A Rockville Centre man is accused of stealing $100,000 from multiple victims by falsely promising profitable real estate investment opportunities involving properties he allegedly did not own, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
Arnulfo Castillo, also known as Alexander Castillo Carias Arnulfo, was arraigned June 30 before Judge Michael Alpert on charges of second-degree grand larceny, third-degree grand larceny, and two counts of first-degree scheme to defraud.
Prosecutors said Castillo pleaded not guilty and was released to pretrial services. He is scheduled to return to court on July 15, 2026. If convicted of the top charge, he faces up to 5 to 15 years in prison.
According to the investigation, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office began receiving complaints throughout 2025 and early 2026 from people who claimed Castillo promised high returns on investments tied to residential real estate acquisitions and renovations. Investigators allege the promised returns never materialized and the victims were not repaid.
One alleged victim, a developer, agreed on Aug. 2, 2024, to purchase property at 1280 Cambria Street in Uniondale from Castillo Acquisitions LLC and paid a $40,000 down payment.
A residential sales contract was executed on Sept. 20, 2024, with a closing date set for on or before Nov. 4, 2024. Prosecutors said the closing never occurred, the down payment was never returned, and investigators later determined Castillo allegedly had no ownership interest in the property.
In a second transaction, prosecutors said another victim paid $60,000 on Aug. 14, 2024, to invest in renovations of a property at 163 Grant Avenue in Mineola.
According to the district attorney’s office, the parties signed an affidavit of confession of judgment stating the money would be used for renovation costs and other property-related expenses. The defendant allegedly promised the victim monthly payments of $3,000 for six months, followed by repayment of the original investment.
Investigators allege the victim never received the promised monthly payments or the return of the investment. They further allege Castillo had no ownership interest in the Mineola property and instead deposited the money into various bank accounts before spending it on personal and unrelated business expenses.
The investigation also alleges Castillo targeted victims through organizations serving Nassau County’s Latino community.
“This defendant allegedly pocketed victims’ investment money after promising substantial returns on residential properties he did not even own,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “We believe there may be more victims, and I urge anyone who thinks they were targeted by this defendant to contact my office.”
Castillo was arrested by Nassau County District Attorney detective investigators on June 30.
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Castillo is asked to contact the Nassau County District Attorney’s Criminal Complaints Unit at 516-571-3505.
The charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
