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DA says Manhattan housing specialist stole thousands from people in homeless shelter
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Aug 10, 2026
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By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Aug 10, 2026
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Manhattan prosecutors say a 24-year-old housing specialist stole thousands of dollars from homeless shelter residents by fooling them into thinking they needed to pay him directly to secure apartments.
An indictment announced Monday, charges David Aguero, with several offenses including grand larceny, bribery, identity theft and scheme to defraud. Manhattan prosecutors say that between March and June of this year, Aguero abused his position at a Manhattan shelter, stealing more than $4,000 from residents who had city-issued housing vouchers.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg said in an announcement Monday that Aguero also used personally identifiable information from the residents to open credit cards in their names, and then spend heavily on those accounts.
“Shelter residents trusted David Aguero, a housing specialist, to help them secure stable places to live. As alleged, Aguero broke their trust and stole thousands of dollars from them,” Bragg said in the statement. “Those who take advantage of New Yorkers desperate for homes in the midst of our housing crisis will be held accountable.”
The DA’s office said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any potential victims or people with more information to call it at 212-335-3600, regardless of immigration status..
Real estate experts say renters are frequently victimized in New York City's rental market. Earlier this summer, a Gothamist investigation uncovered a pattern of allegations of stolen deposits against a man named David Michael, and his company, The Pyramid Group. Michael has not been charged with any wrongdoing and has said in a statement that any claims that he stole money "or otherwise engaged in criminal conduct" are false.
Gothamist reporting found many people who come to authorities with allegations they’ve been victimized in rental schemes are referred to small claims court — where defendants must be served properly before civil cases can move forward, and where plaintiffs often have trouble collecting money owed to them even after successfully securing judgments.
The Legal Aid Society, listed in city records as defending Aguero, has not yet returned a message seeking comment on the charges against him.
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manhattan
public safety
Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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