Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the indictment of NICHOLAS FUELLING, 43, for allegedly stealing approximately $20,000 from at least five individuals by purportedly advertising a Hell’s Kitchen apartment for rent in August 2025. FUELLING is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with five counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, five counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. [1]

“Nicholas Fuelling allegedly stole approximately $20,000 from at least five individuals who thought they would be moving into a Hell’s Kitchen apartment. Instead, we allege, Fuelling’s lies left people scrambling for housing, and even left one victim effectively homeless,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Scarce housing is a breeding ground for fraud, and we prosecute those who take advantage of the hopes of prospective tenants. We believe there are more victims – please contact our Housing and Tenant Protection Unit at 212-335-3300, or email danyhousing@dany.nyc.gov.”

As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record, in August 2025, FUELLING advertised a sublease of a midtown Manhattan apartment where he had rented one of the two bedrooms since 2022 on Facebook Marketplace.

Although FUELLING only rented one of the bedrooms, he advertised both bedrooms in the apartment for sublease without approval from the building’s landlord.

Between approximately August 8, 2025, and August 16, 2025, at least five individuals signed sublease agreements with FUELLING for the same apartment. Four of the five individuals paid FUELLING approximately $3,200 each to sublet one of the bedrooms in the apartment. The fifth individual paid FUELLING $6,400 to sublet both bedrooms in the apartment.

All five individuals expected to move into the apartment at the end of August for time periods that spanned from six months to one year. None of the individuals were able to move into the apartment, and at least one of the individuals was left effectively homeless. FUELLING did not return any of the nearly $20,000 he received from the prospective subletters. When they continued to reach out to the defendant, he stopped responding.

Assistant D.A. Alexander Phillips (Housing and Tenant Protection Unit) is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Chikaelo Ibeabuchi (Chief of the Housing and Tenant Protection Unit), Kelly Thomas (Deputy Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau) 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).

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Yousef Demes and Police Officer Denise Garcia Torres of the Midtown North Precinct Detective Squad, and Detective Tamarah Pinckney of the Midtown South Detective Squad.

 

Defendant Information:

NICHOLAS FUELLING

Fair Oaks, CA

Charged:

• Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, five counts
• Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, a class D felony, five 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.