Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Man Sent Fake Vermin Violations Demanding Fines From Building Owners: Feds

By Ben Fractenberg | October 21, 2016 12:06pm
 Fake notices for vermin control had popped up around the city, the Health Department says.
Fake notices for vermin control had popped up around the city, the Health Department says.
View Full Caption
New York City Health Department

QUEENS — A man who mailed property owners fake pest control violation notices and told them to pay $120 fines has been arrested, officials said.

David Han, 31, from Queens, and his partner mailed 10,000 fake violations between April and September, federal prosecutors said.

They claimed to be from “Vermin Control of New York,” included a fake Department of Health logo and directed building owners to immediately pay the fines or face additional penalties, according to authorities.

About 101 people mailed checks, which Han deposited into a bank account he created for Vermin Control, prosecutors said.

He is facing up to 20 years in prison and was arraigned in Manhattan Federal Court Thursday.

There was no information immediately available about his partner who had cooperated in the investigation.

The city had warned property owners about the scam back in September