Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the arrest of a Bronx man on charges of creating and selling forged financial documents to two individuals who claimed they sought to qualify for affordable housing financed by the City Housing Development Corporation (“HDC”), one of whom is a DOI undercover investigator who posed as a customer in need of documents for that purpose. The documents included fraudulent proof of income, bank statements and tax returns. A housing management company that administers housing lotteries for HDC reported to DOI discrepancies in applications for affordable housing, which prompted DOI’s investigation. DOI worked with the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, which is prosecuting the case.
RODNEY BILLINGS, 46, of Bronx, N.Y., was charged on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, with three counts each of Forgery in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, which are class D felonies; three counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony; and two counts each of Forgery in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Third Degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, which are class A misdemeanors. Upon Conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a class E felony is punishable by up to four years in prison, and a class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail. BILLINGS was arraigned late Wednesday and released on his own recognizance. His next court date is scheduled for October 14, 2025.
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “As charged, this defendant created and sold forged financial documents for profit, documents he was told would be used to obtain affordable housing in New York City. Creating fake financial documents to facilitate the exploitation of this scarce public resource harms the intended beneficiaries of the City’s affordable housing programs. I thank District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and his staff, as well as the Housing Development Corporation, for their diligence and partnership in protecting these vital programs and the New Yorkers that they serve.”
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly tried to exploit a system designed to help hardworking New Yorkers find affordable housing. By allegedly selling fake financial documents, he not only took advantage of people in need, but also undermined public trust and hurt communities that rely on these critical programs. My office is committed to rooting out this kind of fraud, and I thank the New York City Department of Investigation and the City Housing Development Corporation for their strong partnership on this case.”
According to the criminal complaint, on three separate occasions – in 2021, 2023 and 2024 – the defendant provided fraudulent documents to individuals, including a DOI undercover investigator posing as a customer, who indicated they needed the documents to apply for affordable housing financed by HDC.
• In August 2021, an individual providing information to the prosecutor’s office communicated with the defendant via text message, indicating the individual was in need of fraudulent bank statements to qualify for an affordable housing development financed by HDC. The defendant responded via text that he could produce fraudulent documents and instructed the individual to send the defendant $510 via a bank payment network. The individual sent the money and then received fraudulent bank statements, a fraudulent pay stub and a fraudulent W2 form from an email associated with the defendant.
• In November 2023, a DOI undercover investigator communicated with the defendant via text message about the defendant providing fraudulent bank statements in exchange for a fee, and the defendant sent the undercover investigator an advertisement for “document editing” services for pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, W2s, and other financial documents. The undercover investigator spoke with the defendant by phone and told the defendant that the undercover investigator needed fraudulent bank statements and pay stubs to qualify for an affordable housing development financed by HDC. The defendant stated he could produce these documents in exchange for a fee and instructed the undercover investigator to send a payment of $330 through a bank payment network. The undercover investigator paid the fee and then received fraudulent bank statements and pay stubs from an email associated with the defendant.
• In May 2024, the same DOI undercover investigator communicated with the defendant via phone, requesting a fraudulent tax return to qualify for an affordable housing development financed by HDC. The defendant stated he could produce that document in exchange for a fee and instructed the undercover investigator to send a payment of $80 through a bank payment network. The undercover investigator sent the payment and received an email from a different email account associated with the defendant, which contained a fraudulent tax return.
DOI Commissioner Strauber thanked Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, for his and his staff’s partnership on this case. Assistant District Attorney Peter Choi in the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau is handling the prosecution. Commissioner Strauber also thanked HDC President Eric Enderlin, and his staff, for their cooperation in this investigation.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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