New York Attorney General James Announces Conviction of Leader of Queens Deed Theft RingLetitia James recently announced the conviction and sentencing of Marcus Wilcher, the mastermind behind a Queens deed theft ring. Wilcher and his accomplices targeted homes in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens, owned by elderly or disabled New Yorkers or their estates. Through fraudulent means, they sold three homes without the owners’ knowledge, pocketing over $1 million. Wilcher pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree on May 23 and was sentenced to three to nine years in prison.
“New Yorkers should never have to fear losing their homes to deceitful schemes like deed theft,” said Attorney General James. “Marcus Wilcher and his associates targeted elderly and vulnerable New Yorkers with a predatory scheme that inflicted significant financial and emotional harm. New Yorkers work their entire lives to secure a home, and deed theft threatens to rob them of the generational wealth they have built for their families. I am proud of my office’s work to put a stop to this fraud displacing our most vulnerable communities, and I will continue working to keep New Yorkers safe and secure in their homes.”
Wilcher, along with disbarred attorney Anyekache Hercules, former mortgage broker Stacie Saunders, and co-conspirators Jerry Currin and Dean Lloyd, targeted homes in distressed conditions. They used personal information of the rightful owners to create falsified documents and impersonated the owners at contract signings and closings. The crew split over $1 million in proceeds from the sales, with Wilcher taking the largest cut.
In December 2022, Attorney General James announced the arrests and indictment of Wilcher and his associates. Wilcher was arrested in Georgia with the help of local law enforcement agencies. On May 23, 2024, he pleaded guilty to the top count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree.
Following the indictment, two more home thefts by Wilcher were uncovered. He used the same fraudulent methods and was charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, resulting in his current sentence.
Wilcher’s co-defendant, Anyekache Hercules, pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and is set to be sentenced in September to one and a half to three years in prison. Jerry Currin and Dean Lloyd pleaded guilty to Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. Stacie Saunders is awaiting trial.
Attorney General James continues to fight against deed theft and protect New York homeowners. In July 2023, she announced the indictment of Joseph Makhani for deed theft and introduced legislation to strengthen protections for victims of deed theft. The Attorney General’s office also launched the Protect Our Homes initiative in January 2020 and formed an interagency task force to combat real estate fraud.
The OAG thanks the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, particularly Senior Assistant Attorney General Talia Vogel, for their assistance in this case. The investigation was conducted by Detective Steven Pratt and the OAG’s Major Investigations Unit, with prosecution handled by Assistant Attorneys General Nicholas Kyriacou and Aida Vernon.
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