Photo Courtesy of Department of Buildings
Since the launch of the investigation, and the subsequent prosecution of this case, an additional five victims have come forward to report being scammed by the defendant, bringing the total number of complainants to 14 individuals.
By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jofre Ortega pleaded guilty on Tuesday to grand larceny and other crimes for conning people eager to join the Mason Tenders Local 79 Union by offering memberships for cash.
As part of the plea, the defendant is required to pay restitution in the amount of $18,000 to the 14 victims. At the behest of the district attorney, Local 79 held an informational session for victims and their families on legitimate ways to join the union.
Ortega, 58, pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the fourth degree and petit larceny. As a condition of the plea agreement, Ortega is required to pay back the money he pocketed from 14 victims who thought they were paying for a union membership.
Photo Courtesy of Google
Local 79 offices on 8th Avenue.
According to the original charges, between September 2019 and March 2021, the defendant promised at least nine individuals that he could get them into the Mason Tenders Local 79 Union – but only if they paid him between $500 and $1,500 each. Some of the victims, both men and women, met with the defendant at various locations throughout the borough, where the defendant collected the funds from each of the victims.
Since the launch of the investigation, and the subsequent prosecution of this case, an additional five victims have come forward to report being scammed by the defendant, bringing the total number of complainants to 14 individuals.
“More than a dozen individuals – laborers who sought to earn better pay for their hard work – were conned by this defendant, who took advantage of his position to line his pockets,” Katz said. “I want to thank the union’s leadership for bringing this case to our attention and helping my Office hold the defendant accountable.”
Ortega was never authorized to grant union memberships to any of the victims.
