Deepa Roy and Victor Quimis Stole The Home of an Elderly Queens Widow While She Received End-of-Life Hospice Care

Indictments Are First Brought by AG James Using New Criminal Deed Theft Law She Championed

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today 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, Queens, while she was receiving end-of-life hospice care in her home. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) 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. (Hunter Studios), 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. This case is the first of its kind brought under New York’s new deed theft law advanced by Attorney General James that criminalizes deed theft and gives OAG original jurisdiction to prosecute deed theft cases.

“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.”

In 2020, Mrs. 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 Mrs. Bherwani in her home, claiming to her aides that she was one of her friends. In the summer of 2024, Roy attempted to persuade Mrs. 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 Mrs. Bherwani’s signature transferring ownership of her home to themselves for free. Mrs. Bherwani’s signature was notarized with a forged signature and incorrectly dated stamp from a Nassau County licensed notary. Roy and Quimis also used Mrs. 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 New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

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 Mrs. Bherwani 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 Mrs. 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 August 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.

“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 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 is the first deed theft case brought under a new law championed by Attorney General James, 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.

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.

The case was investigated by Detective Jennifer Garcia under the direction of Supervising Detective Anna Ospanova, all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

Assistant Attorneys General Nazy Modiri handled the prosecution in this matter under the supervision of Public Integrity Bureau Chief Gerard Murphy, Deputy Bureau Chief Kiran Heer, and Real Estate Enforcement Unit Section Chief Nicholas Batsidis, with assistance from Legal Support Analyst Meredith Youngblood. The audit was undertaken by Senior Auditor Dmitry Temis under the supervision of Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro and Forensic Audit Section Chief Kristen Fabbri. Both the Investigations Bureau and the Public Integrity Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.