Hamptons: Newsday Alleges Real Estate Scam Mounted For Years Before State Action

"Rosa Quituisaca discovered that the deed for her $475,000 East Hampton home had never been filed, leaving Suffolk County without any record of her ownership. When the deed was later recorded, the purchase price was missing... Quituisaca thought she had bought the house in 2022 from Michael O’Sullivan, who homebuyers had accused in lawsuits of defrauding them for years. O’Sullivan has not faced criminal charges, and he denied any wrongdoing," reported Newsday.

"The accusations against him, first reported by Newsday in May, are one of the latest examples of alleged real estate scams disproportionately affecting Latino immigrants. Since 2016, at least 17 buyers have sued O’Sullivan, alleging fraud or breach of contract in deals in which they paid over $5 million, according to a Newsday investigation. 

At least half the plaintiffs are Latino, including eight who say English is not their first language, according to court documents and attorney statements. Some buyers waited years for deeds that were never filed, while others said they were unaware their properties were in foreclosure."