The mother of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, who was brutally stabbed to death in the Bronx in the summer, says a man has been operating a scam in which he pretends to raise funds in her son’s name.
Councilman Ritchie Torres warned people Monday about the scam allegedly being run by a man posing as a government official, Reginald Gregg.
Torres said Gregg convinced the teen’s mother, Leandra Guzman-Feliz, to sign a permission slip allowing him to act on behalf of her family, News 12 reported.
"This is horrible," Guzman-Feliz told the station. "The whole situation is a horror story."
No money was collected by Gregg on their behalf, but the family isn’t the first to be scammed by the man, Torres claimed.
Torres said the City Council has attempted to shut down Gregg’s operation, which he calls the “New York State Community Affairs Bureau” in the past, according to CBS 2.
Gregg told CBS2 in August that his organization has not done anything wrong.
“We have not tried to get over on people, nor will we,” said Gregg. “It is a non-profit organization and they are aware of it.”
A GoFundMe started for Junior following his death has raised nearly $340,000.
Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the teen’s death, which grabbed national attention after his slaying by several gang members was captured on surveillance footage.
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