigslist and elsewhere. Here’s how it works – the scammer lists a property which he does not own.  The information, complete with photographs, is accurate since he has downloaded a listing from a legitimate brokerage firm. He will try to get you to accept the property (and pay for it) without your first seeing it. He will promise to send keys or to have you pick them up from an agent after he receives your payment.  

Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim…

·       You can verify the owner of a property by contacting the County Clerk’s Office where the property is located. If it comes up under a different name, it’s a sign that a legitimate landlord’s ad has been hijacked.

·       Do not wire money to pay a security deposit, application fee or first month’s rent. Wiring money is like sending cash.

·       If you can’t see the place before signing a lease, walk away from the deal. You may not be dealing with a legitimate property owner or the place might not even exist.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Consumer Affairs can be reached at 340-3260.

                                                                                         

Press Release - Avoid Obamacare Scams

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

RE:  PRESS RELEASE - AVOID OBAMACARE SCAMS

Starting in October people who pay for their own health insurance can start signing up for policies through health care exchanges, operated by states and the federal government. It’s part of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

While consumers may be looking forward to getting better health coverage, scammers are already capitalizing on the confusion surrounding the new program to steal money and identities.

The Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs offers these tips:

·        A scammer might say you must have a new medical ID card. In truth, there is no medical ID card associated with the Affordable Care Act.

·        The scammer might also offer to take a credit card payment over the phone to allow the victim to opt out of the requirement to have health insurance. That’s not how it works.

·        Each state is responsible for operating a health care exchange (and each exchange may be different). A consumer’s best defense against scammers will be awareness that they are out there and taking the initiative – contacting your state’s exchange directly, not responding to telephone calls.

How do you find your state’s exchange? The official Obamacare website, HealthCare.gov, offers some guidance. In New York, visit www. healthbenefitexchange.ny.gov.

Consumer Affairs can be reached at 340-3260.

                                                                         

 

RE:  PRESS RELEASE – PEOPLE V. TYRONE WATSON

 

On September 4, 2013, Tyrone Watson of Kingston was sentenced by Ulster County Court Judge Donald A. Williams to 18 years in state prison plus 3 years of post-release supervision after having been found guilty by an Ulster County jury of five counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, six counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and one count of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia.
 

Watson was arrested at the conclusion of a two month investigation by the Special Investigations Unit of the City of Kingston Police Department and charged with selling cocaine on five separate occasions to an undercover police officer.  Watson is well known to law enforcement, having been arrested twenty separate times during his lengthy criminal career.  He has been convicted of three prior felonies, including a conviction for possessing an illegal handgun, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, and a conviction for possessing in excess of four ounces of cocaine with a street value of over $18,000.  He now has 14 felony convictions and at 44 years old, will not be eligible for parole until he is 59.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Kavanagh and the defendant was represented by John McFadden.