ALBANY – A Woodstock man and his brother from Paramus, New Jersey have been indicted for allegedly stealing $90,000 in Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds to which they were not entitled, officials announced.

As part of the scheme, Denesh Melwani, 58, of Woodstock, and Shaleen Mahtani of Paramus, completed and filed an application containing false information with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to fraudulently obtain funding through the program.

Both men were charged with offering a false instrument for filing, grand larceny, and money laundering.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide economic relief to medium and low-income households at risk of homelessness due to the pandemic. Landlords or tenants could apply to the state for funds to cover unpaid back rent and future rent payments. If the tenant met the criteria, the payments would be made directly to the landlord.



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