Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced that the Essex County Prosecutors Office Financial Crimes Unit arrested Sylvia Sexius, 46, of Orange today for carrying out a scheme to defraud a Newark woman.
Sexius was charged with 2nd degree Theft by Deception, 4th degree Forgery and 3rd degree Theft by Unlawful Taking.
It is alleged that in October 2011, a Newark woman reported to Newark Police that she began receiving foreclosure notices on a property she did not own and had no knowledge of located at 520-524 Prospect St. in East Orange. An investigation launched by the Essex County Prosecutors Office revealed that Sexius, an East Orange-based real estate agent, had completed a fraudulent mortgage on the property for $412,000 using personal information she had obtained when she had performed an earlier refinancing of the Newark woman’s home.
Following the closing, Sexius took possession of the property and operated her real estate business out of the Prospect Street building. She also obtained rental income from commercial and residential units in the same building.
Acting Prosecutor Murray credited Detective Aloma Wright of the Newark Police Department and Detective Jeffrey Baker of the Essex County Prosecutors Office with the successful investigation of the fraudulent scheme.
These charges are accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they plead guilty or are found guilty in a court of law.
