Landlord Used Dead Notary's Stamp In Illegal Eviction Attempt: DA

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — A local building owner used a dead man’s notary public stamp to file false charges against tenants he wanted to evict, according to prosecutors.

Abdus Shahid, 64, was charged with forgery charges Friday for trying to illegally evict five tenants of 455 Tompkins Ave. who had reported him to 311, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office announced Monday.

Shahid used a notary stamp that belonged to Yitzchok Ring — who died in October 2014 — in civil suits filed between March 16, 2015, and September 8, 2016, said prosecutors.

The suits claimed that five tenants had damaged the landlord's building, but the tenants, represented by the Legal Aid Society, argued Shahid was seeking vengeance after they reported him through the city's complaint hotline, prosecutors said.

Shahid was arraigned on 28 forgery charges, 28 offering a false instrument for filing charges, and 28 making an apparently sworn false statement charges in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Feb. 23, prosecutors said.

The Bed-Stuy building owner was released late Friday night without bail, said prosecutors.

“This defendant attempted to fool the court by using someone else’s identity for his nefarious business plans,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement. “As Brooklyn continues to soar in popularity as a wonderful place to live, I am committed to protecting the rights of its residents.”

Contact information for Shahid’s attorney was not immediately available.

Photo courtesy of GoogleMaps/Sept. 2017