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Published on January 23, 2025
Bronx Co-op Board President Indicted for Allegedly Bilking Elderly Tenant Out of $120KSource: Google Street View

The Bronx legal scene turned another page this week with the indictment of a co-op board president accused of exploiting an elderly tenant for her life savings. Majia-Leena Frayer, 74, is facing multiple charges including Grand Larceny after allegedly forging checks from a 93-year-old woman's account. According to a statement from Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, the victim, unable to read or write English, trusted Frayer with her finances before the alleged theft.

Frayer had previously managed to move to Saint Petersburg, Florida, but not before allegedly conspiring with Rudolf Drauch, 61, to abscond with over $120,000 from the victim's savings. After Drauch's indictment in 2023, the trail of deceit slowly to unravel, leading to Frayer's recent arraignment on second-degree Grand Larceny, among other charges. With her passport now surrendered, Frayer is bound to New York City while her case sits pending, already leaving a mark on a community she once served, albeit for her own alleged benefit.

Working with the elderly tenant who lived in the Varma Cooperative home and placing immense trust in Frayer, the victim was left in the cold when the board president reportedly began writing checks from her account during her hospitalization. The amount stole, totaling $120,263, was funneled through checks made out to cash and deposited into Drauch's account for cashing. "This alleged crime is the definition of depredation," Bronx District Attorney Clark noted, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

The team prosecuting this case, led by Assistant District Attorney Melanie Smith of the Financial Frauds Bureau, is working diligently to make sure justice is served. Their efforts are further supported by commendable investigative work by BXDA Principal Accountant Investigator James Antonino and NYPD Detectives Daniel Angen, Sandy Nunez, and Christopher Persaud. As the case unfolds, it nevertheless remains a stark reminder that an indictment is not proof of guilt, a fact emphasizing the need to tirelessly uphold the principle of innocence until proven guilty.