Community Board Gives 500% increase in Rent to known racist criminal who assaulted a young black girl in Crown Heights!
Community Board 9’s financial have been exposed to the community, via a lawsuit, which shows serious mismanagement of money, from almost $100,000 being returned every year, to an increase in rent of 500% ($1,563 to $7,185) to a known criminal involved in hate crimes against the Black youth in the community.
During last night's meeting (April 25, 2017) at Community Board 9, Chairman Musa Moore again displayed the continued behavior of a board riddled with corruption and lack of accountability to the board and the public.
Chairman Moore Uses Position to Showcase His Candidate!
Chairman of CB9 Musa Moore, shamelessly touted his candidate that the he is working for in front of the community in a bid to campaign for her. Ms. Ama Dwimoh, a lawyer who works for Borough President Eric Adams and is running for the Brooklyn District Attorney seat, was given special treatment to come in front of the board, to discuss a child abuse campaign, as her staff distributed flyers and pamphlets with her name on it.
What Ms. Dwimoh, failed to mention is that she herself had been suspended pending an investigation for abuse! Ama was accused of abusing her staff while working for the District Attorney. Additionally, her failure to respond lawfully to the Freedom of Information Law, has resulted in the current lawsuit mentioned above!
You can’t make this up!
CB9 Fails Audit – Chairman Moore Refuses to give to the Public or Board
The City Comptroller’s Office has just completed an auditing of the Brooklyn Community Boards which was disseminated and discussed at other community boards this month. However, Chairman Musa Moore has made the claim that the results are a draft. Alicia Boyd personally sat in CB8’s executive board meeting, on April 13, 2017, where a portion of the final results were read out loud stating clearly that CB9 failed the equipment section of the audit.
Additionally, a resident who attended CB6’s general board meeting on April 12, 2017, reported that CB6’s District Manager report stated that all the boards except CB6 had failed the financial audit! However, Chairman Musa Moore stated that he wasn’t going to give this audit to the community because it is simply a draft and the final report has not been presented to the Community Boards.
$100,000 Going Back to City!
Chairman Musa Moore, during his Chairman’s report, now has placed the blame of CB9’s mismanagement of funds at the feet of community residents and the courts.
During the Business session of the CB9’s meeting, Musa had to coax the Treasurer of CB9 to come forward and discuss the Treasurers’ report, which has been the first time it has been done this year. The Treasurer stated that almost $50,000 has been moved from the personnel portion to the non-personnel budget to pay for computers and laptop and other things. However, there are no new computers being cited at the board’s office or any purchase orders having been submitted for these large scale items.
Chairman Musa Moore stated that almost $100,000 dollars was sent back to the City last year and another $100,000 will be sent back to the city this year, because of the lawsuits that have been filed regarding CB9’s hiring practices.
He failed to mention that this money can be spent by the Community Board, by a simple transfer from the personnel to the non-personnel budget and that the Judge stated in October 2016, that CB9 may hire other staff and a District Manager, but they may not hire Carmen Martinez.
Landlord Gets 500% increase in Rent!
Finally, despite Chairman Musa Moore making the claim that he was going to address the concerns of residents regarding the 500% increase in rent to a known criminal name Mr. Leib Skoblo, who has strong ties to the Hasidic community, he simply ignored this issue during his Chairman's speech.
Mr. Skoblo who pleaded guilty for verbally and physically assaulting a young black girl in a racially motivated hate crime, is the owner of CB9’s office. An online website called “CHLeaks” Exposing Corruption and Fraud in Crown Heights, described Mr. Skoblo as a convicted racist and detailed how he was using public issued vehicles for his private use.
Mr. Skoblo has been described on various online boards as immoral, a liar, a proud criminal, a racist and a fraud. There are also rumors circulating that his wife got a divorce because of his beatings; when one of his properties burned (arson?), he said he was happy because he wanted the tenants out anyway; and that he has $50,000 worth of violations on his properties.
Despite Mr. Skoblo’s sordid past he has received over a 500% percent increase ($1,677 to $7, 166) for CB9’s office space. He is getting $86 /sq ft/yr for his space, which is located at 890 Nostrand Ave despite the fact that right down the block 864 Nostrand Ave is asking for $38/sq ft/yr and 1066 Nostrand Ave is asking for $53/sq ft/yr.
Questions Not Answered
Would it not have been wiser for CB9 to use that $100,000 surplus to move the office to a cheaper space, then to pay, a known criminal in the community who has abused black youth, above market rent for a space and at the same time give back $100,000 to the city?
The questions needs to be asked, why did this increase happen and who was responsible for it? What type of kickbacks are being made and to whom?
Why hasn’t the Community Board and Executive Board been involved in this rental increase?Why isn’t Musa Moore allowing the board to gain access to the full budget to spend it on community related event, services and equipment instead of sending it back?
Why hasn’t Musa set up a search committee to hire staff and a new District Manager, instead of letting this money go back into the City’s coffers?
Of course Chairman Musa Moore simply choose not to answer these questions. But simply blamed the ineptitude and corruption on lawsuits which continue to address the unlawful behavior of the board.