Vacationers Duped Out Of Thousands In Williamsburg Scam

Desmond Eaddy and Ronnie Barron, via NY Post

Last month, a bill to prevent building owners from illegally converting apartments into hotel rooms passed the state Senate, seemingly paving the way to put seedy landlords and hustlers out of business. But more than a dozen out-of-towners looking for a dream summer in NYC fell victim to two scam artists in Williamsburg, and exactly what that bill was meant to curtail.

The victims, including eight from Ireland, told the Post that they were duped out of thousands of dollars by Desmond Eaddy and Ronnie Barron, two Brooklyn men posing as lease holders of a massive loft within a new luxury apartment complex at 175 Powers St. in Williamsburg. The two used Craigslist to advertise available rooms for $1,100 monthly "in a brand new, huge, two-floor loft in the absolute best part of Brooklyn," with existing roommates including a "carefully selected great group of students, artists, actors/models, interns and those interested in film and TV production." Barron and Eaddy, who previously did casting work for reality show Gastineau Girls, never had legal authority to rent the place, only a handshake agreement with the building's owner to use it for film and TV production. They hired contractors to carve up the commercial space and convert it into an eight-bedroom "illegal hostel," which was never completed.

"This has been pretty traumatizing...We came to New York and were taken advantage of. Now we sometimes don't even have enough money to feed ourselves," said Neil Sturdy, 19. (Or as Bob Dylan once sang, "We are idiooots babe, it's a wonder we can even feed ourselves.") He and his two traveling companions from Ireland lost $3,375 cumulatively, and are stuck in the city until September, when they have a pre-paid, nonrefundable return flight home.

Two 21-year-olds from Cincinnati, Grania Frueh and Vineet Sathe, were taken for $3,850, and say they were moved to an apartment with 14 other people on North 5th "basically squatting in a divided storage space" and "battling cockroaches, spiders and ants." Others say Barron and Eaddy shuttled them to a hostel for temporary residency, paid for the first couple nights, then stopped all payments and ignored their phone calls. And the Post gets the last zing in: "Both Eaddy and Barron did not respond to many phone, text and e-mail messages over the weekend."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on July 19, 2010 6:16 PM

Comments [rss]

fixilator

The sheer dickheadedness of most of these comments is baffling. These aren't the NYC "hipsters" that piss you off, for whatever lame, crybaby, whiny pussy reason you claim. They are visitors. Travelers. People living life outside, mingling with others unlike them. Who wanted to experience something different than the typical two-nights-at-the-Marriott type visit (not that you spare those type visitors either).

Why? Why the hate? Oh yeah, I guess I lost you at the "traveling" (try it sometime, it's fun!) or maybe the "living life" part. You can't relate. Hating over the internet is all you know. It's all you can do.

Sad, really.

unretrofiedforu

No, we couldn't care less of who steps foot in this city.

It's just that we are smart enough to see through the bullshit. This city is BIG. You mean to tell me, out of all the places, all the internet websites, all the information freely available about traveling to NYC, with like what, $3-4k to drop on living expenses, a Williamsburg Hostel is the best you can do?

We get it; it's cool to stay in Brooklyn right? Right.

fixilator

I still don't get your hostility towards the victims of this scam.

Try harder.

Kate Black

What's better? Staying at one of the budget hotels in midtown that show up on http://bedbugregistry.com ?

Williamsburg has amenities and is reasonably convenient to Manhattan. Travelers aren't stupid or bad for wanting that. For that matter, neither are permanent residents.

Kate Black

No one here's ever stayed in a hostel because they couldn't afford nicer digs in a city they wanted to visit?

I feel for these kids. They should check out couchsurfing.com and Dumpling House.

freddynyc

These two sleazy sheisters look Duminican - can anyone verify?

casey.mic

This is HILARIOUS, I agree. I was already laughing after the CL description but what really got me was the fact that I know one of the girls from Cincinnati who was duped.

Naive? yes. But it's not the first time someone's been duped on craigslist. It happens

ALSO, to you hypocrites out there mocking them for wanting to live in Brooklyn, take a look around you in your Williamsburg or Fort Greene pad, probably wearing a tank top and cutoff jean shorts, you guys are so freaking awesome. How can we not want to live just like all you artists and fauxhemians, you secret gossip girl fanboys and probably mostly bankrolled from Dad on Long Island.

Let me know when you Brooklyn-ers get your irony implants.

unretrofiedforu

Right... sounds like someone's a little jealous? No matter how many times you tell yourself you can make it here, you can't.

jpeditor

"fauxhemians"

borrowing... ( : >)

jpeditor

"...more than a dozen out-of-towners looking for a dream summer in NYC fell victim to two scam artists in Williamsburg,"

Dream summer in NYC...WILLIAMSBURG

HA_HA_HA_HA!

"" with existing roommates including a "carefully selected great group of students, artists, actors/models, interns and those interested in film and TV production." "

ROTFLMAO!!

tbraun

Don't say we didn't warn you!

http://gummag.com/2009/05/29/i-hate-new-york-city-top-seven-reasons-you-should-stay-there-instead-of-failing-here/