Busted Chef’s Apartment Ransacked

By on August 7, 2008 8:22 am in Brooklyn Heights, crime, Food, News

The Brooklyn Paper reports that “Busted Chef” Dan Kaufman’s Pierrepont Street apartment – which the paper writes he rents from Busy Chef owner Alan Young – had its locks changed and was ransacked this week.  The paper’s calls to Young for comment went unanswered:

Brooklyn Paper: Busted Chef…: For the record, Brill said his client is innocent of the identity theft and credit card fraud charges, claiming instead that Kaufman was a scapegoat of larger crimes by Young and others.

The paper also steps up to the plate today and sheds light on Nasser “Nando” Ghorchian’s dealings with Alan Young and the Busy Chef related businesses.

Share this Story:

, , , , , , , , ,

← 
Newer Comments  →
  • Cranky

    Grr. I keep trying to read the Brooklyn Paper’s story. I can’t access it. It says forbidden and not found on this server.

    I want to read it and I can’t! :-(

  • http://brooklynheightsblog.com Qfwfq

    I love how Kaufman is playing the victim angle. I wonder if the “Busy Chef’s apartment ransacked!” story is actually true. Did the Brooklyn Paper get punk’d?

  • technonerd

    Try going to the paper’s site manualy. Or cut and paste the link:
    http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/31/31_31_sp_busy_chef_main.html

    They may be blocking links that are referred by this site.

  • Homer Fink

    Geez, cut it out with the conspiracy. Story is back up on their site.

  • http://brooklynheightsblog.com Qfwfq

    Conspiracy or not, I still don’t believe Kaufman’s story.

  • Jazz

    This guy is so full of it. Call the cops if you’re a victim of a crime not the Brooklyn Paper. And btw, the Blue Pig lady says Kaufman is “almost a patsy”… ALMOST. And that was in the New York Times:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/nyregion/04fraud.html?em

  • nabeguy

    He, if you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas. Problem is, I’m not sure which is which when it comes to Kaufman/Young.

  • insider

    there was similar credit card fraud going on at food maestro, aficianada all connected to alan young

  • nabeguy

    Okay, insider, time to ‘fess up. Are you now or have you ever been a member of the COC crew? If there was CC fraud at the previous two incarnations of BC, it certainly is news, so what do you know and how do you know it?

  • 10596g

    it should be mentioned that those two – food maestro and aficiaonada – are also connected to DK…

  • http://brooklynheightsblog.com Qfwfq

    “10596g”, I assume you have evidence for that claim, since according to my Chef Dan Timeline, he was still plotting his escape from Vermont while I was gagging on Food Maestro’s “Spaghetti Bolognese with Meat Sauce”.

  • 10596g

    Yes, I do. ‘Chef’ Dan was a cook at Food Maestro – I’ve seen him in the kitchen there, back when it was in its final days.

  • http://brooklynheightsblog.com Qfwfq

    Then he must have been there in the last couple weeks of its existence, since he was still in Vermont through the beginning of February 2007.

  • 10596g

    As I said, he was a cook there for the last few weeks it was up and running…

  • insider

    he started there at the end of feb 07 (i was hired as a cook by chris in jan) the last big batch of fraudulent credit card charges were made in december 06 and january 07 he wasnt there then but alan young was this has been going on for years

  • Jazz

    insider – you are one busy commenter. i think many people on BHB have mentioned that their credit cards were ripped off in the last couple of months. why do you feel the need to lie to us?

  • GHB

    “there was similar credit card fraud going on at food maestro, aficianada all connected to alan young”

    I always liked him on ‘Mr. Ed’. Not easy working with a horse, of course!

  • nabeguy

    Or horses asses, for that matter!

  • disgustedbydk

    I know that DK was involved with food maestro and that he did indeed move to NY at the end of February 2007…that is factual.

  • insider

    im just saying this activity has gone on before not saying it didnt happen again this time around

  • anon

    I’m very curious as to what alan young’s background is, how he can afford to keep closing and reopening these places. seems to own or at least have a lease on a lot of real estate around the nabe. anyone know him?

  • justachef

    The apartment probably wasn’t ransacked; Alan most likely just took back his furniture that Dan “borrowed”.
    All I do know is that approximately 35 people are out of work, purveyors are owed well over $100,000, not including all the other bills that were never saw too. Dan also paid child support with Busy Chef checks that bounced, just like his employees’ checks did and if Alan didn’t know any of this was going on, he was just a plain fool for allowing someone carte blanche of his establishments and never doing damage control. The best part about it was, if you were around Dan for a minute in a kitchen, you’d know he was a hack that couldn’t even scramble eggs without drying them out. Such a shame.

  • Simplistic_Indulgence_In_VA

    So how come no-one finds it even questionable that this Alan Young character goes unanswered for everything & has nothing to say about all of this ??? I mean This blog has obviously had it out for this Chef for quite a while now , but how come it’s when ALL of this comes to light, then someone goes , oh well …maybe this guy had something to do with it?? Seems kinda unfair to Dan. Myself owning a very successful chain of restaurants in VA…well..you can’t just RECHARGE a credit card and get money from it. You people in this “friendly” Brooklyn community have had nothing but hatred for this poor guy. From running the restaurant to the ground, to running his name into the ground. Now all of you people feel “sorry” for the employees at these places. Funny how the world works in mysterious ways. The apartment , the store …to the posts about how ironic , that there is a sign out front , about how stores that close , never re-open…You people are some hypocrites, that could be someone’s life long dream to own these businesses, But that’s ok , because it didn’t happen to you. Sometimes , bad things happen to good people , and people are wrongly accused when they never should be. I personally can’t wait to see the day , when someone goes , you know what ? It wasn’t Dan.

  • justachef

    Nope…Definitely wasn’t Dan bouncing check after check to purveyors, was DEFINITELY not him, that numerous letters came in the mail showing obscene amounts of charge backs, ( being that once he was gone, he couldn’t snatch the mail away) and the only folks having access at ALL TIMES was him. People “recharge” all the time because many customers never check their statements. That’s what the swindlers are banking on, no pun intended. You sound alittle too emotionally involved towards this NY situation for just a stranger in VA…also kind of funny that Dan had a business name or corp name with a southern address. I know he reads these, and for all we know, VA, you could be Dan…either way, October 15th should be a sweet day. If it wasn’t him, bravo to all involved who schemed to have him arrested instead of just paying him off and firing him. Makes sense to me. Makes even more sense that he didn’t just punch me in the face, but lie to it daily while calling me a friend. Guess liars and their ilk have no friends.

  • Stan

    If the defense’s misdirection strategy is successful, we all wish Dan well in his future endeavors.

  • not in VA

    I can guarantee that Simplistic_Indulgence_In_VA is Dan. He is probably obsessed with this site as he was obsessed with the Shameless Restaurant site. I’m pretty sure there was someone posting on that site from VA supporting Dan as well (Of course it was probably Dan himself). Dan is a liar, and a fraud. He will never change. He will lie straight to your face about the most random stuff I know this because he has lied to me and I CAUGHT HIM MANY TIMES. Dan has a serious mental illness-he is a pathological liar-ask anyone in his family! He has no friends and no one from his past can say anything nice about him. I, for one, can’t wait for Dan to get what he deserves. Karma’s a bitch Dan!

  • Jazz

    Amazing that Brooklyn Paper fell for his act. His lawyer is just his latest patsy.

  • justachef

    P.S…I miss everyone@ the Wine Bar( my comrades) some of my peeps on the other corner as well as friends and customers. It was a pleasure getting to know you all.

    E

  • Simplistic_Indulgence_In_VA

    Well….No first off , i’m not Dan. I have come across him a few times in passing , but no , no “emotional attachment” involved there, but i’m sad to see them all close, it was a normal part of my trip to at least try to visit Brookly Heights while I was in town on business. your all so obsessed with this Dan character , and for those of you that did visit the shameless site ..yep , I was the GIRL in Virginia. I will more than gladly admit that. Dan had absolutely nothing to do with my restaurants. So what if there is a southern address. I’d bring him in as my chef in a heartbeat. Not in VA ..you can’t guarantee anything ..as i said , I knew him in passing. I’m a 27 year old woman from Northern VA. I do feel bad for the guy though, maybe i’m an idiot for doing so. But I think that’s never been a bad trait. You see the only thing I wanted an answer to , was where is the other guy ? Alan Young? if this were my business and my chef…I’d at least have something to say about something. and seriously , no one bothers to look into their books ??? I understand people have managers to do things. In reality most owners check their stuff out. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Oh, and one more thing…since ya’ll say Dan does read these, I’m sure he knows who I am. And I want to apologize for even getting into this. But it’s disgusting to me. I used to think Brooklyn Heights was the sweetest little community , that seemed like they had it together. Turns out otherwise. Sorry chef :(

  • Cranky

    Oh puleez. What I think is disgusting Simplistic is Dan’s behavior. How about an apology to all the people that are out of work or the customers that were robbed.

    I feel most upset in particular for the employees that weren’t getting paid . The blatant self-serving disregard for others that seems to characterize Mr. Kaufman’s actions is revolting to me.

    Sorry community :-(.

    Sorry ex-employees. :-(

←  
Newer Comments  →