New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the first indictments brought under the state’s new criminal deed theft law, targeting Deepa Roy, 68, of Manhattan, and Victor Quimis, 39, of Queens. The pair are accused of stealing the home of Renuka Bherwani, an elderly widow from Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, while she was receiving end-of-life hospice care.
An investigation by the Attorney General’s Office (OAG) revealed that Roy and Quimis forged Bherwani’s signature on multiple documents to transfer ownership of her home to themselves. They then transferred the property to Hunter Studios & Developer Corp., a company owned by Quimis. Quimis secured a $552,500 mortgage on the home, using the funds to pay off Bherwani’s existing mortgage and liens—now under his name—and pocketed over $300,000 in stolen proceeds.
Attorney General James said, “Deepa Roy and Victor Quimis preyed on an elderly widow in hospice to steal the home she owned for nearly 40 years. 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.”
Mrs. Bherwani had lived in the home with her late husband since 1986. Starting in 2020, she received in-home care as her health declined. In March 2021, she granted her son Kamal Bherwani and daughter-in-law Sabita Bherwani full power of attorney. In 2022, Roy began visiting the home, claiming to be a friend, and by summer 2024, she attempted to live in a spare room—an offer rejected by Kamal and Sabita.
In October 2024, Roy and Quimis allegedly forged a deed transferring ownership of the home to themselves for free, using a forged notarization from a Nassau County licensed notary. They also forged Bherwani’s signature on various real estate transfer documents, including a registration form for city water and sewer billing.
Two months later, they used a second forged deed to transfer the property to Hunter Studios, again forging the notary’s signature. Quimis then obtained a mortgage for $552,500, which he used to pay off Mrs. Bherwani’s mortgage and liens. The remaining $312,037.57 was laundered into Hunter Studios’ accounts for Quimis’s personal use. Roy received at least $15,000 for her role in the theft.
The family discovered the fraud in December 2024 when Kamal and Sabita found a letter addressed to Quimis from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection congratulating him as the new owner. They promptly reported the theft to the Attorney General’s Office.
Quimis was arrested on August 4 and charged with multiple felonies, including grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing, residential mortgage fraud, money laundering, criminal possession of a forged instrument, and scheme to defraud. Roy remains at large facing identical charges.
Senator Zellnor Myrie commented, “Deed theft is a cruel and insidious scam that robs longtime homeowners of their property and wealth. 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.”
Senator Brian Kavanagh added, “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. 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 Senator John Liu also weighed in: “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.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, “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. 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.”
This landmark case is the first prosecution under New York’s new deed theft statute, which criminalizes deed theft and grants the Attorney General’s Office original jurisdiction to prosecute these crimes. If convicted, Roy and Quimis face prison terms ranging from eight and one-third to 25 years.
New Yorkers who believe they have been victims of deed theft are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Office by calling 1 (800) 771-7755, emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or filing a confidential complaint online.
