C
raig Nassi, sponsor of a two-story building at 135 Carlton Avenue in Brooklyn, allegedly performed structural work without hiring an engineer or filing plans with the Department of Buildings, according to a complaint filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James. This led to structural issues that forced residents to evacuate and prompted an investigation.

    During the probe, Nassi and his architect allegedly lied under oath about hiring a structural engineer for the project. In 2020, workers on neighboring properties discovered problems with the building's foundation. Demolition work later revealed that a significant portion of the foundation lacked adequate support, prompting emergency work orders from the Department of Buildings.

    The condo board arranged and financed repairs after Nassi relinquished control in 2019. However, an investigation found that part of 135 Carlton Avenue's foundation rested atop the foundation of 137 Carlton, putting it at risk if the latter were to be demolished. The attorney general alleges that Nassi filed false architectural plans and claimed to have hired a structural engineer who was later dismissed.

    The complaint states that after unit owners discovered deficiencies, Nassi continued to deceive by refusing responsibility and fabricating stories about engineers involved in the project. Three condo units sold for between $1.4 million and $1.8 million.

    The attorney general's office is seeking to permanently bar Nassi from real estate development and finance, as well as recover unlawfully earned profits and repair costs from him.