Mark Benun
Convicted mortgage fraudster Mark Benun has been out of prison, living in a halfway house in West Palm Beach, Fla., since Nov. 14. Benun, 38, pleaded guilty to four counts of interstate transportation of stolen property in December 2009 in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme involving the $6 million sale of a Bronx commercial building near Yankee Stadium. He was sentenced the following March to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $5.5 million. He spent the majority of his 42-month prison sentence (including confinement pre-sentencing) in a Fort Dix, N.J. prison. The Real Deal caught up with Benun by phone yesterday, less than three weeks after he was released from prison.
What was the best part of prison?
The best part was learning how to operate in a business matter. This is golden advice for anyone in a business environment… do things straight, don’t waste time looking for an angle. If I went straight I’d own like 30 to 40 buildings.
How do you feel about your crime?
I think that I paid the ultimate price. I didn’t put anybody away. I learned from it. I won’t jaywalk.
Sounds like you’re saying you didn’t rat others out.
You’re smart.
This is your second stint in prison. In 2004, you pleaded guilty to wire fraud after an unsuccessful attempt to transfer $42,000 from a client’s account to your own personal account when you were a stockbroker at the now-defunct Weatherly Securities. You served six months at Otisville Federal Prison. Were you in trouble as a kid?
Yes. I hung out with a fast crowd. I was given a lot as a kid. And I was entitled, which led me to think there were no consequences.
Some people believe things happen in threes. Think you’ll land in prison again?
That’ll never happen.
When we talked while you were in prison you said drugs played a part in your recent crime. How much of a part?
To the fullest extent.
What was your drug of choice?
Park Avenue psychiatrists and marijuana.
Are you sober?
I’m sober since Aug. 24, 2009. I do something [recovery-related] once a week. I work what I learned in RDAP [the Federal Bureau of Prison’s Residential Drug Abuse program]. It’s about behavior change and knowing there are consequences.
Do people in the industry know you got out?
The Syrian [Jewish] community knows I’m out. My friends have all been there for me.
Are there any lawsuits pending against you?
I don’t know how it works since I did the federal time, but I am being sued.
Do you plan to move in with your girlfriend in Boca Raton, Fla., when you get out of the halfway house?
Yes. [And she’s now my] fiancé. I proposed to Marita about two weeks ago when I got out.
Do you have any kids?
I have a son, Grayson, who is 3. Luke is 9. He’s not biologically mine, but I raised him like my own.
What do you plan to do next career-wise?
I have a meeting on Thursday with a commercial real estate firm in Fort Lauderdale. Like I did with Winick [Realty Group], I want to get in, learn everything, get out and open my own company.
What happened to your Manhattan-based company MBM1 Owners?
I sold that LLC.
Do you still own your Manhattan apartment?
No.
Are you planning to come back to New York City?
I can’t say I’m running to the city.
Did prison harden you?
It changed my thought process, but it didn’t harden me [except] in terms of my three sisters. I was very there for them, and they were very not there for me when I was in prison. Yet they took so much from me when I was intoxicated.
What is solitary confinement like?
That’s a nightmare. You would never believe you’re in America. You couldn’t imagine. You go into survival mode. You’d read if you could get books. They have to be soft-cover books. A book is your day so you don’t want to read it too quick. I was reading a lot of Stone Barrington books. You come out one hour a day at 5:30 in the morning in what’s like a dog cage. … If you don’t get your head to the door or they didn’t like you — a lot of times they didn’t like Jewish people — [you wouldn’t be allowed out]. I starved myself the first time they put me in SHU [the Secure Housing Unit]. They caught me putting money in people’s accounts — because I wanted to eat better. I lost 30 pounds in 65 days [because] I was scared. The next time I went back [for three months] I [had been] knocked out because a Jewish guy was giving his food to a guy who was shaking him down. I said, “Why don’t you do it to me?” The last time two black guys in the unit I was in were trying to extort me. I threw hands to them. I wouldn’t succumb to their pressure.
Are you looking over your shoulder now?
No. There’s nothing to look over my shoulder about. I didn’t put anyone in prison. This $6 million [restitution I owe] — I’ll get it paid.
April 14, 2013 at 4:37 pm, Carmicheal Jits said:
Souls in the Waves…
Good Early morning, I just stopped in to go to your website and thought I’d say I enjoyed myself….
April 19, 2013 at 3:58 am, http://kujiro13.tumblr.com said:
…
[...]here are some hyperlinks to websites that we link to since we feel they may be worth visiting[...]…
April 19, 2013 at 12:04 pm, Christian Louboutin Store said:
cheap christian louboutin shoes for men…
Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your site is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this site. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK…
April 20, 2013 at 7:54 am, http://zuoto25.webs.com said:
…
[...]one of our guests not too long ago advised the following website[...]…
April 20, 2013 at 5:30 pm, msr pocket rocket How I Removed My Purely natural Gas Bill said:
Sterling Edland…
Excellent site you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get opinions from other knowledgeable people tha…
April 22, 2013 at 2:52 am, buy zithromax said:
…
[...]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a handful of unrelated information, nonetheless truly worth taking a look, whoa did 1 discover about Mid East has got much more problerms as well [...]…
April 22, 2013 at 1:55 pm, the Aromhuset Classic Cola Soda Concentrate said:
Great…
Appreciate you writing, great weblog. Thanks Again and again….
April 23, 2013 at 4:12 am, click here said:
…
[...]we prefer to honor numerous other web internet sites on the internet, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages really worth checking out[...]…
April 24, 2013 at 7:15 pm, buy clomid said:
…
[...]The details talked about within the report are several of the most effective readily available [...]…
April 25, 2013 at 1:55 am, kirtasiye said:
surprisingly useful list…
The subsequent time-frame Whenever my best spouse in addition to i read any type of recordings blog, Lets hope ensuring this doesnt sadden everyone seeing that much seeing the web site. When what my organization says is unquestionably, I know it was th…
April 25, 2013 at 2:48 am, Dental implants dublin said:
excellent quality site…
I in reality observe anything truly important concerning someone else’s site thus saved….
April 25, 2013 at 6:44 am, click here said:
Online Article……
[...]The information mentioned in the article are some of the best available [...]……
April 25, 2013 at 4:32 pm, albums said:
Sites we Like……
[...] Every once in a while we choose blogs that we read. Listed below are the latest sites that we choose [...]……
April 26, 2013 at 5:59 am, buy champix said:
…
[...]very couple of web-sites that take place to become comprehensive beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly effectively really worth checking out[...]…
April 26, 2013 at 10:42 pm, buy synthroid said:
…
[...]we prefer to honor quite a few other online internet sites around the internet, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages worth checking out[...]…
April 27, 2013 at 5:17 am, Sparkling water flavour info said:
Wonderful Article…
Hey, thanks a lot for the weblog. Awesome….
April 27, 2013 at 11:19 pm, improve memory said:
Hank Mckimmy…
Hank Mckimmy…
April 28, 2013 at 12:24 am, go here said:
great…
Wow! This can be one particular of the most helpful blogs We\’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Basically Fantastic. I am also an expert in this topic therefore I can understand your effort….
April 28, 2013 at 10:20 am, dr dre headphones said:
Informative and precise…
Its difficult to find informative and precise information but here I noted…
April 30, 2013 at 6:59 pm, clicking here said:
Whispering Misty…
So sorry you will skip the workshop!…
May 03, 2013 at 6:53 pm, aquaphor said:
rather best premium high quality setup…
Keep maintain controlling, fantastic place!…
May 04, 2013 at 8:46 am, driving instructors maidstone said:
driving schools maidstone…
A School of motoring happens to be an singularly jog business offering up superior driving sessions in not to mention available Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Bore holes, Sittingbourne, Chatham, Gillingham & To the west Sending….
May 04, 2013 at 10:23 am, 罗塞塔石碑 said:
mbt mens kabisa 11…
I truly appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thanks again…
May 04, 2013 at 4:35 pm, tips and tricks for WordPress said:
fairly eye-catching…
Fascinating showing created our subsequent. The most important I must discuss is where frequently numerous competent fields develop the specific Bachelors Education like the novice requirement to buy internet education. When Correlate Skills will be a …
May 05, 2013 at 1:12 am, website said:
The Silent Shard…
This tends to probably be fairly practical for a few within your employment I want to will not only with my web site but…
May 05, 2013 at 11:50 pm, more information said:
Souls in the Waves…
Good Morning, I just stopped in to visit your site and imagined I would say I liked myself….
May 10, 2013 at 5:01 am, tree removal corpus christi said:
Sites we Like……
[...] Every once in a while we choose blogs that we read. Listed below are the latest sites that we choose [...]……
May 13, 2013 at 3:20 am, Google said:
Google…
that would be the end of this article. Right here you will uncover some sites that we believe you will enjoy, just click the links over…
May 13, 2013 at 11:05 am, dental implants said:
Online Article……
[...]The information mentioned in the article are some of the best available [...]……
May 15, 2013 at 7:00 pm, home page said:
Souls in the Waves…
Excellent Early morning, I just stopped in to go to your site and considered I would say I experienced myself….
May 16, 2013 at 8:12 pm, My site said:
Looking around…
I like to look around the web, regularly I will just go to Digg and read and check stuff out…
May 17, 2013 at 7:21 pm, Online Casino said:
The Absent Game…
Involving me and my husband we have owned extra MP3 gamers over time than I can count, such as Sansas, iRivers, iPods (traditional & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of gamers….
May 22, 2013 at 1:30 pm, united states said:
The Silent Shard…
This can in all probability be fairly helpful for some within your work I intend to really don’t only with my blog site but…
May 24, 2013 at 3:04 pm, Louboutin Shoes said:
Digg…
While checking out DIGG today I found this…
May 25, 2013 at 1:00 am, celine handbags said:
celine bags…
http://tinyurl.com/p3yfmbj celine bag price guarantees custom mass stamping to the nation’s appreciated…