A man, who called himself the “Wolf of Airbnb,” has been sentenced to over 50 months in prison for defrauding New York City landlords and the U.S. Government. United States Attorney Damian Williams announced the sentence on Monday.
The man identified as Konrad Bicher from Florida failed to pay more than $1 million in rent between July 2019 and April 2022. Prosecutors say Bicher rented out the units on Airbnb, earning at least $1,170,000. Landlords tried to recover the unpaid rent and sued Bicher to stop him from listing the units.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bicher also fraudulently obtained over $565,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program by using fake documents and false information.
Bicher, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud a year ago, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. He was also ordered to forfeit $1.7 million and pay $2.2 million in restitution. Bicher chose not to speak during the sentencing.
His attorney had asked for a lighter sentence, blaming the landlords for some issues with the Manhattan apartments. However, prosecutors argued that Bicher falsely claimed to be suffering from coronavirus-related problems and lied about his residency to benefit from tenant protections in New York City.
Prosecutors also noted that Bicher was living in Florida and travelling for leisure while committing the fraud. He had boasted about being the “Wolf of Airbnb,” a reference to the “Wolf of Wall Street,” a memoir about a stockbroker who faced prison for financial crimes.
Williams said, “Those who partake in such callous and fraudulent conduct will answer for their crimes, no matter their self-given title.”
