BROOKLYN, NY – District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Wednesday that Derrick Johnson, a.k.a. Jay Rendell, 60, of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, has pleaded guilty to grand larceny in relation to a deed fraud scheme.
The scheme involved properties in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, and Park Slope, with Johnson illicitly obtaining approximately $775,000 using fraudulent deeds, mortgage documents, and shell corporations.
Johnson admitted guilt before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Johnson and is set to be sentenced on August 30. He faces concurrent sentences for multiple charges, including second-degree grand larceny, attempted criminal possession of a weapon, and bail jumping.
The investigation revealed Johnson’s fraudulent activities across multiple properties, including obtaining mortgages and transferring titles using shell corporations.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has been actively pursuing such fraudulent activities, resulting in a significant decline in deed fraud complaints in recent years.