WESTFIELD–A man suspected in a series of rental scams was arraigned in Westfield District Court Monday.
Sergio Miacola, 59, of Westfield, was held in lieu of $500 bail following his arraignment on four separate counts of larceny over $250 by a single scheme. Each charge brings a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.
Sergio Miacola mug shot
According to court records, Miacola is being accused of accepting payments from multiple parties for the same property between August and October of this year. The amounts accepted were reportedly between $800 and $1,650 and were reportedly security deposits for an apartment at the property. However, they reported that they were unable to move in and that Miacola would stop responding to messages and calls.
Court records indicate that these four cases are in addition to three other pending cases against Miacola that reportedly involve the same property. In addition, Miacola has been found guilty of similar crimes in the past, which resulted in an 18-month probation sentence in May 2015.
A statement of facts at Westfield District Court indicates that the 9 West School St. property has since been foreclosed upon and is currently owned by Duetsche Bank National, with management of the property being done by Altisource Property Management.
Police previously responded to the property in October after it was reported that someone had reportedly stabbed themselves in the chest following an altercation on the property. Police did not identify the victim of the self-inflicted stab wound at the time of the incident however.
