Where is Steve Croman?

By Mary Ann Miller and Cynthia Chaffee

When Judge Jill Konviser sentenced Steve Croman to one year in Rikers, she said, “Rikers ain’t the Ritz.” Well, we know he’s not at the Ritz, but it seems that he ain’t at Rikers either.

We found him.

A bit of snooping revealed that Steve Croman is actually in The Tombs (Manhattan Detention Complex) located at 125 White Street, near Centre Street. He hasn’t been transferred to Rikers and it is possible that he never will be. Croman may just be held in a private cell in The Tombs for the duration of his sentence.

This raises some questions: Why wasn’t the judge’s sentence carried out, and which rich, white privilege scored Croman this respite in a private cell at The Tombs? Was it an intervention by some of the politicians to which he donated heavily? One that comes to mind is Chuck Schumer.

Judge Jill Konviser sentenced Croman to one year in Rikers, not in a private cell in The Tombs. How can he not be on good behavior in a private cell and then released in eight months for good behavior? His potential release date is June 3, 2018, but we are told that, with good behavior, he’ll be out in two or three months before that, and possibly even earlier.

Money and power rule in this world. We can speculate that, in this private cell, Croman is receiving meals, unlimited visits from his wife and children, and any other amenities that money can buy.

Why did we go through with this sham of a trial in the first place if this was to be the outcome? It is a waste of taxpayers’ money and a misuse of the court system. Croman has lost his freedom, but nothing else it seems.

We understand that Croman is not listed in the NYC Department of Correction’s computer system under his correct name ‘Steven Croman.’ Rather, he is listed under the name ‘CROWMAN.’

What’s the difference between ‘Crowman’ and ‘Croman?’ Steve Croman has been known to use this misspelling to his advantage. We’ve seen his name signed on legal documents many times as ‘CROWMAN.’ What advantage does this give him? “Mrs. Crowman” can get to The Tombs by limousine; she does not have to shlep all the way to Rikers with the common folk.

Who is allowing this cover-up? Is Attorney General Eric Schneiderman aware of this? Is this the result that their two-and-a-half-year investigation warranted? We seem to have many more questions than answers.

It looks as if this whole trial was a farce. Unfortunately, for the people that Croman injured, this is all too real. It’s a total miscarriage of justice and a slap in the face to every tenant in NYC. He’s likely to continue running his real estate empire from The Tombs. If you ask any Croman tenant whether anything has changed, you’ll get a resounding “No.”

I guess Croman’s high-priced lawyers earned their money, if they got paid. The CROW-MAN is notorious for stiffing everyone, especially his lawyers (i.e., Rose & Rose v. Croman). Now the law firm that represented Croman against Rose & Rose, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, is suing Croman for non-payment. Are Benjamin Brafman and Joel Cohen next?

Time will tell.

Mary Ann Miller and Cynthia Chaffee are the founders of the Stop Croman Coalition, which was established on Bastille Day, July 14, 2007.