A Brooklyn woman was indicted on Tuesday and charged with filing a forged deed and allegedly trying to steal a home in Sheepshead Bay.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Shelle Revivo, 35, was charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and first-degree falsifying business records.
The defendant allegedly filed a forged deed on August 1, 2024, transferring ownership of the single-family Sheepshead Bay house to herself for $10. The deed and related documents allegedly included forged signatures and backdated notary stamps. The defendant had no connection to the deceased owner, according to Gonzalez.
The defendant allegedly moved into the house and opened a utility account, receiving gas service while unlawfully occupying the property.
The investigation further revealed that the defendant allegedly attempted to file another fraudulent deed for a second nearby property in Manhattan Beach, also using forged paperwork tied to a deceased homeowner. That filing was ultimately rejected.
The alleged scheme came to light after a neighbor contacted the District Attorney’s Action Center to report suspicious activity.
“This defendant allegedly took advantage of a deceased homeowner’s absence to steal a house and live there unlawfully," Gonzalez said in a statement. "Deed fraud and squatting schemes like this rob families of their rightful properties and destabilize neighborhoods. We are committed to holding individuals accountable who use deception and forgery to take what is not theirs.”
Revivo was ordered held on bail of $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond and to return to court on August 5, 2025.
