The mother of a 15-year-old cops say was savagely killed by Bronx gang-bangers charged Monday that at least five sketchy groups seek to make money off her son’s death.
Leandra Feliz said she has no interest in aligning herself with anyone claiming to collect cash on her family’s behalf in the wake of Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz’s murder.
Lesandro was dragged from a Belmont bodega June 20 and butchered by members of the Trinitarios gang, which apparently mistook him for a member of a rival gang, authorities say.
A dozen alleged gang members have been charged in the killing, which was captured on video.
Feliz said a group called the New York State Community Affairs Bureau convinced her to sign a “cease and desist” letter demanding another group called the Justice for Junior Foundation to stop advertising that it was raising money.
“Those people — they came to my house telling me about the five different organizations operating using my son’s name,” she told reporters. “They told me that (the agreement) would help her put in a complaint with the state.”
City Councilman Ritchie Torres points to images of badges created for a fake city department used for fraudulent fund-raising for Feliz-Guzman in the Bronx.
Neither group is registered as a charity in New York, according to the state attorney general’s office, which is investigating.
“I don’t want to deal no more with those people because I don’t know who’s who at the moment,” Feliz said.
The Community Affairs Bureau is a creation of Renauld Gregg, a former judge’s son who was convicted in 2010 of embezzling nearly $200,000 from his girlfriend’s family. He has also been accused of pretending to be a lawyer.
City Councilman Ritchie Torres denounced Gregg’s actions. “Obviously, when tragedy strikes, it is often the case that vultures are lining up to exploit the tragedy and profit from someone else’s misery,” Torres said.
In a phone conversation, Gregg denied raising or trying to raise “a penny” using the teen’s name.
“There was nothing done unethically by any member of NYSCAB,” he said. “We have never ever intended to do anything against this family.”
Gregg said his group filed incorporation papers with the state on July 6 — but state officials couldn’t confirm that.
Commenting on his criminal conviction, Gregg compared himself to Malcolm X.
“Malcolm Little was a formerly incarcerated person, and we all have the opportunity for a second chance in life,” he said.
