HEMPSTEAD, NY – A West Hempstead woman is facing burglary and grand larceny charges after allegedly collecting $7,000 from a prospective tenant for a Hempstead home that she had no authority to rent, according to Nassau County police.
Aurelia Soogea, 39, was arrested Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following an investigation by the Nassau County Police Department’s Third Squad.
Police said the alleged scheme began on July 17, when a 49-year-old woman met with a man and woman in connection with renting a home on Meadowbrook Road in Hempstead.
The prospective tenant turned over a combined $7,000 for the first month’s rent and security deposit, believing she had secured the property, investigators said.
When she returned to the house the following day to collect paperwork, however, she encountered the actual homeowner, a 42-year-old man who told her he had never offered or authorized the home for rent.
The homeowner also discovered that a lockbox outside the residence had been damaged and that the house key stored inside was missing, according to police.
Investigators did not say how the alleged renters initially advertised the property or how contact was established with the victim.
Following an investigation that lasted approximately one month, detectives located Soogea at 20 Hempstead Avenue in West Hempstead on August 19 and placed her under arrest.
Police further allege that during the investigation Soogea provided detectives with a fraudulent New York State driver’s license.
She was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny, second-degree possession of a forged instrument and first-degree scheme to defraud.
Soogea was arraigned Thursday, August 20, at First District Court in Hempstead.
Arrest Follows Other Property Fraud Allegations
The Meadowbrook Road case comes just weeks after Nassau County police announced a separate arrest involving Soogea and allegations of deed theft and unauthorized property rentals.
On July 31, 2026, police accused Soogea in a separate case involving the home of a 75-year-old man on Maple Street in West Hempstead. According to a Long Island Herald report, investigators alleged that a deed transferring the man’s property into Soogea’s name had been fraudulently created and filed in February 2026.
Police further alleged in that case that between July 8 and July 28, Soogea rented multiple residential properties throughout Nassau County that she did not own. She was identified as a Baldwin resident at the time of the July arrest and faced multiple grand larceny and fraud-related charges, as well as a controlled substance charge after police said pills believed to be oxycodone were found in her possession.
The allegations also are not the first time Soogea has faced criminal charges involving the ownership of another Long Island home.
In April 2023, Soogea, then 35 and identified as a Lakeview resident, was arrested on a grand larceny charge after authorities alleged that she forged deed documents to transfer ownership of a 78-year-old woman’s Lakeview home to herself for $10, according to a Fox News report.
The homeowner, Rosemarie Mika, reportedly discovered that she was no longer listed as the owner of the approximately $350,000 home after receiving a letter from the Nassau County Clerk. Soogea denied the allegation. Her attorney entered a not-guilty plea and maintained that Mika had voluntarily given Soogea ownership of the property in exchange for assistance and care she had provided. Mika’s attorney disputed that account, saying the women did not have such a relationship.
Investigators in the 2023 case also asked anyone who believed they had been the victim of a similar incident to contact authorities. Nassau County police issued a similar appeal following the July 2026 arrest, and detectives are again seeking potential victims as they continue investigating the latest Meadowbrook Road rental case.
The charges and accusations against Soogea described in the current and prior cases are allegations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a similar incident is asked to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or the Nassau County Police Department’s Third Squad at 516-573-6353. Police said all callers may remain anonymous.
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