State Senate Candidate Who Promised Kool Aid, KFC Arrested for Rent Fraud: DA

HARLEM, NY — The Trumpian candidate running for the 30th State Senate District isn't just offensive, he's a fraud, according to the Manhattan DA.

Jon Girodes has been arrested for running a fraudulent rent scheme, just days after it was reported he promised to hand out "Kool Aid, KFC and watermelons" in Harlem.

Girodes was arrested Saturday for scamming nine people out of thousands of dollars, according to a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Girodes told his victims that he would rent them his luxury apartment at 635 W. 42 St. for just $1,000 a month, according to the DA.

But when move-in day came around, the deal would fall apart and Girodes would end up keeping the money, according to the complaint.

"The defendant (Girodes) engaged in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud more than one person and to obtain property from more than one person by false and fraudulent pretenses," reads the criminal complaint.

Girodes has been charged with seven counts of third-degree grand larceny, one count of fourth-degree grand larceny, one count of first-degree scheme to defraud and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument, according to the DA's office.

Girodes conned nine people from August to October, taking as much as $8,950 dollars from one of his victims, according to the criminal complaint. Girodes told his victims that some of the money he was taking was for a refundable deposit, and even created a fake character, "Irina from building management," who told them that the deposit was almost always returned, officials said.

Actual building management, though, had no idea Girodes was even conducting his scheme, according to the complaint. A representative from the building's management told the District Attorney's office that Girodes doesn't even own the apartment, he leases, and that Girodes never told them he was planning to rent out the apartment.

Oh, and "Irina" doesn't exist.

In addition to not knowing about the scam, the building managers revealed that they were deceived by the shifty political aspirant themselves. When Girodes applied to live in the building in March he provided management with a bank statement saying he had $319,593.75 in a TD Bank account, but it turns out those documents were fabricated and the account was inactive, according to the criminal complaint.

Bail was set at $75,000 for Girodes, which has not been posted, a representative from the DA's office told Patch. Girodes is set to appear in court on Oct. 19, the spokeswoman said.

Girodes yanked down all of his social media accounts and campaign website last week after it was reported he would hand out "Kool Aid, KFC and watermelons" at an event he was hosting in Harlem. He hasn't stated whether he will stay in the campaign, however.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons via author Jon Girodes