GRAVESEND, N.Y. — A Brooklyn bookkeeper and two alleged accomplices were indicted and arraigned for stealing more than $1.1 million through a payroll fraud scheme that spanned five years and involved fake employees and inflated paychecks, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced.
Maya Roytlender, 44, Ihor Dubno, 61, and Michael James, 33, were charged in Brooklyn Supreme Court in connection with the scheme, which allegedly used a defunct Brooklyn real estate company to funnel fraudulent payments into personal accounts.
Roytlender, who served as the office manager for D. Malek Realty, LLC from 2015 to 2020, is accused of generating false payroll checks for co-defendants James and Dubno. Prosecutors said James was never employed by the company, while Dubno received paychecks that far exceeded his legitimate compensation.
“This defendant, along with two accomplices, allegedly carried out and coordinated an extended scheme to steal over a million dollars through lies and manipulation,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
The funds were allegedly deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendants or their associates, then used to pay personal debts including credit card bills, car loans, and other liabilities. Roytlender’s Capital One and Chase accounts and James’ personal debts were among the listed recipients of the stolen money.
Scheme involved fake jobs and inflated salaries
Roytlender faces one count of first-degree grand larceny, while Dubno and James are each charged with second-degree grand larceny. All three defendants were released without bail following their arraignment and are scheduled to return to court on August 13.
According to investigators, Roytlender directed company checks to be issued as part of the fake payroll and oversaw the distribution of inflated payments. The business accounts of D. Malek Realty were allegedly drained to fund the operation.
The District Attorney’s Office credited Supervising Financial Investigator Vincent Jones, Chief Financial Investigator Ludwig Sanchez, and Intelligence Analyst Veranika Basak for their roles in uncovering the scheme.
No plea has been entered by the defendants as of Sunday.
