New York man gets up to 21 years for stealing $4.7 million Harlem homes

A New York man who used forged property documents to take control of two Harlem brownstones worth around $4.7 million was sentenced to up to 21 years in prison on Tuesday. Joseph Makhani's actions left an elderly homeowner without a home for years, while he collected rent from apartments in the stolen property.The ruling issued by Office of the New York State Attorney General Letitia James, found him guilty of stealing the two properties and carrying out a scheme to defraud.

The case involved brownstones at 107 West 118th Street and 135 West 131st Street in Harlem.According to the sentence, Makhani had spent years deceiving people. His actions had caused problems for tenants and left the rightful owner of one of the properties homeless.

“After years of scheming and deceiving New Yorkers, Joseph Makhani is finally facing justice,” James said.The case began in 2012, when Makhani started using fraudulent deeds, false documents and companies under his control to claim ownership of the two properties.