Manhattan developer Steve Croman was indicted on twenty felony charges related to allegations of tenant intimidation and fraud on May 9. His charges include, grand larceny, falsifying business records, a scheme to defraud, criminal tax fraud, and offering a false instrument for filing.
STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS
"Steve Croman's indictment on Monday is a bittersweet victory. His indictment means that we are one step closer to stopping him from taking advantage of our City's housing crisis for personal profit. His surrender, and potential conviction, would mean there is one less greedy building owner harassing the City's most vulnerable so they can be replaced by higher-paying tenants. I find it deplorable that former New York Police Officer Anthony Falconite, who took an oath to protect and serve, was the main instrument used in intimidating and forcing tenants out of their homes. Croman continuously harassed, intimidated and manipulated rent-regulated tenants to force them out of their homes so he could convert their apartments into market-rate units.
"For every Steve Croman, there are a handful more just like him, who are targeting New Yorkers who are struggling to make ends meet. I applaud Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and his office for making cases like these a priority. I am proud to be part of a legislative body that works every day to protect tenants' rights, as evidenced by the series of bills passed during this session to do just that.
"For example, we've passed legislation I sponsored that mandates owners let tenants know that they have the right to refuse a buyout offer by agents of a landlord. Agents are also required to disclose their identity and that they work for the tenants' landlord. Another bill, sponsored by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, makes contacting a tenant, after they have refused a buyout offer, a form of harassment. Council Member Garodnick passed a bill to make it unlawful for an owner to threaten a tenant, to contact tenants at odd hours, or to provide false information to a tenant. We've also increased fines for engaging in tenant harassment and passed legislation to allow the city to engage in emergency repairs of decrepit buildings, and also a requirement to provide notice to tenants when building services are being interrupted.
"It is my hope that Steve Croman's arrest, and possible conviction, serves as an example for all owners who are practicing similar illegal tactics. The lesson is simple; this City will continue to aggressively fight to protect tenants." |
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