A pair of alleged fraudsters took control of the home belonging to an elderly woman, who was in hospice care at the time, but their scheme was uncovered by her family, as officials reported on Thursday.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office has charged 68-year-old Deepa Roy and 39-year-old Victor Quimis with forging documents to deceptively claim the property of Renuka Belwani, who had been living there for about 40 years without any payments being made.
While Bherwani was receiving hospice care in October 2024 due to dementia, Roy and Quimis reportedly engaged in fraudulent activities, prior to her passing in June.
“I felt a wave of anger mixed with sadness discovering someone was trying to exploit her situation,” said her son Kamal Belwani, recalling his emotions during that difficult time.
Renuka had moved into the house with her late husband Mohan Belwani, who passed away in 1986, as per the Attorney General’s comments.
Quimis, who resides in Queens, pleaded not guilty to charges including grand theft, mortgage fraud, and money laundering at the Queens Supreme Court. He was released without bail on Monday. Roy, living in Manhattan, is currently in custody.
Attorney General Letitia James stated that “Deepa Roy and Victor Quimis wrongfully took a home from a widow in hospice care.”
The initial charges stem from new legislation introduced by James targeting fraudulent conduct.
Roy had entered Belwani’s life in 2022, initially claiming to be a friend to the elderly woman, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
In the summer of 2024, she tried persuading Belwani’s health aide to let her move into a spare room, but Kamal and his wife thwarted her efforts.
Kamal Belwani, who previously worked under former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani, noted that he had never met Roy, but she claimed a sort of friendship with his mother.
Eventually, Roy and Quimis managed to take over the house by forging Belwani’s signature, along with that of a notary in Nassau County, manipulating the dates on the document.
They committed mortgage fraud shortly thereafter by transferring the home to Quimis’ company, and by forging notary signatures on different occasions.
They secured a mortgage of $552,500, repaid prior debts, and kept a remaining amount of $312,000 for themselves.
Quimis allegedly laundered the money through his company’s account for personal expenses.
Kamal reacted to the situation, stating, “They meticulously plotted this fraud at the expense of my mother.” He emphasized that his mother was incredibly vulnerable during that time.
After obtaining power of attorney for his mother, Kamal and his wife learned of the fraudulent activities when they found a letter addressed to Quimis from the Environmental Protection Agency, indicating he was the “new owner” of the property.
If convicted, Roy and Quimis face substantial prison time, potentially between 8 to 25 years.
While Quimis’ attorney did not respond to inquiries about the case, it remains unclear whether Roy has legal representation. She did not answer messages seeking a comment.
Kamal had previously shared the story of his son Ethan’s tragic death from a fentanyl overdose, criticizing Mohegan Sun for their response during a critical moment when his son collapsed at their establishment.
