Cypress Hills

Building superintendent charged with stealing over $18,000 from 8 apartment-seekers

May 25, 2017 By Paul Frangipane Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. Eagle file photo by Mario Belluomo
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A Cypress Hills man was charged with grand larceny and scheme to defraud Wednesday after he allegedly stole more than $18,000 from eight people by posing as a building management employee.

Ruben Almeidas, 58, was arraigned before Judge Danny Chun at Brooklyn Supreme Court for grand larceny and scheme to defraud charges. Almeidas, a superintendent for a building at 233 Jamaica Ave. in Cypress Hills, allegedly showed vacant apartments in the building to apartment-seekers from April 1, 2016 to Oct. 30, 2016 and asked them for a deposit or “finder’s fee.”

“The defendant’s alleged theft and deception in this case is particularly reprehensible in light of the many challenges renters already face as they look for affordable housing in this city,” Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “We will continue to work to ensure that there is no room in Brooklyn for schemes such as this.”

Almeidas, out on $5,000 bail could face seven years in prison.

After allegedly collecting amounts of $1,850 to $3,600, a total of $18,500, from prospective tenants, Almeidas would create excuses as to why the tenants could not actually move into the apartments they already paid deposits for. He was arrested in Feb. 2017.

Almeidas will return to court on Aug. 9, 2017.

 

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