Kris Gounden.
First it was the neighbor, armed with an air-gun and a knife who broke into the Howard Beach home of the Guyanese immigrant family on June 21, 2024.
That armed intruder, 61-year-old Mark Toia, threatened a 17-year-old girl who was home at the time with her 10-year-old brother. Their father, Kris Gounden, who no longer lives in the home, claiming he was driven away by hostile neighbors later told this reporter that—according to his family members—during the break-in Toia claimed he also had a real gun at home and that he could “kill” Gounden.
Toia was later arrested at his home on various charges and is still in custody.
Then on September 27, 2024 there was another unauthorized entry into the same home on 152 Broadway, the family says. This time, it was Gounden’s ex-mother-in-law, Sati Mohan, who was the only person at home. She was upstairs and when she heard some come down into the living room as three men entered the house. Two of them were firefighters from the New York Fire Department (NYFD); the third was an employee of the New York Department of Buildings. The interaction between Ms. Mohan and the three men was captured on the home’s surveillance recording system.
Ms. Mohan later told Gounden that she had been frightened by the intrusion and that the men never produced any identification. They went to the rear of the building for about two minutes then left, according to Ms. Mohan. The family provided this reporter with the images of the men captured by the cameras.
The Gounden family has had long-running disputes with neighbors who, in the past, have allegedly used their connections to have City and State agencies intervene on their behalf and allegedly write up tickets for various violations, leading to fines. Gounden used to operate apartment rental buildings and claims that past disputes with neighbors led to retaliation in the form of tickets and fines amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a result, the City started withholding payments of its portion for Section-8 tenants housed in Gounden’s buildings, driving him into bankruptcy and out of business, he claimed. Eventually, Gounden wasn’t even able to maintain his two personal properties, he claimed. The New York Daily News documented some of these disputes and alleged harassment of the Gounden family in an article dating as far back as Aug. 24, 2007.
An online version of that Daily News report, “Family Haunted by Hate in Queens,” was updated on Jan. 12, 2019. Other media outlets such as the Queens Chronicle and Channel 4 Television covered the alleged harassment at the time that also included claims of “bogus” tickets written up by the Department of Buildings.
“You think the Fire Department can just walk into the home of a non-immigrant family like that? I would like the City to investigate this incident,” Gounden said. “I want to know if it’s somehow connected to Toia’s break in, the threat he made against me, and his subsequent arrest. My family is not safe and I want to make sure these three men have no connection to Toia.”
No one from the Gounden home had called 911 to report an emergency. After the three men left, the next day, Sept. 28, a building violation letter dated September 27, 2024 was placed on the Goundens’ door. It bore what appeared to be a robosignature of DOB Commissioner, Mr. James S. Oddo, stating in part: “At time of inspection observed a deck at rear of property concaving in danger of collapsing. Rear deck has a kitchen attached to it at rear of premises.”
Subsequently, a summons and commissioner’s order was also issued with a hearing response date of December 3, 2024. This order, bears the typed signature of C. Munoz, the DOB employee—badge #3458— and stated in part: “Property has a full vacate order that was issued on 04/04/2016 and owner failed to comply with full vacate order.”
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for DOB told this reporter that the 04/04/2016 vacate order was for issued in error and that it was actually for an adjacent disputed Gounden property on 153 Broadway, and not the 152 Broadway home entered by the two firefighters and DOB employee. The spokesperson said that violation would be withdrawn. He also provided an e-mail address for DOB Internal Affairs, where the Gounden family could submit a complaint about the alleged improper. Asked who had made the call leading to the operation by the three men, the spokesperson said the intervention was initiated by the FDNY.
On Oct. 6, 2024, someone returned to the Gounden home and taped a DOB “vacate” notice again dated Sept. 27, 2024 on the door of the 152 Broadway property. It was signed on Oct. 1, 2024 by a Borough Commissioner and by Nigel Sampson, Chief Construction Inspector.
Another DOB “vacate” order was slapped on the door dated Oct. 12, 2024, with an administrative trial hearing date of Dec. 17, 2024. This one was electronically signed by S. Reza.
The FDNY denied that the firefighters entered the home illegally. A statement provided by spokesperson James Long read: “We responded to a complaint that the house or part of the house was in danger of collapsing. Upon investigation we notified the Dept. of Buildings. Once DOB was on scene we knock on the door of the identified location and called out to anyone inside. A female occupant came in view of the door that was ajar and welcomed the 2 FDNY Officers and the DOB inspector in to the home. We conducted a walkthrough and identified structural issues with the building.”
In other words, according to the spokesperson, FDNY, responded to a complaint and then “upon investigation,” “notified” the Department of Buildings. There is a problem with the sequence. The two FDNY firefighters arrived and entered the residence together with DOB employee Munoz. So at what point did they conduct the “investigation” and notify DOB when Munoz was already with them?
A video recording also contradicts the statement. Ms. Mohan arrived downstairs from the second floor as the three men were already entering and the words she uttered were: “What’s going on.” A very peculiar form of welcome.
The FDNY also refused to respond to the most important question: who made the “complaint” that triggered the whole episode. “We’re not in a position to share that information,” Long said, in a text message.
The firefighters also denied that they knew who Mark Toia was.
The two unidentified FDNY firefighters.
The DOB employee identified as C. Munoz.
