INTERNACIONAL
NYC Dem, Hochul aide under investigation over alleged migrant shelter bribes
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a New York City councilmember and her sister, a top aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, accepted bribes or kickbacks tied to city funding steered to a migrant shelter provider, according to a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.
The March 19 warrant seeks evidence of possible criminal conduct involving Councilmember Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat; her sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul’s assistant secretary for New York City intergovernmental affairs; and Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
A spokesperson for Hochul said Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after the governor became aware of the federal corruption probe. Someone answering a phone number associated with Louis ended the call when asked by the AP about the investigation, and the AP reported messages left for Farah Louis and Hermelyn were not returned.
SEC SCOTT BESSENT: HOW TO STOP FRAUD IN MINNESOTA—AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY
New York City Councilmember Farah Louis is reportedly under federal investigation for an alleged bribery scheme. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Brooklyn Academy Of Music)
According to the warrant, investigators are examining whether the three received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn nonprofit that historically provided in-home care for sick and elderly clients.
As New York City’s migrant influx intensified in 2022, BHRAGS broadened its work to include emergency shelter operations for asylum seekers and other homeless services. Since then, public records show the group has been awarded more than a dozen contracts worth upward of $200 million from the city’s Department of Homeless Services.
«This is political persecution driven by the far-right, targeting immigrants and the leaders who stand with them,» a political insider tied to Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told the New York Post on Monday. «There are no charges at this time, and the facts will ultimately lead to this case being dropped on its merits.»
DEPUTY AG TODD BLANCHE SHEDS LIGHT ON NEW DOJ FRAUD DIVISION TO ADDRESS ‘INSANE’ PROBLEM
An attorney for BHRAGS Executive Director Roberto Samedy declined to comment to the AP.
The warrant also seeks records of money transfers and communications involving Edouardo St. Fort, a former New York Police Department sergeant who retired in 2023. That same year, records indicate his firm, Fort NYC Security, secured a $3 million contract from the Department of Homeless Services. AP calls and emails seeking comment from St. Fort were not returned.
TRUMP’S FRAUD CZAR NOMINEE TOUTS MINNESOTA BLUEPRINT TO ROOT OUT OBAMACARE FRAUD, SENIOR SCAMS
The warrant’s existence does not mean charges are imminent. It indicates only that federal investigators convinced a judge they had sufficient grounds to search for and seize potential evidence.
The probe lands amid broader scrutiny over how New York City awarded emergency shelter contracts during the migrant crisis, when the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers strained the city’s shelter system and prompted officials under then-Mayor Eric Adams to rapidly expand housing capacity through outside providers.
Some of those arrangements have drawn criticism from watchdogs and political opponents, who questioned the speed, scale and oversight of the contracting process.
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CALLS NEWSOM ‘KING OF FRAUD’ AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CALIFORNIA CORRUPTION PROBE
The figures named in the warrant are all connected to Brooklyn’s Democratic political establishment, which has been rocked by a series of ethics controversies in recent years.
Hermelyn, who once served as a senior adviser to Adams, stepped down after questions were raised about whether his role as a Brooklyn district leader conflicted with rules barring certain dual government positions. He also went on to advise former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Cuomo’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign.
The Trump administration, led by fraud investigation czar Vice President JD Vance, has prioritized federal law enforcement investigations nationwide.
VANCE SAYS BIDEN ADMIN ‘TURNED OFF’ ANTI-FRAUD PROTECTIONS, DEBUTS NEW TASK FORCE WITH FOCUS ON SOMALI SCHEMES
Just this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Treasury Department announced it is offering whistleblowers a major financial incentive to help expose fraud, directing would-be tipsters to the Treasury.gov website, telling Fox News on Monday that the administration has already received more than 700 leads.
The Treasury’s whistleblower page says eligible tipsters can receive between 10% and 30% of monetary sanctions collected for successful actions.
While Minnesota fraud among the state’s Somali community has made headlines thus far thanks to independent journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting, Bessent actually praised that state for having some level of transparency that is not permitted in California or New York.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«That’s why that young man, Nick Shirley, was able to go to see the scams, because it was: This is the name of the facility; this is the address; this is how much money they got,» Bessent said. «Oh look, it’s an empty storefront. There’s no one here. New York, California are hiding it.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
justice department, crime world, immigration, democrats elections
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
At least 20 people are dead after an overnight attack in Nigeria’s north-central region on Palm Sunday.
The attack happened in the Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North area of Plateau state, according to Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the state commissioner for information.
It remains unclear how many people were wounded or killed, and who was behind the massacre.
Residents told The Associated Press that gunmen on bikes shot «sporadically» into the community, killing at least 20 people.
Police officers gather at the scene of Sunday night attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
AFTER TRUMP STRIKES ISLAMIST TERRORISTS, US GENERAL TRAVELS TO NIGERIA WITH MILITANTS ‘ON THE RUN’
International Christian Concern (ICC), a global humanitarian organization, reported the gunmen killed at least 30 people.
ICC also noted at least 10 people were killed earlier Sunday, with humanitarian worker, Alex Barbir, stating on social media that the victims were Christians.
Following the attacks, the Plateau state government imposed a 48-hour curfew.
People gather at the scene of Sunday night attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
62 NIGERIAN HOSTAGES RESCUED, 2 MILITANTS KILLED, ARMY SAYS
In 2025, the ICC documented the killing of at least 54 Christians in Zikke village near Jos following Palm Sunday celebrations.
More than 100 homes were destroyed during the ambush.
Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst country in the world for Christian persecution, accounting for 72% of the total number of Christian killings worldwide in 2025, according to Open Doors, a global Christian charity.
People gather in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Last year alone, Open Doors records show 546 Christians were killed in the Plateau State.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world, crime
INTERNACIONAL
Dem lawmaker sparks online firestorm after saying Iryna Zarutska mural doesn’t align with city’s values
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Rhode Island Democratic state representative is facing blowback on social media after claiming that a mural of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman whose brutal murder while riding a North Carolina sparked national outrage, doesn’t reflect the «values» of the city of Providence.
«Ultimately, we want to make sure that every community member who calls Providence home feels safe,» Rep. David Morales told local media about a mural of Zarutska facing calls to be removed from the exterior of an LGBTQ+ club in downtown Providence.
«We can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values nor does it reflect the creativity that we would want to see in our city.»
The lawmaker’s comments immediately sparked negative reactions from conservatives on social media after they were posted by the conservative influencer account End Wokeness in a post that has been viewed over 1 million times.
CHARLOTTE RAIL MURDER SUSPECT LINKED TO INMATE RELEASE APPROVED UNDER EX-DEM GOVERNOR, GOP ALLEGES
Rhode Island State Rep. David Morales is facing heat over comments made about a mural of Iryna Zarutska. (WPRI; Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
«What are his values?» Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.
«He cites people wanting to be ‘safe’ as a reason to destroy a mural on a private building meant to honor a murdered woman,» Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. «You can’t imagine how crazy Democrats are in these blue bastions. You think what you see on MSNBC is nuts? It’s even worse in their bubble cities.»
«Honoring the memory of a Ukrainian immigrant who had her throat slit on public transportation by a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests doesn’t reflect Providence’s values????» Defending Education communications director Erika Sanzi posted on X.
«What ‘value’ does the mural not reflect?» Republican Rep. Chip Roy posted on X.
«Iryna’s death highlights the consequences of warped policies that keep violent criminals out of jail,» Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted on X. «Memorializing her reminds us that those policies create more victims and should be eliminated. Telling that those aren’t Rep. Morales’ ‘values.’»
«True,» Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. «Dems would prefer a mural celebrating her murderer.»
«Providence had a George Floyd mural and nobody called it divisive,» GOP strategist and commentator Mehek Cooke posted on X. «Iryna got murdered by a man arrested over a dozen times, and a city couldn’t let her face stay on a wall because the donor list was inconvenient. We means-test grief now.»
CNN commentator Scott Jennings referred to Morales as a «deranged lunatic» in a post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Morales’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
Morales responded to Musk on X in a post clarifying what his «values» are.
«Not to exploit the death of a refugee to push an agenda centered around fear and division,» Morales wrote. «My values, like many of our neighbors in Providence, is to protect our immigrant neighbors from ICE’s state-sanctioned violence and supporting our refugee neighbors with authentic care.»
CHARLOTTE LIGHT-RAIL STABBING MURDER SPURS LANDMARK CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM FROM NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS
Iryna Zarutska cowers as her attacker towers over her. (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)
The mayor of Providence, Democrat Brett P. Smiley, has also spoken out against the mural.
«The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence,» Smiley said. «I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.»
Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee who fled her country after the Russian invasion, was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, N.C., last year.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, which is a capital offense under federal law.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Booking photo of Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., taken Sept. 14, 2022, following his arrest in Mecklenburg County. Brown, 34, is now charged in the Aug. 22, 2025, stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light-rail train. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO))
Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show Brown has a prior criminal history, including convictions for larceny, breaking and entering and armed robbery. He served five years in prison starting in 2015.
Zarutska’s death prompted questions about soft on crime policies adopted by many Democratic-run cities. President Donald Trump spotlighted the killing during his State of the Union address last month.
«Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,» Trump said.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
politics, rhode island, crime world
INTERNACIONAL
Rechazo y protestas por la pena de muerte para palestinos en Israel: «Un castigo inhumano sin ningún efecto disuasorio»
Rechazo de Europa
«Hemos hecho historia»
«Ejecuciones extrajudiciales»
Un tribunal militar la aplicará
No será retroactiva al 7 de octubre
Cuadernos: un empresario reconoció pagos a funcionarios del kirchnerismo, mientras que otros optaron por no declarar
Gunmen on bikes storm Nigeria village on Palm Sunday, killing at least 20
Italia empata 0-0 ante Bosnia en el Repechaje en busca de volver a una Copa del Mundo tras 12 años
Citaron a indagatoria a Ariel Vallejo, el financista cercano a Chiqui Tapia, en la causa que investiga presunto lavado de dinero
Los 4 factores que fortalecen la calma del dólar y ayudan a blindar el plan Caputo
Citan a declarar al financista de la AFA: Ariel Vallejo deberá presentarse ante el juez Armella el 5 de mayo
Máximo Kirchner salió al cruce de Milei y Macri tras el fallo por YPF a favor de la Argentina
La secretaria del piloto denunció que el amigo de Adorni la hostiga y la justicia dispuso medidas
El Gobierno cambia su propuesta de reforma: endurece penas para delitos comunes, pero no para los casos de corrupción
Nuevas críticas de Marcela Pagano contra los Milei: “Karina es la que gobierna”, aseguró
POLITICA3 días agoMáximo Kirchner salió al cruce de Milei y Macri tras el fallo por YPF a favor de la Argentina
- POLITICA3 días ago
El Gobierno cambia su propuesta de reforma: endurece penas para delitos comunes, pero no para los casos de corrupción
- POLITICA2 días ago
Nuevas críticas de Marcela Pagano contra los Milei: “Karina es la que gobierna”, aseguró
