Police make arrest in rent scam case

Police announced on Feb. 17 that they have made an arrest in a grand larceny scheme centered around falsely advertising apartments for rent in Elmont. Stanley Heriveaux, 26, of Belmont Avenue in Elmont, was arrested on Feb. 17 after surrendering to detectives at the Fifth Precinct Station house in Elmont. The arrest was the second time Heriveaux had been taken into custody for his alleged involvement with a single grand larceny scheme.

The plot was basic, according to detectives, and came apart easily. Heriveaux placed ads in several locations advertising an apartment for rent at his home. He took cash deposits from people who came in good faith to rent from him, then gave them non-functioning keys and told them to move in at a later date, usually at the end of a given month.

On four separate occasions between Dec. 15 and Jan. 9, Heriveaux allegedly took large "deposit payments" from would-be tenants hoping to rent a three-bedroom apartment at his residence in Elmont.

According to detectives, one victim gave Heriveaux $2,750 on Dec. 15 for a key. The victim took the key to the apartment door and found that it didn't work. He tried calling Heriveaux who did not answer his phone.

Heriveaux allegedly victimized two people with the same apartment within hours of each other on Dec. 18. Two women, who had given him a combined $3,100 were given keys that didn't work and told to wait until Dec. 27 and 28 to move in. Both women arrived, on their appointed days, to find that the keys were no good.

After Heriveaux had allegedly victimized all four people involved in the case, and a warrant was released for his arrest, he was pulled over failure to signal while in his car driving at the corner of Fourth Street and Baylis Avenue in Elmont. After running his name through the computer, police discovered that he had three outstanding complaints against him, and took him into custody.

He was arraigned for three counts of grand larceny on Jan. 12 in Hempstead. He was arraigned for the fourth count of grand larceny on Wednesday, Feb. 17.