This case revolves around Tremayne Brown, a 26-year-old parking attendant from Queens, who was employed at the UBS Arena on Long Island. Brown is accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud both hockey fans and concertgoers by diverting their parking payments into his personal Venmo account. Over a period spanning from April 17th to January 12th, Brown allegedly deceived patrons on 125 separate occasions, accumulating a total of $4,997 in illicit proceeds. His actions not only deprived the arena of its rightful revenue but also constituted a breach of trust and a violation of the law.
Brown’s alleged scheme was relatively simple yet effective in its deception. He would approach patrons seeking parking and, instead of directing them to the official payment channels, he would provide them with his personal Venmo username, “MartinGrey00.” To further entice patrons into using his personal account, Brown allegedly told them that paying through Venmo would allow them to “save on fees,” a claim that was entirely fabricated. This tactic successfully persuaded numerous individuals to make their parking payments directly to Brown, bypassing the arena’s established financial systems.
The unraveling of Brown’s scheme began on January 12th when his shift supervisor overheard a suspicious transaction. The supervisor witnessed Brown instructing a patron to pay the $30 parking fee to his Venmo account. Upon further investigation, the supervisor spoke with the patron who confirmed Brown’s instructions and the fabricated claim about saving on fees. This incident raised immediate red flags, prompting a deeper examination into Brown’s activities.
A subsequent review of Brown’s Venmo account history revealed the extent of his alleged fraudulent activities. The transaction records demonstrated a pattern of similar payments received from numerous patrons over an extended period, corroborating the supervisor’s suspicions. Crucially, the investigation also revealed that Brown had never transferred any of the funds he received through Venmo to the arena’s accounts, further solidifying the evidence against him. This discovery confirmed that Brown had systematically pocketed the parking fees for his personal gain, depriving the arena of nearly $5,000 in revenue.
The evidence collected against Brown painted a clear picture of intentional fraud. Not only did he solicit payments to his personal account, but he also failed to record these transactions in the arena’s official business records. This deliberate omission further underlined his intent to conceal his illicit activities and avoid detection. By circumventing the established accounting procedures, Brown ensured that the money he collected remained untraceable within the arena’s financial system. His actions demonstrated a calculated effort to deceive both his employer and the patrons he served.
Based on the evidence gathered, law enforcement authorities arrested Tremayne Brown on January 14th. He was subsequently charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony offense reflecting the substantial amount of money involved in the scheme. Additionally, he was charged with falsifying business records in the first degree, a charge that underscored his deliberate attempts to conceal his fraudulent transactions. Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following his arraignment before Judge Michele Johnson on January 15th, he was released and placed under the supervision of a pre-trial services officer. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 21st, where the legal proceedings will continue.
