Tag:

Real Estate Fraud

NJ Man Conned $1.5M From Dorchester Buddy To Spend At Casinos, Fund NY Restaurant: Feds Say NJ Man Conned $1.5M From Dorchester Buddy To Spend At Casinos, Fund NY Restaurant: Feds Say
NJ Man Conned $1.5M From Dorchester Buddy To Spend At Casinos, Fund NY Restaurant: Feds Say A New Jersey man who admitted to conning a friend out of $1.5 million on a fake investment scheme in Boston to fund his restaurant and casino vacations will serve 18 months in prison, authorities announced.  Edwin Tavarez, 48, of Garfield, N.J., pleaded guilty to wire fraud in May and was sentenced on Monday, Dec. 18, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He must also repay the $1,515,836 million he stole.  Tavarez conned a decades-long friend into "investing" in an industrial property in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, authorities said. Tavarez told his friend they …
Bergen Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme Bergen Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme
Bergen Dad, Son Busted Again, This Time In $2.5M Jersey Shore ‘Fix-and-Flip’ Scheme It seemed state and federal prosecutors had thrown all they could at a Bergen County father and son for a series of multi-million-dollar investment scams. But state authorities announced a new indictment against both men on Monday, Nov. 6. This time, George Bussanich, Sr., 65, of Park Ridge, and George Bussanich, Jr., 43, of Upper Saddle River, are charged with defrauding investors and mortgage lenders out of more than $2.5 million through a “fix and flip” investment scam involving Jersey Shore real estate. Victims believed they were funding the purchase, renovation, and resale of four…
Phony Real Estate Agent Scams Would-Be Renters Out Of Thousands In Suffolk County, Police Say Phony Real Estate Agent Scams Would-Be Renters Out Of Thousands In Suffolk County, Police Say
Phony Real Estate Agent Scams Would-Be Renters Out Of Thousands In Suffolk County, Police Say Several would-be renters on Long Island found themselves out thousands of dollars after getting duped by a con artist posing as a real estate agent, police said. Christian Anderson, age 24, of Shirley, was arrested Thursday, Sept. 7, on multiple charges stemming from the alleged scam, according to Suffolk County Police. Investigators said Anderson sought out rental properties online and then relisted them on a social media website, claiming that he was the real estate agent. Between January and March 2023, Anderson arranged to meet with victims in bank parking lots for properties in the Ma…
Jersey Shore Woman Bought $840K Home With Fake Documents: Prosecutor Jersey Shore Woman Bought $840K Home With Fake Documents: Prosecutor
Jersey Shore Woman Bought $840K Home With Fake Documents: Prosecutor A 32-year-old woman from Monmouth County bought a $840,000 home using bogus documents, authorities said. Sydne Phillips, of Allentown, was charged with two counts of theft by deception,  impersonation and two counts of forgery, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw. She provided fraudulent documents to obtain a mortgage and attempted to use a fraudulent $76,000 check to cover the closing costs of the real estate transaction, Bradshaw said. She was taken into custody June 1 and held in the Atlantic County Justice Facility in Mays Landing pending a detention …
Greedy West Chester Workers Paid Off Student Loans, Took Trips To NJ On Doctor's Dime: DA Greedy West Chester Workers Paid Off Student Loans, Took Trips To NJ On Doctor's Dime: DA
Greedy West Chester Workers Paid Off Student Loans, Took Trips To NJ On Doctor's Dime: DA Trips to the Jersey Shore, student loan payments and gifts to their boyfriends. Two employers of a West Chester doctor sneakily stole $450,000 of his money to do just that and more, but not before trying to sell one of the doctor's $1 million properties without his permission, according to authorities in Chester County. Mikayla Zeigler, 22, of West Chester, and Danielle King, 25, of Chadds Ford, "engaged in a cunning scheme to steal from their boss and spent it lavishly on themselves," District Attorney Deb Ryan said. "They used the money to pay their rent, student loans, and credit card d…
Scammer Nabbed For Swindling Garden City Homebuyer Out Of $45K, Police Say Scammer Nabbed For Swindling Garden City Homebuyer Out Of $45K, Police Say
Scammer Nabbed For Swindling Garden City Homebuyer Out Of $45K, Police Say A man accused of bilking a New York homebuyer out of tens of thousands of dollars through an email scam has been nabbed by police. Maryland resident Emeka Ndukwu, age 50, of Lanham in Prince George's County, was arraigned on Long Island on Saturday, Oct. 1, on a felony charge of grand larceny in Nassau County Court.. Working with two other individuals, prosecutors said Ndukwu, who is a dual national of the United States and Nigeria, convinced a Garden City resident to wire a total of $45,000 to a person he believed to be a real estate attorney in October 2021. Ndukwu is accused of recrui…
NY Developer Admits Crimes In South Jersey Construction Project: Prosecutor NY Developer Admits Crimes In South Jersey Construction Project: Prosecutor
NY Developer Admits Crimes In South Jersey Construction Project: Prosecutor A New York developer has admitted using the credentials of a potential subcontractor to fraudulently gain approval for electrical permits to renovate a historic building in South Jersey, authorities said. Raphael S. Weiss, 61, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to second-degree computer-related activity and third-degree forgery in exchange for a suspended five-year sentence, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Weiss purchased a historic seven-story commercial building in Riverside Township to develop luxury apartments, Coffina said.  Weiss’s attorney and Ri…
Trump Sues NY Attorney General In Effort To Block Probe Of Company Trump Sues NY Attorney General In Effort To Block Probe Of Company
Trump Sues NY Attorney General In Effort To Block Probe Of Company In a last-ditch bid to stop a “witch hunt” probe into his company, former President Donald Trump announced that he is suing New York Attorney General Letitia James in an effort to halt her two-year-long inquiry. Trump and his company filed the federal lawsuit on Monday, Dec. 20 to block James’ ongoing civil investigation into the Trump Organization. James had been investigating whether the Trump Organization misstated the value of certain real estate assets to obtain better interest rates, while lowering tax obligations, after the former president's former attorney Michael Cohen made those …
Central Jersey Man Swindled $1.6M From Business Partner In Bogus Land Deals, Prosecutor Says Central Jersey Man Swindled $1.6M From Business Partner In Bogus Land Deals, Prosecutor Says
Central Jersey Man Swindled $1.6M From Business Partner In Bogus Land Deals, Prosecutor Says A 54-year-old man from Monmouth County is accused of swindling a former business partner out of $1.57 million, authorities said. Anthony Steward of Wall Township has been charged with second-degree misconduct by a corporate official and second-degree theft by deception. according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey The charges were the result of an investigation by members of the Prosecutor’s Office that was initiated in May. The victim reported the alleged thefts: three separate incidents between October 2019 and July 2021, Linskey said. In eac…
Disbarred Attorney Stole $71K Downpayment On Central Jersey Home, Prosecutor Says Disbarred Attorney Stole $71K Downpayment On Central Jersey Home, Prosecutor Says
Disbarred Attorney Stole $71K Downpayment On Central Jersey Home, Prosecutor Says A former attorney from Monmouth County is accused of stealing $71,000 in client funds during a Middlesex County home sale, authorities said. Bert T. Lundberg, 56, of Freehold Township appeared at his first virtual court appearance Friday on a complaint charging him with misapplication of entrusted property and theft by failure to make required disposition of property received, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. Lundberg, whose practice was in Old Bridge Township, has been charged in the theft of client funds during a home sale in Middlesex County last N…
Man Posed As Realtor, Took Downpayment From Victim, Police Say Man Posed As Realtor, Took Downpayment From Victim, Police Say
Man Posed As Realtor, Took Downpayment From Victim, Police Say A man from Middletown has been charged after police say he posed as a realtor and took a downpayment from a victim. New York State Police say Michael Ramos, 35, of Middletown was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 11 after he allegedly presented himself as a realtor and accepted a downpayment from a victim in June. Ramos showed the victim a foreclosed property in the town of Thompson in Sullivan County and accepted a cash downpayment, according to police. Ramos was charged with third-degree burglary, a felony, and second-degree criminal impersonation, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned in the Town …
Disbarred Attorney Charged With Stealing From Escrow Funds Accounts In Westchester Disbarred Attorney Charged With Stealing From Escrow Funds Accounts In Westchester
Disbarred Attorney Charged With Stealing From Escrow Funds Accounts In Westchester A former attorney who was disbarred is facing charges for allegedly stealing funds during real estate transactions in Westchester. Steven Hamburg, 59, of the Bronx, was arraigned in White Plains City Court on Friday, Sept. 6, where he was charged with three felony counts of third-degree grand larceny in connection to stealing from his victims’ escrow funds accounts. It is alleged that between September 2015 and September 2019, Hamburg took money from three separate victims in connection to three separate real estate transactions. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. s…
'Like Watching Him Go Through Chemo': Clayton Morris Moves To Portugal With Worried Wife 'Like Watching Him Go Through Chemo': Clayton Morris Moves To Portugal With Worried Wife
'Like Watching Him Go Through Chemo': Clayton Morris Moves To Portugal With Worried Wife A former FOX News talkshow host accused of being involved in a real estate Ponzi scheme have moved out of the U.S. Clayton Morris and his wife, Natali, first left their Florham Park for Pennsylvania, but have resettled in Portugal. Morris is facing more than two dozens lawsuits saying he organized a scheme that defrauded customers for his own financial gain when he sold them rental properties that were in much worse shape than advertised. Natali wrote on her website that the media attention and accusations were taking their toll on her husband, facing dozens of lawsuits from across th…
Jersey City Man Charged In House-Flipping Scam That Cost Banks Millions Jersey City Man Charged In House-Flipping Scam That Cost Banks Millions
Jersey City Man Charged In House-Flipping Scam That Cost Banks Millions A real estate investor from Jersey City has been charged for his part in a scheme to use false documents and other methods to artificially inflate the value of homes bought on short sale, U.S, Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said. Anthony Garvin, 49, was charged Tuesday with bank fraud conspiracy in an indictment superseding earlier charges of bank fraud filed in January. Garvin belonged to a group that allegedly bought homes with mortgages in default using home-equity loans obtained with false information and documents. The group would persuade a bank to sell the property at a los…
Westchester Real Estate Developer Sentenced For Operating Ponzi Scheme, Ordered To Forfeit $58M Westchester Real Estate Developer Sentenced For Operating Ponzi Scheme, Ordered To Forfeit $58M
Westchester Real Estate Developer Sentenced For Operating Ponzi Scheme, Ordered To Forfeit $58M A real estate developer will spend time behind bars for operating a years-long $58 million Ponzi scheme that included properties in the area. Michael D’Alessio, 53, was sentenced on Friday, April 5 to six years in prison for his elaborate scheme to defraud investors in luxury real estate developments in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester and elsewhere.  In addition to the prison term, D'Alessio was sentenced to three years of supervised release and order to pay forfeiture in the amount of $58,090,047. D'Alessio is the former president and CEO of real estate development firm Michael …
Suspended Garfield Lawyer Pocketed $90,000 Of Clients' Money For Himself, Authorities Charge Suspended Garfield Lawyer Pocketed $90,000 Of Clients' Money For Himself, Authorities Charge
Suspended Garfield Lawyer Pocketed $90,000 Of Clients' Money For Himself, Authorities Charge A Garfield attorney swiped $90,000 from two clients in real estate deals while he suspended from practicing law, said authorities who arrested him. Alfred Ramos, 38, “received the funds into his attorney’s trust account and then, instead of forwarding them to his clients, used them for his own purposes,” Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said. Ramos was under suspension at the time, under a July 3, 2018 order of the New Jersey Supreme Court, Calo said. He’s scheduled for a Feb. 13 first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court on two counts of misapplication of entrusted f…
Man Says Stepmother Stole His Northern Westchester Home Through Forged Signature Man Says Stepmother Stole His Northern Westchester Home Through Forged Signature
Man Says Stepmother Stole His Northern Westchester Home Through Forged Signature A man claims his stepmother stole his Northern Westchester house by forging his signature and using an invalid notary stamp on a new deed. Peter Parraglia told the WNBC News 4 I-Team that in October, his stepmother, Barbara Kessman-Parraglia had the deed transferred to her name for $10. The only problem, he said, is that he never signed over his Katonah home, where he lives with his wife and two children, the news channel reported. Another twist to the plot is that the notary public who certified the transaction was listed as Parraglia's father, Patrick Edward Parraglia. When I-Team …
Short-Sale Scheme: Hawthorne Scammer Admits Conning Lenders Out Of More Than $6M Short-Sale Scheme: Hawthorne Scammer Admits Conning Lenders Out Of More Than $6M
Short-Sale Scheme: Hawthorne Scammer Admits Conning Lenders Out Of More Than $6M A Hawthorne con artist admitted his role Tuesday in defrauding financial institutions and others of more than $6 million. Mehdi “Mike” Kassai, 36, was part of a group of thieves who convinced mortgage lenders to participate in short-sale deals – which allow homeowners in trouble to sell for less than they owe on their mortgages, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Kassai told a federal judge in Newark on Tuesday that he used bogus documents and buyers, damaged properties to lower their apparent value and “restricted the ability of others to bid and buy those properties,” Carpenito said. “T…
Ridgefield Park Man Gets House Arrest For $495,000 'Shotgun' Real Estate Scheme Ridgefield Park Man Gets House Arrest For $495,000 'Shotgun' Real Estate Scheme
Ridgefield Park Man Gets House Arrest For $495,000 'Shotgun' Real Estate Scheme A Ridgefield Park man was sentenced Thursday to three years of supervised release, including one year of house arrest for using bogus information and simultaneous loan applications at various banks to fraudulently obtain home equity lines of credit -- a practice known as “shotgunning.” Rafael Popoteur, 65, admitted in federal court in Newark in June 2017 that he conspired with real estate broker Michael Arroyo, 60, of the Bronx, who was sentenced Thursday to 21 months in federal prison. From 2012 through January 2014, Arroyo and others conspired to fraudulently obtain multiple home equity l…
Investors Seek $17M From Westchester Developer In Fraud Suit Investors Seek $17M From Westchester Developer In Fraud Suit
Investors Seek $17M From Westchester Developer In Fraud Suit More investors from Westchester and Connecticut are demanding at least $17 million in damages and a court order stopping White Plains developer Michael D’Alessio and Michael Paul Enterprises from selling or transferring properties. They claim he misappropriated their funds on housing projects in Scarsdale and Manhattan. D’Alessio and his enterprises carried out a massive scheme to defraud them, investors allege in three lawsuits filed in Westchester Supreme and County Court. The Westchester Bank also sued, demanding $881,000 on a $1 million loan D’Alessio took out in 2015, according to new…
Rockland Landlord Collecting Illegal Rents Lands In Jail Rockland Landlord Collecting Illegal Rents Lands In Jail
Rockland Landlord Collecting Illegal Rents Lands In Jail A crooked landlord who collected rents from a property seized by Rockland County officials is behind bars following an investigation by the Rockland County Sheriff's Office.  Elazer Dancziger, 61, of New Square, was charged Tuesday, Jan. 30, with three counts of felony grand larceny and scheming to defraud for illegally collecting rent money from tenants who live at 749 Main St., in New Hempstead, said officials with the Sheriff's Office. The county took possession of the apartment complex on Sept. 18, 2017, for failure to pay back taxes. Following the seizure, Dancziger continued to repres…
Landlords Illegally Occupied Property, Rockland County Says Landlords Illegally Occupied Property, Rockland County Says
Landlords Illegally Occupied Property, Rockland County Says ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. -- Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced the county is suing two men who they allege illegally occupied and rented property that had been foreclosed.The county is suing Joseph Greenbaum and Elazer Dancziger for renting foreclosed apartments in New Hempstead that the county owned. "Their actions were not only illegal, they were outrageous," said Day. "It's a scam – like renting the Brooklyn Bridge. They represented that they owned a property that they did not own." In a complaint filed in Rockland County Supreme Court, the county is seeking to r…