Jersey City man indicted for allegedly scamming NYC food vendors out of more than $50K
Mohamed Orabi, 33, is charged with three counts of grand larceny in an indictment filed in New York State Supreme Court, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
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A Jersey City man has been indicted on charges he stole more than $50,000 from mobile food vendors by falsely claiming he could lease them New York City-issued permits, prosecutors said Monday.
Mohamed Orabi, 33, is charged with three counts of grand larceny in an indictment filed in New York State Supreme Court, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors say that between Oct. 3, 2024, and Nov. 10, 2025, Orabi stole more than $50,000 from at least two food truck vendors and one pushcart vendor by claiming he could lease them city permits.
“New Yorkers were building their businesses as food vendors when Mohamed Orabi allegedly took advantage of their limited knowledge of local regulations to scam them out of thousands of dollars,” District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg said in a statement.
According to court documents, Orabi allegedly told victims he could lease them permits held in his name or arrange permits through other vendors. In exchange, he demanded thousands of dollars in cash, which victims paid at locations in Manhattan and elsewhere in New York City.
Prosecutors said Orabi told victims they would receive permits after their food truck or cart passed a city pre-permit inspection. He then allegedly made repeated excuses about delays, and none of the victims received permits. Authorities said Orabi did not have any city-issued permits in his name.
In one instance, prosecutors allege Orabi convinced a victim to pay thousands of dollars to obtain insurance or clear supposed fines owed to the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. He allegedly contacted the victim using a phone number he claimed belonged to an insurance broker but that was registered to him, officials said.
Authorities said he never secured insurance for the victim, who did not owe any fines. Prosecutors also allege Orabi obtained the victim’s debit card information for supposed truck modifications and then used the card to make $10,000 in unauthorized sports betting charges.
