Hallandale police say ex-condo head took $200,000

The former head of a Hallandale Beach condominium admitted to law enforcement to taking money from the condo.

Article Courtesy of The Miami Herald

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ

Published March 16, 2007

On 13 occasions in a 12-month period, Joseph Greenberg deposited amounts up to $9,800 in various bank accounts he owned.

Nine of those 13 times, Greenberg made two or three deposits a day -- each one to different banks to avoid suspicion.

Greenberg, former president of Parker Plaza Estates, a Hallandale Beach condo, stole almost $200,000 from the condo while serving as its president for several years, according to Hallandale Beach police.

Greenberg, who turns 83 today, is cooperating with investigators, who say he did not act alone. He was taken from his home at Parker Plaza Estates, 2030 S. Ocean Dr., after police got an arrest form to charge him with dodging banking regulations.

SWORN STATEMENT

He has not been charged with any crime and gave a sworn statement to police implicating himself and others in schemes to defraud the condo, said Hallandale Beach police detective Eric Williams.

Greenberg's attorney, Scott Saul, said his client has ``a harmonious relationship with authorities.''

''He was not acting in a sole capacity,'' Saul said. ``He is not the organizer of this.''

Police say arrests are expected.

Greenberg was voted out as president of the 520-unit condo last year in a special election, Williams said.

New board members discovered the missing money when they took office, said condo resident Daniel Levine.

Bank statements going back at least four years show money being deposited in his bank accounts in amounts of just under $10,000 -- the amount that must be reported by federal law.

Investigators focused on a period between February 2004 and February 2005 when they noticed the suspicious deposits.

WAR VETERAN

Greenberg retired to Florida in the 1970s from Canada, where he owned a construction company, Saul said. A veteran of World War II, he has no previous arrests in Florida.

People were surprised on Thursday when they suddenly saw Greenberg escorted by police from his home, Levine said.

''He was a nice guy, everybody liked him, friendly, smiling all the time,'' said Levine, who has lived in the building for 18 years. ``In the meantime, he had his hand in everyone's pocket.''

The event should make everyone who lives in a condo more cautious about how their money is spent, Williams said.

''It's going to make people a lot more vigilant about what is going on,'' Williams said.


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