A Queens man has been indicted on 23 criminal charges after New York authorities accused him of orchestrating an elaborate deed theft scheme that allegedly stripped an elderly Brooklyn woman living with dementia of her home and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that 58-year-old Mark Salkey was arrested on June 23 following an investigation that uncovered an alleged pattern of fraud spanning from 2022 to 2024.
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Prosecutors allege that Salkey forged legal documents to transfer ownership of the victim’s East Flatbush home into his own name while she was receiving dementia care. Authorities further claim he permitted unauthorized occupants to move into the property and collected rent through a company under his control.
Investigators also allege that Salkey stole approximately $148,000 from the victim and an additional $20,000 from her former husband’s pension.
The indictment includes 23 charges, among them grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, forgery, criminal possession of forged instruments, offering false instruments for filing, and falsifying business records. If convicted on the most serious charge, Salkey faces a potential prison sentence ranging from 8 to 25 years.
The case highlights growing concerns over deed theft in New York, where fraudsters have increasingly targeted elderly and vulnerable homeowners by using forged documents to illegally transfer ownership of valuable properties. State officials have made combating real estate fraud a priority as property values continue to rise across the city.
