Saunders Found Guilty in $1M Queens Deed Theft

JAMAICA, QUEENS – Stacie Saunders, a former mortgage bank branch manager, has been convicted of orchestrating a brazen scheme to steal homes from elderly and disabled New Yorkers in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens. The two-week trial culminated in a guilty verdict on all 18 counts, exposing a calculated plot that netted the ring over $1 million in stolen proceeds.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the conviction today, marking the final nail in the coffin for the five-member deed theft ring led by Marcus Wilcher. The operation targeted vulnerable homeowners and estates, fraudulently transferring ownership of properties without their knowledge or consent. Saunders, also a licensed real estate salesperson, played a crucial role in marketing the stolen homes to investors at drastically reduced prices, facilitating quick and illegal sales.

The scheme involved a chilling level of deception. Wilcher identified distressed properties with absentee owners. Disbarred attorney Anyekache Hercules forged legal documents to transfer ownership. Saunders then arranged attorneys, collected closing documents, and scheduled closings. Wilcher further compounded the fraud by securing personal information—Social Security numbers and birth dates—to create falsified identification for impersonators who signed contracts and closed deals. Jerry Currin and Dean Lloyd were also involved in the scheme.

Once the fraudulent sales were finalized, the defendants opened bank accounts in the names of the rightful owners, using these and other controlled entities to funnel the more than $1 million in illicit profits. The ring targeted three homes in Jamaica and St. Albans, and attempted to steal a fourth in 2019. This wasn’t a crime of opportunity; it was a predatory operation designed to exploit the vulnerable for financial gain.

The jury found Saunders guilty of a litany of charges, including Three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a class C felony), Two counts of Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (class D felony), One count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (class E felony), Five counts of Money Laundering in the Second Degree (class C felony), Two counts of Forgery in the Second Degree (class D felony), Three counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (class E felony), and Two counts of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree (class E felony). The maximum sentence on the top count carries a potential prison term of five to 15 years, with consecutive sentences possible.

Attorney General James’ office secured convictions against all five defendants. Hercules pleaded guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and received a sentence of one and a half to three years. Wilcher pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and was sentenced. Saunders is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2025, by Judge Leigh Cheng. “Deed theft is a heartless crime,” James stated, “and my office is proud to have secured justice for the elderly New Yorkers targeted by this predatory scheme.”

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