D.A. Bragg Announces Indictment In $100k Rental Scam

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the indictment of JERRY GENESIS, 35, for allegedly stealing over $100,000 from at least eight prospective tenants in a rental scam. GENESIS is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with three counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. He was also separately arraigned on one count of Bail Jumping in the Second Degree. [1]

"As alleged, Jerry Genesis took advantage of New York's extremely competitive housing market to steal hard-earned money from eight individuals who trusted him to find them apartments. One of the victims had already started moving into the apartment before he realized it was a scam, leaving him without a home," said District Attorney Bragg. "This investigation is ongoing, and we believe there are additional victims - please contact us at 212-335-3300 or [email protected]."

As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record, between November 19, 2024, and July 31, 2025, GENESIS stole from would-be renters by falsely representing that he had apartments available for sublease through a third-party broker in the East Village, Chinatown, Nolita, Chelsea, and Downtown Brooklyn. When the victims expressed interest, GENESIS arranged for them to view the apartments, and signed sublease agreements in which he identified himself as the lessor. At least eight victims signed sublease agreements with GENESIS and paid him move-in costs ranging from $8,100 to $17,200, totaling at least $101,692.42.

None of the victims ever successfully moved into the apartments they believed to have rented. One victim arrived at the apartment with some of his belongings, only to find an eviction notice taped to the apartment door, and two of the victims never received keys.

GENESIS had rented the apartments that he offered for sublease by allegedly falsifying his employment and income information on the lease applications. He had not paid rent on those apartments and had no permission or authority to sublease the units.

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, structured, 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 [email protected]. The Office seeks justice for every victim and witness, regardless of immigration status.

Recent prosecutions include:

• The indictment of a man who allegedly stole 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.
• 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. Jonathan Borle 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). Paralegal Jalynn Thompson, former Paralegals Jacob Sowers and Varun Gaitonde, Discovery Analyst Rebecca Seunarine, and Investigators Ryan Lemon and Kyle Breen provided assistance.

Defendant Information:

JERRY GENESIS

Bronx, NY

Charged:

• Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, three counts
• Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony, one count
• Bail Jumping in the Second 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.