Rosemarie Mika: Elderly woman, 78, accuses ‘vicious psychopath’ neighbor of forging deed of her $350K NY home
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Rosemarie Mika, 78, who accused her neighbor of forging documents to steal her $350K home, has vowed to pursue Aurelia Soogea, 35, "until she is in prison". Mika claimed that she was informed about the deed transfer in a letter from Nassau County authorities. Shockingly, the transfer was done for just $10, according to legal documents. Mika, who also tagged Soogea as a "vicious psychopath", contacted the police who then arrested her on April 7, 2023, and charged the 35-year-old with grand larceny.
However, Soogea has pleaded not guilty to forgery after being arrested last week and has claimed that Mika gave her the deed as a gift for the work she did as an aid. Commenting on it, defense attorney Lawrence Carra said, "[Soogea] provided services and she stayed there from time to time as a caring loving aid. I believe there is conflicting evidence we will show that Soogea did not forge the deed," reports The Sun. But, on the other hand, Mika said the two had never met.
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Mika told DailyMail, "This lady [Soogea] made a mistake. She thought that I was senile, and because I am semi-disabled and walk with a cane, she thought I would be a pushover, boy was she wrong. We're not going to relent until we get her in prison. She's a vicious sociopath."
'Stealing title to people's homes is fastest rising crime in America'
Describing the details, Mika said that Soogea took the title of her home on October 11, 2022. Two weeks later, she received a letter from the county clerk's office informing her of the transfer. She said, "Stealing the title to people's homes is the fastest rising crime in America. They target elderly people who are living alone who paid off their mortgage. I paid off my mortgage years ago." She added that she also paid $850 to a handwriting analyst to examine the signature. Mika's lawyer Mark Goidell said that the forgery was "established to a certainty." "On my client’s behalf, I brought an action to set aside the deed almost immediately after my client became aware of the deed," he explained.
Neighbor's evidence 'fabricated'
Talking about Soogea, Mika said, "She is a liar and a criminal. I will absolutely get my house back." Meanwhile, Soogea claimed she recorded conversations between her and her neighbor confirming the transfer of the home. But Mika's lawyer argued that all evidence Soogea had produced was "fabricated."
The judge ordered Soogea to have no contact with Mika during the April 7 hearing. Soogea is next due in court on Thursday, April 13. There is also an ongoing civil case into who owns the home, which will be heard separately.
