Chelsea Piers claims worker used phony invoices to skim $80K -- and it wants the money and his salary back
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A recent lawsuit has been filed against a former employee of Chelsea Piers, accusing him of embezzling money by submitting fake invoices and demanding repayment of his full salary plus an additional $80,000 obtained by fraudulent means along with his girlfriend.

The lawsuit targets Gregory Rodriguez, who worked at the famous sports complex located on the Hudson River piers. Chelsea Piers is seeking the return of the allegedly stolen funds and an extra $208,000 he received as wages, citing his disloyalty and deceptive actions.


A person on a scooter in front of Chelsea Piers blue building in Manhattan.
The lawsuit accuses the former manager of stealing nearly $80,000 through a fake company and is seeking to force him to pay back the stolen money – in addition to his paid salary. Helayne Seidman

The legal action alleges that Rodriguez and his partner, Larieny Fernandez, engaged in illicit activities amounting to a “civil conspiracy” during his tenure at Chelsea Piers, resulting in a substantial sum of $79,397 being acquired by the couple through wrongful means.

Part of Rodriguez’s job responsibilities as senior director of operations and facilities was to approve vendor invoices and payments on behalf of Chelsea Piers, the suit stated. 

“Rodriguez’s scheme was simple,” according to the lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court. 

He and partner Fernandez created a “fraudulent alter-ego” business, called ImpactPro, and began submitting phoney invoices with amounts “grossly” inflated by as much as 100%, the suit claims.

“ImpactPro has never provided any valuable goods or services to Chelsea Piers,” according to the legal complaint. “The entity exists for no purpose other than to carry out this unlawful scheme and is a mere alter ego of Rodriguez and Fernandez.”


Aerial view of New York City skyline featuring Hudson River Park, Manhattan skyscrapers, and the expansive Chelsea Piers along the Hudson River.
Chelsea Piers spans 150,000-square-feet of prime pier space on the Hudson River, first opening in 1995. Francois Roux – stock.adobe.com

In one example from September, the company claimed Rodriguez took an invoice from a plumbing and heating company, approved it with the signature of a fake employee, then reissued the invoice to Chelsea Piers — this time with an additional $5,000 tacked on. ImpactPro was allegedly listed as the payee.

The suit claimed Rodriguez signed off, a practice he repeated until the alleged scheme was discovered and he was fired last month.

“In at least twenty-eight known instances, Rodriguez, together with the other defendants, falsely represented to Chelsea Piers that the services had been performed or goods supplied by another vendor known as defendant ImpactPro,” the suit claims.

An attorney for the ousted worker and his girlfriend pushed back against the claims.

“The complaint paints a picture of an elaborate scheme, but the reality is far different,” Jeremy Feigenbaum, of Spodek Law Group P.C., said in a statement to The Post. 

While the statement did not share how their version of reality differs, Feigenbaum called the accusations “baseless,” and wrote that his clients “maintain that they conducted their business affairs with transparency and integrity.”

A lawyer for Chelsea Piers did not reply to a request for comment.

In addition to their 150,000-square-foot Manhattan flagship which first opened in 1995, Chelsea Piers now boasts locations in Brooklyn and Connecticut with an array of athletic offerings including soccer, tennis, hockey, gymnastics, swimming, golf and more. 

Monthly memberships at the luxury gym start at $220.

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