‘Wolf of Airbnb’ sublet 18 apartments but failed to pay New York landlords, US authorities say

New York City has had its fair share of scam artists over the years. The Brooklyn Bridge was “sold” by a crook in the 1880s. Fake heiress Anna Delvey defrauded banks and hotels many years ago. Today, a man who called himself the “wolf of Airbnb” faces charges after he ran an illegal sublet operation in Manhattan, costing landlords more than $1 million (US$4.72). million RM), according to officials.

Konrad Bicher, a 31-year-old from Florida, rented at least 18 apartments in Manhattan at the end of 2019, but did not pay rent, according to a press release from the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Instead, despite being prohibited in his rental agreements, he listed the units as short-term rentals on Airbnb and other online marketplaces, prosecutors say.

At least one of the apartments was a luxury condo in midtown Manhattan, according to the New York Post. He reportedly rented the space for photo shoots and music video shoots for an hourly fee.

Over a period of about three years, Bicher brought in more than US$1,170,000 (RM5.53 million) in rental income, officials say. Throughout, his social media has depicted him “enjoying private jets and exotic vacation spots,” according to the Real Deal.

The owners of the apartments repeatedly tried to recover Bicher’s lost income, including through civil lawsuits, but he continued with his scheme despite those efforts, prosecutors said.

As of March 2022, there were about 20 cases brought against Bicher stemming from his failure to pay rent or vacate the properties, according to court documents.

“When the landlords sought to collect rent from Bicher, he lied and claimed he could not make payments during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, in the release.

Bicher did not immediately respond to a McClatchy News request for comment.

In February 2022, Bicher reportedly told The Real Deal that the “wolf of Airbnb”, his self-proclaimed nickname, “means someone who is hungry and ruthless enough to climb to the top of the financial ladder”, adding that “(t ) hey compare the ferocity to that of a wolf, because wolves are territorial, vicious and show no mercy when provoked. But the name also bears similarities to the nickname “The Wolf of Wall Street” from l stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who lived a lavish life before ultimately being imprisoned for securities fraud.

However, Bicher later thought of Vent Magazine that it is important to maintain “outmoded values ​​like ethics…”

Bicher didn’t just defraud the owners, prosecutors say. He also obtained more than half a million dollars in Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2021 using fraudulent documents.

He “abused (g)governmental programs and tenant protections intended to benefit New Yorkers in crisis, and he will be held accountable for his conduct,” Williams said in the statement.

On October 27, Bicher was charged with two counts of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a minimum sentence. two years, according to the statement. – The Charlotte Observer / Tribune news service