🌱 Center Moriches-Eastport Daily: 'Birth Tourism' Scheme + Armor

Get on up, Center Moriches-Eastport! It's Wednesday, so let me, Diane Witek, get you started with everything you need to know going on today in Center Moriches-Eastport.

First, today's weather:

Periods of snow and rain. High: 39, low: 30.

Here are the top stories in Center Moriches-Eastport today:

1. Ibrahim Aksakal, a Turkish national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 27 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to commit health care and wire fraud in connection with a so-called “birth tourism” scheme that Aksakal operated in Suffolk County between approximately 2017 and 2020. Aksakal had pregnant Turkish women fraudulently enter the United States and had them stay in one of seven “birth houses” in Center Moriches, Dix Hills, East Northport, East Patchogue, Smithtown and West Babylon, New York. As a result of the scheme, Medicaid disbursed more than $1 million in fraudulently obtained benefits. (Department of Justice)
2. During the Long Island-Ukraine Emergency Drive, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office donated nearly 450 pieces of bulletproof body armor, medical supplies, sleeping bags and other essentials to Ukraine. "We stand with the people of Ukraine, and we want to offer our help any way that we can and I'm proud to announce that the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is able to step up and provide materials that can help keep them safe," said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. (News 12 Connecticut)
3. As part of deer management operations at the William Floyd Estate in Mastic Beach, about 50 deer were removed, which completed the 2022 season. The operation also removed deer from the Fire Island National Seashore and resulting in a donation of about 4,400 pounds of venison to Island Harvest Food Bank. (Patch)

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Today in Center Moriches-Eastport:

• In-Person Gentle Toning and Muscle Strengthening (Center Moriches). (8:30 a.m.)
• Toddlers Tango/Babies Boogie IN PERSON — Ages Birth-Not Yet in Kindergarten — CMJ261 (Center Moriches). (9:45 a.m.)
• Gentle Chair Yoga with Susan (Center Moriches). (11 a.m.)
• Yoga IN PERSON — Grades 1st-3rd — CMJ500 (Center Moriches). (4:30 p.m.)
• Spring Bunny String Art on Zoom (Center Moriches). (6 p.m.)
• Yoga IN PERSON — Grades 4th-12th — CMJ700 (Center Moriches). (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Suffolk County Sheriff's Office: "To all the women that make a difference and improve the lives of all Long Islanders, thank you for your present and past service. Happy International Women's Day! #suffolkcounty, #suffolkcountyny, #longisland, #longislandny." (Facebook) (Website)
• Center Moriches Free Public Library: "Now color coded for easy access, our organic seed library is fully stocked for you to 'check out' up to five seed packets of vegetable, fruit, flower or herbs with your Center Moriches Library card! You can also request seeds on our website." (Facebook)
• Hampton Watercraft & Marine Eastport/Remsenburg on Moriches Bay: "Our student employees, Chris and Rob, are working hard on the Waverunners at our Eastport Marina! Chris is a new apprentice mechanic part of a work study program. Rob is part of the Kingsborough college AMI apprentice mechanic program." (Facebook)
• Center Moriches Free Public Library: "We love these 'literary selfie' cartoons by John Atkinson!"😃(Facebook) (Website)

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Events:

• Wine Pairing Dinner at Ruggero’s. (March 10)
• Andrew's Top Gun Run. (March 26)
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For sale:

• 15.3 ft 1972 Glastron Boat. (Details)
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• Private Beach Club job opportunities. (Details)
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That's it for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update!

— Diane Witek

About me: Impassioned Writer, Website Designer, Social Media Marketer and newly proclaimed Baker. Lover of nature and animals of all kinds.