4 individuals — together with a flashy actual property agent with a penchant for leopard-print boots — allegedly stole three dear houses in Queens via a deed fraud scheme, prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.
Actual property agent Autumn Valeri, 41, of Commack, New York — identified for her colourful Instagram presence — and her accomplices solid signatures and filed pretend paperwork with the Metropolis Register’s workplace two years in the past to take over the houses woth greater than $3 million, Queens District Legal professional Melinda Katz mentioned in an announcement.
Valeri and the others — Carl Avinger, 42, and Lawrence T. Ray, 38, of Queens; and Torey Guice of Roselle, New Jersey — furned themselves in on Tuesday after a grand jury handed up a 47-count indictment detailing the wild crimes, which included costs of grand larceny, felony possession of stolen property, conspiracy, establish theft, falsifying enterprise information and different offenses, the DA’s workplace mentioned.
“That is a case the place the defendants acted in live performance to forge paperwork, filed failed devices and stole houses from weak victims in Queens County,” Assistant District Legal professional Rachel Stein mentioned in court docket Tuesday.
They every pleaded not responsible at their arraignments in Queens County Supreme Court docket.
Authorities say their scheme started April 10, 2023, when Avinger and Valeri filed a pretend doc with town’s finance division that claimed a 76-year-old lady who owned a home on 208th Avenue in Jamaica Estates was transferring the deed to an organization Ray owned.
The conspirators additionally solid the signature of the lady’s useless sister — who as soon as co-owned the home — and a notary, prosecutors claimed.
A number of weeks later, Avinger and Valeri allegedly did the identical factor to a mom and daughter who owned a home on 61st Highway in Kew Backyard Hills — then faked extra paperwork, together with a wedding certificates and a driver’s license, so they might promote it to a 3rd get together in Might 2023 for $600,000.
They allegedly wired about $442,000 to Ray’s checking account after the sale, which has since been the topic of a civil lawsuit that’s now on maintain due to the investigation.
On Might 4, the defendants tried to snag one other Jamaica Estates house — this one owned by an 82-year-old lady — via the identical underhanded course of, prosecutors mentioned.
Supreme Court docket Justice Leigh Cheng lower the defendants unfastened on supervised launch after their hearings — however required an digital monitor for Avinger, who has a litany of prior felony and misdemeanor convictions.
The DA’s workplace requested to carry him on $1.5 million bail, citing that historical past and an open Nassau County warrant, Avinger’s slew of aliases and faux names and the truth that authorities had revoked his parole 4 instances.
However regardless of the “critical costs” and “critical felony historical past,” Cheng determined to grant supervised launch.
An legal professional for Valeri — whose Instagram profile is loaded with attention-seizing selfies and motivational mottos — mentioned she lives along with her sick mother and 6-month-old youngster, whom she had with Avinger.
Cheng determined to restrict Valeri’s journey to Lengthy Island and the 5 boroughs earlier than releasing her.
Every defendant might serve anyplace between 5 and 25 years in jail if convicted.
Their subsequent court docket date is April 29.
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