Thursday, 4:30 PM
Y housing manager accused of preying on residents
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff
Wai Y. Tye, a retired chemist, had a pension and savings totalling over $1 million. But he preferred to live frugally, spending money on others in need rather than on himself. He didn't own a car and lived in a humble room at a downtown Boston YMCA. Life was uncomplicated, he said, and blissful.
But unknown to Tye, 89, his money was being siphoned away by the housing manager at the YMCA, authorities alleged Friday.
Henry Ortiz, 41, had access to residents' mail and allegedly intercepted Wai's bank statements and, using key information about his accounts, took $443,000 in February and March of 2005.
Ortiz, who has addresses in Boston and Peabody, allegedly stole thousands from two other people living at the Huntington Avenue YMCA, and authorities are expanding their investigation to search for other possible victims, said Boston Police Detective Steven Blair.
"Stealing money was Mr. Ortiz's first job at the Y, his second was housing manager,'' Blair said.
Ortiz was arraigned Friday in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, charged with four counts of larceny, two counts of larceny from a person 60 or older, and six counts of forgery. Ortiz, dressed in a black shirt, black slacks and a tan sport jacket, pled not guilty and refused to comment yesterday as he walked out of the courthouse. His lawyer, Andrew Stockwell-Alpert, also refused to comment.
