D.A.: Mike Bloomberg Victim of Half-Million Dollar Identity Scams

Two New Jersey men have been charged with attempting to steal a combined $430,000 from Mayor Bloomberg, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau announced today.

Odalis Bostic will be arraigned in New York Supreme Court today. He opened two bank accounts in Elizabeth, New Jersey under a fake company name, Laderman Development Company. In June, he obtained the mayor’s personal banking information and forged two checks under Mr. Bloomberg’s name. He deposited the checks into his bank account and they were cleared by Bank of America. The money was issued to Mr. Bostic’s accounts in the name of the Mayor’s financial manager, Geller & Company. Because of the size of the checks ($190,000 and $230,000), Mr. Bostic’s two banks put holds on the checks and the forgeries were detected.

While Mr. Bostic’s case was being investigated, officials discovered that Charles Nelson of Newark, New Jersey, stole $10,000 from one of the Mayor’s financial accounts on May 11, 2007. Mr. Nelson transferred $10,000 from the Mayor’s Bank of America account to an online E-Trade account. He then used a debit card to withdraw cash advances and make purchases from the E-Trade account.

Both Mr. Nelson and Mr. Bostic committed class D felonies and could face up to seven years in prison, according to Mr. Morgenthau.

Here's the full announcement from D.A. Morgenthau's office.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY – NEW YORK COUNTY
NEWS RELEASE October 2, 2007

Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today that two men have been charged with stealing and attempting to steal from a personal financial account of the Mayor of New York City.

ODALIS BOSTIC has been indicted for attempting to steal $420,000 from accounts belonging to Michael Bloomberg. The investigation in this case revealed that the defendant set up an Elizabeth, New Jersey company – Laderman Development Company – and opened business accounts in the company’s name at two banks, PNC and Sovereign Bank. In early June, 2007 BOSTIC deposited a $190,000 forged check into the Laderman account at Sovereign Bank and a $230,000 forged check into the Laderman account held at PNC. Both of the forged checks were drawn on the Mayor’s account at the Bank of America and were issued in the name of the Mayor’s financial manager, Geller & Company. The Mayor’s personal account information appeared on both checks. Because of the size of the checks, the two banks put holds on the checks and the forgeries were detected. This investigation began after the checks were discovered to be forged.

BOSTIC was arrested in New Jersey in August and waived extradition. He will be arraigned today in New York State Supreme Court. The defendant is charged with Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class D felony which is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

CHARLES NELSON has been charged with stealing $10,000 from one of the Mayor’s financial accounts on May 11, 2007. The investigation leading to the charges revealed that the defendant, in an on-line transaction, transferred $10,000 from the Mayor’s Bank of America account to an E-Trade account the defendant had set up. NELSON used a debit card for cash advances and to make purchases from the E-Trade account.

A computer, documents and two guns were recovered as a result of search warrants that were executed at the time of NELSON’s arrest in Newark, New Jersey. The defendant remains in custody in New Jersey on local charges. He has been charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Identity Theft in the First Degree which are both class D felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison.

The investigation began after Bank of America determined that the checks deposited by BOSTIC into PNC and Sovereign banks were fraudulent and then the earlier fraud involving NELSON was discovered.

Mr. Morgenthau thanked the NYPD's Special Frauds Unit, specifically Detective Drew Barone, and Christopher Romanyshyn from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Glickman, who is assigned to the District Attorney’s Identity Theft Unit, will handle the prosecution of this case. Assistant District Attorney Antonia Merzon is chief of the Identity Theft Unit. Investigative Analyst Nicolette Endara also assisted in the investigation.

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Defendant Information

CHARLES NELSON ODALIS BOSTIC
100 Mount Pleasant Avenue 619 South Park Street
Newark, New Jersey Elizabeth, New Jersey