Story by Ethan
On March 27th, 2026, the arrest of Jose Lopez Molina, age 47, was announced by Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark. Jose Lopez Molina was charged with first-degree Scheme to Defraud, first and second-degree Forgery, second-degree Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, third and fourth-degree Grand Larceny as a Public Corruption Crime, third and fourth-degree Grand Larceny, third-degree Bribe Receiving, and Official Misconduct. The arrest and charges against Jose Lopez Molina were a result of an investigation handled by the Department of Investigation’s Investigator Enio Bencosme, Housing and Urban Development Agent JP Gueli, and Homeland Security New York Office.
According to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, Jose Lopez Molina was previously a housing assistant employed at the NYCHA Throggs Neck Houses on Schaley Avenue in Bronx, New York. From August 2023 until April 2025 it’s alleged that Jose Lopez Molina approached both tenants and non-tenants with a deal to be paid money in order to secure them with section 8 vouchers or NYCHA housing ahead of other applicants. After investigation detectives were able to identify 15 potential victims, seven of which are alleged to have been victimized by the defendant. Allegedly Jose Lopez Molina forged fake Section 8 vouchers while presenting them as legitimate to the victims, as well as provided addresses and apartment numbers to some victims implying they were allowed to move into the areas provided. The defendant had also allegedly misled some current tenants to believe they could settle back rent payments through an extra fee paid to him directly.
The Bronx District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Jose Lopez Molina are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
