Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of SHATINA HOWELL, 42, a former property manager for multiple Harlem rent-subsidized apartment buildings, for allegedly stealing approximately $56,412 from tenants by depositing money orders intended for rent into her personal bank accounts. Between May 2021 and October 2023, HOWELL stole 141 money orders from approximately 60 tenants, including veterans, and elderly and disabled New Yorkers. HOWELL is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. [1] 

“Shatina Howell allegedly took advantage of tenants in the buildings she managed by breaking their trust and pocketing the money that was intended for rent. She abused her position of authority to exploit New Yorkers who are older adults, veterans, and disabled,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We urge anyone who believes they may be a victim of this sort of fraud to contact our Housing and Tenant Protection Unit at 212-335-3300 or Danyhousing@dany.nyc.gov.” 

According to court documents and statements made on the record, in January 2019, HOWELL was hired as a property manager for Kraus Management.  In May 2019, she was assigned to manage Ennis Francis Apartments, two buildings on West 123rd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard in Central Harlem.  Both buildings are subsidized properties with tenants who receive rent assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8. The buildings’ tenants also include veterans and elderly and disabled New Yorkers. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Kraus Management adjusted its rent payment policy to allow tenants to pay rent directly to the property management office.  From May 7, 2021, through August 5, 2022, HOWELL collected tenant’s rent money orders, fraudulently altered them by listing herself as the payee, endorsed the money orders, and deposited the payments into two bank accounts she controlled.  In some instances, HOWELL gained the trust of residents who were experiencing physical health issues and falsely assured those tenants that she would assist them by “filling out” and/or “delivering” the money orders to the management office.  Instead, HOWELL stole the tenants’ rent money and used it for her own personal benefit.  HOWELL went so far as to collect a rent payment from a tenant even after HOWELL’S effective resignation from Kraus. In total, HOWELL stole at least 91 money orders from approximately 41 tenants, totaling approximately $39,231.26.  Kraus Management uncovered the fraud in June 2022 – after HOWELL resigned from her position – when a tenant filed a complaint. 

In May 2022, Dalton Management hired HOWELL as a property manager for three Central Harlem buildings between West 112th Street and West 145th Street. Two of the buildings are subsidized properties with tenants who receive rent assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8, and one is a Mitchell-Lama property. 

From July 28, 2022, through October 2, 2023, HOWELL collected tenants’ money orders for rent and parking, and fraudulently altered, and diverted the funds into the same two personal bank accounts she controlled.  Similar to her conduct at Kraus Management, HOWELL altered the money orders by listing herself as the payee, endorsed the money orders, and deposited tenants’ payments into her personal bank accounts.  HOWELL spent the funds on personal use.  In total, HOWELL stole at least 50 money orders from approximately 19 tenants, totaling approximately $17,181.38.  Dalton uncovered the fraud after a tenant filed a complaint and terminated HOWELL as property manager in October 2023. 

Manhattan D.A.’s Housing & Tenant Protection Unit 

In October 2022, District Attorney Bragg launched the Office’s first-ever Housing & Tenant Protection Unit, which targets systemic criminal harassment of tenants and abuse of government programs by landlords and developers.  Areas of focus will be harassment of rent-regulated tenants, deed fraud and defrauding of government subsidy programs by landlords and developers.  The Unit focuses on long-term investigations into systemic, structured and organized criminal activity among landlords and developers. 

Tips and complaints can be submitted to the Unit’s hotline at 212-335-3300 or email Danyhousing@dany.nyc.gov.  This Office is a safe place to report crime regardless of your immigration status. 

Assistant D.A.s Chikaelo Ibeabuchi (Chief of the Housing and Tenant Protection Unit) and Noreen Stackhouse is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Kofi Sansculotte (Bureau Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau) Hope Korenstein (Deputy Bureau Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau) and Jodie Kane (Bureau Chief of the Rackets Bureau and Acting Chief of the Investigation Division). The following people provided assistance with this investigation: the Financial Frauds Bureau’s Mika-Elle Metellus (Paralegal) and Victoria Grevenberg (Housing Coordinator); the Forensic Accounting & Financial Investigations Bureau’s Lauren Shiffman (Analyst), Hermeet Kaur (Senior Analyst), Irene Serrapica (Principal Deputy Bureau Chief), and Robert Demarest (Bureau Chief); Investigation Bureau’s Genesis Cornielle (Investigator) Haley Fitzpatrick (Investigator), Veronica Rodriguez and Patrick O’Brien (Supervising Investigators), and Jonathan Reid (Assistant Chief of the Investigation Bureau). 

Defendant Information: 

SHATINA HOWELL 

Bronx, New York 

Charges: 

• Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, two counts
• Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony, one count 

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.