Gary Steinberg {BSO}
A contentious dispute over community special assessments has led to a resident’s arrest on extortion charges.
Margate Police Department records, Gary Steinberg, 63, a resident of Margate’s Fiesta Townhomes community, was taken into custody on January 31 following an investigation into an email he sent demanding monetary compensation in exchange for withholding personal information about a Sunstate Management employee.
Records show the conflict that led to the dispute – and eventual alleged extortion attempt – dates back to 2020 when Sunstate Management took over the property management responsibilities for Fiesta Townhomes.
According to MPD records, Sunstate inherited an ongoing roofing project from a prior management company, which required all residents to pay a special assessment fee. Steinberg reportedly opposed the charges and filed multiple civil lawsuits against the Fiesta Townhomes Homeowners Association and Sunstate Management Company.
According to court documents, on March 27, 2024, Steinberg sent an email in which he repeatedly had attached what he claimed to be the criminal record of a Sunstate Management employee. The report alleges that Steinberg threatened to release the information unless he received payment to stay quiet.
MPD details in the report how Steinberg explicitly referenced the four pending civil cases and warned the company not to present a settlement offer unless it included “reasonable compensation” for him. He also provided a timeline, stating that if his demands were not met, he would release the criminal record the following day at 5:00 p.m.
On May 24, Steinberg’s email was introduced as evidence during a hearing before a Broward County Court judge. When questioned, Steinberg admitted to sending the email.
Investigators’ records indicate it was concluded that the email was written with malicious intent to damage the victim’s reputation and pressure Sunstate Management into paying him a settlement.
On January 31, Steinberg was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.
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