A disbarred Brooklyn attorney on June 5 was convicted of stealing the deeds to 11 residential properties in a decade-long scheme that primarily targeted minority homeowners facing foreclosure.
Sanford Solny, 68, of Midwood, was convicted of 13 counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, three counts of first-degree scheme to defraud and one count of third-degree grand larceny. Eleven corporations under his control, each tied to a stolen property, were also convicted of similar charges, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The judge acquitted Solny on charges related to one property and on additional charges linked to the others.
According to evidence presented at trial, Solny ran a fraudulent real estate scheme from 2012 to 2022. After his law license was suspended in 2012 and before he was officially disbarred in 2023, he posed as a financial advisor offering to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure through short sales. Instead, he used misleading promises and deceptive paperwork to transfer property deeds to companies he controlled, Gonzalez said.
Fifteen victims were defrauded in total. Many lacked financial or legal expertise and believed they were receiving legitimate assistance. Solny took ownership of their homes and, in some cases, collected rent from existing tenants.
The affected properties were located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, East Flatbush, Canarsie, East New York Ocean Hill and surrounding neighborhoods. Victims lost their homes, equity and in many instances, suffered long-term credit damage as foreclosures remained unresolved.
“This defendant didn’t just steal homes — he stole stability, equity and the future that these families worked hard to build," Gonzalez said. "He preyed on Brooklyn homeowners already in crisis, including a nurse, cab driver and home health aide, by posing as a trusted advisor."
Since 2017, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has brought 30 indictments against 42 defendants in deed theft cases involving more than 70 properties. All but five cases, which are pending have resulted in convictions. Most defendants were repeat offenders, disbarred lawyers or experienced scammers who exploited vulnerable property owners.
Solny faces mandatory prison time at sentencing, scheduled for Sept. 17, 2025. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of three and a half to seven years in prison.
