New York State Legal professional Common, Letitia James, speaks throughout a information convention, to announce legal justice reform in New York Metropolis, U.S., Could 21, 2021.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid, File
New York Legal professional Common Letitia James on Monday claimed victory after the New York County Supreme Court docket denied Joseph Makhani’s movement to dismiss the Workplace of the Legal professional Common’s (OAG) case towards him for deed theft.
Makhani was indicted in July 2023 for utilizing solid and falsified paperwork to steal two Harlem properties price over $4.7 million.
“Deed theft is a shameful crime that robs New Yorkers of their most necessary belongings – their properties,” James mentioned “Our case costs Joseph Makhani for his alleged schemes concentrating on susceptible owners.
“In the present day’s ruling ensures my workplace can proceed our case towards him and search justice,” she added. “I’ll at all times combat to guard New Yorkers’ properties and cease deed thieves who search to revenue from displacing communities.”
James mentioned Makhani allegedly stole two brownstones positioned at 107 West 118th Avenue and 135 West 131st Avenue in Harlem in 2012 by way of a scheme involving solid and falsified paperwork and shell corporations to hide and execute the thefts.
In New York state actual property tax filings, the lawyer normal mentioned Makhani claimed to have paid solely $10 for every residence, however the properties had a mixed estimated worth of greater than $4.7 million in the course of the related occasions of possession.
In a single constructing, she mentioned Makhani’s actions resulted in “a susceptible and aged home-owner being compelled to stay in a homeless shelter, regardless of being the true proprietor of the property.”
Within the different constructing, James mentioned Makhani “tried to evict tenants after utilizing the solid signature of a tenant to switch possession of the constructing to an organization he managed.
Makhani was arraigned in July 2023 in New York County Supreme Court docket earlier than Decide Michele Rodney, the place he pleaded not responsible to 2 counts of Legal Possession of Stolen Property within the First Diploma and one rely of Scheme to Defraud within the First Diploma. He faces a most penalty of eight and a 3rd to 25 years in state jail.
Legal professional Common James has been a frontrunner in defending New York owners from deed theft and different housing-related scams.
Final month, she introduced the sentencing of a disbarred lawyer who helped steal three properties in Queens.
In July 2024, laws co-authored by Legal professional Common James took impact that establishes deed theft as against the law and expands OAG’s means to prosecute it.
Additionally in July 2024, James introduced the conviction and sentencing of Marcus Wilcher, who led a deed theft operation in Queens.
In February 2021, Legal professional Common James introduced an $800,000 grant to fight deed theft in susceptible neighborhoods.
The New York Legal professional Common additionally launched the Defend Our Properties initiative in January 2020, and introduced the formation of an interagency legislation enforcement job drive to reply to deed theft and different actual property fraud.
