By Forum Staff
State Attorney General Tish James on Thursday announced the indictments of Deepa Roy, 68, of Manhattan and Victor Quimis, 39, of Queens, who worked together to steal the home of Renuka Bherwani, an elderly widow living in Kew Gardens Hills while she was receiving end-of-life hospice care in her home.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that Roy and Quimis forged Bherwani’s signature on documents transferring ownership of her home to themselves. Roy and Quimis later forged additional documents in order to transfer ownership of the home to Hunter Studios & Developer Corp., a corporation owned by Quimis. Quimis then obtained a $552,500 mortgage on the property, allowing him to steal over $300,000 after paying off Bherwani’s prior mortgage and liens in his name. Both Roy and Quimis were charged with multiple felonies for their roles in the scheme.
Deed theft occurs when a criminal illegally transfers a property title without the homeowner’s knowledge or consent. This often involves forgery or fraudulent documentation to make it appear as if the homeowner has willingly transferred ownership.This case is the first of its kind brought under New York’s new deed theft law advanced by James that criminalizes deed theft and gives OAG original jurisdiction to prosecute deed theft cases.
In 2020, Bherwani began receiving in-home care from health aides in the Kew Gardens Hills home she had owned since 1986 with her late husband, Mohan Bherwani. In March 2021, while suffering from dementia, she granted her son, Kamal Bherwani, and daughter-in-law, Sabita Bherwani, full power of attorney to manage her affairs. In 2022, around the time when Mohan passed away, Roy began visiting Bherwani in her home, claiming to her aides that she was one of her friends. In the summer of 2024, Roy attempted to persuade Bherwani’s health aides to allow her to live in a spare room in the home. Kamal and Sabita rejected this request.
In October 2024, Roy and Quimis allegedly forged a deed with Bherwani’s signature transferring ownership of her home to themselves for free. Bherwani’s signature was notarized with a forged signature and incorrectly dated stamp from a Nassau County licensed notary. Roy and Quimis also used Bherwani’s forged signature on a number of other required real estate transfer documents, including a registration form for water and sewer billing from the City Department of Environmental Protection.
In December 2024, Quimis and Roy used a second forged deed to transfer ownership of the home to Hunter Studios. The Nassau County notary’s signature was again forged on these documents. Quimis used this second fraudulent deed to obtain a mortgage for $552,500. He used this money to pay off Bherwani’s remaining mortgage and liens that were now in his name. He then laundered the proceeds by transferring the remaining $312,037.57 to Hunter Studios’ bank accounts, which he used for his personal benefit. Roy received at least $15,000 for her role in the deed theft via a bank check from the stolen proceeds with a memo line stating, “Per agreement”.
Kamal and Sabita discovered the deed theft in December 2024 while opening mail at the home, where Bherwani still lived and was receiving in-home care. Kamal and Sabita found a letter addressed to Quimis from DEP, which congratulated him on becoming the “new owner” of the home and provided instructions on how to set up an online account to pay bills. They reported the deed theft to OAG shortly after.
Quimis was arrested on Aug. 4 and charged with four counts of grand larceny in the first degree, two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, residential mortgage fraud in the second degree, money laundering in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, and scheme to defraud in the first degree. Roy remains at large and faces similar charges.
“Deepa Roy and Victor Quimis preyed on an elderly widow in hospice to steal the home she owned for nearly 40 years,” James said. “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.”
This is the first deed theft case brought under the new law, which creates a crime of deed theft and gives OAG jurisdiction to prosecute it. If convicted, Quimis and Roy face a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison.
“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 State Sen. Brian Kavanagh (D-Manhattan). “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.”
State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) added, “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. 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.”
New Yorkers who believe they are a victim of deed theft are encouraged to contact OAG by calling 1(800) 771-7755, emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or filing a confidential complaint.
“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 the state’s new anti-deed theft law, and for being diligent and pro-active in its enforcement. Let us continue to work together to make sure no one else in our great state is ever victimized by deed theft.”
