Landlord who allegedly stole rent from Haitian tenants in Columbus pleads not guilty 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former property manager accused of defrauding Haitian immigrants renting apartments in Columbus has pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges in a case that prosecutors say affected more than 1,300 tenants, according to local media. 

Sylvia Sherman, former manager of the Colonial Village Apartments complex on the city’s east side, entered the plea during an arraignment in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. She faces charges including theft, money laundering, telecommunications fraud and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. 

A judge set her bond at $250,000.

Sherman allegedly exploited mostly vulnerable immigrant tenants — many of them Haitian — by renting out apartments that had been ordered vacant by city officials and pocketing the rent payments herself.

According to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Sherman collected rent through personal payment platforms such as Cash App, Venmo, and Zelle rather than paying it to the property’s owner.

Prosecutors allege she created fraudulent lease agreements and moved tenants into units that were not legally approved for occupancy.

“These victims were promised housing but instead were placed in unsafe living conditions,” prosecutors said in announcing the charges.

Authorities estimate that more than $285,000 was taken through the alleged scheme.

Investigators say the complex housed roughly 1,300 Haitian immigrants at the time, including hundreds of children. Many residents were living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a federal immigration program that allows people from countries facing severe humanitarian crises to remain and work legally in the country.

Conditions inside the apartments had already drawn scrutiny from city officials.

Inspectors previously documented more than 400 housing code violations at the Colonial Village complex, including pest infestations, structural damage, broken windows and units without heat, running water or functioning smoke detectors.

The complex was ultimately condemned by the city in late 2023, forcing hundreds of residents to leave their homes.

Local officials and nonprofit organizations worked to relocate displaced tenants, with many families temporarily housed in hotels while permanent housing was arranged.

Advocates say the case underscores the vulnerability immigrant communities can face when navigating unfamiliar housing systems while trying to build stability in the United States.

The Colonial Village property has since been sold and renamed The Rand, and the new ownership has begun renovations to address longstanding safety and maintenance issues.

Sherman’s case remains pending in Franklin County court.

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