Landlord Convicted Of Hiring Hit Men To Beat Tenants
From today's www.CNN.com
NEW YORK (AP) -- A landlord was found guilty of hiring hit men to force two brothers out of a rent-controlled apartment last year.
Juan Basagoitia, 50, was accused of paying two tenants in the building $2,500 to beat the brothers and attack them with a knife in March.
He allegedly wanted to oust the victims from their three-bedroom, $400-a-month apartment in the Elmhurst section of New York's Queens borough so he could raise the rent to $1,500.
The brothers, William and David Lavery, suffered disfiguring injuries in the attack but survived.
Basagoitia was found guilty Tuesday of first-degree attempted murder and assault, conspiracy and burglary after a two-week trial. He could face up to life in prison when sentenced in January.
Basagoitia's lawyer, Stewart Orden, said his client hired the attackers to scare the brothers, not to hurt them, and that the plan spiraled out of control.
The two attackers, David Robles and Danny Machuca, were convicted in separate trials earlier this year.
Dont think being creative helped there....LOL
good for him, he is a thug, and should suffer. greedy pig....
That's ridiculous! That "landlord", and I use that term very loosely, should spend the rest of his life in jail...
Something tells me that this guy is a MOTIVATED SELLER!
[addsig]
Now come on. You owners of rent controlled buildings know you would just loooove to ake those tenants disappear (poof, they are gone).
But, if ya live in the area - find this guy and see if he will sell the building, He won't need it where he is going - lol
I hope this turns out to be a very expensive eviction for Old Juan. With a little luck, the brothers Lavery will sue him in a civil proceeding, get a judgment and start tying up his assets.
Unfortunately, that's the "wise guys" way. Around here, for every one caught, there are so many that are often not... But in this case - this time, it appears that the low & order is going to be dealt wide handedly.
One thing though, do you really think it's fair that someone lives in the apartment for $400.00 when the same has the CMV of $1,500.00? Maybe the democratic party run (communist) City of New York should reconsider pertinent lows that in essence contributed to the above described madness?
What I am afraid, if landlord-tenant lows aren't changed, the similar story might be repeated... Hopefully not, but let's hear what's your 2¢?
JeemB
I think that's hilarious. The idiot landlord gets all that is coming to him. Hope his cellmate isn't named "Brutus!"
He should have hired some real Mob hit men that wouldn't screw up the job - he IS in NY, after all. Couldn't he find a real-life Tony Soprano? hehe.
In all seriousness... he is a motivated seller now. He may get out before his life sentence is over if he behaves - so if he sells and puts the cash in a 50 year CD he may come out with only a little less money than he has now!
What a way to screw up your life. Jeez.
he's getting what he deserves.......dirtbag!!!!!!!.......km
I wonder how much his mortgage payment will be for "The Big House"
[addsig]
There goes that idea.
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Thats what he gets for using tenants to do the job. Duh!