{"id":2925,"date":"2023-04-19T09:10:20","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T13:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=2925"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:17:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:17:38","slug":"in-long-island-new-york-a-spectacular-case-of-alleged-deed-theft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/in-long-island-new-york-a-spectacular-case-of-alleged-deed-theft\/","title":{"rendered":"In Long Island, New York: A Spectacular Case of Alleged Deed Theft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Nassau County, New York is known as America\u2019s first suburban county. It\u2019s an area with beautiful real estate, including the lovely Long Island home of Rosemarie Mika. This 78-year-old homeowner is now fighting for that lovely home \u2014 in a spectacular case of alleged deed theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It happened, the records show, on October 11 of last year. That\u2019s the day the deed to the house apparently passed the title to a new owner, Aurelia Soogea, for only $10. The case made national and international news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Police Step In<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mika received a mailed notification from the Nassau County Clerk affirming that her home\u2019s deed had been transferred to a new owner. Mika immediately contacted local law enforcement. Quick action \u2014 before a transferred deed can be passed along again to a new party \u2014 is very helpful in getting justice and returning ill-gotten homes back to victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, police say, the elder homeowner said someone else had signed her name on the new deed, and that the deed transfer was showing the neighbor\u2019s identifying information. Allegedly, the defendant took the new deed, with the fake signature, to Nassau County Clerk for recording in the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the county\u2019s fraud and forgery detectives investigated the case, Aurelia Soogea, the thirty-something-year-old daughter of Rosemarie Mika\u2019s neighbor, was arrested. The defendant is charged with paying $10 and forging the deed to transfer the valuable home out from under its senior owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDefendant Soogea is charged,\u201d the police stated, \u201cwith Grand Larceny 2nd Degree and Offering a False Instrument for Filing 1st Degree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, the defendant was arraigned in Hempstead, Nassau County, in the district court. Soogea pleaded not guilty the theft and false instrument charges.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defendant Pushes Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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NBC New York reported that the defendant\u2019s lawyer claims the elderly homeowner voluntarily gave the deed to Soogea in return for longtime loyalty and help around the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defendant\u2019s lawyer said evidence would show that Soogea was \u201ca caring, loving aide\u201d and that there was never a forgery. The lawyer also expressed surprise that there would even be a criminal case. A claim for the title is already ongoing in civil court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defendant claims to hold evidence that Mika willingly signed the home\u2019s deed over. There\u2019s the pair of name tags, for instance, that the giver and receiver wore when they made a formal conveyance. There\u2019s supposedly voice recordings of the two, agreeing on things that the elder Long Island resident later forgot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the elder\u2019s attorney says the defendant concocted all<\/em> of the documentation \u2014 and that Rosemarie Mika, who still lives in the home in question, never had a relationship with the defendant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A.G. Is Not Amused<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This high-profile prosecution in Nassau County comes only a few months after Leticia James, the Attorney General of New York state, filed charges against suspects with a \u201cdeed theft ring\u201d for grand larceny and other white-collar crimes. At the core of the case were fraudulent transfers of three senior-owned homes in New York City\u2019s Queens County. The indictment claimed that a group of five people impersonated senior or deceased homeowners at closings, forged and re-deeded the three homes. After the homes were sold off to investors, the alleged scheme defrauded innocent New Yorkers out of more than a million dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeed theft,\u201d said A.G. James, \u201cis a merciless crime\u201d that impoverishes seniors and other socially vulnerable New York City residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u261b<\/em> The best protection against deed theft is an aware population of homeowners. Go to your county\u2019s website and search \u201cproperty records\u201d to look up your parcel ID number, the name(s) on your title, and related information. We can all <\/strong><\/em>help seniors avoid deed theft<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, too.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disrespecting Their Elders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elders are especially vulnerable, not just in New York but nationwide. There are several reasons for this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n