Family trio charged in scams, including stealing $700K house from dead manBy Priscilla DeGregory
May 4, 2022
A family of fraudsters has been charged in a series of schemes, including swiping a house from a dead man’s estate, stealing the identity of 20 kids and cashing in on COVID relief funds they weren’t entitled to, Queens prosecutors allege.
Stephanie Bailey, 50, daughter Chianti Bailey, 31, and sister Latonya Bailey Dostaly, 45, scammed for over a decade, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars and living in a dead man’s house, the Queens District Attorney’s office alleges.
In 2014, Stephanie moved her family into late Port Authority accountant Russell Butler’s Laurelton, Queens home before Chianti filed a fake will for Butler claiming to be his heir, prosecutors claim.
As a result, Chianti was granted ownership of Butler’s house in 2020, which she then went on to take out a $200,000 mortgage on, officials allege.
Chianti also forged documents to collect on $100,000 in funds that were owed to Butler’s estate, the DA’s office claims.
In a separate scam, the mother pocketed $90,000 in Section 8 housing vouchers by applying for the government subsidy in 2014 using a fake lease and fake landlord for the Laurelton house that they had commandeered, prosecutors claim.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/05/04/nyc-family-trio-charged-in-stealing-700k-house-from-dead-man/
