Clotilde "Wendy" Sawadogo and her husband Patrice once owned a pair of buildings in Brooklyn, but the New York City couple says they were deceived 13 years ago after seeking the help of an expert to sell the properties.
"It was a trick," Sawadogo told News 12 Brooklyn in a story published June 6. "Tricking him (her husband) to sign over the deed."
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On June 5, Sanford Solny, a disbarred attorney, was convicted of stealing the deeds of 11 properties from 15 victims over a 10-year period. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the victims were primarily minority homeowners in financial distress.
"He stole our lives," Sawadogo said.
Solny now faces up to seven years in prison. Here’s how the scheme worked, and how homeowners can protect themselves.
Disbarred lawyer’s fraud scheme
The DA’s office says Solny targeted homeowners in foreclosure and presented himself as a financial expert. He told victims he could negotiate with lenders to sell their homes for less than what was owed on the mortgage. Making false statements, he tricked them into signing over their deeds to companies he owned.
Sawadogo says she and her husband were rushed through the paperwork before the eviction process suddenly started, per News 12.
The DA says the fraud took place between 2012 and 2022. Solny’s law licence was suspended in 2012 and he was disbarred in 2023. He’s scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 17.
News 12 reports the DA’s office confirmed a judge would be signing an order to nullify the fraudulent deeds. Sawadogo is hopeful she and her husband will get their properties back.
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The local broadcaster reached out to Solny’s attorney, who replied with a statement:
"While we believe that the evidence supported an acquittal on all charges, we were grateful for the acquittals on the majority of the charges," his lawyer said. "There are myriad appellate issues which will be vigorously pursued in future proceedings."
How you can avoid deed theft
Solny’s crime was a type of deed theft or home title fraud. This occurs when someone takes title to a home by arranging for the deed to be transferred to them — typically without the actual property owner knowing or understanding what’s happening.
Deed theft or title fraud can occur the way it did with the Sawadogos, where the couple is tricked into signing over the deed. It can also occur when a criminal pretends to be the owner of a vacant property and signs the deed over to themselves. From there, the deed holder can sell the home or get a mortgage or HELOC on it that’s never paid back.
Homeowners need to protect themselves from this type of fraud and can do so by:
- Checking regularly on the title with the state’s land records office and, where available, signing up for alerts when a legal change to the title of a property occurs
- Checking credit reports regularly to watch for new, unexpected mortgages or home equity loans
- Making sure bills come regularly and investigating if they’re missing
Homeowners also need to be careful who they trust for help, which means only working with a licensed real estate agent or licensed attorney when they need assistance, and checking with their state’s disciplinary board to ensure that the professional they hire is in good standing.
For the Sawadogos, it’s already too late to undo what happened and get back the lost years in their home — but other property owners should be vigilant and make sure they, too, don’t get tricked by a bad actor who pretends to want to help.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
