In a significant step to combat real estate fraud, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced indictments against two individuals under the state's new deed theft law. According to the Attorney General’s Office, Deepa Roy, 68, and Victor Quimis, 39, allegedly conspired to steal the home of an elderly widow in Queens.
Roy and Quimis are accused of forging the signature of Renuka Bherwani, who was receiving end-of-life care, to transfer the deed of her property into their names. They subsequently obtained a large mortgage and defrauded over $300,000. "Deepa Roy and Victor Quimis preyed on an elderly widow in hospice to steal the home she owned for nearly 40 years," stated by the Attorney General’s Office. Quimis was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including Grand Larceny, while Roy remains at large.
The law, pushed forward by Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Landon Dais, targets those exploiting homeowners, particularly impacting lower-income, and elderly individuals. "Deed theft is a cruel and insidious scam that robs longtime homeowners of their property and wealth," Senator Myrie conveyed in a statement, as per the Attorney General’s Office. The case is making its mark as the first of its nature prosecuted under the newly established law, intending to arm authorities with the means to address such egregious thefts.
New Yorkers who suspect they are victims of deed theft can reach out to the Attorney General’s Office. In the words of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., "Deed theft not only hurts those who have their homes stolen, it also robs all homeowners of their peace of mind by instilling fear that the homes they have worked so hard for might be stolen next." The Attorney General's enforcement of the deed theft law aims to restore security to homeowners and hold perpetrators accountable.
The case against Roy and Quimis was built on investigative work led by Detective Jennifer Garcia and prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Nazy Modiri. Individuals charged with deed theft could face significant prison time if convicted, reflecting the seriousness of such offenses in New York state law. Community leaders and legislators alike continue to express gratitude towards Attorney General James and her diligent efforts to protect homeowners from fraudulent schemes that threaten their property rights.
