New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced the indictments of Deepa Roy, 68, of Manhattan, and Victor Quimis, 39, of Queens. The two are accused of stealing the home of Renuka Bherwani, an elderly widow in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, while she was receiving hospice care. According to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Roy and Quimis allegedly forged Bherwani’s signature on documents to transfer ownership of her home to themselves and later transferred it again to a corporation owned by Quimis.
The investigation found that after obtaining ownership through forged documents, Quimis secured a $552,500 mortgage on the property. After paying off Bherwani’s existing mortgage and liens in his name, he reportedly transferred more than $300,000 for personal use. Roy is said to have received at least $15,000 from the proceeds. Both face multiple felony charges for their roles in this scheme.
This case marks the first prosecution under New York’s new deed theft law. The law gives the OAG original jurisdiction over deed theft cases and criminalizes such acts.
“Deepa Roy and Victor Quimis preyed on an elderly widow in hospice to steal the home she owned for nearly 40 years,” said Attorney General James. “Cases like this one are exactly why I fought to advance new laws empowering my office to prosecute deed theft and protect New Yorkers’ homes. I will continue to use the law as both a sword and a shield to stop these despicable crimes and ensure this home is returned to the Bherwani family.”
According to investigators, Mrs. Bherwani began receiving in-home care in 2020 after suffering from dementia. In March 2021, she gave power of attorney over her affairs to her son Kamal Bherwani and daughter-in-law Sabita Bherwani. In late 2024, Roy allegedly befriended Mrs. Bherwani under false pretenses before working with Quimis to forge deeds transferring ownership first to themselves and then to Hunter Studios & Developer Corp., which is owned by Quimis.
Kamal and Sabita discovered evidence of deed theft when they found correspondence addressed to Quimis at their mother’s address regarding water billing from city authorities. They reported the matter promptly.
Quimis was arrested on August 4 and faces several charges including Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, Residential Mortgage Fraud in the Second Degree, Money Laundering in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. Roy remains at large facing similar charges.
“Deed theft is a cruel and insidious scam that robs longtime homeowners of their property and wealth,” said Senator Zellnor Myrie. “Far too many New Yorkers have fallen prey to deed theft, which disproportionately impacts lower-income, older or otherwise vulnerable homeowners, especially Black and brown New Yorkers who have spent generations in the same home. The indictments Attorney General James secured today are a testament to the need for strong laws protecting homeowners from deed theft. I was proud to sponsor this law and I am grateful to the Attorney General, her team and my colleagues for supporting it.”
“Deed theft is devastating and I was proud to work with Attorney General James and our colleagues to enact strong civil and criminal laws to prevent it whenever possible and to hold perpetrators accountable,” said Senator Brian Kavanagh. “I commend the Attorney General and her office for following through and taking decisive action to enforce the law and deliver justice. No New Yorker should fear losing their home to fraud, and with this strong enforcement, we’re sending a clear message that these crimes will not be tolerated.”
“Whether it’s deed theft or squatter fraud, those who exploit vulnerable homeowners to steal their homes must be met with the full force of the law,” said Senator John Liu. “These are among the most devastating crimes a homeowner can face, and sadly, that nightmare came true for this elderly widow. Many thanks to Attorney General James for holding these perpetrators accountable and cracking down on property theft wherever it occurs.”
“This case, and others like it, are exactly why we fought so hard to pass New York’s new deed theft law,” said Assemblymember Landon Dais. “Vulnerable homeowners, especially our seniors, have been targeted for far too long by predators who use fraud and forgery to steal the very roofs over their heads. I commend my colleague Senator Myrie for joining me in getting this legislation into law, and to Attorney General James for using the law to bring these perpetrators to justice and send a clear message: if you steal homes, you will be held accountable. Our neighborhoods are not for sale through fraud, and this law ensures that victims like Mrs. Bherwani and her family have the full force of the law on their side.”
“Deed theft not only hurts those who have their homes stolen—it also robs all homeowners of their peace of mind by instilling fear that the homes they have worked so hard for might be stolen next,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.. “That’s why I commend Attorney General James for championing state’s new anti-deed theft law,and being diligentand pro-activein its enforcement.Let us continue working together tomake sure no one elsein our great stateis ever victimizedbydeedtheft.”
If convicted under this new statute—which carries sentences ranging from eight-and-one-third up totwenty-five years—QuimisandRoy couldface significant prison time.NewYorkerswho suspecttheyarevictimsofdeedtheftcancontacttheAttorneyGeneral’sofficebycalling1(800)771-7755,emailingdeedtheft@ag.ny.govor filingaconfidentialcomplaint.
The investigation involved Detective Jennifer Garcia under Supervising Detective Anna Ospanova; Deputy Chief Juanita Bright; Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes; Assistant Attorneys General Nazy Modiri supervised by Gerard Murphy,Kiran Heer,and NicholasBatsidis; Legal Support Analyst Meredith Youngblood; Senior Auditor Dmitry Temis supervised by Sandy Bizzarroand Kristen Fabbri.The DivisionforCriminalJusticeisledbyChiefDeputyAttorneyGeneralJoséMaldonadoandoverseenbyFirstDeputyAttorneyGeneralJenniferLevy.
