Jonathan Liani, 45, from New York, one of the three owners implicated in the Mon View Heights housing scandal, turned himself in to authorities this morning in West Mifflin. Facing acquisition of charges including theft by unlawful taking and dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity, Liani's surrender followed the issuing of an arrest warrant last Tuesday. According to WPXI, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office announced that Liani was released on a $500,000 unsecured bond and has a preliminary hearing for next Thursday.
In addition to the Mon View Heights complex, Liani and his partners Moshe Silber, 36, and Frederick Schulman, 73, are alleged to be connected to at least 11 "nuisance properties" in the region. The Allegheny District Attorney's office identified these properties as suffering from unsanitary conditions, such as rodent infestations large enough to send grown individuals running to their vehicles, as Gil Berry, a representative for residents, remarked in a statement reported by WTAE.
Meanwhile, Silber and Schulman, the other two co-owners, await sentencing after pleading guilty to unrelated federal conspiracy charges in New York. The trio's management practices have come under intense scrutiny following numerous reports of unsafe living conditions across their real estate portfolio. These include allegations of mold, structure damage, and insufficient water systems, which risk residents' health and safety.
The district attorney, Stephen Zappala, has taken significant action against Mon View LLC. After naming the complex a public nuisance, he charged the company with a felony count of causing or risking a catastrophe. The DA's office underscored the severity of the hazards faced by tenants; in one disturbing incident, a 3-year-old girl fell through the kitchen floor of her unit. WPXI coverage of the case has highlighted the urgency of action to improve these living conditions.
