SECOND BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH STEALING NEARLY $1.3 MILLION
DOLLARS IN AN ALLEGED REAL ESTATE SCAM INVOLVING THE SALE OF
PROPERTY THAT THE DEFENDANTS DID NOT OWN
Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today the indictment of the second Bronx man charged with bilking three people out of more than $1.3 million dollars ($1,300,000) in an alleged scam involving the sale of property that the defendants did not own and were not authorized to sell.
It is alleged that the victims were led to believe that they were purchasing property that had been owned by the City of New York because the previous owners had either failed to pay taxes or correct numerous building code violations.
Celestino Orta, 40, of 588 Timpson Street, has been charged with 1 count of Grand Larceny in the 1st degree, 3 counts of Grand Larceny in the 2nd degree, 1 count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 1st degree and 3 counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 2nd degree. Orta was arraigned and released into the custody of U.S. Marshals on an unrelated matter in another jurisdiction.
Orta’s co-defendant, Mario Tolisano, was arraigned last week on the above charges as well as 7 additional counts of Practicing or appearing as Attorney-At-Law without being Admitted or Registered. Both defendants are facing a maximum sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charges, Grand Larceny in the 1st degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 1st degree, Class B felony offenses.
It is alleged that in May 2008, the Tolisano approached real estate investors Jacob Selechnik and Robin Shimoff and offered to sell them various properties which Orta said that he either had bought or was in the process of buying from the City of New York. Selechnik and Shimoff examined the real estate and agreed on a purchase price of $710,000, to be paid up front. A few months later in July 2008, the victims allegedly were offered additional properties in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens for which they paid another $502,000.
A third victim, Nir Cohen, was also allegedly approached by Tolisano in May 2008 and made a $70,000 down payment for a vacant lot at 539 Union Avenue near Southern Boulevard allegedly owned by Orta.
The alleged scam began to unravel when the victims filed complaints against Tolisano and Orta after repeated attempts to schedule closings on the properties were ignored. It is alleged that the defendants, in fact, never had ownership of the properties or authorization to sell them.
This is an ongoing investigation of the Bronx District Attorneys Office. Anyone with information regarding this case or thinks they may have been a victim of this scam is urged to call Assistant District Attorney Richard Baker at (718) 590 2000.
These charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Investigative Assistant District Attorney Richard Baker of the Arson/Auto/Economic Crimes Bureau.
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