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COURIER L 20 IFE, DECEMBER 11-17, 2020
BAD DEED
Midwood attorney
indicted for
alleged deed theft
Getty Images
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
The Brooklyn District
Attorney announced
charges on Dec. 7 against
a Midwood lawyer who
allegedly stole the deeds
to eight homes throughout
the borough, totaling
nearly $8 million in illgotten
property.
According to prosecutors,
Sanford Solny,
whose license to practice
law was suspended in
2012, targeted seven homeowners
whose properties
were going into foreclosure
and convinced them
to transfer the deeds into
his name to “negotiation
on their behalf.”
“These victims, who
trusted the defendant to
help them avoid foreclosure,
instead allegedly
had their homes stolen
by him and were left facing
fi nancial ruin,” said
District Attorney Eric
Gonzalez.
Solny, who was caught
perpetuating a similar
deed theft scheme
in Queens in 2017, allegedly
persuaded the victims
to unknowingly
sign various documents
relinquishing the rights
to their homes, telling
them that he would negotiate
with a lender on
their behalf to halt the
foreclosure process.
Once he had successfully
taken ownership of
the properties — which
were located in Bedford-
Stuyvesant, East New
York, Flatbush, and Cypress
Hills — Solny allegedly
collected over
$600,000 in rent from
various tenants, according
to the DA’s offi ce.
“Brooklyn’s valuable
real estate market continues
to be an attractive
target for fraudsters willing
to deceive homeowners,”
Gonzalez said.
Solny was arraigned
Monday before Kings
County Supreme Court
Justice Danny Chun on
various charges including
grand larceny, and
criminal possession of
stolen property. He was
released without bail,
and his next court date
is in February of 2021.
The 63-year-old defendant
had lost his license
to practice law in 2012 after
he swindled a relative
out of $600,000 by abusing
his power of attorney
privileges, according to
court documents.
Gonzalez used the indictment
to warn Brooklynites
about the dangers
of fraud schemes,
and to be cautious about
real estate dealings.
“I urge anyone considering
selling their
property to be prudent
about with whom they do
business,” the prosecutor
said in a statement.
“Be wary of any unsolicited
offers of help with
your property and do not
sign any documents unless
you consult with an
independently retained
attorney.”
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