What to Know
- Jon Girodes allegedly stiffed renters out of deposit money for a midtown apartment and then left them with no place to live
- He pleaded guilty to multiple charges in the case, and is expected to be sentenced to 3 to 6 years in prison in September
- Nearly a dozen alleged victims recounted their stories to the I-Team, with some saying Girodes brought them to tears
A former New York Senate candidate who sparked a firestorm after telling the I-Team he was planning to hand out "Kool Aid, KFC and watermelons" in Harlem will be dining in a state prison for at least three years.
The I-Team has learned 38-year-old Jon Girodes pleaded guilty on July 19 to multiple charges in connection with an apartment rental scam.
He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in October on charges of grand larceny for allegedly stiffing renters out of deposit money for a midtown apartment and then left them with no place to live.
When he's sentenced on Sept. 6, he's expected to get three to six years in prison.
Nearly a dozen people who responded to Girodes' Craigslist ad and were subsequently scammed spoke to the I-Team last fall. They say he told them he owned the 26th floor condo in midtown, which had sprawling views of midtown. He made excuses about why they couldn't move in, leaving them homeless.
Girodes sparked a firestorm when, as a candidate running for a state Senate seat, said he would hand out Kool Aid, KFC and watermelons in the primarily black community in Harlem. Residents were outraged by the racist reference.
