Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Daniel Fama, his wife, Marjorie Fama, and Benedetto Cupo were indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and other crimes for falsifying employment verification documents to obtain a $550,000 mortgage for the Famas’ home on Staten Island.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendants falsified bank paperwork to help them buy a property in Staten Island. Mortgage fraud distorts property values, undermines legitimate transactions and threatens the stability of the real estate industry. My office will not allow fraudsters to deceive legitimate institutions for their personal gain. The defendants have been indicted on numerous charges for these alleged acts of mortgage theft and face prison time if convicted.”

Daniel Fama, 61, and Marjorie Fama, 51, both of Columbia Avenue on Staten Island, and Cupo, 66, of Eastchester, NY, were arraigned today before Queens Supreme Court Justice Leigh Cheng on an indictment charging them with grand larceny in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree, falsifying business records in the first degree and conspiracy in the fourth degree. Justice Cheng ordered the defendants to return to court on December 16.

DA Katz said that, according to the indictment and investigation, between February and June 2022, Daniel and Marjorie Fama lied on a mortgage application for their home on Columbia Avenue in Staten Island, which was purchased for $950,000. The couple falsely claimed that Marjorie Fama was employed by Benedetto Cupo as a project manager at his construction company, Eastland Associates, and was paid approximately $17,000 per month. Marjorie Fama was employed at that time by the New York City Department of Education as a teacher’s aide.

As alleged, Cupo provided a falsified income verification statement to the Famas, at Daniel Fama’s behest. The statement was then submitted to the lender, Metro City Bank in Bayside. Various lender documents demonstrate that the bank relied upon the income statement for its decision to issue the $555,000 loan.

The defendants were indicted in October and surrendered to the District Attorney’s office earlier today.

District Attorney Katz thanks the New York City Department of Investigation, the NYPD and the New York Waterfront Commission for their crucial assistance.

Assistant District Attorney Mary Lowenburg, Chief of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Investigations Gerard Brave.