Fake name, forged deed. DeKalb police say they’ve arrested who’s responsible

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - DeKalb County police have arrested a man accused of stealing a family’s home by forging a dead woman’s signature and transferring the title under a fake name.

Police charged Castor Tyrone Winfrey with two felonies. Investigators said he used an alias when he allegedly forged a signature and transferred the title of a home to himself.

The house on Columbia Woods Drive belongs to the family of Marva Reyes. Her parents made the down payment using policies from her brother’s death.

“This represents our family,” Reyes said. But in 2024, someone took it.

DeKalb County records show a new deed appeared on the home dated Jan. 24, 2024. On it, Reyes’ mother, Katie Williams, appears to have signed over the title to a man named Ayomide-Aberash Bey for zero dollars.

Katie Williams died in February 2017, seven years before that signature was made. A death certificate confirms it. Reyes’ father Walter died shortly after, meaning neither parent could have signed anything.

“I don’t see how you can just present a deed to the courthouse and say, now I own it for zero dollars,” Reyes said.

Previous Georgia law did not require identification to file or transfer a deed, making it easy for thieves to steal home titles on paper.

A new state law took effect in 2025; a series of Atlanta News First investigations entitled Misdeeds was credited for helping to change state law. The law now requires ID when filing deeds.

DeKalb County police arrested the man they said was behind the scheme. Investigators said Ayomide-Aberash Bey is actually Castor Tyrone Winfrey. They claim he used an alias to carry out the alleged fraud. A second man was also charged.

“On April 19, 2024, DeKalb County Police responded to a complainant who reported someone fraudulently sold her family’s home in the 3200 block of Columbia Woods Drive,” the agency said. “Detectives traced the sale to a company called Equity & Financial Justice L.L.L.P., led by Castor Winfrey (aka. Ayomide-Aberash Bey) and Cyrus Jones (aka. Saha Javir Bey).”

Winfrey and Jones have been charged with first-degree forgery and “Knowingly Alter, Conceal, Cover Up, Create & File False Documents.”

The warrants show Winfrey identifies as a “sovereign citizen,” someone who claims he is not subject to government authority.

Atlanta News First Investigates talked to Winfrey’s father about this case who said he’d pass our information along to his son, to contact us. However, we still have not heard from Winfrey.

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said it cannot comment on pending cases.

Under the new law, if convicted of deed theft, the convicted fraudster faces prison time and must pay the victim’s attorney’s fees and damages.

If there’s something you would like Atlanta News First Investigates to dig into, fill out this submission form.

Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube

Download our Atlanta News First app for your latest news and information.