https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13059539/NYC-Nir-Meir-indicted-stealing-investor-apartment.html

Prominent NYC developer is indicted on charges of stealing $86MILLION from investors including those backing a failed luxury high-rise where apartment prices started at $2.8million

Real estate developer Nir Meir, 49, and other executives from HFZ Capital Group were charged with stealing $86 million from investors

Prosecutors said Meir directed people to inflate their monthly invoices’ to make it appear they were further along in the project than they actually were

The 49-year-old was arrested in Florida on Monday, just days after he filed for bankruptcy and claimed to only have $50 in assets

By RACHEL BOWMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 01:04 EST, 8 February 2024 | UPDATED: 01:07 EST, 8 February 2024

New York City real estate developer Nir Meir and other industry executives were indicted for stealing $86 million from investors through a failed luxury apartment development.

Meir, 49, and several other executives from HFZ Capital Group were charged with varying counts of larceny, conspiracy, falsifying business records, tax fraud, money laundering and more on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Meir and the others stole over $86 million from investors, subcontractors and New York City through a series of frauds and schemes that began in 2015.

The alleged scheme involved a luxury hi-rise in the Chelsea neighborhood.

'These indictments depict allegations of widespread fraud within the real estate industry primarily spearheaded by one man: Nir Meir,' said District Attorney Bragg.

'In total, we allege these defendants' conspiracies netted them a total of $86 million stolen from investors, contractors, and the City of New York. My Office's Rackets Bureau is laser-focused on fraud in the construction and real estate industries and will continue to root out people who steal from investors and corrupt the market.'

The district attorney's case focuses largely on failed development called The XI along the High Line in Chelsea, which they said Meir used to steal $37 million.

In 2015, HFZ purchased the block of land between West 17th and 18th streets and between 10th and 11th avenues for $870 million and hired Omnibuild Construction to create the twisting pair of buildings.

'Assets were primarily diverted to cover financial shortfalls on unrelated HFZ projects, and at times, to personal accounts controlled by HFZ executives, leading to a shortfall of more than $37 million,' said the district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said John Mingione, 54, Roy Galifi, 62, and Kevin Stewart, 48, from Omnibuild conspired with Meir and Anthony Marrone, 64, and Louis Della-Peruta, 69, from HFZ to inflate their monthly invoices’ to make it appear that they further along in the project than they actually were.

'In one instance, Meir instructed the accountant to inflate statements for an account to purport it contained more than $24.6 million, when, in fact, it contained $814,' said the prosecutors.

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The XI project was left unfinished in 2019 until late 2021 when it was purchased in foreclosure for $900 million, reported New York YIMBY.

Apartments are now available in the building starting at $2.3 million for a one bedroom, one and a half bathrooms, according to Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group.

In another instance, Meir is accused of stealing $24 million in funds from an office tower project on West 30th Street between 5th and 6th avenues.

Prosecutors said at the direction of Meir, assets from the project were transferred to different LLCs controlled by HFZ and sometimes used for executives personal accounts.

The 49-year-old is accused of failing to pay New York City property taxes in 2018, 2019 and 2020, defrauding the city of $15 million.

He is said to have instructed accountants to cancel the payments the next day before the money could be withdrawn.

Meir is alleged to have stolen $4.6 million from investors for a phony project in San Francisco.

Prosecutors said he sent investors updates about fictitious permits associated with building the project at 620 Folsom Street in San Francisco and provided brochures detailing fake cost estimates for every stage of the phony venture.

Meir was arrested in Florida on Monday, just days after he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

In the bankruptcy filing, Meir reported debts of almost $30 million including thousands of dollars owed to credit card companies and a disputed $626,000 debt owed to American-Israeli mogul Benny Shabtai.

The 49-year-old reported to have just $50-worth of assets - and monthly expenses of $37,400.

He had been living in a luxurious, high-rise beachfront property in Miami, the filing showed.