NY Man Charged with Fraudulently Selling Bronx Building

Mark M. Mr. Benun of New York has been charged with fraudulently selling a Bronx building for more than $5 million and not disclosing several liens on the property. According to Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Benun and a real estate company operator purchased a commercial property in the Bronx near Yankee Stadium for $9.5 million. Mr. Benun, purporting to be the sole owner of the property, allegedly sold it for approximately $5.96 million to another buyer, who paid $4 million in cash and gave Mr. Benun a note for the remaining $1.96 million. Shortly after the sale, Mr. Benun is alleged to have sold the note for $1.46 million. To establish his apparent sole ownership of the building, Mr. Benun allegedly created false satisfactions of the three mortgages on the property and transferred ownership of his co-purchaser's majority interest in the property to himself. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero has been assigned to the case. Mr. Benun was unavailable for comment.