New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the sentencing of disbarred attorney Anyekache Hercules to one and a half to three years in prison for her involvement in a deed theft operation targeting homes in Jamaica and St. Albans, Queens. These properties were owned by elderly or disabled New Yorkers or their estates. Hercules, who pleaded guilty in May 2024 to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, was sentenced yesterday in Queens County Court.
"Deed theft schemes target vulnerable communities and steal families’ most valuable assets," said Attorney General James. "Anyekache Hercules used her knowledge of the law to scam and steal from those in her community, rather than protect them."
Hercules collaborated with Marcus Wilcher, the leader of the crew, along with former mortgage broker Stacie Saunders and co-conspirators Jerry Currin and Dean Lloyd. The group targeted homes with absentee owners that were in distressed conditions. Hercules forged legal documents used to illegally sell these properties, even stealing the identity of a practicing attorney as she was disbarred from practicing law.
Saunders marketed these homes at below-market prices for quick sales while Wilcher and Saunders found individuals to impersonate property owners during contract signings and closings. Following the sales, they opened bank accounts using forged identification documents to funnel over $1 million in proceeds.
In December 2022, arrests and indictments were announced for Wilcher, Saunders, Hercules, Currin, and Lloyd. Previously convicted of deed theft in Kings County in 2019, Hercules pleaded guilty on May 16, 2024. Wilcher was convicted of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and sentenced to three to nine years for five home thefts in July 2024. Currin and Lloyd pleaded guilty to felony counts related to filing false instruments. Saunders is awaiting trial.
This case is part of ongoing efforts by Attorney General James' office to combat deed theft and housing scams across New York State. Previous actions include legislation passed in April 2023 aimed at protecting victims of deed theft, an $800,000 grant announced in February 2021 for combating such crimes, as well as initiatives like Protect Our Homes launched in January 2020.
The investigation involved multiple members from various bureaus within the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), including Detective Steven Pratt under Detective Supervisor Anna Ospanova's direction; Assistant Attorneys General Nicholas Kyriacou and Aida Vernon; Senior Auditor Investigator Danielle Dudley; Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes leading the Investigations Bureau; Gerard Murphy overseeing Public Integrity Bureau operations; Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro supervising audit efforts; Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado heading Criminal Justice Division operations; all under First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy’s oversight.