Ex-JetSmarter president and developer charged with embezzling funds sells Bal Harbour home for record price

Sale sets a record for non-waterfront homes in Bal Harbour

JetSmarter Co-Founder Gennady Barsky and the $8 million home
JetSmarter's former president Gennady Barsky and the $8 million home

UPDATED, Sept. 2, 2:45 p.m.: Developer Gennady Barsky, who previously led JetSmarter, the “Uber of private jets,” sold his Bal Harbour home for $8 million.

Barsky and his wife, Oleksandra, sold the six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom home at 65 Camden Court via a trust managed by William Weintraub, according to property records. The sale marks a record price for non-waterfront homes in Bal Harbour, according to property records and a source.

Barsky was arrested in South Florida four years ago and charged with embezzlement in California. He was previously executive chairman of North Miami Beach-based Verzasca Group until early 2015, a spokesperson for the development firm told The Real Deal in 2017. The company developed projects in Bay Harbor Islands and Sunny Isles Beach. Verzasca also partnered with JetSmarter, a private Fort Lauderdale-based jet charter that was later acquired by Dubai-based Vista Global. Barsky was president of JetSmarter until he resigned in February 2017.

In June 2017, Barsky pleaded not guilty in a California court to five counts of grand theft over allegations that he stole nearly $12 million as a managing member of Lodgepole, a real estate investment firm, according to the East Bay Times. An update on the case is not immediately available in public records.

Property records show the Barskys’ trust sold the 7,654-square-foot house in Bal Harbour to Richard and Evelyn Fox, as trustees of the Fox Family Trust. Moshe Goldshtein with One Sotheby’s International Realty, represented the buyer and seller. Goldshtein was previously with Harding Realty, which One Sotheby’s recently acquired.

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Goldshtein declined to comment.

The house sits on a nearly 0.3-acre lot and was completed in 2017. A company managed by Treo Construction CEO Ricardo Halfen built the home and sold it to an LLC managed by Gennady Barsky in 2017 for $5.5 million. Two years later, that entity sold it to Barsky and his wife for $4.4 million.

The two-story home includes smart home features, high ceilings, luxury finishes and a pool and spa, according to the listing. It was asking $8.8 million.

The sale marks another example of neighborhood and city price records set throughout South Florida, as high-end residential sales continue to grow.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Barsky’s role at JetSmarter based on incorrect information from his LinkedIn and website.