Cleveland Gang Members Convicted of Racketeering, Murder, Kidnapping, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Offenses

Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Cleveland convicted three members of the Fully Blooded Felons, a violent Cleveland street gang, of a number of crimes, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act murder, RICO conspiracy, RICO kidnapping, drug trafficking, and gun crimes. 

“This extremely violent gang was a true blot on the city of Cleveland,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division’s work put a stop to the violence that this gang rained down on Ohio communities to protect law-abiding citizens from harm. Stopping violent crime in Cleveland and around the country remains a top priority for the Trump Administration.”

“These verdicts send a clear message: when gang members make it their business to hurt people and terrorize our communities, we make it our business to lock them in a cage far from home,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “FBI Cleveland and our local law enforcement partners conducted an outstanding investigation to take down this hostile gang. We hope today’s verdict brings the victims’ families a small sense of closure in knowing that justice has been served.”

“The Fully Blooded Felons criminal network has been identified as Cleveland’s most significant gang threat,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua DelManzo of FBI Cleveland. “Thanks to the tireless work and years-long commitment of the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force and our local, state, and federal partners, their reign of terror is over and justice will be served. Our work is not done. We will not waver in our mission nor lose sight of our promise to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle gangs not only in the larger cities across America, but also right here in northern Ohio.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Raven Mullins, 37, Malik Brooks, 28, and Jayon Florence, 23, all of Cleveland, Ohio, were members and associates of the Fully Blooded Felons gang. The gang has existed in Ohio since approximately 2012, operating primarily out of the east side of Cleveland, as well as Akron, Youngstown, and elsewhere. It is also entrenched in the Ohio prison system. 

Raven Mullins oversaw the “Commission,” the governing body of the Fully Blooded Felons, who maintain the structure and organization of the criminal enterprise through physical discipline and who determined which illicit means the organization would use to make money. The Commission had authority to determine if a member committed a “violation” and the appropriate punishment, which could range from a fine to death. The Commission was made up of a Head Commissioner and 10 subordinate Commissioners. Beneath the Commissioner were “Capos,” who led up to 25 Fully Blooded Felon members under their command.

The Fully Blooded Felons have rules that members are required to follow. For example, members are required to abide by “omerta,” or the code of silence. Members are also required to memorize and recite at meetings the “Fully Five,” a set of rules that require following all orders issued by the Commission, loyalty to fellow members, and being respectful to Capos. If a member does not know the “Fully Five,” they were punished. Members are also expected to know and abide by the “Fully Commandments,” a similar set of rules. The rules are disseminated to members by text message, and in face-to-face communications. 

Evidence proved that the defendants, along with co-defendants who earlier pleaded guilty, kidnapped and murdered a victim after the gang suspected that she was romantically involved with and sharing information with a rival gang member. On or about July 28, 2022, as punishment for the victim’s suspected disloyalty to the gang, Fully Blooded Felon members held her in an apartment where Mullins ordered gang members, including Brooks and Florence, to repeatedly punch and choke her.

Mullins, Brooks, and Florence, with other co-defendants, held her captive in that apartment while they talked about what to do with her. After taking and reviewing the contents of her phone, including text messages and contacts, gang members believed that she intended to provide a rival gang with Brooks’ location to facilitate Brooks’ assault or murder. 

The next day, while still holding her captive and upon Mullins’ approval, Brooks and Florence along with other gang members drove her to an area on the west side of Cleveland where they fatally shot her 19 times, leaving her body in the front seat of a stolen Kia Optima. 

From June 30 to July 5, 2022, Mullins and other Fully Blooded Felon members kidnapped and assaulted a 22-year-old woman. The victim, who was eventually released, had previously given a statement to police implicating a Fully Blooded Felon member in a robbery.  

Then, on Sept. 12, 2023, Mullins and two other Fully Blooded Felon members robbed and murdered a second victim on the west side of Cleveland. Evidence at trial included a knife sheath carrying Mullins’ DNA found at the scene.  

The prosecution also introduced evidence showing that Brooks shot two rival gang members on the west side of Cleveland on July 18 and 20, 2022, and that Fully Blooded Felon members used two different stash houses at a local apartment complex. During the execution of two search warrants, law enforcement recovered over 300 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine as well as seven firearms.

The defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison. Their sentencing date has not yet been set by the court.

As of today, 25 Fully Blooded Felon members have been charged and convicted of federal charges in relation to this indictment for crimes including RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, and various firearms and drug-related offenses. 

The case is the result of a yearslong investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, ATF, and DEA. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Adult Parole Authority (APA), Ohio Highway State Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.  

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of Pavement Improvements on Five-Mile Section of I-95 in Westchester County

Thruway Authority’s $86.7 Million Project Also Included Numerous Bridge Rehabilitations Along New England Thruway

More Than 800 Lights Installed in Tunnel Under Metro-North Railroad’s Larchmont Station

Project is Part of a Nearly $200 Million Investment in I-95 by the Thruway Authority Since 2023

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that all major pavement improvement work on a nearly five-mile stretch, encompassing 30 lane miles, of the New England Thruway (I-95) in Westchester County has concluded, marking the substantial completion of an $86.7 million pavement improvement project. In addition, 11 bridges have been rehabilitated or repaved within the project limits, which span between Pelham Manor (exit 15) and Mamaroneck (exit 18A). Approximately 120,000 vehicles travel this corridor daily.

Highlights of the I-95 project included:

• Removing and replacing the most deteriorated portions of roadway between milepost 4.0 to 8.8 in both the northbound and southbound directions on 30 lane miles
• Repairing joints and curbs to extend the highway’s service life and reduce the need to make temporary repairs
• Applying a two-course asphalt overlay to provide a smoother ride for motorists
• Rehabilitating six bridges, including the Centre Avenue bridge in New Rochelle and the Chatsworth Avenue bridge in Larchmont
• Repaving 12 interchange ramps and six other bridges
• Installing more than 800 LED lights in the tunnel that supports Metro-North Railroad’s Larchmont station and enhances public safety

The project contractor, DeFoe Corp. of Mount Vernon, N.Y., will continue to coordinate with Metro-North on track closures to complete work on an I-95 overpass over railroad tracks in New Rochelle.

Counting the $135 million investment on the final critical one-mile stretch of I-95 from exit 22 to the Connecticut state line (milepost 14.1 to milepost 15.0), the Thruway Authority has spent more than $350 million to upgrade I-95 since 2018. Known as the “Last Mile,” the project reconstructed six lanes of I-95, realigned ramps, replaced two bridges and rehabilitated four more, added new drainage and noise walls, in addition to several other improvements. The project was completed in fall 2021. A $61.8 million pavement improvement project on I-95 from milepost 0.0 to 4.0 in the Bronx and southern Westchester was completed in 2025, while a $39.7 million project that started earlier this year is currently upgrading the pavement on I-95 between Mamaroneck and Rye. That project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.

About the Thruway Authority

Built in the early 1950s, the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. It sets the standard for modern highway geometric design with safe roadway characteristics including smooth curves, wide medians and unobstructed driver sight distance.

Year after year, the Thruway system is recognized as one of the safest highways in the nation. In 2025, the Thruway-wide fatality rate was 0.36 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, approximately 45 percent lower than the nationwide five-year average fatality rate of 0.65 for Interstate highways.

SANCTUARY INSANITY: Sanctuary Minnesota Refuses to Honor ICE Detainer for Somalian Illegal Alien Convicted for Aggravated Assault and Drug Trafficking

 

This illegal alien was RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement condemning sanctuary politicians in Minnesota for refusing to honor a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for an illegal alien from Somalia, whose criminal history includes aggravated assault and drug trafficking.

On October 24, ICE lodged a detainer asking Minnesota officials to not release from jail Mustafa Abdirahman Abdi, an illegal alien from Somalia, who was in the custody of Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis. His criminal history includes convictions for aggravated assault, assault, aggravated trafficking of schedule drugs (cocaine), unlawful possession of schedule drugs, unlawful furnishing of schedule drugs, and trafficking prison contraband, and arrests for burglary, larceny, and resisting an officer.

Sanctuary politicians in Minnesota refused to honor ICE’s detainer and RELEASED Abdi onto the streets.

“Governor Tim Walz and his fellow sanctuary politicians have turned the state of Minnesota into a hotbed of illegal alien crime,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “When ICE lodged a detainer for an illegal alien convicted for aggravated assault and drug trafficking, Minneapolis sanctuary politicians refused to cooperate and RELEASED him. Governor Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other heartless sanctuary politicians are putting American lives at risk for political gain. DHS is calling on sanctuary politicians to put an end to this recklessness before any more lives are lost.” 

Abdi illegally entered the country at an unknown date and location. He was arrested by ICE in November 2020. Although an Immigration Judge issued Abdi a final order of removal on April 2, 2021, the Biden Administration RELEASED him into the country later that same month.

Under Governor Walz, Minnesota has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime. Recent examples of illegal alien crime in the state include:

• In October, an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led to the conviction of Alejandro Rojas Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico, on charges of attempted production of child pornography. 
• In June, Governor Walz and the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission granted a pardon to Tou Lue Vang, an illegal alien from Laos, who had been convicted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct after he repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl. In July, ICE deported Vang back to Laos. 
• In June, ICE arrested Georgii Gabiev, an illegal alien from Russia, who caused a fatal truck crash in 2024 that killed American truck driver Tim Tarnowski in Chippewa County.
• In June, Governor Walz and the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission granted a pardon to Jai Vang, an illegal alien from Laos, whose criminal record includes felony convictions for robbery and robbery of a business with a gun, as well as a conviction for driving under the influence of liquor.
• In April, ICE arrested THREE illegal aliens convicted of sex crimes against children in a single day: Rene Rosario-Miranda, an illegal alien from Guatemala convicted for third-degree aggravated sexual abuse of a minor; Axel Javier Martinez-Castillo, an illegal alien from Honduras whose criminal history includes the sexual assault of a 7-year-old; and Rene Flores-Lue, an illegal alien from El Salvador and a convicted rapist of a 5-year-old. 
• In February, ICE arrested Morris Brown, an illegal alien from Liberia and serial immigration fraudster, who was working as a Minnesota correctional officer despite having no legal status in the United States.
• In June 2025, ICE arrested Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, an illegal alien from Mexico, after he dragged an ICE officer 50 yards with his car in an attempt to flee law enforcement. His criminal history includes a conviction for sex crimes against an underage teenager and an arrest for domestic assault.

“Sanctuary Insanity” is a new daily series by the Department of Homeland Security highlighting the worst examples of sanctuary politicians refusing to honor ICE detainers, which risks releasing dangerous illegal aliens back onto the streets to terrorize American citizens. 

Mayor Mamdani Takes Aim at Red Tape, Delivers One-on-One Support for More Than 3,000 Small Businesses

 

City Has More Than Doubled Its NYC-Best Team, Helping More Than 3,000 Businesses Navigate Licenses and Permits 

 

Deputy Mayor Su and SBS Commissioner Minaya Convene First Quarterly Meeting to Keep Reforms Moving 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced major progress in the administration’s work to make it easier and less expensive to open and operate a small business in New York City. Since the start of the administration, the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has helped more than 3,000 small businesses obtain licenses and navigate licensing and permitting — including 97 businesses opening their doors for the first time. 

 

SBS has more than doubled its New York City Business Express Service Team (NYC BEST), adding 17 new Small Business Advocates to help owners navigate City requirements and avoid costly fines and fees. The agency has also recommended more than 50 reforms to eliminate outdated permits, redundant paperwork and unnecessary fines. SBS also advocated for the law that made outdoor dining on City streets permanent and year-round. 

 

Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya recently convened the first quarterly meeting of City agencies under Executive Order 18, which Mayor Mamdani signed to speed up licensing and permitting reforms and improve how City agencies work with small business owners. 

 

“Small business owners already work long hours on thin margins. They should not have to spend those hours navigating City bureaucracy or paying fines that have nothing to do with making their business better,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Our job is to make City government easier to deal with. That means cutting unnecessary paperwork, eliminating outdated rules and making it more affordable for working people to open a business in New York City.”  

 

“If you own a small business in this city, you should be able to get a straight answer from the City, no matter which agency you call,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “Today we brought together the agencies small business owners deal with most to fix problems that cross agency lines, keep the Mayor’s reforms on schedule and make City government work better for the people who power our local economy.” 

 

Since the start of the Mamdani administration, SBS has: 

•    Helped more than 3,000 small businesses obtain licenses and navigate permitting through NYC BEST, including 97 that opened for the first time. 

•     Hired 17 new business advisors, more than doubling the NYC BEST team to 30, and trained every advisor on the requirements of key enforcement agencies. 

•    Recommended more than 50 reforms to eliminate outdated permits, redundant paperwork and unnecessary fines for small businesses. 

•    Advocated for the passage of Int. 0655, which made outdoor dining on City roadways permanent and year-round. 

•    Provided more than $8.4 million in grants to community-based organizations serving more than 20,000 small businesses across the five boroughs. 

•    Delivered the updated Business Owner Bill of Rights directly to more than 4,000 small businesses. 

•    Deployed SBS’s Mobile Unit at 40 events, reaching more than 1,300 New Yorkers.  

 

“When Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 18, his direction was clear: eliminate outdated regulations and make City government work for New York City’s small businesses,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “Our advocates hear from small business owners every day about what gets in their way, and today we brought those problems to the agencies that can fix them. Thank you to Mayor Mamdani, Deputy Mayor Su, and our sister agencies for working with us to make it easier to start and grow a business here.” 

 

City Hall will continue working with City agencies to advance reforms recommended under Executive Order 18 and by the Committee on Government Efficiency (COGE), with the goal of reducing unnecessary burdens and making City government more responsive to small business owners. 

Statement from Speaker Julie Menin on Fatal Fire in Sunset Park

 

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin issued the following statement this morning in response to the fire in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, which tragically took the lives of six New Yorkers and injured seven others, including three firefighters:

“Our city is in mourning. Earlier today, a devastating fire in Sunset Park claimed six New Yorkers. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and I am praying for the full recovery of those who were injured, including 3 heroic firefighters. This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and I am deeply grateful to the first responders who rushed to the scene to put their own lives at risk to save others.

“Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. The presence of lithium-ion batteries at the scene is a serious concern, and more must be done to encourage and mandate safe storage practices. Enough is enough.”

CEO and VA Employee Sentenced for Paying and Receiving Illegal Health Care Kickbacks and Bribes

 

Two Florida men were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks. Laurent Cassagnol was sentenced to 6 months in prison, and Heriberto Rivera was sentenced to 13 months in prison. In addition to the prison terms, Cassagnol was ordered to forfeit $175,172, and Rivera was ordered to forfeit $515,542, which represented the proceeds that the defendants obtained from the offense.

According to court documents, Cassagnol, 43, and Rivera, 43, both of Orlando, Florida, conspired to pay and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes to direct veterans and their families, who were patients of the VA Community Care Program (VACCP), to Rivera’s clinic, Family Integrative Medicine of Orlando, LLC (FIMO), for acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and other holistic medical services. Rivera, the CEO of FIMO, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to Cassagnol, an Advanced Medical Support Assistant for VACCP, in exchange for Cassagnol using his position with the VA to steer VA patients to FIMO for medical services. Cassagnol was a vital point of contact between veterans and the VA health care system; his abuse of that role took advantage of veterans and their families who rely on the VA to obtain medical care. The actions of both defendants put profit before the needs of VA patients.

As a result of the illegal kickbacks, over $14 million in fraudulent claims were submitted to the VA and VACCP, of which over $11 million was paid. The investigation was the result of a complaint made to the VA Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG) fraud hotline.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Crawford of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Josh Lollar of the VA-OIG Southeast Field Office made the announcement.

FBI and VA-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Jody King and Angela Benoit of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/fraud/health-care-fraud-section.

Three Foreign Nationals Arrested And Charged With Scheme To Use Super Intelligence To Defraud Companies Of $129 Million

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JACOB SOALL, a/k/a “Seba Clarke,” a/k/a “Rocky Balboa,” SHARON HAZAN, a/k/a “Superman Cash,” a/k/a “Impossible Mission,” a/k/a “Fat Boy,” a/k/a “Ron,” and GUY SHEETRIT for their participation in a scheme to use super intelligence (“SI”) to defraud victim companies all over the world of more than $100 million.  SOALL was arrested in Spain on June 17, 2026, HAZAN was arrested in Spain on August 5, 2026, and SHEETRIT was arrested in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2026. Extradition requests for SOALL, HAZAN, and SHEETRIT are pending.

“SI technology offers tremendous potential.  But the public should recognize that there are some who seek to use this emerging technology to pursue criminal goals,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.  “As alleged, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit abused groundbreaking super intelligence technology to impersonate real people and deceive corporate executives into sending them and their co-conspirators approximately $129 million.  I encourage individuals and the business community to consider how to best protect themselves from the emerging threat of SI-enabled crime.  This Office and our law enforcement partners will do our part and continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminals, including those who use new technologies to defraud Americans.”

“The alleged scheme orchestrated by Soall, Hazan, and Sheetrit demonstrates how the use of advanced technology can be exploited to commit large scale fraud,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “As criminals continue to weaponize emerging technologies, the FBI remains committed to rapidly adapting our capabilities to identify, investigate, and disrupt those who seek to harm New Yorkers and businesses operating in our communities.”

According to the Indictment:(1)

Between 2024 and 2026, SOALL, HAZAN, SHEETRIT, and their co-conspirators used SI to impersonate the voices and/or images of corporate executives at numerous companies (the “Victim Companies”) and attorneys at major law firms in order to trick employees into sending large payments to bank accounts all over the world controlled by members of the conspiracy. 

SOALL, HAZAN, SHEETRIT, and their co-conspirators typically began their fraud scheme by targeting employees at Victim Companies and pretending to be the Chief Executive Officers at the Victim Companies. They would explain that they needed an employee’s assistance on a confidential financial transaction and would use SI to mimic the CEO’s voice and/or image in calls with the employee. While pretending to be the CEO, they would direct the employee to get in touch with lawyers at large international law firms who they said were also working on the sham financial transaction. They would then also impersonate those lawyers to further make the employee believe that the financial transaction was real.  A member of the conspiracy, impersonating one of those lawyers, would ultimately direct the employee to wire a large sum of money in furtherance of that sham financial transaction to a particular bank account, which was in fact controlled by members of the conspiracy.

The fraud scheme ultimately stole more than $129 million from Victim Companies all over the United States and the world, including: (i) $4,829,580 from a hospital system headquartered in Missouri; (ii) $2,684,580 from a bank headquartered in Rhode Island; (iii) $2,968,497 from a hospital system headquartered in California; (iv) $11,578,474 from a financial technology company headquartered in the United Kingdom; (v) $4,639,918 from a mutual fund company headquartered in Massachusetts; and (vi) $5,242,747 from a pet food company  headquartered in Florida.

SOALL, HAZAN, SHEETRIT, and their co-conspirators directed that the Victim Companies wire money to bank accounts controlled by conspirators all over the world, including in the United States, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia, and China.  Once a Victim Company’s money had been wired, SOALL, HAZAN, SHEETRIT and their co-conspirators converted it into cryptocurrency in an attempt to conceal the source, ownership, and control of the stolen proceeds and distributed it amongst themselves and their co-conspirators.

SOALL primarily acted to impersonate attorneys from the United Kingdom in furtherance of the fraud scheme.  SOALL kept a handwritten script titled “Lawyer Call” that he utilized to make himself seem like a real attorney when speaking with and defrauding victims.  That script included, for example, language designed to convince victim employees not to discuss their communications with fellow employees.

HAZAN, among other things, laundered funds from the fraud scheme.  As to money laundering generally, HAZAN boasted that he had been laundering money since 1994; that he had laundered over $400 million in just the past three years; and that, among professional money launderers, he was “number one all over the world.”  SHEETRIT also, among other things, laundered funds from the fraud scheme.

If you believe you may be a victim of the conduct described in this press release or know of information regarding its perpetrators, please use the online tips page: https://tips.fbi.gov.

SOALL, 41, of Marbella, Spain, and the United Kingdom, HAZAN, 54, of Israel, and SHEETRIT, 42, of Israel and the United Arab Emirates each face the following charges:

Count	Charge	Maximum Sentence
1	Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud	20 years
2	Wire Fraud	20 years
3	Aggravated Identity Theft	2 years
4	Aggravated Identity Theft	2 years
5	Money Laundering Conspiracy	20 years
6	Money Laundering	20 years
7	Money Laundering	20 years

HAZAN was previously convicted in the Southern District of New York of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in 2008.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. McDonald thanked the FBI; Spain and its Policía Nacional for their assistance in apprehending SOALL and HAZAN; and the United Kingdom and its National Crime Agency for their assistance in apprehending SHEETRIT.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead, Brandon C. Thompson, and Jackie Delligatti are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

1.  As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation. 

Attorney General James Secures Conviction of Queens Deed Thief Who Stole Elderly Widow’s Home

 

AG James Secures First Guilty Plea Under New York’s Criminal Deed Theft Law 

Stolen Home Will Be Returned to Rightful Owners

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.