Queens Crap: DA: NYC Apartment Fraud Targeted Immigrants

Sunday, July 20, 2008

DA: NYC Apartment Fraud Targeted Immigrants

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Bronx man who claimed to be an apartment rental agent has been accused of defrauding immigrant families who needed housing.

Johnny Mateo pleaded not guilty Friday to larceny and fraud charges. He is being held without bail until a court date Wednesday.

Manhattan prosecutors say the 43-year-old Mateo bilked six families out of fees ranging from $1,900 to $4,800. Most victims were Mexican or Dominican.

Prosecutors say Mateo sometimes took money from more than one family for the same apartment and promised multiple clients the same move-in time. They say he gave clients excuses when they asked about promised apartments.

Prosecutors say Mateo fled to Houston, but was arrested after a traffic accident there and brought to New York.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: One of the dirty little secrets in the immigrant community: they face more grief from their own countrymen than Archie Bunkers - but we cannot say that.

Oh no.; Sunday, July 20, 2008
Anonymous said...: Immigrant families who needed housing ?
Read around the PC press crap'ola thats been done t this story at the editing desk.

How about CRIMINALS who cant contol theselves, piss on our laws to come here to have babys and knock up our teenage kids.
There is no such thing as an "Illegel Immigrint" they are ALL CRIMINALS that dont belong here.
... F-em all; Sunday, July 20, 2008
Anonymous said...: "One of the dirty little secrets in the immigrant community: they face more grief from their own countrymen than Archie Bunkers - but we cannot say that."

When one of their "countymen" scams an immigrant, he may lose a few thousand dollars. When an Archie Bunker scams an immigrant, or for that matter, many other "Americans", we have things like the subprime mortgage crisis where people lose their homes, or Enron, where people lose their entire future.; Sunday, July 20, 2008
Anonymous said...: No, you missed the point entirely. People always complain that Archie Bunker Queens doesn't welcome these immigrants with open arms as if that's the worst thing that's happening to them. Their own people are doing much worse to them than whitey is. Just look at the Indonesian woman who enslaved her maids out in Muttontown.; Monday, July 21, 2008
Anonymous said...: No one complains about "Archie Bunkers" except for the "Archie Bunkers" themselves.

The "Archie Bunkers", like the good little pets they are, easily get riled up by articles in the NY Post, usually by writers who come from the very same neighborhoods that the "Archie Bunkers" come from.; Monday, July 21, 2008
Anonymous said...: The add: $1100 2br - verry spacious + parking - Brooklyn

The email of the scam From: ftnuyjimeo@hotmail.com

Hello my name is Melissa Garone,

This beautifully renovated condo (2 Bedroom, 2 Bath Apt with Spiral Staircase to private outdoor terrace and spacious closets, ) was my home for the last five years and is located in Atlantic Ave & 125 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201. I've moved to United Kingdom with my job (i am a construction engineer) and decided to rent it because the rent is is very expensive here.The price is so low because I'm here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the apt for max. 5 years . I really want to find a good and responsible tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal and financial information about yourself. I`m the owner and it's exactly like in the Pics.The rent of the apt for 1 month is $1100 including all utilities(water,electricity, Internet, cable,parking, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account.You can move in the apt in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who have the keys and I have no one in United States that could show you the apt.
In order to check it,see if you like it(I'm sure that you'll love it),you need to receive the keys and the contract. Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both.The solution is provided by a company called RENT (www.rent.com) which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys .A friend of mine moved here from California and used the company to resolve the same problem . This procedure allow you to pay the rent only after you will receive the keys,after you will see it, decide if you will stay in the apt or not( I will receive the payment after you'll check the apt).If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and I will send you the details step by step.
Let me know if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.

Regards

Don't send money using western union or money gram.; Sunday, December 21, 2008