NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A Brooklyn woman was arraigned for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in "security deposits" and "rent" from prospective tenants who responded to her advertisement for an apartment in Brooklyn, prosecutors announced on Monday.
Svetlana Katzevman, 62, was arraigned on a 14-count indictment in which she is charged with grand larceny, petit larceny and scheme to defraud, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Between January 2022 and July 2024, Katzevman placed an ad for a rental apartment in Gravesend in the Russian newspaper Russkaya Reklama, according to court documents. People who responded paid Katzevman between $700 and $2,300, thinking it was for a security deposit and rent. In total, Katzevman allegedly collected about $15,800 from victims during this time. She took cash and instead of a check or other form of payment and did not provide a lease, prosecutors said.
Katzevman lives in the apartment she was allegedly trying to rent. She would also allegedly change the locks or block the victims from moving in, refusing to return their money. All 12 victims are Russian-speaking and either lived or worked in Brooklyn. Several recently arrived from Ukraine, and Katzevman reportedly claimed to offer them rent discounts because she was also from Ukraine and wanted to help.
In one case, the victims allegedly included a 38-year-old man who paid the defendant a $700 deposit on Nov. 13, 2023, followed by another $700 for the first month's rent on Nov.15, 2023. She allegedly gave him a receipt for the payments. That same day, she allegedly took $700 from a 60-year-old man as a security deposit and another $700 three days later for the first month's rent, according to prosecutors.
Each of the victims expected to move in shortly thereafter and were surprised to discover the apartment door was locked and the defendant did not return their phone calls or text messages.
"This defendant is accused of exploiting the trust and vulnerability of her neighbors, many of whom are newly arrived immigrants seeking stability in a new country," Gonzalez said. "Her alleged actions not only caused financial harm but also betrayed individuals already navigating immense challenges. We are determined to hold her accountable and remind prospective tenants to safeguard themselves by insisting that landlords provide a written lease and avoiding cash payments in rental transactions."
Katzevman was released without bail and ordered to return to court on Jan. 29, 2025.
