Beleaguered tenants are breathing a sigh of relief after notorious landlord Steve Croman was arrested Monday.
Croman, who in 2014 made Public Advocate Letitia James’ worst landlords list, turned himself in on Monday morning at the NYPD’s First Precinct in Lower Manhattan, according to the Daily News.
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He currently faces up to 25 years in prison for 20 felony charges for schemes that involved lying about his rental income to secure more than $45 million in bank loans, the News first reported.
On the same day, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office slapped Croman and his associates with a lawsuit over the landlord’s alleged efforts to force rent-stabilized tenants out of his buildings with aggressive harassment tactics, Schneiderman’s office confirmed.
Tenants in East Harlem, several of whom participated in the attorney general’s investigation leading to the suit, are now planning a neighborhood-wide party to celebrate the long-awaited indictment.
“We are working out the details, but it will definitely be an occasion to celebrate, ” said Juan Haro of tenant advocacy group Movement for Justice in El Barrio.
“We are happy that, thanks to the tenants of these Croman-owned buildings and their contributions to the investigation, it has been fruitful in terms of the charges against him.”
