Monday, May 15, 2017

Upstate NY Real Estate Operator Gets 4 To 12 Years For Running 'Snatch & Flip' Title Hijacking Racket That Targeted Homes In Foreclosure Or Bankruptcy

In Albany, New York, the Albany Times Union reports:
  • A Rensselaer man was sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison on Friday [May 5] after pleading guilty to three felony counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, prosecutors said.

    The Albany County District Attorney's Office said Zarak Ali, 43, filed multiple false deeds with the county clerk's office between September 2015 and February 2016 on multiple properties throughout Albany County that were either in bankruptcy or foreclosure proceedings. Ali then rented out or sold those properties without the permission from the rightful owners.

    The DA's office said Ali pleaded guilty to several felonies in multiple counties after engaging in the same scheme in those places, which include Rensselaer, Schenectady, Columbia and Saratoga counties.