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n a brazen scheme, four individuals allegedly stole three homes from their rightful owners in Queens, targeting vulnerable elderly residents. The defendants, including a licensed real estate agent and her associates, used falsified documents to transfer properties into their own hands.

    The indictment reveals a coordinated effort to deceive the City Register's office, with forged signatures and fake deeds filed between March and July 2023. The scheme began in April when Autumn Valeri, vice president of Fave Realty, allegedly filed fraudulent documents transferring a Queens Village home from its owner to an entity owned by Lawrence Ray.

    The group then sold this property to a third party for $600,000, with approximately $442,000 wired to an account linked to Ray. The legitimate owners have since been embroiled in a civil suit, stayed under legislation enacted to protect against deed fraud. A similar pattern of deception was used to target two other homes, including one belonging to an 82-year-old woman.

    The defendants face serious charges, including grand larceny and conspiracy, with potential prison sentences ranging from 15 to 25 years if convicted. The Queens DA is determined to hold them accountable for their alleged crimes, emphasizing the importance of protecting property ownership rights.