Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. wrote an op-ed in El Diario yesterday stressing the importance of protecting and advocating for vulnerable New Yorkers. 

D.A. Bragg writes, “Whether it’s fraudsters targeting immigrants, employers stealing wages from their workers, or landlords harassing their tenants, stopping this type of criminal activity is a key part of the public safety puzzle.” 

To combat bad bosses taking advantage of employees, D.A. Bragg writes, “I launched the Office’s first Worker Protection Unit to investigate and prosecute wage theft and other forms of worker exploitation across Manhattan. To date, the unit has brought nine prosecutions, including a case against the owners of the iconic Grimaldi’s Pizza for stealing more than $30,000 in wages from 18 employees. I am proud that in just two years, we have successfully recovered and distributed over $1.3 million in wages stolen from more than four dozen workers.” 

To help Manhattanites have safe and affordable housing, D.A. Bragg says, “I created the Housing and Tenant Protection Unit to protect Manhattanites from systemic criminal activity among landlords and developers, including patterns of criminal harassment, to fraud of government programs, to deed theft.” 

When bad actors take advantage of immigrants, we hold them accountable, D.A. Bragg notes in the op-ed. “For example, we charged a woman for allegedly diverting her clients’ checks intended for immigration application fees into her personal bank account, spending it on food, travel and other personal expenses. Additionally, the unit provides educational materials to help people identify signs of, and protect themselves from, this type of fraud.” 

D.A. Bragg concludes, “I encourage any New Yorker facing these issues to contact our office at the relevant helplines on our website. You can also report to our satellite offices in Harlem and Washington Heights.” 

Read the full op-ed in Spanish here. You can read the English translation here. 

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