Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced July 14 that a Bronx man, Juan Valoy, 47, pleaded guilty to stealing around $25,000 from three victims through an apartment rental scam. He said Valoy pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to one count of grand larceny in the third degree. Under the terms of his plea, Bragg said he is expected to be sentenced on Sept. 9, to a promised sentence of two to four years in State prison.
“New Yorkers trusted Juan Valoy to rent them apartments,” Bragg said. “He broke that trust by pocketing their money, leaving them without homes. Juan Valoy is facing time in state prison for his harmful conduct. Manhattan is facing a housing crisis, and we will prosecute those who exploit it for their own advantage”
According to court documents and statements made on the record, and as admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, from March to July 2025, Valoy posed as a real estate broker to attract prospective renters through Facebook Marketplace and third-party referrals. After establishing contact with the prospective renters, he arranged tours of apartments throughout New York City that he claimed were available to rent, including in Washington Heights, Queens, and The Bronx. Most of the prospective renters were Hispanic New Yorkers who primarily spoke Spanish…