NYC Man Cops Plea To Attempted Sale Of Commercial Building He Didn't Own

From the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney:

• Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., [] announced the guilty plea of HENRY VARGAS, 36, who attempted to sell a commercial building he did not own to the New York Road Runners, a Manhattan not-for-profit running organization that offers year-round races, including the ING New York City Marathon. VARGAS pled guilty to Attempted Grand Larceny in the First Degree and Forgery in the Second Degree. VARGAS is expected to receive a sentence of 5 to 10 years in state prison pursuant to [the] plea.

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• VARGAS admitted in court [] that he fraudulently passed himself off as the majority owner of the building, located at 21-41 Lenox Avenue, just north of Central Park, using false statements and forged documents to trick investors into believing that he was the majority owner of the LLC that actually owns the building. In the fall of 2008, VARGAS entered into a contract to sell the building to the New York Road Runners for $8.5 million. Pursuant to that agreement, the New York Road Runners made a $1 million down payment into an escrow account.

For the Manhattan DA press release, see District Attorney Vance Announces The Guilty Plea Of Henry Vargas.