William D’Angelo has 180 days to sell every rental property he owns in Syracuse under a new court settlement, or he could face heavy penalties and possible jail time. The agreement follows years of lead-paint violations that officials say put children at risk.
D’Angelo agreed to the settlement in court, according to Syracuse.com, which first reported the agreement. Any buyer must receive approval from the New York Attorney General’s Office and agree to complete outstanding abatement work at the properties. D’Angelo could face penalties, including possible jail time, if he does not comply, the outlet reported.
State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Lamendola presided over the case. He cited D’Angelo’s history in explaining why the matter was back before him and expressed doubt about the landlord’s future compliance. Lamendola said he hoped D’Angelo had taken the situation seriously and would not return to court. D’Angelo said he understood the consequences but declined to comment outside the courtroom.
A New Settlement Follows Years of Enforcement
The new agreement follows a 2023 lawsuit by the New York Attorney General’s Office over D’Angelo’s handling of lead-based paint hazards. A 2024 settlement required independent monitoring of lead inspections and repairs at 22 properties, most on Syracuse’s west side. The work was due by Dec. 18, 2025, according to the Syracuse.com report.
Under that earlier agreement, D’Angelo paid $230,000 toward lead inspections and cleanup and contributed $80,000 to a health fund for 16 children found to have lead poisoning linked to his properties. Syracuse.com reported that he had accumulated 336 lead-paint violations over seven and a half years before the settlement.
The 2024 agreement did not resolve all the violations. The Attorney General’s Office said D’Angelo failed to address lead hazards at more than half of his properties and missed completion deadlines at 10. Since that settlement, city inspectors issued 140 citations at 17 properties; 42 citations at five properties remained open as of August, Syracuse.com reported. In August, the Attorney General’s Office asked a judge to hold D’Angelo in contempt of the settlement, a motion that did not itself seek fines or imprisonment.
Deadlines, Contractors and Approval for Buyers
The new settlement sets deadlines for addressing outstanding lead violations and requires federally approved abatement contractors for remaining work, according to the report. D’Angelo faces a fine for each day he misses a deadline, as well as separate fines for attempting the work himself instead of using approved contractors. Assistant Attorney General Patrick B. Omilian said the settlement order was expected to be finalized within two weeks.
D’Angelo owns 19 rental properties in Syracuse, after selling several in recent months, the report said. That total differs from a June report that put his holdings at 21 properties; the original 2024 settlement covered 22. Available reporting does not explain the discrepancy.
Other Syracuse Lead-Enforcement Cases
D’Angelo is the second landlord facing removal from Syracuse’s rental market over lead-paint violations in 2026. Earlier in October, Lamendola ordered Brooklyn-based landlord Mendy Kletzky to sell his properties, following a 2025 lawsuit by the city of Syracuse. Syracuse.com has described the cases as part of a broader effort by city and state officials to hold landlords accountable for lead hazards, including previous court actions that forced landlords out of the rental business.
The enforcement cases come amid continuing lead-exposure concerns in Syracuse. In 2025, 405 of the 4,474 Syracuse children tested had elevated blood-lead levels, according to Syracuse.com. The outlet reported that many older cities face similar risks because much of their housing was built before lead paint was banned in New York more than 50 years ago.
Health officials say no level of lead is safe for children. The New York State Department of Health says exposure can affect children’s growth, behavior and ability to learn, and, in more severe cases, cause anemia, kidney damage and hearing loss. Children are most commonly exposed by breathing or swallowing dust from old, deteriorating lead paint.
How Syracuse’s Housing Stock and Other Cases Fit In
The New York Attorney General’s Office said in a June 2022 release that more than 90 percent of Syracuse’s housing stock was built before 1978. That age-related risk context does not establish whether a particular home contains lead. Separately from D’Angelo’s court-ordered terms, the New York State Department of Health says its Lead Rental Registry law applies to rental properties with two or more units built before 1980 in designated communities, including Syracuse. The Attorney General’s Office release and the state Health Department’s registry guidance describe those broader housing and regulatory contexts.
Earlier enforcement outcomes have taken different forms. In 2022, the Attorney General’s Office announced an agreement barring Syracuse landlord John Kiggins and Endzone Properties from owning or managing residential rental properties anywhere in New York; the office said at least 18 children living in their properties had experienced lead poisoning. In a separate Buffalo case, a September 2025 settlement barred sales of identified properties until they were certified lead-safe and required inspections and tenant disclosures, but did not require the landlords to sell all their properties. The Kiggins agreement and the Buffalo settlement illustrate approaches distinct from the requirement that D’Angelo sell his remaining Syracuse rentals.
