A Queens grand jury indicted a Staten Island couple and their associate on charges of grand larceny and other related crimes for falsifying employment verification documents to obtain a mortgage from a Bayside bank.
Daniel Fama, 61, and Marjorie Fama, 51, both of Columbia Avenue on Staten Island, and Benedetto Cupo, 66, of Eastchester, NY, were arraigned Friday, Nov. 7, in Queens Supreme Court, charging them with grand larceny in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property, falsifying business records, and conspiracy.
According to the indictment and investigation, between February and June 2022, the Famas lied on a mortgage application for their Staten Island home, which was purchased for $950,000. The couple falsely claimed that Marjorie Fama was employed by Benedetto Cupo as a project manager at his construction company, Eastland Associates, and was paid approximately $17,000 per month. Marjorie Fama was employed at that time by the New York City Department of Education as a teacher’s aide.
As alleged, Cupo provided a falsified income verification statement to the Famas at Daniel Fama’s behest. The statement was then submitted to the lender, Metro City Bank at 212-45 Northern Blvd. in Bayside. Various lender documents demonstrate that the bank relied upon the income statement for its decision to issue the $550,000 loan.
The defendants were indicted in October and surrendered to the District Attorney’s office on Friday, Nov. 7.
“As alleged, the defendants falsified bank paperwork to help them buy a property in Staten Island,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “Mortgage fraud distorts property values, undermines legitimate transactions, and threatens the stability of the real estate industry.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Leigh Cheng ordered the trio to return to court on Dec. 16, and released them on their own recognizance.
“My office will not allow fraudsters to deceive legitimate institutions for their personal gain,” Katz said. “The defendants have been indicted on numerous charges for these alleged acts of mortgage theft and face prison time if convicted.”
