QUEENS, N.Y. — A South Ozone Park man has been sentenced to one to three years in prison for his role in a deed fraud scheme involving the theft of five properties in Southeast Queens, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Justin Joseph, 45, pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced on June 24, 2024.
Joseph was also ordered to pay $335,256 in restitution, representing the proceeds he received from the fraudulent sale of two homes. His scheme involved the filing of false deeds to illegally transfer ownership of properties. The District Attorney’s Office, using a statute that allows criminal courts to void fraudulent deeds, restored the properties to their rightful owners, avoiding additional civil proceedings.
“This is a strong disposition,” said District Attorney Katz. “Defendant Justin Joseph must now serve one to three years in prison, pay back more than $335,000 he tried to steal from fraudulent property sales, and five properties will be restored to their rightful owners.”
Joseph’s wife, Latoya Hewitt, 49, also pleaded guilty to charges related to the scheme. She was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and agreed to cooperate in voiding one of the fraudulent deeds, making restitution of $48,751.48.
The couple was arrested in April following a long-term investigation led by the Queens District Attorney’s Housing & Worker Protection Bureau and the New York City Sheriff’s Office.