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New York real estate broker sentenced to house arrest in homeless-shelter bribery scheme

Sheina Levin paid $690K in kickbacks to former head of Bronx Parent Housing Network, Victor Rivera

Handcuffed hands; New York City, map of the Bronx, hands exchanging paper
(Illustration by The Real Deal with Getty)

A New York real estate broker was handed a nine-month house-arrest sentence last week for her involvement in a bribery scheme that spanned several years.

Sheina Levin, 61, who owned a Brooklyn-based real estate company, paid Victor Rivera, a prominent shelter operator, over $830,000 in kickbacks to secure leases for properties under her control, the New York Times reported.

The scheme came to light when Rivera, the former CEO of the Bronx Parent Housing Network, pleaded guilty to federal crimes the previous year and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. 

Rivera’s financial ties with Levin and allegations of sexual assault and harassment against him were exposed in a Times investigation in 2021.

Levin’s sentencing followed her guilty plea in March to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud for her role in the pay-to-play scheme, which operated from 2019 to 2021.

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In court filings, Levin revealed that Rivera initially solicited bribes during their collaboration to sublease several Bronx buildings as homeless shelters. Rivera insisted on a portion of Levin’s rental profits, and she complied, knowing these payments were improper. Levin concealed the payments to Rivera by disguising them as consulting fees to a fictitious company owned by Rivera’s son, who, in turn, used the kickbacks to cover mortgage payments.

Rivera, who founded the Bronx Parent Housing Network two decades ago, amassed $274 million in city funds from 2017 to 2021. During this time, Rivera began living large, receiving a salary of more than $450,000, leasing a luxury car through Housing Network and  doling out contracts to close associates, including Levin, as well as commingling nonprofit work with for-profit companies.. Rivera also demanded kickbacks from other associates, but the payments from Levin were the most substantial.

Levin faced a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the felony charge but received a sentence of house arrest and two years of supervised release, with prosecutors citing her cooperation in aiding the investigation into Rivera. Additionally, she agreed to forfeit more than $790,000 and pay over $838,000 to the Bronx Parent Housing Network.

In a statement, Levin’s lawyer acknowledged her wrongdoing, stating that Rivera manipulated her commitment to serving the homeless population for personal gain. Levin is committed to making amends for her actions, according to her attorney.

— Ted Glanzer

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CrimeHomelessnessNew York City