Queens DA Launches Housing And Workers' Protection Bureau

QUEENS, NY — A new unit in the Queens District Attorney's Office will hone in on housing scams, predatory lending, workplace safety issues and wage theft across the borough.

The new housing and worker protection bureau, announced Monday by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, will investigate and prosecute crimes related to homeownership and the workplace, as well as educate community members what requirements their employer must follow to keep them safe and how they can avoid falling victim to scams.

“Far too often, people are swindled into giving away their property," Katz said in a statement. "Unscrupulous criminals often target elderly or vulnerable people in real estate scams convincing them to sign on a dotted line that literally gives away their home."

"The Housing and Worker Protection Bureau will also go after crimes related to dangerous construction sites that put workers in harm’s way and employers who fail to pay the prevailing wage and other schemes," Katz added.

Leading the new bureau will be William Jorgenson, a career prosecutor with more than three decades of experience working in law enforcement and investigating such matters as insurance fraud, public corruption and other financial crimes.

Anyone who believes they were the victim of a housing scam, believe an employer is not providing a safe workplace, or suspect another scheme related to a construction site or unfair wages, is asked to call the Queens District Attorney's Office at 718 286-6673.