“As alleged, Mickey Barreto repeatedly and fraudulently claimed ownership of one of the City’s most iconic landmarks, the New Yorker Hotel,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We will not tolerate manipulation of our city’s property records by those who seek to scam the system for personal gain.”
“These indictments depict allegations of widespread fraud within the real estate industry primarily spearheaded by one man: Nir Meir,” said District Attorney Bragg. “In total, we allege these defendants’ conspiracies netted them a total of $86 million stolen from investors, contractors, and the City of New York. My Office’s Rackets Bureau is laser-focused on fraud in the construction and real estate industries and will continue to root out people who steal from investors and corrupt the market.”
“We allege that these four individuals targeted intoxicated New Yorkers and used their credit cards and financial apps to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise at Apple and luxury retailers,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We are working with retailers to make sure their business practices do not encourage large-scale, late-night unauthorized purchases.”
“No longer is the smartphone itself the most lucrative target for scammers and robbers – it’s the financial apps contained within,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Thousands or even tens of thousands can be drained from financial accounts in a matter of seconds with just a few taps. Without additional protections, customers’ financial and physical safety is being put at risk. I hope these companies accept our request to discuss commonsense solutions to deter scammers and protect New Yorkers’ hard-earned money.”
“Como se alega, neoyorquinos que buscan convertirse en residentes permanentes confiaron en Pablo Israel Ortega Cuenca para que les proporcionara servicios legales, y él violó esa confianza aprovechándose de ellos y poniéndolos en riesgo de deportación”, dijo el fiscal Bragg. “Si usted cree que usted o alguien que conoce ha sido víctima de este tipo de fraude, le exhortamos a que llame a la línea directa de la Unidad de Asuntos del Inmigrante de nuestra oficina al 212-335-3600 o por WhatsApp al 347-371-0877. Hay intérpretes disponibles para ayudar a los que no hablan inglés, e invitamos a todos a que se comuniquen independientemente de su estatus migratorio.”
