A man infamous for being one of New York City’s worst landlords was punched in the face shortly after beginning his 60-day sentence at Rikers Island.
Daniel Ohebshalom, known as “the slumlord” for forcing his tenants to live in appalling squalor, was hospitalized after the attack and may have broken facial bones.
The assault occurred in the intake area of the Eric M. Taylor Center around 12:15 p.m. on Friday.
The day before, Ohebshalom had surrendered to authorities after they issued an arrest warrant for him.
Ohebshalom had reportedly failed to make hundreds of court-ordered repairs to his Manhattan properties.
Daniel Ohebshalom was assaulted by another Rikers Island inmate shortly after beginning his 60-day sentence.
Ohebshalom was hospitalized after the attack and may have broken facial bones.
After years of trying in vain to fine the slum owner, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development decided to turn up the pressure and obtained an arrest warrant for Ohebshalom.
The order said Ohebshalom and “its buildings have repeatedly appeared on lists of the worst landlords in New York City.”
The order went on to say that “the violations cited in the arrest warrant are extensive and include serious and immediately dangerous conditions that threaten not only the residents’ quality of life but also their health and safety.”
The squalid conditions included “visibly peeling lead paint, cockroach and mouse infestations, inadequate electrical supply, and mold.”
Officials hoped to use Ohebshalom as an example, a way to warn other callous owners that their nefarious business practices will not go unpunished.
Ohebshalom was consistently ranked one of the worst landlords in New York City
Their properties featured lead peeling pain, cockroach and mouse infestations, inadequate electricity supply and mold.
“The arrest warrant serves as a strong message to landlords that New York City will not tolerate housing violations or tenants forced to live in unsafe conditions.”
At its two buildings along West 170th Street, the city claimed Ohebshalom and his company, Belmont Ventures LLC, had incurred 700 violations related to the health and safety of the buildings’ tenants.
‘We reached it. He faces $3 million in fines and penalties, and will go to prison for 60 days,” said Adolfo Carrión Jr., commissioner of the HPD department.
Carrión called Ohebshalom “the worst landlord in New York City.” He’s not the only one who thinks this way. In December, public defender Jumaane Williams called Ohebshalom, which had 3,293 open violations at the time, the worst landlord in New York City.
“The reason we are behind this guy and his practices is because of the lives of the people who live there; it’s horrible,” Carrión said.
In addition to his 60-day prison sentence, the owner has been assessed $3 million in fines and penalties.
The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development decided to take the unusual step of obtaining an arrest warrant for the homeowner in hopes of bringing him to justice.
‘People are dealing with mold, leaks, pests, rats and roaches, peeling paint and lead paint. Their children are exposed, the elderly are also exposed. It’s time to put an end to this nonsense,’ Carrión continued.
After the arrest warrant was issued on March 8, Ohebshalom turned himself in to the New York City Sheriff’s Office.
The owner was then taken to Rikers Island to begin his sentence, but his visit was cut short when he was assaulted by another inmate.
Sources close to NBC I do not believe Ohebshalom was the target of the attack, as the attacker had threatened several other prisoners.