A pair of upscale Queens homes totaling more than $3 million and and swiped from their elderly owners have been rightfully returned, prosecutors said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Four \u201cfraudster\u201d real-estate agents \u2014 including one with a penchant for trashy leopard-print boots \u2014 falsified records and forged signatures to illegally take over the deeds of the homes in Kew Gardens Hills and Queens Village and resell them for a hefty sum, a heartless scheme that got the crooks convicted.<\/p>\n
Autum Valeri pleaded guilty last year to charges that she fraudulently stole deeds from homes in Queens. Instagram\/Autumn Valeri<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not stand by and let property owners lose their homes to fraudsters,\u201d said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz<\/a>, whose office prosecuted the crimes, in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cProsecuting those who steal people\u2019s homes is only part of our work \u2014 we are just as committed to returning those homes to their rightful owners.\u201d<\/p>\n Prosecutors said three of the schemers \u2014 Autumn Valeri, Lawrence Ray and Torey Guice \u2014 pleaded guilty to grand larceny, fraud or related charges last year after agreeing to have their dirty deeds voided.<\/p>\n The trio dodged jail time and were instead placed on probation as part of the plea deal, with Ray also forfeiting nearly $404,000.<\/p>\n