New York Paralegal Blog

  A man named Anthony Pittman was indicted on November 6, 2025, for a complex scam involving stealing someone’s identity to illegally rent and then sublet a luxury apartment. This case shows how serious New York State takes crimes involving lies, stolen identities, and financial documents. Here's a simple breakdown of the laws he was charged under and what those crimes mean. What He Was Charged With  Pittman faces two major types of felony charges, both of which are very serious crimes: 1. Identity Theft in the First Degree This is the most severe charge for ID theft. You're guilty of this when you steal someone's personal information (like their Social Security number or driver's license) and use it to do one of two things: Steal Big: Get property or services worth more than $2,000. Commit Another Felony: Use the stolen ID to commit another serious crime. In Simple Terms: The indictment alleges Pittman didn't just borrow a name; he used a stolen identit...

Stealing a home from an elderly widow receiving hospice care is a despicable act, and that's exactly what a recent case in New York uncovered. A Manhattan woman and a Queens man have been indicted for allegedly forging documents to steal the Queens home of an elderly widow, Renuka Bherwani. The Scheme to Steal a Home According to the investigation by the New York Attorney General's office, Deepa Roy, 68, and Victor Quimis, 39, worked together to steal the home that Mrs. Bherwani had owned for nearly 40 years. Here's how the alleged scheme unfolded: Gaining Access: While Mrs. Bherwani was in hospice care for dementia, Roy began visiting her home, claiming to be a friend. She later tried to move into the home but was denied by the family. Forging Documents: In October 2024, Roy and Quimis allegedly forged a deed transferring ownership of the home to themselves for free. They also forged other real estate documents, including the notarized signatures and stamps. Tr...

A group of individuals is facing serious federal charges for their alleged roles in a sophisticated fraud and theft ring. The indictment outlines a series of crimes, including conspiracies to commit bank fraud, steal postal keys, and pilfer mail, culminating in aggravated identity theft. The defendants, identified as Michael Edwards, Shakeemo Hill, William Hill, Alixandria Lauture, Shuron Malone, and Carlos Mercado, are accused of working together in various capacities to execute their illegal activities. The Charges Breakdown: The core of the allegations is a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, a charge carrying a hefty maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. This count involves five of the six defendants. Several defendants are also charged with crimes related to the U.S. Mail. These include: Conspiracy to steal a postal key, with a maximum penalty of five years. Conspiracy to steal and receive stolen mail, also carrying a potential five-year sentence. The actual theft of a ...

DOLORES TEJADA and NORMA JIMENEZ, Manhattan-based tax preparers, pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to charges related to their participation in a scheme to file false tax returns using stolen identities. TEJADA and JIMENEZ pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of FORDIN FRANCOIS, 26, a former J.P. Morgan Chase (“Chase”) personal banker, for his role in the theft of more than $700,000 from multiple Chase account holders’ bank accounts over a six-month period.

DETROIT - Nine suspects in Detroit and four suspects in San Diego have been arrested for their alleged role in a large scale car theft scheme – a scheme that transshipped stolen luxury sedans, SUVs and other vehicles to Iraq. These arrests are the result of an extensive two-year investigation, known as "Operation Hot Wheels," which was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that REZA SAFARHA was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 10 months in prison for violating the Iran Trade Embargo, money laundering, conspiracy, and theft of government money. SAFARHA was found guilty in February 2011 by U.S. District Judge RICHARD J. SULLIVAN, who found, among other things, that SAFARHA illegally transmitted approximately $300,000 through the “hawala” system to Iran and that SAFARHA believed the money was proceeds from criminal conduct. Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: “This office takes violations of the United States’ trade embargo with Iran very seriously. Reza Safarha employed a form of financial legerdemain to circumvent the embargo, and added insult to injury by doing this to conceal what he believed were the proceeds from the sale of stolen property.” According to the indictment, the evidence at trial, and Judge SULLIVAN’s public findings: Th...

Indictments Charge 28 Individuals with Counterfeit Check Fraud    Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of 28 individuals in connection with “Operation White Rover,” a forged check and identity theft ring based in Brooklyn that compromised bank accounts at TD Bank, JP Morgan Chase Bank and Citibank locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Charges in the indictment include Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, Identity Theft in the First Degree, Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. The crimes charged in the indictment total 99 counts in two separate conspiracies: 88 counts arising from the conspiracy against TD Bank, which occurred between August 2009 and April 2010, and 10 counts from the conspiracy against JP Morgan Chase Bank, which occurred b...

NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today announced the takedown of an extensive automobile theft and resale ring alleged to have stolen hundreds of cars worth more than $10 million. In a series of late night and early morning raids, 19 individuals were arrested for their participation in the criminal network; 16 will be charged with enterprise corruption, a class B felony that carries mandatory prison time. The takedown was the latest development in Operation Car Wars, the joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and the New York City Police Department. “Through the diligent work of the Attorney General’s Office and NYPD, we have successfully dismantled a sophisticated criminal network,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “This joint investigation provided our law enforcement offices with the added resources and man-power needed to take down the ring and hold all of its members accountable. The l...

OnGuardOnline.gov – the federal government’s online security site, managed by the Federal Trade Commission – is offering information to help PlayStation Network and Qriocity users avoid the risk of identity theft following Sony Corporation’s disclosure that those services were hacked and user data may be compromised. It’s not clear at this time what user data was stolen, but the services held user IDs and passwords, e-mail and street addresses, birth dates, credit card numbers and expiration dates, and payment histories. OnGuardOnline.gov advises PlayStation Network and Qriocity users to take these steps to reduce the risk of identity theft: If you used your PlayStation ID or password to log in to other accounts, change them – and, since hackers could have your security questions and answers from Sony, use different questions for other accounts. When you open your e-mail, consider whether any of the messages could be a phishing scam. Having stolen information could mak...

ALHAMBRA – A man who fled the United States after a murder and jewel theft in Alhambra nearly 30 years ago was sentenced today to up to life in prison for his crimes. A Superior Court jury in Alhambra last November convicted 55-year-old Ninh Kim Nguyen of first-degree murder and grand theft. Trial Judge Laura Priver sentenced him today to 31-years-to-life on the murder charge and two years for the theft. Deputy District Attorney Stacie Mayoras said the jury convicted Nguyen of fatally stabbing Bui Khuyen, 45, on Aug. 5, 1983, and stealing her jewelry. The crimes occurred at the victim’s apartment on North Fifth Street in Alhambra. Nguyen, 29 at the time and the reported boyfriend of an acquaintance of the victim’s, was investigated early on as a potential suspect. A felony complaint for extradition charging him with the murder was filed by the District Attorney’s office on Aug. 12, 1983. Nguyen fled the United States shortly after the murder and returned to Southeast Asia. In 1...

PHILADELPHIA—An indictment was unsealed today charging Hugh C. Clark and Ina M. Walker with conspiracy, wire fraud, and theft from a federally funded program based on their roles in defrauding the Philadelphia based New Media Technology Charter School ("New Media"), announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The 27-count indictment charges that Clark, the former president of the board, and Walker, the former CEO, improperly used approximately $522,000 in New Media funds to enrich themselves and advance their personal interests. According to the charges, Clark and Walker stole from New Media, a charter school funded with federal tax dollars, to (a) pay expenses at a small private school they controlled, Lotus Academy (b) advance their personal business ventures, including the Black Olive health food store and the Black Olive restaurant, and (c) pay personal expenses. In addition, defendant Clark allegedly diverted substantial funds from New Media and Lotus Academy ...

April is Financial Literacy Month, and the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has information to help you make the most of your money whether you’re a student, young adult, parent, older person, or military service member. “Making well-informed decisions about money is a key life skill,” said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Financial Literacy Month is a great time to learn your financial rights – or teach someone you care about.”

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of SAM CHIHLUNG YIN, 34, for accessing and tampering with the corporate computer network of Gucci America, Inc. ("Gucci"), the Manhattan-based American affiliate of the Italian luxury goods retailer. YIN, who had been previously terminated by Gucci as a network engineer, used an account he secretly created during his tenure at Gucci to access and control the company's computer system, shutting down some of its servers and networks, and deleting data from others. He is charged in a 50-count indictment with Computer Tampering, Identity Theft, Falsifying Business Records, Computer Trespass, Criminal Possession of Computer Related Material, Unlawful Duplication of Computer Related Material, and Unauthorized Use of a Computer.[1] "Computer hacking is not a game. It is a serious threat to corporate security that can have a devastating effect on personal privacy, jobs, and the ability of a bus...

WASHINGTON—Oladayo Oladokun, 37, was sentenced today to two years of imprisonment for carrying out a scheme in which he took over financial accounts belonging to about 25 victims. In total, more than 40 financial accounts were taken over, fraudulently used, possessed, or opened without the victims’ authorization, causing more than $300,000 in losses. Oladokun, most recently of Lanham, Md., pled guilty in February 2011 to a charge of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today by the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Oladokun to pay restitution of $269,304. He will be on one year of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.

Defendant Compromised the Identities of More Than 750 People Across the U.S. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the sentencing of IGUOSADE OSAHON, 28, to three to nine years in state prison, for stealing more than $500,000 by exploiting stolen identity information over a three-year period. OSAHON was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of approximately $250,000, and also forfeited $50,000 worth of assets in the form of cash and vehicles. On December 8, 2010, OSAHON pleaded guilty to the top four counts in the indictment: Computer Tampering in the First Degree, Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Identity Theft in the First Degree, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. “Over the course of three years, the defendant carried out a sophisticated online identity theft scheme that netted him a small personal fortune,” said District Attorney Vance. “He then proceeded to squander the funds he stole from more than 750 hard-working individuals on jewel...

More Than $300,000 Stolen From City and State; Several Cases Involve Public Employees Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the arrests of 37 individuals on charges related to the theft of unemployment benefits from New York State and low-income housing subsidies from New York City.[1] The arrests follow investigations conducted in partnership with the New York State Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”). At least eight more arrests are expected this week, with the total cost to taxpayers estimated at $360,000. “Our City and State are struggling to balance budgets while providing critical public services,” said District Attorney Vance. “Unemployment benefits and low-income housing subsidies are lifelines for those in need. These funds cannot be fraudulently siphoned away from the New Yorkers who rightfully qualify for assistance. I thank the Department of Investigation and the Department of Labor for their a...

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. announced the extradition of EGOR SHEVELEV, a Ukrainian national, from Greece for a cybercrime and identity theft scheme involving global trafficking in stolen credit card account numbers. SHEVELEV was arraigned today on charges of Enterprise Corruption, Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Money Laundering, Attempted Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Scheme to Defraud, and Conspiracy. [1] The crimes charged in the indictment occurred between November 2001 and August 2007. “The extradition and indictment of this defendant bring us a step closer to apprehending the members of an international identity theft ring,” said District Attorney Vance. “This Office is committed to shutting down criminal operations that traffic in stolen information used to steal identities and illegally acquire money.”