Real Estate Swindle Behind Nazish Noorani's Shooting In Boonton?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Kashif Parvaiz is not only an accused killer, he is also a suspected swindler, according to his friend's stepmother.

Parvaiz, 26, apparently found out just hours before his wife, 27-year-old Nazish Noorani, was shot in the chest that he was in line to collect about $2 million in a real estate deal.

Parvaiz apparently persuaded Martin Ragusa, 74, to sign over his minority share of a building on Parsons Boulevard in Hillcrest, which went into contract last week -- a day before the shooting -- for more than $9 million.

EXTRA: Document Purportedly Signed By Ragusa, Parvaiz In 2007

"I think he had to eliminate her before the money came or she would've filed for half of it," Ragusa's stepmother, Marguerite, told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "I just found out he was on the deed when we went to sign it."

1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports: Shady Real Estate Deal?

Marguerite Ragusa told CBS 2's John Metaxas "he killed for the money -- that's the truth."  She said she has known Parvaiz  for 12 years -- since the then-teenager befriended her gay and disabled stepson and eventually convinced him to sign over rents from his real estate property.

"He would sleep on the couch with him and put his arms around him to console him," she said.

Marguerite Ragusa described Parvaiz as "charming" and "manipulative" and believed he also had a dark side.

"He said 'I hate my wife.' I said 'Why? How could you hate her? She's beautiful.' It was an arranged marriage he said," Ragusa said.

Noorani and Parvaiz were walking with their 3-year-old son in Boonton last Tuesday night when shots rang out. Noorani was killed and Parvaiz was wounded. Their son was not hurt. The couple also has a 5-year-old son who was not with them at the time of the shooting.

Police said Parvaiz originally told investigators that his family was attacked by three men with guns shouting slurs about "terrorists."

Days later, police arrested Parvaiz and 26-year-old Antoinette Stephen from Massachusetts on charges of murder, conspiracy and weapons offenses. Parvaiz also faces child-endangerment charges.

Officials said they found incriminating text messages between Parvaiz and Stephen leading up to the murder.

"You hang in there. Freedom is just around ur corner," is a text prosecutors said Parvaiz received from Stephen.

"Well I need to speak to you and explain to you how to approach the situation i'll be depositing money tomorrow," Parvaiz allegedly responded.

They finalized the arrangements in a cell phone call on Tuesday — the day of the attack, according to prosecutors.

Months before she was killed, family members say Noorani suspected her husband was having an affair with Stephen, who is now accused of helping to plot her murder.

Relatives say when Noorani confronted her husband about his relationship with Stephen, he apparently told her he was just pretending the two were engaged to get a family discount at Best Buy where Stephen worked.

An arrest affidavit also quoted a text message from Noorani to her brother that said "Someday u will find me dead but its cuz of kashi … He wants to kill me."

Parvaiz remains held on $1 million bail. He is expected to be transferred from Morristown Hospital in New Jersey to Morris County jail by Tuesday.

Family members have set up an educational fund for the couple's children at www.nazishmemorialfund.org.

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