Attorney General James Announces Arrests of Bronx Deed Thieves for Stealing $340,000 Share of Family Home

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrests and indictments of Chenenne Guevarra-Francis, a retired New York City Police Department (NYPD) detective; Merrick Dammar, an attorney; and Barbara Guevarra-Francis, a retired nurse, for stealing a 50 percent ownership stake of a family home in the Bronx worth approximately $340,000. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) revealed that Chenenne Guevarra-Francis and her mother, Barbara, used a forged deed and other forged documents to steal the ownership stake of a home belonging to Chenenne’s sister and Barbara’s daughter, Charmein. Dammar prepared and notarized these forged documents on the day that Charmein died, allowing Chenenne and Barbara to steal the home out from under Charmein’s husband, who should have inherited his wife’s stake in the home. Chenenne, Barbara, and Dammar were all charged with felonies and arraigned today before a judge in Bronx County Supreme Court. 

“Deed theft is a heartless crime, and it’s particularly tragic when the thieves are stealing from their own family members,” said Attorney General James. “Charmein Guevarra-Francis’ family used her death to steal her share of the family home from her widowed husband, but today we are bringing them to justice. My office will continue to go after deed theft in all of its forms to keep New Yorkers safe in their homes.” 

Charmein Guevarra-Samuel split the ownership of a home on Eastchester Road in the Bronx with her mother, Barbara, with each owning a 50 percent stake. Charmein lived in the home for over 15 years with her husband, who stood to inherit her stake upon her death. In July 2020, Charmein suffered cardiac arrest and passed away. Immediately after her death, Barbara and Chenenne used a forged deed and forged property transfer documents to transfer Charmein’s ownership share of the home to themselves, thereby preventing Charmein’s husband from legally inheriting her $340,000 ownership share. Merrick Dammar prepared and notarized these forged documents. 

The theft was discovered when Charmein’s husband applied for letters of administration for his wife’s estate. In May 2023, Chenenne attempted to evict Charmein’s husband. The OAG successfully blocked this eviction using a new deed theft law advanced by Attorney General James. 

Chenenne Guevarra-Francis, Barbara Guevarra-Francis, and Merrick Dammar were each charged with:
•    Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony;
•    Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree, a class C felony;
•    Forgery in the Second Degree, a class D felony;
•    Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony; and
•    Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony.

The maximum sentence on the top count is a sentence of five to 15 years in prison. The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The OAG thanks the New York State Police for the criminal referral and its assistance with this investigation and prosecution. The OAG also thanks the New York City Department of Finance for their assistance.

The case was investigated by Detectives Teresa Russo, Christopher Ryan, and Jennifer Garcia, under the direction of Supervising Detectives Anna Ospanova and Walter Lynch, and all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright, along with Detective Specialist John Collins, under the direction of Supervising Detective Norman Doyle, and all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator Sean Donovan. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

Assistant Attorneys General Lauren Sass and Joy Kieras are handling the prosecution in this matter under the supervision of the Real Estate Enforcement Unit Section Chief Nicholas John Batsidis, Public Integrity Bureau Chief Gerard Murphy, and Deputy Chief Kiran Heer, with assistance from Legal Support Analyst Alexandra Crespo. Both the Investigations Bureau and the Public Integrity Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.