Two Women Deny Terrorism Endangered Jamaica Jihadists Plead Not Guilty to Plotting Terror Attack in U.S
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• JAMAICA TIMES • ASTORIA TIMES • FOREST HILLS LEDGER • LAURELTON TIMES LARGEST AUDITED • QUEENS VILLAGE TIMES COMMUNITY • RIDGEWOOD LEDGER NEWSPAPER • HOWARD BEACH TIMES IN QUEENS • RICHMOND HILL TIMES May 15–21, 2015 Your Neighborhood — Your News® FREE ALSO COVERING ELMHURST, JACKSON HEIGHTS, LONG ISLAND CITY, MASPETH, MIDDLE VILLAGE, REGO PARK, SUNNYSIDE Steinway site Two women deny terrorism endangered Jamaica jihadists plead not guilty to plotting terror attack in U.S. by buildings BY SADEF ALI KULLY BY BILL PARRY GIVING IT HER BEST SHOT Two women from Jamaica who were accused of plotting Passions are running high a terror attack in the United among Astoria preservation- States pleaded not guilty to ists since the city Department conspiracy to use a weapon of Buildings made public the of mass destruction and addi- owners’ plans for construc- tonal counts related to their tion at the Steinway Mansion. alleged terror plot after a While the historic 27-room grand jury indictment May 8 home, built by the legendary in Brooklyn federal court. piano-making Steinway fam- After evidence was pre- ily in 1858, is landmarked and sented to a grand jury, Asia cannot be touched, the acre of Siddiqui, 31, and Noelle Velent- land it sits on is not. zas, 28, were also charged with Philip Loria, an attorney teaching and distributing in- at the Astoria-based law firm formation pertaining to the Loria and Associates, and his making and use of an explo- partner, who purchased the sive, destructive device and Steinway Mansion for $2.65 weapon of mass destruction. million last year, plan to exca- Siddiqui was also charged vate the sloping hill that domi- with making material false nates the property to within statements in a federal grand feet of the home and level the jury indictment, according to land for development. the federal indictment. DOB files show that the Siddiqui who lived with owners plan to build a retain- Velentzas, Velentzas husband, ing wall around the struc- Abu Bakr and their two daugh- tures and build 11 two-story ters, on 104th Road in Jamaica manufacturing buildings were arrested and charged in surrounding the mansion on April with conspiracy to use three sides. The buildings are a weapon of mass destruction to be warehouses, according to against persons or property in sources, but the purpose is not the United States after a fed- known and Philip Loria was eral undercover investigation not available for comment. revealed the suspected plot. “By cutting the mansion off Velentzas’s husband, Abu to the public, you’re cutting it Bakr, and Imam Charles Bi- off from the community’s love lal from the Alhamdulillah and affection,” Bob Singleton mosque in Jamaica attended of the Friends of Steinway the hearing, but neither one Mansion said. “When a crown spoke to the media after the jewel is not in its proper set- courtroom proceedings end- ting, it’s in danger. While the ed. Siddiqui entered the court mansion is landmarked, it is expressionless, but Velentzas over 150 years old and didn’t smiled and her eyes lit up as have the best maintenance. soon as she saw her husband Now it will be subjected to the among the reporters in the rigors of a construction site.” gallery of the courtroom. Singleton claims to have According to federal pros- had “tremendous support” for August Martin HS 11th-grader LaToya Mann takes a selfie with a hundred 5Pointz artists in the back- ecutors, Siddiqui and Velent- preserving the mansion back ground. They painted inspirational murals in the beleaguered school. See story on Page 9. zas, who has two daughters, when the Friends of Steinway Photo by Bill Parry were allegedly involved in Mansion had hoped to raise $5 gathering materials to create Continued on Page 50 Continued on Page 50 A CNG Publication Vol. 3 No. 20 60 total pages LIC Bikeway wins vote SE Queens fears guns Participatory budgeting hailed as ‘tremendous success’ after Moore shooting BY SADEF ALI KULLY were arrested. In the second BY BILL PARRY involving an out-of-control The 103rd Precinct report- domestic dispute no arrests Bicycle riders in Long Is- ed at its monthly Precinct were made, but police know land City are the big winners Council meeting Tuesday the identity and are actively in the 26th Council District’s crime dropped 29 percent in looking for the gunman, Cap- first year of participatory bud- April compared to last year, pelmann said. geting. but residents raised con- Residents were upset by Delegates, stakeholders cerns following the shooting the loss of Moore, who had and residents of LIC, Sunny- death of NYPD Officer Brian worked in the 103rd Precinct side and Woodside voted over- Moore. before moving to the nearby whelmingly for the $500,000 After a moment of silence 105th Precinct. Despite the Long Island City Bikeway proj- for Moore, the 103rd Precinct decrease in crime, they were ect, which will improve the Deputy Inspector Cappel- still concerned about safety in streetscape on Vernon Boule- mann said, “Time and time their area. Many stood up and vard from 41st Avenue at the again, after any tragedy, we said to bring back the tougher Queensbridge Houses South rise to the occasion and now I stop-and-frisk policy, which through Queens Plaza South. say this about this communi- has been utilized less fre- The project will improve ty. The community’s support quently after a judge’s ruling lighting, resurface the rough helps us get back to doing to use the practice more judi- spots and add pedestrian what we do.” ciously following hundreds of countdown clocks at Queens Moore, who was shot dur- complaints filed against the Plaza South. ing a confrontation with an department. Mayor Bill de “We’re thrilled that the LIC armed suspect in Queens Vil- Blasio has been an outspoken Bikeway is the winning proj- lage, was remembered at the critic of the widespread use ect,” Transportation Alterna- meeting held at St. Benedict’s of stop and frisk, which often tives Executive Director Paul Church on 110th Avenue. targeted minorities. Steely-White said. “With a big Council member Jimmy Van Bramer has the results Cappelmann reported “Stop and frisk needs to be uptick in cycling coming when of the community voting with new bike lanes on top. that overall crime was down used correctly, not as a tool Citi Bike arrives in western Photo courtesy of Council member Van Brammer by 29 percent within a 28-day for enforcement,” responded Queens, there is a need to get period from April 6 to May 3 Cappelmann, who added that to work now on street design I believe in the process and ta Constantinides (D-Astoria) compared to the same time most of the guns seized in Ja- improvements to keep people voter turnout was high, I am announced that each school last year and that so far this maica, like the one used to kill on bikes safer.” proud to announce that I will in the district would receive year, the police, have recorded Moore, are mostly from North The second-largest number be dedicating over $1.5 mil- $35,000 for new equipment af- two shootings, down from six Carolina or Georgia. of votes went to a van for se- lion toward our communities’ ter hundreds took part in the shootings last year within the “Stopping [stop and frisk] niors at the Jacob Riis Settle- favorite projects. This funding voting. A $500,000 Dog Run in same time period. was the biggest mistake de ment House, costing $55,000. will not only cover the cost for Astoria and another $500,000 “As I have said before, one Blasio ever made,” said Beu- Upgrades for five playgrounds the three most popular proj- for the IS 126 Playground were shooting is one too many,” lah Wilson, who has lived in in the Queensbridge Houses, ects but will also incorporate the other winning projects. said Cappelmann. “We will Queens Village since 1979 costing $500,000, finished investments into five more “The entire process has keep trying to make this a under the jurisdiction of the third. The total of the three projects that received great been community-driven, inclu- safer and better neighborhood 105th Precinct. “Maybe Offi- projects exceeds the $1 mil- support.” sive, and engaging,” Constan- for residents.” cer Moore would be alive today lion limit that was available, These projects include bet- tinides said. “I am excited to The first shooting was if that guy had been stopped but Councilman Jimmy Van ter accessibility at the Sunny- see the strong voter response of a former Marine who suf- and frisked. I don’t care what Bramer (D-Woodside) said he side and Woodside libraries, that gave everyone a voice in fered from mental illness and anybody thinks - this is my would find the extra funding districtwide Real Time pas- the city budgeting process.” opened fire on police officers personal opinion and I am not to ensure all three projects are senger-bus countdown clocks, Funding all three projects after shooting up a pub and afraid.” funded. Woodside Reforestry and tech- would exceed the $1 million al- the second was the murder of “Hundreds of local residents nology updates at PS 78 in Long location. Constantinides plans a young man, who was alleg- helped make the 26th District’s Island City. to dip into his discretionary edly a gang member, targeted first-ever Participatory Bud- Tech upgrades for the budget for the extra $245,000 by possibly a rival gang. The geting process a tremendous schools in Council District 22 to fully support all three proj- case was still being investi- success,” Van Bramer said.