Real estate manager charged with defacement of Lucille Roberts mansion

A disgruntled former employee of the Lucille Roberts workout chain accused of vandalizing its late founder’s $90 million Upper East Side mansion and her company’s current place of business has been charged with attempted grand larceny, attempted coercion, placing a false bomb or hazardous substance, and criminal mischief in connection with the Jan. 8 incident.

David Allen, 38, splashed the 35-foot-wide limestone mansion at 4 East 80th Street with white paint and shot it with projectiles, according to the criminal complaint. Allen, who was arraigned this past Friday, according to news reports, was dismissed from his position at the Lucille Roberts company in December, the Post first reported, after joining the women’s fitness company as real estate manager in June 2011. He was previously real estate manager for commercial real estate company DBA Realty NYC. A phone number for DBA is disconnected.

The firing allegedly did not sit well with Allen, who felt he was entitled to a six-figure commission and severance.

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The defendant delivered an object to the townhouse containing what appeared to be a toxic substance but was harmless and meant only to raise public alarm, the complaint says. “The defendant intentionally damaged property of another in an amount exceeding $1,500. It was discovered that projectiles had been fired into glass window panes.”

The Upper East Side townhouse, originally commissioned by Frank Woolworth, shattered New York City records when it hits the market for $90 million last year, The Real Deal previously reported. The mansion, which has seven stories, 10 bedrooms, 11.5 bathrooms and three kitchens, is listed with Brown Harris Stevens’ Paula Del Nunzio. She declined to comment on the incident.

Bail for Allen was set at $75,000 bond or $25,000 cash and his next court date is scheduled for tomorrow. He is currently being housed at the Manhattan Detention Complex, according to the website for the city’s Department of Corrections. His attorney, Andrew Roth, was not immediately available for comment.