Former sex offender super now illegally solicits contracting work

Bill Barnason

Brooklyn resident Bill Barnason, the convicted sexual abuser who lost his job last year as an Upper West Side superintendent after residents complained of harassment, is now posting ads on Craigslist for home contracting work despite lacking a license, according to the New York Post. The Department of Consumer Affairs is investigating Barnason, who is posting contracting ads online with a license number that belongs to an ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Geller. “Yes, I know that it’s my license,” Geller said. “He’s in a legal position.” However, the Department of Consumer Affairs mandates that any person soliciting home improvement work in the city that costs more than $200 must also possess a license.

In 1987, Barnason pleaded guilty to raping and sexually abusing three Suffolk County girls between the ages of 5 and 7, while already incarcerated for sexually abusing a five-year-old girl. After being released in 2001, he was hired as a building super by Stanley Katz, who owns several properties on the Upper West Side. After residents of those buildings filed sexual harassment complaints against Barnason, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office filed a civil lawsuit against Barnason and Katz alleging they were in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The saga also prompted state politicians to propose legislation that blocks registered sex offenders from holding jobs as building superintendents. [Post]