Released Sex Offender Living

Councilmember Avella and State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky were two legislators who signed a letter of complaint addressed to the parole authorities.

Local legislators in Bayside have complained to parole authorities that a man just released from jail after serving time for a sexual abuse conviction was allowed to move into the area without any notification being given to residents.

In a letter of complaint to Brian D. Travis, chair of the state Division of Parole in Albany, the lawmakers stated:

"There are reports that one of Mr. [Matthew] Ponzo’s victims lives in the immediate Bayside neighborhood. In fact, that is how the community learned about him. A resident of the apartment complex saw Mr. Ponzo’s picture pasted in a local dentist’s office. The victim’s mother placed it there when she learned that Mr. Ponzo moved into the area."

The letter was signed by City Councilmember Tony Avella, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky and Assemblymember Ann Margaret Carrozza, all Democrats.

Gazette photo

They also asked, "How could Mr. Ponzo be allowed to reside in the same neighborhood as his victim? Although Bayside may seem like a large neighborhood, it is a close knit community with a limited number of community resources, such as schools, libraries and shopping facilities."

Complaining that there were a number of irregularities regarding the way information about Ponzo was disseminated and also about the appropriateness of his living in the same area as one of his victims, the three lawmakers asked the parole board to re-examine the whole case.

"We request that you immediately re-evaluate Mr. Ponzo’s living situation," they asked the parole authorities.

"Given the lack of investigation and the circumstances mentioned above, it is clear that he does not belong in this environment. There are children in the immediate area, the building is not secure and one of his victims lives nearby," they wrote.

"Therefore, we request that he immediately be removed from his current living situation."

According to information downloaded from an internet site and provided to the Gazette by Avella, Ponzo, 21, is living at 18-15 215th St. in the Water’s Edge complex. His parents, who were not identified by name, leased the apartment just prior to their son’s release from prison.

According to the information on Ponzo, he was convicted in February 2001 on charges of sexual abuse in the first degree. His victims were both males, aged 8 and 5 at the time Ponzo was convicted.

Ponzo is described as white, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. He is listed as a sexual predator. No details on the crime were listed, nor were any previous arrests. He had been sentenced to a term of one to three years, but it was not stated how long he served nor when he was released. But he registered with the Sex Offender Unit last October 29.

In the letter to the Division of Parole, the three lawmakers stated the community is "extremely upset and has a number of questions and concerns regarding the way information regarding Mr. Ponzo was disseminated and how this location was deemed an appropriate living situation for a Level 3 Sexual Offender.

The building where Ponzo resides is a cooperative building in a complex where two other co-op buildings are located. In Ponzo’s building, 26 children also reside, and two families with children live on the same floor.

"The building lacks security cameras and has a number of back entrances, hallways and is attached to a dimly lit parking garage," the lawmakers said.

They explained that Ponzo’s parents made arrangements to live in the building immediately prior to his release from prison. "They signed a lease without indicating that their son would be residing with them. Building management was not contacted by anyone from the New York State Division of Parole regarding Mr. Ponzo’s placement there. They were not asked questions about the number of children in the complex or about security cameras."

Continuing, they wrote, "the neighborhood schools were not notified that Mr. Ponzo moved into the area. P.S. 169, an elementary school, is a short walking distance from this apartment complex, as is the area’s only shopping center and the local library, which operates a Latch Key childhood program."

The lawmakers asked the parole authorities why Ponzo was placed in the building without a thorough investigation by parole officials about the number of children living there, building security, and management notification.

Also, they asked why Ponzo is not listed as a resident on the lease, since the building has an elevator, hallways and back entrances, who would be monitoring Ponzo’s movements and how parole conditions will be enforced.

Eileen Vives Ponzo’s parole officer, stated that special conditions have been placed on Ponzo’s parole that are not listed on the website or made available to the public. How, the lawmakers demanded, can the community notify Vives if Ponzo violates any of these conditions?

"He apparently did everything legal in moving in here, but it surely is an inappropriate locality for him to be living in," said Avella.