2 more call cop a con man
Now 8 people say Finest cheated them in rent fraud
He carried a badge and a gun — and to Asiah Jeter, he was a “master con artist.”
Jeter and another apartment-seeking woman, Michelle Firestone, are among a number of people who say NYPD Officer Burban Pierre fleeced them out of thousands of dollars in rent and deposit money for a Queens apartment.
Their stories align with that of Vivian Griffith, who told the Daily News that Pierre scammed her out of $2,200 and then disappeared.
At least eight people have complained about Pierre to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, The News previously reported. Both Jeter and Firestone say they’ve reported Pierre’s actions to the NYPD, but the department would not confirm if they are among the eight accusers. Jeter, a 33-year-old ticket agent at Kennedy Airport, told The News that she gave Pierre $2,300 for the first month’s rent and a security deposit.
Jeter said Pierre told her she could move into the apartment at 95-11 95th St. in Ozone Park on May 15. Then he said June 1. After that, she said, Pierre claimed he couldn’t get the existing tenant out of the apartment.
“It was one excuse after another,” said Jeter. “He claimed he got the police involved, and after a while, I said ‘Forget it. Give me my money back.’
“He dodged me and I threatened legal action. Then he claimed he had a family emergency and had to go to Florida.”
Jeter said Pierre told her he would sort it out when he returned from this Florida trip, but then he blocked her.
By July 24, Jeter’s patience had expired. “Pierre, I am reaching out to you again today about my refund. What you’re doing isn’t fair or right to me,” she wrote in a text message she showed The News.
“Please send me my security deposit and first months rent payment of $2,300 immediately,” Jeter wrote. “I have tried multiple times to contact you and you have been non-responsive.”
“I had no idea he was a police officer,” Jeter said. “I was just going to do it through small claims court, but they told me it wouldn’t see the courtroom until 2023.”
Firestone filed a lawsuit in small claims court in Nassau County, records show.
Her ordeal began when her ex responded to Pierre’s Craigslist ad, she said. Pierre allegedly told them they could move in on May 1, and she handed over $2,400.
“We went to see the apartment and everything was good to go,” said Firestone, who works as a nanny.
“We signed the lease, and then he said there was an issue with the current tenant. She needed a little more time to move out. As time passed, there were more and more excuses.”
“He took advantage of me,” said Firestone, 24. “It’s a very grimy thing to do to people, especially during a pandemic.”
Pierre, who earned nearly $130,000 in 2020, was transferred from the 7th Precinct, on the Lower East Side, to desk duty at the Bronx courts, records show. His guns and shield were confiscated and he was placed on modified assignment. He could not be reached for comment. Jeter called Pierre “a master con artist.” “We’re in middle of pandemic and people are just trying to put food on the table. You’re bringing in over $100,000. You took an oath to serve and protect. It’s ruthless and shows you have no heart.”