A former New York Police Department (NYPD) detective was among three individuals arrested for a deed theft scheme in the Bronx, New York.
The retired detective, Chenenne Guevarra-Francis, teamed with his mother Barbara Guevarra-Francis, a retired nurse, and attorney Merrick Dammar to steal a 50% ownership stake in a $340,000 home belonging to Charmein Guevarra-Samuel, Chenenne’s late sister and Barbara’s daughter. On the day that Gueverra-Samuel passed away in July 2020, Dammar prepared and notarized a forged deed and other fraudulent paperwork to steal the home from her husband, who should have inherited his wife’s stake in the home.
The theft was discovered when Gueverra-Samuel’s husband applied for letters of administration for his wife’s estate. An attempt by Chenenne Guevarra-Francis to evict his brother-in-law in May 2023 was blocked by the Office of New York’s Attorney General.
The three conspirators were charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree, a class C felony; Forgery in the Second Degree, a class D felony; Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony; and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony. The maximum sentence on the top count is a sentence of five to 15 years in prison.
