Cops: Four Charged in Fake Property Sale Scheme

Four people conspired to steal $50,000 by creating the fake sale of a Bronx home, according to Nassau County Police.

Detectives reported the arrest of Lawrence Powell, 33, of Huntington, Juan Carlos Soto, 33, of Brooklyn, Anika Greene, 40, of Manhattan, and Kevin Kang, 51, of Farmingville, at 11 a.m. in Garden City.

According to police, the four arranged the fraudulent sale of 2529B Grand Avenue in the Bronx by pretending to be officials in the process of purchasing the home. Powell acted as the property purchaser, Soto acted as the title closer, Greene acted as a paralegal, and Kang acted as the property seller, cops said.

While inside a business office at 310 Old Country Road in Garden City, the four received escrow checks totaling more than $50,000 from Patriot One Mortgage, cops said.

Detectives found out the fake closing was going to take place and arrested the four at 12:40 p.m., officials reported.

Powell, Soto, Greene, and Kang were each charged with second-degree grand larceny. They will be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.