Baldwin woman charged with stealing deed from 75-year-old homeowner, renting properties she didn't own

A Baldwin woman fraudulently transferred the deed of a 75-year-old West Hempstead man’s house to her own name, Nassau police said Friday.

Aurelia Soogea, 39, faces eight charges including grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing and scheme to defraud. In a news release, police said she forged documents to transfer the house, on Maple Street, to her name. 

But not all the charges Soogea faces are directly connected to the alleged deed theft. Police said that during their investigation they learned that Soogea rented out "multiple" Nassau County residential properties that she did not own between July 8 and last Sunday.

Police also said that Soogea, who was arrested on Thursday, had "numerous" pills believed to be oxycodone. Criminal possession of a controlled substance is among the charges she faces.

A lawyer for Soogea, Lawrence Victor Carrà, said that "we believe the allegations to be false." There was no deed fraud, he said. "Consideration was paid for the premises in question and a fully executed deed...was properly filed in the Nassau County Clerk's office," Carrà said.

Soogea was released on her own recognizance after pleading not guilty to all charges at arraignment Friday before Judge William Bodkin in Nassau District Court, according to court records. She is scheduled to make her next court appearance Aug. 19 before Judge Anthony William Paradiso.

By Nicholas Spangler

nicholas.spangler@newsday.comspanglernewsday

Nicholas Spangler is a general assignment reporter and has worked at Newsday since 2010.