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    Office of State Inspector General and Dauphin County District Attorney Charge Brooklyn Landlord in $167,000 Emergency Rental Assistance Fraud Scheme

    Benjamin Eisner is charged with submitting fraudulent ERAP applications using tenants' identities without their knowledge

    April 17, 2026

    Harrisburg, PA – The Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) and the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office announced charges today against Benjamin Eisner, a Brooklyn, New York landlord who owns properties in Dauphin County for orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain $167,335.60 in Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds from Dauphin County by falsifying applications in the names of tenants who had no knowledge of or involvement in the filings.

    The investigation was initiated after a tenant reported to Dauphin County Human Services that her landlord, Benjamin Eisner, had submitted fraudulent ERAP applications seeking funds for rent she had already paid. She never completed the application herself. A subsequent internal review by Dauphin County Human Services uncovered ten additional suspicious ERAP applications submitted between July 1, 2021 and January 25, 2022, all involving tenants at Eisner's Harrisburg properties. Nine of those applications were approved, resulting in Eisner receiving $167,335.60 in federal and state relief funds through his company, Cima Cham LLC.

    "This case is a stark example of the kind of predatory fraud that OSIG seeks to stop," said State Inspector General Michelle A. Henry. "Benjamin Eisner is charged with exploiting a program designed to keep Pennsylvania families housed during a public health crisis, using the identities of real people who had no idea their names and personal information were being used for his financial gain. Under Governor Shapiro's leadership, OSIG will continue to pursue fraud wherever it occurs, protect the integrity of programs that serve our most vulnerable residents, and ensure that those who steal from Pennsylvania taxpayers are held fully accountable."

    OSIG and the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office conducted a joint investigation where all eleven ERAP applications and supporting documentation, including lease agreements, proof of residency, rent ledgers, utility records, and tenant notices were examined. Agents subsequently interviewed the named tenants, and they denied applying for ERAP, denied signing the submitted documents, and stated their personal information had been used without their knowledge or consent. In several instances, investigators determined that the named individuals had never resided at the properties at all. ERAP reimbursement checks were consistently mailed to and deposited at a Brooklyn, New York address associated with Eisner and Cima Cham LLC.

    Eisner is charged with multiple felonies, including corrupt organizations, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by deception, criminal attempt, and forgery.

    "Emergency rental assistance was a lifeline for Pennsylvanians struggling to stay in their homes during the pandemic, and it is deeply troubling that someone would exploit that program for personal enrichment, especially by using tenants' identities without their knowledge," said Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo. "This investigation reflects exactly the kind of partnership between our office and OSIG that protects Dauphin County residents and the integrity of public programs.”

    Charges were filed before Magisterial District Judge Honorable Mikaela Sloan, and Eisner was preliminarily arraigned and waived his preliminary hearing today. All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    About Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Fraud

    ERAP was a federally funded program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to assist tenants facing financial hardship in paying rent and utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Anonymously report suspected assistance fraud on the OSIG website or call the Tipline: 1-800-932-0582.

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