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Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism

Suzie Amanuel

Third-Party Energy Suppliers Scam D.C. Residents With Promises of Lower Utility Bills and Then Charge ‘Outrageous’ Rates

Thousands of D.C. utility customers have complained about deceptive and predatory third-party energy companies that often charge higher rates than Pepco or Washington Gas.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 06/13/25
Spotlight funded
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Brookfield Tenant Included on Email Thread Where Managers Admit to Overcharging for Utilities

A manager at Conservice, a third-party utility billing company, said in an email that some tenants at Brookfield’s Foundry Lofts are overcharged for utilities.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 04/22/25
Spotlight funded
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Landlord Tells D.C. To Call Batman and Robin To Fix His Squalid Apartment Building

Mikhail Phillips denies responsibility for the mountain of trash outside his Sheriff Road apartments. “The Attorney General is now trying to portray me as someone who wasn’t trying to fix items, but we were trying to do things promptly,” he says.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 04/17/25
Spotlight funded
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Lender That Helped Fund Slumlord Sam Razjooyan Was Warned About Alleged Fraud. They Loaned Him Millions.

A former employee at Red Oak Capital blew the whistle on the North Carolina-based company’s allegedly shoddy vetting and reckless lending. Razjooyan received more than $40 million from the private lender.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 04/01/25
Spotlight funded
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How a D.C. ‘Slumlord’ Scammed Tenants and Lenders to Build a Portfolio of Neglected Properties, According to Lawsuits and Tenant Accounts

Ali “Sam” Razjooyan and his associates are accused of doctoring loan documents and tricking tenants out of their rights. While they get rich, tenants are displaced.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 12/02/24
Spotlight funded
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A screenshot of a video shows Sam Razjooyan (left), Jesper Nylen, and Richard Cunningham meeting with tenants at 1717 17th St. NW.

Corporate Landlords Nickel and Dime D.C. Tenants With Deceptive and Hidden Utility Fees

Tenants face unpredictable expenses, displacement, and evictions as they struggle to pay thousands of dollars in hidden charges.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 08/28/24
Spotlight funded
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A grey-scaled photo of Cielo, a luxury apartment building in NoMa.

D.C. Property Management Company’s Pattern of Neglect Leads to Squalid, Unsafe Conditions and Displacement, Tenants Say

Former property manager for banished slumlord Sanford Capital, Daniel Crosby, now runs his own company. Tenants in buildings managed by Scope Property Management complain of inhumane living conditions while the government pays millions in housing subsidies.
By Suzie Amanuel, published 06/26/24
Spotlight funded
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