The former head of a co-op board hailing from Hempstead is facing charges after admitting to thievery of nearly $30,000 of co-op resources, as per a statement released by the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James. Juan Alayo, aged 72 and residing in East Meadow, entered a guilty plea on charges of grand larceny, a severe crime, and petit larceny, a lesser crime. This confession comes after an investigation unveiled his misappropriation of more than $26,738. The embezzlement was orchestrated through the creation of checks payable to himself and his cleaning business, as well as the forgery of co-op business documents to envelope his illicit actions.
This unlawful activity was exposed by the inhabitants of the building on Hendrickson Avenue when they took the initiative to scrutinize co-op records following Alayo’s departure. The tenant alert leading to the legal ramifications stated, ‘Juan Alayo was placed in a position of trust by his neighbors to manage their building, and he exploited this trust to enrich himself illicitly,’ reflected Attorney General James in her announcement.
Jack Posner, a lawyer based in Garden City who is representing Alayo, opted not to contribute any statements. Efforts to reach Alayo himself on Friday came unstuck.
The conditions laid out for Alayo’s plea of guilt include clauses that demand reimbursement to the co-op for the misappropriated funds. He is also required to dedicate time for 210 hours of community service. If not, he stands to face one year in jail, as disclosed by prosecuting officials.
From 2016 till 2023, Alayo served his neighbors as the elected president of the Marlboro Owners Corp board. For his service, he was compensating with a monthly fee of $200. His responsibilities included tasks like scheduling maintenance of the building and managing co-op business documents.
The prosecutors shed light on the fraudulent scheme that was put into action by Alayo, which was later discovered by his successor at the co-op board after his departure. In this deceptive plot, Alayo systematically wrote checks payable to his cleaning company, A&J Cleaning Services, which were crafted to appear as legitimate expenses for the co-op.
The prosecutors presented one instance to highlight the method of his deceit. They explained a circumstance involving a $2,466.30 check originally meant and written for Tragar, a legitimate company providing home heating oil. However, in reality, this check was redirected to and eventually liquidated by A&J cleaning services, as owned by Alayo.