Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the indictment of ANTHONY PITTMAN, 35, for allegedly stealing a woman’s identity to forge documents, apply for a luxury apartment in Murray Hill, and rent it out to a subletter under false pretenses. PITTMAN is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Identity Theft in the First Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. [1]

“As alleged, Anthony Pittman stole a woman’s identity to apply for and place a deposit on a Manhattan apartment building before turning around and renting it to a subletter under false pretenses. That subletter was then forced to vacate the apartment once the alleged fraud was discovered, while PITTMAN walked away with the supposed rent payments,” said District Attorney Bragg. “The investigation is ongoing. Please call us at 212-335-3300 if you may be a victim.”

As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record, in May 2024, PITTMAN applied for a luxury apartment in Murray Hill using a woman’s stolen identity and forged documents including fraudulent tax records, financial statements, and employment and pay information.

When his application was approved later that month, PITTMAN returned to the building with checks totaling $9,660 for the security deposit and first months’ rent, which were also forged. By the time the building management company discovered that the checks were forged, PITTMAN had moved an unauthorized subletter into the apartment and was nowhere to be found. The subletter was forced to vacate the apartment once the alleged fraud was discovered.

 

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 are 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, structures, and organized criminal activity among landlords and developers. The Office also advocates for legislative changes to protect tenants, including recently announcing legislation to create new criminal penalties for the systemic harassment of rent-regulated tenants and penalize repeated, recidivist harassment.

Tips and complaints can be submitted to the Unit’s helpline at 212-335-3300 or email Danyhousing@dany.nyc.gov. The Office seeks justice for every victim and witness, regardless of immigration status.

Recent prosecutions include:

• The indictment of a man for allegedly stealing approximately $20,000 from at least five individuals by purportedly advertising a Hell’s Kitchen apartment for rent in August 2025.
• The indictment of a man for allegedly stealing over $32,000 from four individuals by falsely representing himself as the landlord of a Midtown Manhattan luxury studio apartment between April 11, 2025, and May 28, 2025.
• The indictment of two landlords for allegedly harassing two older, rent regulated tenants in Chelsea between September 2020 and September 2025.
• The indictment of a man for allegedly stealing approximately $25,000 from three victims through an apartment rental scam.
• The indictment of three individuals and three companies for allegedly working together to steal a Harlem brownstone by posing as the heir of the deceased owner of the building and committing deed fraud. The defendants allegedly acquired ownership of the building and fraudulently obtained a mortgage and construction loan to renovate the property so they could sell it for profit.

Assistant D.A. Hannah Stambaugh (Financial Frauds Bureau) is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Chikaelo Ibeabuchi (Chief of the Housing & Tenant Protection Unit), Hope Korenstein (Deputy Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau), Kofi Sansculotte (Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau), Judy Salwen (Deputy Chief of the Investigation Division) and Executive Assistant D.A. Jodie Kane (Chief of the Investigation Division).

Financial Frauds Bureau’s Sofia Albi (HTPU Investigative Analyst), Bailey Hanson (Investigative Analyst), and Victoria Grevenberg (Housing Coordinator); and the Investigation Bureau’s Briggitte Lawell (Investigator), Emmanuel Adelaja (Investigator), Daniel Clark-El (Lieutenant), and Jonathan Reid (Acting Chief) are providing invaluable assistance in this case.

 

Defendant Information:

ANTHONY PITTMAN

Charged:

• Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony, one count
• Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, three counts

###

[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.