New York Paralegal Blog

Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Central Islip today returned a verdict convicting Christian Gerold Tarantino, a part-owner of Synergy Fitness Clubs located in Farmingdale, Levittown, Franklin Square, Massapequa and Long Beach, of conspiracy to commit the August 2003 obstruction-of-justice murder of Vincent Gargiulo, a former associate who threatened to reveal evidence of the defendant’s participation in two 1994 murders on Long Island. The jury found the defendant not guilty of aiding and abetting in the murder. The conviction was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and ROSE GILL HEARN, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation("DOI"), announced today that LATIF ABDULMALIK, a retired project manager for construction projects with the New York City Administration For Children's Services ("ACS"), pleaded guilty today in Manhattan federal court to being involved in a bribery scheme in which ABDULMALIK used his position as a project manager to assist a company called Synergy in securing over $1 million dollars in construction contracts from ACS. According to the Indictment and statements made during today's guilty plea proceeding: During 2005 and 2006, ABDULMALIK, in his position as an ACS project manager for construction projects at ACS child care facilities with federal Health and Human Services ("HHS") Head Start programs, received thousands of dollars from representatives of Synergy in exchange for assist...