A Queens man has been hauled before the court, accused of swindling his business partners out of a $7 million real estate deal in a scheme involving forged signatures and falsified documents. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that Wing Fung Chau, 53, of Bayside, faced grand larceny and falsifying business records charges at his arraignment in a Brooklyn Supreme Court on Friday. "This defendant allegedly attempted to steal approximately $7 million using forged documents and false filings," Gonzalez stated, emphasizing the importance of defending property ownership in the borough.
Chau's intricate alleged fraud centered on a significant property at 6208 8th Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. As reported by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, he is accused of engaging in a series of actions beginning on September 28, 2021, to surreptitiously sell 37-19 Realty’s 25% stake in the land. The scam was only brought to light when the corporation's president's attorney contacted the DA’s office, sparking an investigation that would unravel Chau's alleged wrongful doings.
The investigation, which eventually led to the charges, unearthed that Chau had been a co-shareholder, entitled to 36% of the corporation’s income, just like the President. A third shareholder completes the trinity. Chau reportedly deceived all parties involved by contracting to sell the corporation's interest and later presenting forged documents at the November 18, 2021 closing. These documents falsely suggested the consent of the President and the termination of another party's contract, according to Gonzalez's statement.
Further delving into the suspect's maneuver, Gonzalez revealed, "The defendant allegedly had the proceeds of the sale transferred to bank accounts that only he controlled, withdrawing almost all of it within eight months of the closing." None of this alleged ill-gotten gain seemed to have reached the pockets of the true owners. Chau's bail was set at $10,000 cash or $100,000 bond, and he is due to make his next court appearance on June 4, 2025. The District Attorney's office has expressed gratitude to the KCDA Detective Investigators for their role in the case. The prosecution rests with Assistant District Attorney Kevin Zhen, under several supervisory layers of the DA's office.
