Two charged in fraudulent public housing lease scam
BOSTON, October 7, 2024 – A Braintree woman working as a case manager for Stone House, a Roxbury safe haven for survivors of domestic violence, and a Dorchester man were both arraigned in Roxbury BMC last week for defrauding victims of domestic abuse by collecting rent for dwellings that the victims never occupied, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
ROSALYN WEBB, 55, of Braintree was charged with one count of larceny over $1,200 by single scheme. NATHANIEL DAVIS, 30, of Dorchester was charged with five counts of larceny by check over $1,200. Judge Kenneth Fiandaca released both Webb and Davis on personal recognizance. Both are due back in court on November 6 for pre-trial hearings.
On April 25, Boston police received a report from Stone House management that a former employee who served as a case worker, later identified as Webb, had been fraudulently collecting rent checks from domestic violence victims receiving services from the Stone House.
Stone House told police three individuals were listed as living at a Dorchester residence, belonging to Davis. When a Stone House employee arrived at Davis’s residence to confirm, the employee discovered that none of the three individuals actually lived there.
Webb provided false information and filed false inspections and leases so Davis could collect rent. Davis cashed checks from December 2023 through February 2024 for the listed tenants, totaling $21,250.
In April a tenant filed a written complaint with Stone House stating that in February, Webb forced her to sign a lease for a residence connected with Stone House. However, Webb told the tenant she had to pay $525 in cash per month directly to Webb.
Webb was terminated shortly after Stone House management discovered the scheme. Stone House provides support services and housing for survivors of domestic violence.
Both Webb and Davis were summonsed to court. Webb has a 35-page criminal record dating back to the 1980s.
“Defrauding anyone for personal gain is brazen enough, but preying on those in dire need of services is particularly contemptible. I applaud the tenant for speaking up when she realized something was amiss, and I thank the Stone House management team for following up on the complaint and then reporting this to authorities,” Hayden said.
The Federal Trade Commission has a helpful website on tips of how to avoid rental scams. The City of Boston has a similar educational website.
With financial exploitation and abuse on the rise, District Attorney Hayden recently launched the Suffolk County Fraud Fighters, a multi-agency effort to help residents, particularly older adults, recognize common scams and signs of financial fraud.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications