Judge okays trial for Max Capital’s Hochfelder

A judge ruled today that Adam Hochfelder, founder and chairman of commercial landlord Max Capital Management Corp., will go to trial on fraud charges in a case alleging he misrepresented the value of his real estate holdings to extract loans from business partners, banks and even family members. The decision today will allow prosecutors to move forward on charges against Hochfelder, a noted New York City office building owner. Max Capital Management holdings have included 237 Park Avenue and the Helmsley Building at 230 Park Avenue. Hochfelder once claimed to own $2.7 billion in properties and used that false information to garner millions from unsuspecting lenders, the New York Times reported. The next hearing on the case is set to begin Jan. 15. Hochfelder was first arrested in August 2008 and now faces 58 counts of criminal activity, such as fraud and grand larceny.