A Far Rockaway man was charged for defrauding government rental assistance programs by renting out dilapidated apartments he did not own to families in need, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Paul Fishbein, 47, faces wire and mail fraud charges for allegedly falsely claiming to be the owner and landlord of 20 rental properties, mostly in the Bronx, while collecting government subsidies and evicting tenants over the course of eight years, according to the Southern District of New York.
“As alleged, Paul Fishbein not only took advantage of New Yorkers in need, he also defrauded city and federal government programs designed to help these very people,” U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. “Fishbein allegedly lied about ownership of residential properties, fraudulently took rent subsidies and other benefits from those government housing programs, and often evicted tenants without cause from housing that was substandard in any event. Now Paul Fishbein is in custody and facing serious federal charges for his alleged fraud and exploitation.”
According to a complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, Fishbein allegedly lied about owning the properties beginning in 2013 based on forged deeds. He then allegedly rented the properties to homeless and low- to moderate-income families through rental assistance programs operated by three city agencies — NYCHA, the Human Resources Administration and Housing Preservation & Development — and collected money, including federal funds, as the purported owner and landlord of the properties.
The complaint estimates Fishbein defrauded the three city agencies out of about $1.5 million, including more than $270,000 in federal funds. In addition to taking payments, Fishbein allegedly faked using a broker to rent out the properties and kept certain broker’s fees for himself that the HRA issued as payment.
Fishbein is also accused of faking financial eligibility for Medicaid since at least 2014, the complaint says. He allegedly told the HRA he worked at a company where his total income was about $150 a week — or $600 a month — when he in actuality made hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Prosecutors allege Fishbein received nearly $50,000 in Medicaid benefits to which he was not entitled to as part of his scheme.
6 comments:
Ask yourself- where was HRA in this mix? Were the clerks or supervisors getting the kickbacks?
Let’s see Fake Landlord was able to charge rent to and evict tenants from buildings he did not own. Thank you Queens County Housing Court for showing us how incompetent and corrupt your judges and court attorneys can be. Am sure those judges could care less that the landlord was a sham slumlord. They just wanted the docket cleared. Queens County Housing Court is considered a plumb location for aspiring judges because of the light work load.
The Chosen.
The Entitled.
....And don't you forget it!.
Rob in Manhattan
"Queens County Housing Court is considered a plumb location for aspiring judges because of the light work load."
Which alternate universe are you living in? Queens County Housing and L & T is one of the busiest courts in the country. Stacked with 100% leftist Democrat judges that despise landlords and routinely rule in favor of tenants.
Anonymous who said
Queens County Housing and L & T is one of the busiest courts in the country.
Guess you don't spend much time in housing court. Try Brooklyn, Manhattan or the Bronx. You seem to have plenty of time on your hands commenting on Queens Crap.
No, the judges do not rule against the landlords who put them in their jobs.
As for "Democrat" judges in Queens, have you not noticed that when a judge runs in Queens county, it's in every single political party with no opposition at all?
"As for "Democrat" judges in Queens, have you not noticed that when a judge runs in Queens county, it's in every single political party with no opposition at all?"
The cross-endorsement by the other parties means nothing. It can be had for as little as $500 to the party housekeeping account. Every single "elected" judge in Queens County is a Democrat known to and chosen by the Queens Democrat machine. The "appointed" judges are all appointed by the mayor who is a Democrat. There are no elected Republican judges in Queens County. There is only one appointed Republican judge in Queens County and that would be SI Beep Jimmy Oddo's wife who sits in Criminal Court.
I know it's now legal to smoke pot in the Democratic Utopia but you must be smoking some really good shit if you think Housing judges are landlord friendly. I've been ruled against dozens of times for the most ridiculous nonsense so these bleeding hearts can virtue signal from the bench
"You seem to have plenty of time on your hands commenting on Queens Crap."
...says the guy who is typing a rebuttal on Queens Craigslist. LMAO
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