Four human cases have also been reported this season. #SuffolkNewsNow #WestNile #SuffolkCounty #AuxioTV
Tag: community
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Former Charlotte Councilwoman Tiawana Brown Appeals 10-Month Federal Prison Sentence
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown has filed an appeal following her sentence of 10 months in federal prison for her role in a COVID-19 relief fraud conspiracy.
A notice of appeal was filed Thursday, September 24, two days after U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Brown in federal court in Charlotte. The filing begins the appellate process but does not, by itself, overturn or suspend Brown’s conviction or sentence. The notice also does not explain the specific legal arguments Brown intends to raise on appeal.
Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her signed factual basis states that she knowingly joined a conspiracy with her daughters, Tijema Brown and Antionette Rouse, to defraud federal pandemic-relief programs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina says the defendants submitted fraudulent applications for the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and Paycheck Protection Program between April 2020 and September 2021.
According to the government’s sentencing announcement, the defendants submitted at least 13 applications and fraudulently received at least $146,665 in pandemic-relief loans. Prosecutors said the applications included false information and fictitious documentation.
Federal prosecutors also said the money was used for personal rather than qualifying expenses, including approximately $15,000 spent on a birthday party for Brown.
Judge Bell sentenced Brown to 10 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Brown also agreed to forfeit $22,500 in fraud proceeds. Her daughters received non-prison sentences: Tijema Brown was sentenced to two years of probation, while Antionette Rouse received four months of home detention.
The defendants were ordered to pay $137,280.09 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Brown had already paid $20,833 toward restitution at the time of sentencing.
At sentencing, Bell addressed the purpose of the pandemic programs and said, “The public is tired of being ripped off.”
Brown’s appeal now shifts attention to the federal appellate process. A notice of appeal is the beginning of that process, not a determination that an error occurred in the trial court.
AUXIO.TV will update this story when Brown’s appellate filings identify the specific legal grounds on which she is challenging the sentence.
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Topper’s Record Shows What a K-9 Unit Adds to Public Safety on the East End
By Raheem Soto, Publisher
The recent work of Southampton Village Police K-9 Topper should cause residents to pay close attention to what happens next with the Village’s K-9 program.
On September 15, Southampton Village Police said their license plate reader system alerted officers to a vehicle being operated by a man wanted by the NYPD in connection with a shooting. Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop and took the man into custody.
Police said a search of the vehicle recovered a loaded Mac-11 9mm pistol. Then Topper went to work.
According to the department, Topper alerted officers to the vehicle’s center console, where police subsequently located a quantity of crack cocaine.
That single incident illustrates something that can sometimes get lost when municipal budgets and equipment decisions are discussed in the abstract: a trained police dog is a working public-safety asset with capabilities that are difficult to duplicate.
Southampton Village Police itself describes its K-9 unit as capable of assisting with burglaries in progress, tracking missing people, detecting drugs and evidence, apprehension, officer protection, deterrence and maintaining order.
And Topper’s record goes well beyond this month’s arrest.
Village records show that in 2019, officials credited Topper with assisting Southampton Town Police in detaining and capturing a suspect.
In 2023, Topper and his handler, Officer James Moore, were recognized by the Village after another incident in which the K-9 team helped locate and safely resolve a situation involving a person in crisis. Trustee Robin Brown publicly described the incident as an example of how a trained Southampton Village Police resource could help bring a potentially dangerous situation to a positive conclusion.
Topper and Moore were recognized again in 2024 as Village employees of the month.
This is why the future of Southampton Village’s K-9 program deserves a transparent public discussion as Topper approaches the later stages of his service career.
There have been community conversations about Topper eventually retiring and questions about what comes after him. I have not found an official Village resolution establishing that the K-9 program will end, nor documentation confirming claims that Village leadership has rejected obtaining another police dog.
More recent information actually indicates continued investment in the capability.
The newly formed Southampton Public Safety Foundation announced in September that it plans to provide specialized equipment for a new K-9 vehicle for the Southampton Village Police Department. The Foundation also said a donor-designated contribution will support the department’s K-9 program.
That is encouraging, but it also makes clarity important.
Residents should know what the long-term plan is. Will Topper retire with another trained team prepared to take over? Will there be a gap in service? What will training, acquisition and ongoing operating costs look like? And how much of that support will come from the Village versus private donations?
Those are reasonable public-safety questions.
The East End presents unusual policing challenges. Our communities include beaches, wooded areas, waterfronts, seasonal population surges, major events and long stretches of territory where officers may need specialized resources quickly. A properly trained K-9 team can assist with far more than narcotics enforcement.
Southampton Village’s own experience demonstrates that.
The discussion about what follows Topper should therefore begin with his actual record — not assumptions about what a police K-9 does.
From suspect apprehension to missing-person searches, crisis response and narcotics detection, Topper has provided Southampton Village Police with a capability that officers have repeatedly used in real-world situations.
Whatever decision ultimately comes next, residents deserve to understand the plan and the public-safety capabilities involved.
Topper has earned at least that much.
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FORMER CHARLOTTE COUNCILWOMAN TIAWANA BROWN SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison following her guilty plea in a federal COVID-19 relief fraud case.
Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In the factual basis filed in U.S. District Court, Brown admitted that she knowingly joined a conspiracy with her daughters, Antionette Rouse and Tijema Brown, between April 2020 and September 2021 to obtain federal pandemic-relief money through fraudulent representations.
The case involved two programs administered by the Small Business Administration: the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL.
Federal prosecutors originally charged the three women in May 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, the indictment alleged they submitted at least 15 PPP or EIDL applications containing false information or documentation and obtained at least $124,165.
The indictment also detailed how some of the money was allegedly spent. Prosecutors said that approximately one month after Brown received $20,833 in PPP proceeds through a bank account associated with her nonprofit Beauty After The Bars, approximately $15,000 was spent on Brown’s birthday party. Court records listed expenses including a venue, catering, photography and video, decorations, a rented throne and a horse-drawn carriage.
Those allegations were made before Brown’s guilty plea. Her subsequent factual basis established that she admitted knowingly participating in the underlying conspiracy to defraud the federal relief programs.
Brown’s prosecution came while she was serving on the Charlotte City Council representing District 3. The conduct at issue, however, occurred between 2020 and 2021—before Brown was elected to the council.
The 10-month prison sentence means Brown will now serve federal time following the guilty plea.
AUXIO.TV is continuing to review the federal court record for additional sentencing details, including restitution, supervised release and the judge’s reasoning for imposing the prison term.
Sources: U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina court filings and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
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CMPD OFFICER FATALLY SHOOTS MAN DURING NORTH CHARLOTTE FOOT PURSUIT
CMPD Officer Fatally Shoots Man During North Charlotte Foot Pursuit; SBI Investigating
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer fatally shot a man during a foot pursuit Friday afternoon in north Charlotte.
The shooting occurred Sept. 18 near LaSalle Street and Newland Road.
According to CMPD’s preliminary account, Metro Division officers responded at approximately 2:26 p.m. to a 911 call reporting a disturbance in the 1300 block of LaSalle Street.
Police said that while responding, officers observed a separate group of people nearby who appeared to be involved in what CMPD described as a “criminal transaction.” CMPD has not publicly detailed what officers allegedly observed.
Police said one person began walking away after noticing officers and then ran. Officers pursued him on foot and issued multiple commands for him to stop.
CMPD says that during the pursuit, the man produced a firearm. Police said an officer perceived an “imminent deadly threat” and fired, striking him.
Officers provided medical aid until MEDIC arrived. The man was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. CMPD said a firearm was recovered at the scene and no officers were injured.
The circumstances immediately preceding the shooting remain disputed.
Family members and at least one reported witness have challenged CMPD’s preliminary version of events, saying the man did not threaten officers and alleging that he was shot while fleeing. Those claims have not been independently established, and authorities have not publicly released body-camera footage showing the encounter.
Family members have identified the man as Curtis Massey. As of the latest information reviewed by AUXIO, CMPD had not publicly confirmed that identification.
The SBI is leading the investigation into the shooting. CMPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting a separate investigation, and the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave under standard department protocol.
The SBI investigation will be critical in establishing what happened during the final moments of the pursuit, including the man’s actions with the firearm and the circumstances under which the officer opened fire.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the SBI at 919-662-4500.
AUXIO will update this story as additional official records, investigative findings or video evidence become available.
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Carozza Campaign Picks Up Steam With Well-Attended East Quogue Fundraiser
EAST QUOGUE, NY — Richard Carozza’s campaign for Southampton Town Supervisor is picking up activity as Election Day approaches, with a well-attended fundraiser Thursday night at Dockers Waterside Restaurant in East Quogue.
The September 17 event brought together supporters, local residents and familiar Southampton political figures for an evening that also featured recording artist Samantha Cole.
Among those attending were former Southampton Town Trustees Scott Horowitz and Ed Warner Jr., Southampton Town Republican Committee Vice Chairman Raheem Soto, and other members of the community.
The Dockers gathering comes as Carozza moves further into the fall phase of his campaign. His official campaign website lists the East Quogue fundraiser among his campaign events and identifies housing affordability, Town Hall accountability, reducing government red tape, protecting water quality and expanding sewers among his stated priorities.
Carozza is the Southampton Republican Committee’s nominee for Town Supervisor in the November 2026 election and is challenging incumbent Supervisor Maria Moore.
The campaign has increasingly focused on direct voter engagement as the election draws closer, with the Dockers fundraiser providing another opportunity for Carozza to meet residents and build visibility across Southampton Town.
Brett Corvino Chief of Staff for the Carozza Campaign stated “We were very pleased with the turnout at Dockers and the opportunity for Rich to spend time speaking directly with people from across Southampton Town.
As we move into the final weeks of the campaign, we’re focused on continuing that outreach and making sure residents have a chance to hear directly from Rich about the issues that matter to their communities.”
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Southampton Marks 25 Years Since September 11 With 343 Flags and a Community-Wide Moment of Remembrance
Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Southampton Town is again pausing to remember the lives lost, the first responders who answered the call and the generations that continue to carry the weight of that day.
Earlier this week, staff from the Southampton Town Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management placed 343 flags on the lawn outside its Hampton Bays facility, one for each FDNY firefighter killed in the attack on the World Trade Center.
The Town said the display is intended to honor not only the firefighters who died that morning, but also the law-enforcement officers, civilians and others whose lives were lost or forever changed.
Southampton officials noted that 63 law-enforcement officers and thousands of civilians were among those killed in the attacks, while many more people have since died or suffered from illnesses linked to exposure at Ground Zero and related sites.
Across Southampton Town and the surrounding region, fire departments are also expected to sound horns and sirens at key moments between 8:46 a.m. and 10:28 a.m., marking the times associated with the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the collapse of the Twin Towers.
The anniversary carries particular weight on Long Island, where many families lost loved ones on September 11 and where thousands of police officers, firefighters, construction workers and other responders participated in the rescue, recovery and cleanup.
Suffolk County is also holding a commemorative ceremony Friday at noon, led by County Executive Ed Romaine, that will include a reading of the names of Suffolk County residents who were lost.
For many residents, the 25th anniversary is not simply a historical milestone.
It is a reminder of neighbors who never came home, first responders who ran toward danger, families who endured unimaginable loss and communities that came together in the days and months that followed.
In Southampton, the 343 flags now standing in Hampton Bays offer a simple but powerful image of remembrance.
Each represents a firefighter.
Together, they represent something larger: sacrifice, service and a promise that the names and stories of those lost will not be forgotten.
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9/11 Families Deliver 102,000-Signature Petition Urging Mamdani to Stay Away From Ground Zero Ceremony
NEW YORK — A petition organized by the husband of a woman killed in the September 11 attacks is calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from this year’s 25th-anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, creating a sharp public dispute just days before the ceremony.
Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and was killed at the World Trade Center, launched the petition asking organizers to reconsider Mamdani’s participation in the anniversary ceremony.
Galante has described the commemoration as a deeply personal day for families and argues that the mayor’s presence could detract from its purpose. In an Aug. 20 update, he urged supporters to continue sharing the petition and wrote that he wanted the mayor to “STAY AWAY” from the 25th-anniversary observance.
The petition itself raises objections to Mamdani based on political associations and actions that its organizers say conflict with what they believe the Sept. 11 ceremony should represent.
According to the petition, the families’ concern is not simply about political disagreement. It argues that Ground Zero on Sept. 11 should remain focused on remembrance, unity and rejection of the extremism responsible for the attacks.
The petition states that the presence of people whose statements or associations are viewed by participating families as inconsistent with that purpose could cause additional pain and distract from the memorial. Those assertions represent the views of the petition organizers and should not be treated as independently established conclusions.
The campaign had already gathered more than 83,000 signatures by Aug. 11 and nearly 89,000 by Aug. 20, according to updates posted directly by Galante. He also announced plans for a Sept. 8 press conference at New York City Hall.
The pushback comes as Mamdani prepares to preside over his first Sept. 11 anniversary as mayor.
On Sept. 4, Mamdani signed an executive order establishing September 11 as an annual Citywide Day of Remembrance and Service. The order directs the city to honor those killed in the attacks, first responders, survivors, families and those who later died from illnesses connected to the World Trade Center site.
At the signing ceremony, Mamdani said the city had an obligation to remember those lost and described the anniversary as a time for service and reflection. He also discussed meetings he had held with recovery workers, educators and firefighters affected by the attacks and their aftermath.
Those official actions have not erased the opposition represented by Galante’s petition.
Instead, the controversy highlights a larger question surrounding this year’s milestone anniversary: who should have a public role at Ground Zero, and how much weight should be given to objections raised by families directly affected by the attacks?
For Galante and the supporters of his petition, the answer is clear. They are asking organizers to keep the focus on the victims and families—and to reconsider Mamdani’s participation.
With the 25th anniversary approaching, that disagreement now places the mayor at the center of a commemoration that petition organizers argue should not be about elected officials at all.
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Carozza Campaign Sets East Quogue Fundraiser for Sept. 17
EAST QUOGUE — Richard Carozza, a candidate for Southampton Town Supervisor in 2026, will hold a campaign fundraiser Thursday, Sept. 17, at Dockers Waterside Restaurant in East Quogue.
The event is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature international recording artist Samantha Cole.
Organizers are asking for a suggested donation of $75. The first hour will include an open bar, followed by a cash bar during the second hour, along with light hors d’oeuvres.
The fundraiser will be held at Dockers, 94 Dune Road, East Quogue.
According to the campaign, the event will give supporters and local residents an opportunity to meet Carozza and hear more about his vision for Southampton Town.
The fundraiser is hosted by Friends of Richard Carozza.
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Kiely Pushes Back on Albany Control of East End Battery Projects
By East End Now | Auxio.tv News
Stephen Kiely is making local control of battery energy storage projects a central issue in his campaign for New York State Assembly.
Kiely, the Republican candidate in the 1st Assembly District, has argued that East End towns should retain meaningful authority over where large battery energy storage systems, or BESS facilities, are located.
That debate is becoming more important as Albany considers new rules for energy storage projects.
New York lawmakers have already advanced legislation requiring developers of larger commercial battery-storage projects to notify local officials when seeking permits. Other proposals would establish setback requirements and additional public-hearing protections.
The broader issue is not whether battery storage has a role in New York’s energy system.
It does.
The harder question is who should decide where those facilities go.
State officials have statewide energy goals. Local governments have to deal with the consequences of individual projects — including land use, emergency response, traffic, neighborhood compatibility and public concern over fire safety.
That creates a basic mismatch of incentives.
Albany can approve a policy.
A town has to live with the result.
Kiely’s position is that those decisions should not be pushed upward simply because the state wants to accelerate energy development.
That argument is especially relevant on the East End, where Southold has already imposed and extended a moratorium on new BESS development while local officials continue reviewing safety and siting concerns.
The Legislature itself appears to recognize that local communities need a stronger voice. One current bill would require notice to local officials for certain commercial storage projects, while another proposal would establish minimum setbacks and require public hearings before approval.
Kiely’s campaign is turning that debate into a larger question about local government.
If a community bears the risk of a project, how much authority should it have over the decision?
That is likely to remain a significant issue in the East End Assembly race as Kiely challenges Democratic incumbent Tommy John Schiavoni in November. The two are the general-election candidates for Assembly District 1.
For East End voters, the debate is not simply about batteries.
It is about whether major land-use decisions should be made closest to the people who will live with them.
East End Now — Your East End. Your News.