A Queens man on Tuesday was arrested and indicted for stealing an East Flatbush home from a nonagenarian he was taking care of.
Mark Salkey, 58, was charged with 23 crimes, including grand larceny, criminal possession of a stolen property, criminal possession of a forged instrument, forgery, offering a false instrument for filing, and falsifying business records, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that between 2022 and 2024, Salkey forged documents to transfer ownership of Althea Garrick's home, to himself and allowed unauthorized people to move into the home, requiring some to pay rent to his company, prosecutors said.
In addition to stealing the home, Salkey allegedly stole approximately $148,000 from Garrick, who is 92 and has dementia, and approximately $20,000 from her ex-husband’s pension.
In 1976, Garrick and her husband at the time, Reginald Kelly, purchased 162 E. 95th Street in East Flatbush. In 1998, following her divorce from Kelly, Garrick became the sole owner of the property. In 2022, Salkey was introduced to Garrick, and between 2022 and 2024, he allegedly used forged documents, including a forged deed, to modify the terms of her mortgage and steal her home and savings.
Salkey transferred ownership of the property from Garrick to his company, Salkey Salkey & Associate, Inc. Once he gave himself ownership of the property, Salkey allowed several other tenants, including his sister, to move into the home and pay rent to him, while Garrick and Kelly were forced to live in a small bedroom in their own home, according to prosecutors.
Salkey charged tenants a monthly rent between $2,000 to $2,200, and in total, he has collected approximately $70,000 in rent. When the property was stolen in 2023, it was worth approximately $950,000. The property is now worth over $1 million, James said.
Salkey also stole approximately $148,000 of Garrick's savings by liquidating her bank accounts using forged checks. Salkey wrote personal checks to himself and to his companies and used electronic, internet, or phone payments to distribute money to other accounts in his name, according to prosecutors.
Salkey also stole approximately $20,000 of Kelly’s pension that was directly deposited into Garrick’s bank accounts. He used the money for personal expenses, including credit card bills, a child’s college tuition, luxury purchases at Hermès and a jewelry store, rental cars, clothing purchases, nail salon visits, and airfare, James said.
“Mark Salkey took advantage of an elderly woman suffering from advanced dementia and stole the home she has owned and lived in for 47 years,” James said in a statement. “No one deserves to have their home stolen and their bank account drained. Deed theft is a heartless crime, and my office will do everything in our power to return this home to its rightful owner and hold Mark Salkey accountable for his despicable actions.”
