Brooklyn, NY – NYS Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, NYS Senator Jabari Brisport, Council Member Shahana Hanif, and Ray Cortez along with his family and neighbors, rallied today to urge an end to the eviction proceedings against Mr. Cortez and an investigation into his case. Mr. Cortez has lived in his Park Slope home for 56 years, where he has raised his three children. He is the victim of egregious deed theft and has an eviction proceeding in housing court this Friday, January 17th, 2025.

Currently, an LLC is listed as the property owner after buying the title from Wells Fargo, which foreclosed on the property in 2018 after a mortgage was taken out by fraudster Wilson Calle, unbeknownst to Mr. Cortez. Mr. Calle scammed Mr. Cortez in 2006 and served several years in federal prison on unrelated tax fraud crimes.Wells Fargo was made aware that there was a possible issue with the deed, yet auctioned off the property without further investigation. Calle continues to make motions to the court to access money from the foreclosure of Mr. Cortez’s home and profit off of the deed theft.

Elected officials and Cortez supporters urged the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Attorney General to investigate the case, including the role of predatory bad actors.

“Mr. Cortez’s story is a heartbreaking example of the devastating impact of deed theft,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “This scammer has turned Mr. Cortez’s life upside down. For decades, Mr. Cortez has been a cornerstone of his community, and now he is being forced to fight for his own home because of fraud and corporate greed. There is no scenario in which Ray, a 90-year-old man, should be evicted from his home that he worked hard and paid for. These scammers are quite talented in their ability to obfuscate and manipulate people, facts and legal processes. I urge the District Attorney and the Attorney General to investigate this case as well as the scammers’ more recent actions to benefit from the original fraud and hold bad actors accountable. Ray and his family deserve justice and peace, and we must ensure that no other family faces this same nightmare.”

Ray Cortez, Jr. said, “In the name of justice, I am imploring Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and State Attorney General Leticia James to look into the crime committed against my father. I am confident that once an investigation is completed, my father will rightfully regain, and will be able to stay in, his home.” He continued, “I cannot believe my ninety-year-old, Peruvian immigrant father is about to lose the only place he has called ‘home’ since 1969 because of a career criminal, who shamelessly is STILL trying to profit off his crime. This con man has even petitioned the court asking for surplus money left over from the foreclosure sale by Wells Fargo, whom by the way was WELL AWARE of this crime prior to auctioning off the property. My father and family were shocked to learn that our home was about to be auctioned off without any previous knowledge or notice. No one – not one law enforcement agency – has taken the time or shown interest to help us, or at the very least, to investigate my father’s claim.”

“Today, we stand in solidarity with Mr. Ray Cortez, a beloved member of the Park Slope community who has called this neighborhood home for more than 50 years,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “We demand an immediate end to the unjust eviction proceedings against him, rooted in a blatant case of deed theft. Mr. Cortez’s experience is a stark reminder of the systemic crisis of deed theft, which preys on our most vulnerable residents, particularly older Black and brown New Yorkers. We call on the Brooklyn District Attorney and the New York State Attorney General to intervene and hold those responsible accountable. At 90 years old, Mr. Cortez deserves the dignity of aging in place, in the community he has helped build over decades. I remain deeply committed to addressing the systemic inequities in our housing system that allow these injustices to continue."

"For more than 50 years, Mr. Cortez has raised his family and put down roots at his home in Park Slope. It is cruel and unfathomable to throw a 90-year-old man out of the home he rightfully owns. Deed fraud is one of the worst crises facing Brooklyn, cheating Black and Brown residents out of homes they have nourished for decades. We must work in lockstep across all levels of government to ensure the consequences of deed fraud are borne by the scammers that lurk in our communities, not the hardworking New Yorkers who have long called these neighborhoods home,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

“Evicting a 90-year-old victim of deed theft is nothing short of cruelty,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “In the midst of an affordable housing crisis, we cannot leave someone who was conned out of their home out in the streets.”

Angelica Radacinski, a neighbor of the Cortezes, said, “Mr. Ray Cortez, a 90-year-old Peruvian immigrant, father, artist and 56-year resident of our beloved community, is at imminent risk of losing his home and being evicted due to the heinous crime of deed theft. Mr. Cortez achieved the ‘American Dream’ through hard work, only to have it shattered by a career criminal and backed by Wells Fargo. We ask all those in positions of power—whether local, state, or national—to remember that they were elected to represent ‘We the People’ and to serve the citizens of this great state. Where is that service for Mr. Cortez and for the others who are suffering from this same crime? The time for promises and silence is over. It’s time for action.”

“Neighbors Against Deed Thefts offers their solidarity with Ray Cortez, a beloved senior in the community, and his family over this travesty. At 90-years-old, Mr. Cortez should be relaxed and enjoying his life to the fullest extent, not worrying about being evicted from his home because of fraud. We are demanding a full investigation by AG James' office, Brooklyn DA Gonzalez's office, and the sheriff's office into this case of deed theft, as well as countless others. New York must send a clear and decisive message that deed theft, no matter what form or who the participants are, is not tolerated and all perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and property will be returned. No one should profit from deed theft, including banks in New York,” said Candace Niles, of Neighbors Against Deed Thefts.