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n a brazen scheme, a Queens realtor and her associates allegedly used fake deeds to swindle three homeowners out of their properties, including two elderly women. The ruse involved forged documents, bogus signatures, and false transfers, all designed to force the residents out so the scammers could sell the homes for profit.

    A third-party buyer even attempted to sue one of the duped homeowners in Kew Gardens Hills, but a deed fraud investigation blocked the civil suit. Queens DA Melinda Katz vowed to protect property ownership rights in the borough, stating that the defendants "acted in concert to target properties for theft, forge documents, file false instruments and ultimately steal homes from the rightful owners."

    Four individuals - Carl Avinger, 42; Autumn Valeri, 41; Lawrence Ray, 38; and Torey Guice, 40 - were arrested and charged with grand larceny, identity theft, and other crimes. The indictment also names three companies that allegedly collaborated with the scammers to target homes in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens Village, and Jamaica Estates.

    Avinger faces up to 12½ years in prison, while Ray and Valeri could receive sentences of 8 1/3 to 25 years. Guice is eligible for five to 15 years behind bars. The scheme began in April 2023 when Avinger and Valeri filed a false document with the NYC Department of Finance, recording a deed transfer that was not legitimate.

    The victims included an 82-year-old woman in Jamaica Estates who claimed she never signed the deed transferring her property to one of Ray's companies. Prosecutors said Avinger has multiple aliases and felony convictions, while Valeri is a licensed real estate agent with ties to Nassau and Suffolk counties.