by QUEENS, N.Y. — A Queens family is reeling after a flashy real estate agent conned them out of their home through a sophisticated deed fraud scheme, only for the scammer to receive no jail time at sentencing on Wednesday.
Priceless Family Heirlooms Lost
Gloria Kubick, 79, recalled the emotional toll as she recounted how irreplaceable items, including her deceased father’s “Welcome Home Johnny” sign from his World War II service, were discarded after the home was fraudulently taken from her and her daughter, Maria Bendek.
“It’s all just thrown in the garbage,” Kubick said, struggling to hold back tears. “It’s like their lives meant nothing.”
Bendek, 53, added that the ordeal felt “like my grandparents died all over again,” noting the sentimental value of their 61st Road home in Kew Gardens Hills, which her family had owned since 1999.
“All of our memories lived in that house and they were stolen,” she said.
Perpetrators and Scheme Details
Autumn Valeri, 41, was sentenced to five years of probation and will have her real estate license revoked after admitting to stealing three Queens homes between March and July 2023. Valeri, dressed in a skintight dark suit, avoided jail time, leaving the victims outraged.
Valeri’s co-conspirators — Carl Avinger, Torey Guice, and Lawrence Ray — helped execute the scam, which involved forging signatures and filing fraudulent deeds with the City Register’s office. In total, the quartet allegedly stole homes valued at over $3 million.
In the case of the mother-daughter duo, prosecutors said Valeri and Avinger forged documents, including a marriage certificate and driver’s license, to sell the home in May 2023 for $600,000. Roughly $442,000 was wired to Ray’s bank account, which is still part of a civil lawsuit.
Legal and Emotional Fallout
Queens Assistant District Attorney Rachel Stein emphasized the personal impact of the scheme during the sentencing hearing.
“The victims in this case had homes that were ripped away from them, and these were homes that were more than just four walls and a roof,” Stein said.
While Valeri apologized to the family in court, Justice Leigh Cheng’s order voided the fraudulent deed on the property, allowing the home to be returned.
The conspirators’ scheme also targeted other Queens residents. Authorities said Valeri and Avinger filed false documents with the city finance department to fraudulently claim ownership of a house in Queens Village from a 76-year-old woman and attempted to seize a home in Jamaica Estates owned by an 82-year-old woman.
Avinger has already been sentenced to 3½ to 7 years in prison for identity theft and is scheduled for sentencing on grand larceny charges on November 13, where he could face up to nine years in prison. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated her office plans to void the other two fraudulent deeds, restoring those properties to the rightful owners.
“Accountability is not the same for every defendant,” Katz said. “The first priority here was to make the victims whole and return their property to them.”
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Family Reacts to Sentence
For Kubick and Bendek, the probation sentence felt like a slap in the face.
“I don’t understand how she gets a sentence like this when she’s destroyed people’s lives,” Kubick said in court.
The family said their home represented decades of memories and personal history, and that the emotional scars of the scam run deep. Items lost included family photographs, heirlooms, and personal mementos collected over generations.
Bendek reflected on the violation of trust and the sense of vulnerability felt by the victims.
“It’s hard to describe — the house wasn’t just a home, it was our family’s history. They stole that from us,” she said.
The case has highlighted both the sophistication of real estate deed fraud schemes and the challenges courts face in delivering sentences that victims feel match the emotional and financial damage done.
Restoring Justice
Authorities and prosecutors continue to work to ensure the stolen properties are returned to the rightful owners. While Valeri avoided prison, the legal system is still taking steps to hold the other conspirators accountable and prevent similar frauds in the future.
“The victims’ homes and memories matter,” Katz said. “Returning property is a step toward justice.”
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