NYPD Officer Indicted for Allegedly Stealing a Brooklyn Townhouse
An NYPD officer was indicted this afternoon for allegedly falsifying the deed on a Bed-Stuy townhouse, swiping it from its rightful owner and placing it under her own name.
The story as it stands now is bizarre and difficult to follow: In 1993, the owner of the Vernon Avenue home died, leaving the property to her nephew and other family members. The heirs did not move into the home, and it remained vacant for many years.
In 2012, NYPD officer Blanche O’Neal filed a deed with the city’s Department of Finance, claiming that she purchased the home for $10,000 for Colie Gallman, the original owner’s nephew. According to Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, that deed—which included a signature from Gallman—was forged.
Last year, Gallman and the other heirs attempted to sell the property and learned that it was in O’Neal’s name. O’Neal subsequently reported to the authorities that she was the victim of deed fraud—which, you’ve got to hand it to her, is a pretty ballsy move if it turns out that she’s guilty.
O’Neal was arraigned today on several charges including grand larceny. She faces 15 years in jail if convicted.
Cash, churros, bicycles, and now, allegedly, houses. Is nothing safe from the grubby fingers of the NYPD?
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