NYC apartment super faces up to 15 years in prison for stealing $350K from 101-year-old tenant
The ghoulish Manhattan apartment super accused of scamming a 101-year-old tenant out of $350,000 was found guilty of all counts Thursday — after her elderly victim stared her down in court.
Rosalind Hernandez, 57, was convicted on one count each of second-and-third degree larceny by a jury for taking advantage of centenarian Antonio Ruas, conning him into granting her power of attorney over his finances when his health started to decline.
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“She took advantage of his advanced age and the fact that English wasn’t his first language,” Manhattan District Attorney Attorney Bragg said in a statement.
Ruas, a retired diamond cutter originally from Brazil, testified via a Portuguese interpreter on Wednesday, telling jurors that Hernandez started plotting after he suffered a near-fatal fall in 2023 and decided to go back to his birthplace to be with his family.
“She thought I was going to die there and that she could keep all of the stuff,” he said in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Hernandez had promised to sell Ruas’ Chelsea apartment and transfer all of the money in his bank account, which he said totaled $700,000.
But months passed and he still hadn’t seen a cent in his Brazilian bank account, he testified.
Ruas had even tipped Hernandez a cool $100,000 for her help tying up his affairs, he testified.
Instead, the greedy super used his credit and debit cards to buy herself thousands of dollars worth of beauty products, clothes and self improvement subscriptions, according to prosecutors.
Hernandez — who was described as a “lifeline” for senior tenants at the Chelsea Hall co-op in a 2023 New York Times profile — had become “very friendly” with Ruas after his partner died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She stopped by to chat, she brought her teenage children to have dinner with Mr. Ruas. She was eager to be helpful to him especially with his finances,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Raphaelle Monty said during opening statements Monday.
She allegedly duped him after gaining his trust.
“Rosalind Hernandez stands convicted by a jury of her peers for abusing the trust of a 100-year-old, hardworking New Yorker to steal over half of his life savings as his Power of Attorney,” Bragg said.
The jury returned its verdict after just a few hours of deliberations, following the four-day trial that ended Thursday with closing arguments.
Judge Daniel Conviser allowed Hernandez to remain out on bail following the conviction. She faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing on March 11.
Hernandez’s attorney, Michael Hurwitz, declined to comment following the verdict.
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