Alleged Scam Targets 101-Year-Old Tenant in Manhattan

A 101-year-old resident of a tough Manhattan building claimed he was scammed out of $350,000, believing he was nearing death. He surprisingly appeared in court on Tuesday, despite those dire expectations.

Antonio Ruas took the stand during the trial of Rosalind Hernandez, a former grocery store employee. Hernandez is accused of manipulating elderly individuals to gain control over their finances.

“She told me, ‘Antonio, if anything happens to you, I need to reach your family in Brazil,’” Ruas recounted through a Portuguese interpreter, detailing how Hernandez allegedly convinced him to sign various legal documents.

According to his testimony and the prosecution’s claims, the fraudulent scheme began after Ruas, who used to work as a diamond cutter, experienced a severe injury from a fall in 2023. This incident prompted him to plan a trip back to Brazil to be with his family.

“She believed I wouldn’t come back, and thought she could take everything,” he recounted in Manhattan Supreme Court, speaking about his former trusted associate.

Ruas has lived in his co-op apartment in the Chelsea Hall building for four decades, sharing it with his partner, who sadly passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hernandez was previously described as a “lifeline” for local seniors. After Ruas’s partner’s death, she became more close to him, even accompanying him on trips to Brazil in 2022, as stated by prosecutors.

“She would drop by to chat and even took her kids out to dinner with Mr. Ruas. She offered her support, especially with finances,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Rafael Monti mentioned during the opening statement.

However, in July 2023, Ruas suffered a fall and ended up in the hospital for a week. Afterward, when he mentioned returning to Brazil, he testified that Hernandez suggested she would sell his apartment and assist him in managing his affairs, which led him to give her power of attorney.

“She seemed ready to help. I thought she would sell my apartment and transfer my Social Security to Brazil. I trusted her,” Ruas said during his testimony.

With around $700,000 in his bank account, he believed it was reasonable to hand Hernandez $100,000, thinking he wouldn’t need it for long.

But his doubts began to arise as he didn’t receive any payment from her for the apartment sale. When he returned to New York later that year, he found out his apartment hadn’t sold yet.

In the meantime, prosecutors revealed that Hernandez had withdrawn more than $450,000 from Ruas’s Citibank account, writing checks to both her girlfriend and her sister-in-law.

Photos of six checks, supposedly signed by Hernandez, were shown to jurors, with one check amounting to $168,000 made out to her boyfriend.

Prosecutors further alleged that she misused Ruas’s credit and debit cards to buy various items, including beauty products and self-help subscriptions.

Following her indictment in November 2024, Hernandez was dismissed from her position managing the 53-unit Chelsea co-op building.

Facing two counts of grand larceny, Hernandez could potentially receive a 15-year prison sentence if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty.

Once praised as the “lifeblood of senior tenants,” Ruas had previously remarked that without Hernandez, he “would be in the gutter.”

During cross-examination, when asked if he had ever discussed Hernandez with a reporter, the centenarian admitted he could not recall.

The jury began deliberations late Tuesday.