Prosecutors: 3 Demanded Property Deed From Owners After Breaking Into Queens Home, Changing Locks
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two brothers and a third man allegedly broke into a house, changed the locks and refused to let the owners back in unless they transferred the deed of the house to them, prosecutors said.
A woman left her Jamaica Estates home for work on April 29 and told prosecutors that when she returned, the locks on her house had been changed and three men were inside, WCBS 880's Ginny Kosola reported.
The trio claimed they were from the bank that held her mortgage, District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The men told the woman and her husband that they'd have to sign some documents, including a deed transfer for the property, if they wanted to get back in to get their belongings, Brown said.
Prosecutors: Trio Demands Property Deed From Owners After Breaking Into Queens Home
When the husband returned from China more than two weeks later, the couple regained access to the house after getting a locksmith to change the locks, prosecutors said. They found the house in disarray and jewelry, cash, knives and other property missing, including the deed and documents related to the ownership of his home.
The defendants were identified as 33-year-old Brandon Sestoso and his 31-year-old brother Chas, both of Hicksville, and Jesse Kusinow, 32, of Howell, N.J.
They are charged with burglary, unlawful eviction, criminal trespass and other charges.
Brown called the case "truly bizarre" and said the defendants each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
