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ttorney General Letitia James announced the sentencing of Stacie Saunders, a real estate salesperson, to three to nine years in prison for her role in a Queens deed theft ring. Saunders was convicted on 18 felony counts, including grand larceny and money laundering, after teaming up with disbarred attorney Anyekache Hercules and others to steal and sell three homes worth $1 million.

    The scheme involved targeting shoddy houses with elderly owners in Jamaica and St. Albans, then marketing them at low prices to attract quick offers. The ring members would use forged documents to open bank accounts in the original homeowners' names and funnel proceeds through shell companies.

    Saunders was one of five people indicted by James in late 2022 for their involvement in the scheme. Ringleader Marcus Wilcher received the same sentence as Saunders, while disbarred attorney Hercules got a shorter term due to his prior conviction for deed theft. Two other members, Jerry Currin and Dean Lloyd, pleaded guilty to lesser charges but their sentences are unclear.

    The sentencing comes as James' office pushes to make deed theft a standalone crime rather than a subset of grand larceny. The maximum sentence for Saunders and Wilcher's charges was 15 years, but they received significantly less time due to plea deals or prior convictions.