Thursday, October 1, 2026
A West Hempstead woman and a Lakeview man face multiple charges after Nassau County police linked them to alleged residential rental scams in West Hempstead, East Meadow and Hicksville.
Police said Aurelia Soogea, 39, of 357 Hempstead Turnpike, and William Fickbohm, 71, of 840 Taft St. in Lakeview, were responsible for fraudulent residential rental scams in the three communities. Investigators also allege that Soogea was responsible for an additional rental scam in Hicksville.
The investigation began with an alleged burglary and rental scam involving a home on Meadowbrook Road in Hempstead on July 17, police said.
According to detectives, a 49-year-old woman had coordinated an agreement to rent the Meadowbrook Road home from a man and woman. The woman met the pair in person and provided them with the first month's rent and a security deposit totaling $7,000.
She returned to the Meadowbrook Road home July 18 to collect paperwork, but instead encountered the home's actual owner, a 42-year-old man, according to police.
The homeowner told investigators that he had never rented the home to anyone. He also noticed that a lockbox outside the house had been damaged and that the key that had been inside was missing, police said.
Detectives continued investigating the incident and located Soogea Aug. 19 at 20 Hempstead Ave. in West Hempstead, where she was arrested.
During the investigation, Soogea provided detectives with what police described as a fraudulent New York state driver's license.
Police initially reported that Soogea was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny, possession of a forged instrument and first-degree scheme to defraud. She was arraigned Aug. 20 at First District Court, 99 Main St., in Hempstead.
The investigation continued, and police subsequently arrested Fickbohm in connection with the incident. Police identified him as a 71-year-old Lakeview resident who lives at 840 Taft St.
Fickbohm was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny, possession of a forged instrument and first-degree scheme to defraud, according to police.
He was arraigned Aug. 27 at First District Court in Hempstead.
During the continuing investigation, detectives determined that Soogea and Fickbohm were allegedly responsible for fraudulent residential rental scams in West Hempstead, East Meadow and Hicksville, police said.
Investigators also determined that Soogea was allegedly responsible for an additional rental scam in Hicksville.
Police said Soogea and Fickbohm face multiple counts of second-degree burglary and grand larceny, as well as first-degree scheme to defraud.
Soogea was scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 6 at First District Court in Hempstead.
The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a similar incident to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS or the Third Squad at (516) 573-6353. Police said callers can remain anonymous.
