AG James Secures First Guilty Plea Under New York’s Criminal Deed Theft Law Stolen Home Will Be Returned to Rightful OwnersNew York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the first conviction under New York’s criminal deed theft law. Victor Quimis, 40, of Queens, pleaded guilty today to stealing the home of Renuka Bherwani, an elderly widow who lived in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, while she was receiving end-of-life hospice care in her home. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Quimis and Deepa Roy, 69, of Manhattan, worked together to forge Bherwani’s signature on documents transferring ownership of her home to themselves. Roy and Quimis later forged additional documents in order to transfer ownership of the home to Hunter Studios & Developer Corp. (Hunter Studios), a corporation owned by Quimis. Quimis then obtained a $552,500 mortgage on the property, allowing him to steal over $300,000 after paying off Bherwani’s prior mortgage and liens in his name. Both Roy and Quimis were charged with multiple felonies for their roles in the scheme on August 7, 2025.
Today, Quimis pleaded guilty to two counts of Grand Larceny in the First Degree and Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree before Judge Leigh Cheng in Queens County Supreme Court. As part of the plea, the deeds will be vacated and Bherwani’s home will be returned to her family. Quimis is due back in court for sentencing on January 15, 2027. Deepa Roy is scheduled to go to trial on February 8, 2027.
“Deed theft is a malicious crime that robs families of their homes, their community, and their financial security,” said Attorney General James. “Victor Quimis preyed on an elderly woman at the end of her life to steal the home she owned for nearly 40 years. As a result of today’s conviction, Victor Quimis will be held accountable, and Mrs. Bherwani’s home will be returned to her family. My office will continue to combat deed theft and keep New Yorkers in their homes.”
“My mother lived in that house for nearly forty years, and she was in hospice care in it when her home was stolen out from under her," said Kamal Bherwani, Mrs. Bherwani's son and the executor of her estate. “Attorney General James and her team took this case seriously from the day we reported it, and today's conviction returns my mother's home to her family and holds the man who stole it accountable. I am grateful to the Attorney General and to the investigators, auditors and prosecutors who built this case. Deed theft targets the elderly and the vulnerable, and I urge any family that sees something wrong with a deed to call the Attorney General's office immediately.”
In 2020, Mrs. Bherwani began receiving in-home care from health aides in the Kew Gardens Hills home she had owned since 1986 with her late husband, Mohan Bherwani. In March 2021, as her health declined, she granted her son and daughter-in-law, Kamal and Sabita Bherwani, full power of attorney to manage her affairs. In 2022, around the time when Mohan passed away, Roy began visiting Mrs. Bherwani in her home, claiming to her aides that she was one of her friends. In the summer of 2024, Roy attempted to persuade Mrs. Bherwani’s health aides to allow her to live in a spare room in the home. Kamal and Sabita rejected this request.
In October 2024, Roy and Quimis allegedly forged a deed with Mrs. Bherwani’s signature transferring ownership of her home to themselves for free. Mrs. Bherwani’s signature was notarized with a forged signature and an incorrectly dated stamp from a Nassau County licensed notary. Roy and Quimis also used Mrs. Bherwani’s forged signature on a number of other required real estate transfer documents, including a registration form for water and sewer billing from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In December 2024, Quimis and Roy allegedly used a second forged deed to transfer ownership of the home to Hunter Studios. The Nassau County notary’s signature was again forged on these documents. Quimis used this second fraudulent deed to obtain a mortgage for $552,500. He used this money to pay off Mrs. Bherwani's remaining mortgage and liens that were now in his name. He then laundered the proceeds by transferring the remaining $312,037.57 to Hunter Studios’ bank accounts, which he used for his personal benefit. Roy received at least $15,000 for her role in the deed theft via a bank check from the stolen proceeds with a memo line stating, “Per agreement.”
Kamal and Sabita discovered the deed theft in December 2024 while opening mail at the home, where Mrs. Bherwani still lived and was receiving in-home care. Kamal and Sabita found a letter addressed to Quimis from DEP, which congratulated him on becoming the “new owner” of the home and provided instructions on how to set up an online account to pay bills. They reported the deed theft to OAG in December 2024. Mrs. Bherwani passed away in June 2025.
On August 7, 2025, Attorney General James charged Quimis and Roy with multiple felonies for their roles in the scheme. Today, Quimis pleaded guilty to two counts of Grand Larceny in the First Degree and one count of Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree. Quimis is due back in court for sentencing on January 15, 2027 and will be sentenced to one and a half to four and a half years in state prison. At Quimis’ sentencing, both deeds will be vacated, and Mrs. Bherwani’s home will be returned to her family. The OAG will also seek to void the mortgage on the home at sentencing.
The charges against Roy are accusations to which she has pleaded not guilty, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Roy is scheduled to go to trial on February 8, 2027.
This case was the first deed theft case brought under New York’s criminal deed theft law championed by Attorney General James.
New Yorkers who believe they are a victim of deed theft are encouraged to contact OAG by calling 1(800) 771-7755, emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or filing a confidential complaint.
New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the first conviction under New York’s criminal deed theft law. Victor Quimis, 40, of Queens, pleaded guilty today to stealing the home of Renuka Bherwani, an elderly widow who lived in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, while she was receiving end-of-life hospice care in her home. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Quimis and Deepa Roy, 69, of Manhattan, worked together to forge Bherwani’s signature on documents transferring ownership of her home to themselves. Roy and Quimis later forged additional documents in order to transfer ownership of the home to Hunter Studios & Developer Corp. (Hunter Studios), a corporation owned by Quimis. Quimis then obtained a $552,500 mortgage on the property, allowing him to steal over $300,000 after paying off Bherwani’s prior mortgage and liens in his name. Both Roy and Quimis were charged with multiple felonies for their roles in the scheme on August 7, 2025.
Today, Quimis pleaded guilty to two counts of Grand Larceny in the First Degree and Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree before Judge Leigh Cheng in Queens County Supreme Court. As part of the plea, the deeds will be vacated and Bherwani’s home will be returned to her family. Quimis is due back in court for sentencing on January 15, 2027. Deepa Roy is scheduled to go to trial on February 8, 2027.
“Deed theft is a malicious crime that robs families of their homes, their community, and their financial security,” said Attorney General James. “Victor Quimis preyed on an elderly woman at the end of her life to steal the home she owned for nearly 40 years. As a result of today’s conviction, Victor Quimis will be held accountable, and Mrs. Bherwani’s home will be returned to her family. My office will continue to combat deed theft and keep New Yorkers in their homes.”
“My mother lived in that house for nearly forty years, and she was in hospice care in it when her home was stolen out from under her," said Kamal Bherwani, Mrs. Bherwani's son and the executor of her estate. “Attorney General James and her team took this case seriously from the day we reported it, and today's conviction returns my mother's home to her family and holds the man who stole it accountable. I am grateful to the Attorney General and to the investigators, auditors and prosecutors who built this case. Deed theft targets the elderly and the vulnerable, and I urge any family that sees something wrong with a deed to call the Attorney General's office immediately.”
In 2020, Mrs. Bherwani began receiving in-home care from health aides in the Kew Gardens Hills home she had owned since 1986 with her late husband, Mohan Bherwani. In March 2021, as her health declined, she granted her son and daughter-in-law, Kamal and Sabita Bherwani, full power of attorney to manage her affairs. In 2022, around the time when Mohan passed away, Roy began visiting Mrs. Bherwani in her home, claiming to her aides that she was one of her friends. In the summer of 2024, Roy attempted to persuade Mrs. Bherwani’s health aides to allow her to live in a spare room in the home. Kamal and Sabita rejected this request.
In October 2024, Roy and Quimis allegedly forged a deed with Mrs. Bherwani’s signature transferring ownership of her home to themselves for free. Mrs. Bherwani’s signature was notarized with a forged signature and an incorrectly dated stamp from a Nassau County licensed notary. Roy and Quimis also used Mrs. Bherwani’s forged signature on a number of other required real estate transfer documents, including a registration form for water and sewer billing from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In December 2024, Quimis and Roy allegedly used a second forged deed to transfer ownership of the home to Hunter Studios. The Nassau County notary’s signature was again forged on these documents. Quimis used this second fraudulent deed to obtain a mortgage for $552,500. He used this money to pay off Mrs. Bherwani's remaining mortgage and liens that were now in his name. He then laundered the proceeds by transferring the remaining $312,037.57 to Hunter Studios’ bank accounts, which he used for his personal benefit. Roy received at least $15,000 for her role in the deed theft via a bank check from the stolen proceeds with a memo line stating, “Per agreement.”
Kamal and Sabita discovered the deed theft in December 2024 while opening mail at the home, where Mrs. Bherwani still lived and was receiving in-home care. Kamal and Sabita found a letter addressed to Quimis from DEP, which congratulated him on becoming the “new owner” of the home and provided instructions on how to set up an online account to pay bills. They reported the deed theft to OAG in December 2024. Mrs. Bherwani passed away in June 2025.
On August 7, 2025, Attorney General James charged Quimis and Roy with multiple felonies for their roles in the scheme. Today, Quimis pleaded guilty to two counts of Grand Larceny in the First Degree and one count of Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree. Quimis is due back in court for sentencing on January 15, 2027 and will be sentenced to one and a half to four and a half years in state prison. At Quimis’ sentencing, both deeds will be vacated, and Mrs. Bherwani’s home will be returned to her family. The OAG will also seek to void the mortgage on the home at sentencing.
The charges against Roy are accusations to which she has pleaded not guilty, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Roy is scheduled to go to trial on February 8, 2027.
This case was the first deed theft case brought under New York’s criminal deed theft law championed by Attorney General James.
New Yorkers who believe they are a victim of deed theft are encouraged to contact OAG by calling 1(800) 771-7755, emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or filing a confidential complaint.
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