Arrest in phony deed scam exposed by The Investigators

NEW YORK (WABC) -- There has been an arrest in an alleged phony deed scam the Eyewitness News Investigators first exposed in June.

Investigators from the New York City Sheriff's office and the state police swooped in Tuesday afternoon as 49-year old Darrel Beatty appeared in civil court to fight eviction from the house he allegedly stole.

The handcuffs were slapped on an unsuspecting Beatty as he went to court in Jamaica, Queens, arguing he has a right to live in a Laurelton, Queens home that's been in Jennifer Merin's family for generations.

He was there for a civil case and had no idea he would be slapped with criminmal charges.

Merin discovered in late spring that Beatty had filed a deed claiming he owns the Laurelton property. Many of Merin's family treasures were dumped in the garage; the locks to the doors had been changed.

"What I'm looking at, Sarah, is estate rape," she told us.

After we aired Merin's story, the Sheriff's office began a fraud investigation and Tuesday came an arrest.

"I think I almost fainted with joy at that moment because I have really been waiting to hear those words for so long," Merin said.

("Mr. Beatty, why did you take her house?," we asked.) "I didn't," he said. ("How did you get in their house?") "I got in the house off of Craiglist," he said. ("Off of Craigslist?")

Sources tell us Beatty had told several stories about how he got into the house..that he rented it with an option to buy, that a relative of the supposed seller gave it to him.

He refused to tell us what he did with all of Merin's family treasures, which had been inside the house.

("Why do you think you're in handcuffs if you didn't steal her house?," Eyewitness News asked.) "I'll have my day in court," said Beatty. ("So how did you get into that house, you broke the locks, where's all her stuff?,") "That's an accusation, isn't it?," he said. ("Well, where's all her things?,") "Where's the proof?," he said.

Investigators say they have enough proof to charge Beatty with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and scheme to defraud, among other felonies.

Merin was overwhelmed when she witnessed the arrest, but she still has to go through legal channels to officially get her house back.

"I need resolution to this, and I think that the arrest is in part resolution. Obviously it doesn't get my house back, it doesn't get any of my belongings back but at least it gives me a sense that there is some kind of righteousness here," she said.