Notorious lawyer Sanford Solny has been taken into custody after allegedly violating his probation, according to a report from the New York Times. The 68-year-old was remanded during a probation hearing in Queens and is expected to remain in jail until the court’s adjournment concludes in just over a month.
Solny had previously been sentenced to five years of probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to possession of stolen property. Authorities allege that he violated his probation within months by committing another act of deed theft.
Earlier this summer, Solny was convicted of stealing 11 homes. He had been allowed to remain free ahead of his sentencing, which is scheduled to take place in Brooklyn later this month.
One of Solny’s lawyers stated that Solny did not have his medicine for high blood pressure with him at the hearing because he did not expect to be taken into custody. The lawyer also said, “it was insensitive for him to be taken into custody directly before Yom Kippur.”
Solny’s methods involved offering homeowners facing financial distress an arrangement known as a short sale. In these deals, owners sell their homes under lender-approved terms for less than they owe on their mortgage, and lenders drop foreclosure actions while forgiving remaining debt. However, victims — often Black or Latino families — would still find themselves burdened with debt after the sale.
Additionally, Solny would tell homeowners that vacating their property was required for a short sale. After they left, he would transfer the deed to himself and begin collecting rent from existing tenants or new occupants he brought in. When questioned about the status of the sales by former owners, he would reportedly claim negotiations were ongoing.
Deed theft cases are difficult for prosecutors because proving intent is challenging and victims typically sign legally-binding documents, allowing those behind such schemes to present them as legitimate business transactions.
— Holden Walter-Warner
