Tarrytown Man Charged with Falsely Claiming to be Real Estate Broker

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September 4, 2019

by Rick Pezzullo –

A 59-year-old Tarrytown man was charged with fraud by Irvington Police after claiming to be a licensed real estate broker to renters of properties in the village.

Ricardo O. Gonzalez, 59, of Crest Drive, misrepresented himself in four separate cases, according to police, who are also investigating a claim that undocumented immigrants have been defrauded by Gonzalez but are afraid to report the crimes to the police. Irvington Police stressed to any victims that their status in the United States would not be of any concern nor will they even be asked their status.

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It is believed that Gonzalez operated in numerous jurisdictions throughout Westchester and victims should report any crimes to the police agency where the crimes occurred.

Police said Gonzalez utilized Hotpads.comTrulia.comCraigslist.org and Zillow.com to bypass MLS (Multiple Listing Service) to find potential victims.

Four cases involving Gonzalez that were referenced by police were:

On April 1, 2019, a 46-year old female, interested in an apartment rental on Main Street, provided the defendant with a broker’s fee of $2,300 and an application fee of $100. The victim subsequently learned the defendant was not a licensed broker and not entitled to those fees, but was able to rent the apartment from the owners.

On April 23, 2019, a 26-year-old female, interested in an apartment rental on North Eckar Street, provided the defendant with a broker’s fee of $1,800. The victim subsequently learned that the defendant was not a licensed broker and not entitled to those fees but was able to rent the apartment from the owners.

On July 18, 2019, a 42-year-old female, interested in an apartment rental on Main Street, provided the defendant with a brokers/holding fee of $2,200 and an application fee of $100. The victim did not get the rental apartment and when she requested the $2,300 in fees to be returned,Gonzalez provided her with a check which was denied because of insufficient funds with which the victim incurred additional fees.

On July 26, 2019, a 57-year-old male, interested in the same apartment rental on Main Street as the third victim, provided the defendant with a broker’s fee of $2,300. The victim did not get the rental apartment and when he requested the $2,300 in fees to be returned, Gonzalez refused to answer call, texts and emails.

Gonzalez was remanded to Westchester County Jail on $15,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. Any victims in Irvington are requested to call (914) 591-8080 or appear in person at Irvington Police headquarters at 85 Main Street.

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