GAMMA LLC Supervisor John Security Deposit never pay back New York New York

I am a fresh graduate and I came in New York on June 2012 last year. I went to Craigslist to find an apartment. I saw this apartment located on 408 W 36^th Street that was fine. I sent an e-mail and visited the apartment during my lunch time. I met the supervisor John. He (his company) owns the whole building that have around 20 apartments. Each apartment has 4 rooms, 1 kitchen and 2 bathrooms. You cannot choose your roommates. He told me that there is only one room left and put me the pressure to give a deposit of $400. As I will be homeless in two days, I have decided to give him the deposit in cash. I signed the lease without reading it (my bad). The amount was $1600. He told me that I had to give him a bank check a soon as possible. The day after I came to the apartment (he has his desk in the “lobby”) and gave him $ 1600x2 +1600 ( I wanted to stay 2 months and I had to pay a security deposit). Then, he told me that the rent is not $1600 but $1800 because there are $200 of cleaning fees and when I asked him to give me a copy of the contract, he added (with his pen) “+$200”. I knew that this lease was weird but I had no choice. So I gave him the 2 months’ rent ($1800x2) and $1600 for a security deposit.

Few days after, I met people who live in this building but also people who has no longer lived there and they told me that John will not give our security deposit back. This information is on our lease “ If you stay less than 12 months, there is one month fee”. Also, there is other conditions that was illegal and weird: “The supervisor can come into your apartment whenever he wants to find roommates”.

Before the end of my first month, I asked him the Wi-Fi code (because he changed it). He came to my apartment and pretended that the network is better in my room. So, we went to my room (that is very small, you have the place to put a queen bed and a table, that’s it) and sit next to me. Then, he asked me personal questions like: “Do you have a boyfriend in Paris? Do you like American guys? I am not married because I am very busy with my business”. The morning after, he came around 7.30 am when I was in the bathroom. I heard his foot going to my room. As he saw nobody, he left. I was so scared because there is no reason for him to come, he was alone. So, at the end of the first month, I asked him to leave but I wanted first my rent for the second month and my security deposit. He told me that I will receive my check two weeks after. But I never received it (I lost $3400=1800+1600.). I called many times, he told me that he was in vacation and then he sent me an e-mail saying that he will not pay me back because I broke the lease. He threatens me to go to the court for harassment because I called him many times and sent a lot of e-mails.

I went to craigslist recently and I saw an ad for the same apartment so he continues to rip off foreign students and young workers. I am upset and I flagged all his ad. If there is any person who is in the same situation, please contact me that we can make a case against him. If there is any person who can help me, it would be grateful. Thank you